The education system has been fraught with controversy in Alberta. From the government’s recent attempt to ban certain books in school libraries, to their introduction of several measures affecting transgender students. And now, a major pressure point between teachers and Premier Danielle Smith’s government has come to a head: overcrowding in Alberta’s schools. On Monday, over 50,000 educators across the province are set to strike for the first time in over 20 years.

Today, the Globe’s education reporter, Dave McGinn, joins the show. He’ll tell us about the major influx of students in Alberta, what’s behind it, and how it’s transforming schools.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at – thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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The great boom of the lobster industry is, in many ways, a story of success. For more than 30 years, Canada’s most valuable seafood export has generated wealth for Canadian fishing communities and created an appetite around the world for the luxury food. But it’s also come at a tremendous cost – Indigenous fishers have been excluded, and scientists have warned warming waters and overfishing are severely affecting catches, causing high tensions and sometimes violent fights.

Greg Mercer, investigative reporter for The Globe and author of Lobster Trap: The Global Fight for a Seafood on the Brink, joins the podcast to talk about how the gold-rush mentality of the multi-billion dollar industry is creating a crisis for both the shellfish and its environment.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Official estimates from Ukraine’s government say 19,000 Ukrainian children have been taken by Russian forces since the start of the conflict. And many of these kids are living in Russian camps overseen by former soldiers.

Now, a pamphlet from one of the camps has given the world a window into the lives of these children. Janice Dickson, The Globe’s international affairs report, discusses Russia’s attempts to turn these children against their home land.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In observance of this day, The Globe and Mail is not publishing a new Decibel episode. We hope to encourage learning, reflection, and meaningful conversations about the history and ongoing impacts of colonialism in Canada.

Just two months after ChatGPT was launched in 2022, a survey found 90 per cent of college students were already using it. But students are no longer using artificial intelligence for writing essays – AI is used in generating ideas, conducting research, and summarizing reading. In other words: they’re using it to think for them. What does this mean for higher education? And what are the real costs of AI in critical thinking?

Machines Like Us Host Taylor Owen, welcomes two guests – Conor Grennan, chief AI architect at NYU’s Stern School of Business and Niall Ferguson, senior fellow at Stanford and Harvard, and the co-founder of the University of Austin.

Subscribe to The Globe and Mail’s ‘Machines Like Us’ podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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Last Monday, the Trump administration linked Tylenol to autism and warned against pregnant women taking it — Health Canada says there is no conclusive evidence and continues to recommend acetaminophen to treat fever and pain during pregnancy. This is not the first time U.S. President Trump or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made controversial remarks on autism and what causes it. And some advocates and scientists are concerned about the wider impact this could have.

Today, developmental pediatrician Dr. Melanie Penner joins the show to help us unpack the growing fixation on autism, why unproven links to its cause continue to resurface, and what we should be focusing on instead.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Canada’s new Major Projects Office is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ambition to fast-track Canada’s major infrastructure projects. And the person leading it – Dawn Farrell – will play a critical role in getting those deals done quickly. But Farrell is no political appointee. So who is she? And what does her appointment to the post say about the federal government’s intentions for a generational infrastructure build?

Globe reporters Emma Graney and Jeffrey Jones spoke to Farrell’s friends and former colleagues to learn who she is and how she operates. Graney, The Globe’s energy reporter, joins The Decibel to discuss what they found.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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After months of informal back-and-forth talks about Donald Trump’s tariffs, a new chapter in the U.S.-Canada trade war has begun. Last week, the U.S. officially started the review process of USMCA, the current North American free trade deal.

Mark Rendell covers economic issues for The Globe and explains what the U.S. wants and what Prime Minister Mark Carney’s goals are in this crucial trade negotiation.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Measles is one of the most contagious respiratory viruses in the world. But for decades, it rarely infected Canadians. That’s not true any more. Since October, 2024, North America has seen record case numbers — and most of them seem to lead back to one Canadian family.

Today, The Globe’s international correspondent Nathan Vanderklippe joins the show. He’ll tell us the story of his 40,000-kilometre journey to trace the measles outbreak and to figure out how it took hold in North America after Canada eliminated it 27 years ago. He’ll explain why this spread has been so hard to contain and what tracing its spread can teach us about preventing and preparing for future outbreaks.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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