The Decibel

The populations of Vancouver and Toronto have doubled in the past 50 years, but in certain neighbourhoods of those cities, populations have declined by as much as 40 per cent. The Globe’s architecture critic Alex Bozikovic explains why neighbourhoods have lost so many residents, what that means for the areas, and how it might present a solution to the housing crises.

Amidst the news about Canada’s strained and struggling healthcare system, there is a bright spot. The Globe and Mail published a series recently about volunteers filling in the gaps, called Care Between the Lines – about the volunteers who take a patient-first approach in a system that can often be isolating. Today, we’re bringing you a few of those stories of the volunteers getting rural Canadians to medical appointments, helping families in a pediatric hospital and getting seniors out for a bike ride. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Albertans will go to the polls to vote in a referendum on October 19. By now, everyone knows about the question on whether Alberta should stay in Canada, or hold another referendum on whether to separate. But there are, in fact, nine other proposals Albertans are being asked to vote on. Matthew Scace is a staff reporter for The Globe based in Calgary. He’s on the show to explain what else Albertans are being asked to vote on, and what those results could mean for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government.

Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is on the front lines of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.. The city lies just a few kilometres away from the U.S., across a river from a city with the same name in Michigan. Its core economic industry is steel, which has been hit with U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs. The Globe and Mail’s staff reporter, Patrick White, recently went to ‘The Soo’ to see how the residents are faring after layoff notices and previous years of economic hardship.

The law governing income tax in Canada is as complex as the legislation is thick – it’s over 3,000 pages long. All of this complexity isn’t just a nuisance for taxpayers. It can cost people and businesses money if they are unaware of deductions or exemptions, or if they have to hire help to make sure they are compliant. Chris Wilson-Smith looked into how the Income Tax Act became a Frankenstein’s monster, as one tax expert put it. Chris is on the show to explain why politicians keep adding to the income tax code but can’t seem to simplify it.

A secret meeting with Republican strategists near an airport hanger, and talks of access to Alberta water and royalties from oil. These are some of the revelations from a Globe investigation looking into some separatists courting American support in their pursuit of independence. Carrie Tait, a reporter in the Globe’s Calgary bureau, Globe investigative Grant Robertson and Globe international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe are behind the investigation. Carrie and Grant are on the show to explain what they’ve learned.

Quebec is facing a fractured political landscape ahead of its election today, with no single party polling higher than 30 per cent in the run-up to the election. And there are important issues hanging over the campaign, from separatism to spending issues to U.S. President Donald Trump. Today, The Globe and Mail’s Quebec correspondent, Maura Forrest, explains why the province’s parties have failed to inspire voters and how a party with less than 30 per cent support might end up forming a majority government.

Hockey Night in Canada is considered a Canadian cultural institution. For almost 75 years, it was broadcast on the CBC, accessible to any Canadian who wanted to tune in. But earlier this year, CBC and Sportsnet, which owns the rights to air NHL games in Canada, ended their partnership. Now, the CBC is trying to rebuild a new version of the show without the NHL, and people are left wondering what is lost for Canadians when only people who can afford a Sportsnet subscription can access Saturday night NHL games. Simon Houpt covers sports media and the business of sport for The Globe. He is on the show to explain the big business of broadcasting NHL games in Canada, and what this means for Canadian identity.

In the trade war between the U.S. and Canada, alcohol has been a bargaining chip on both sides of the border. Early in 2025, Canadian premiers pulled U.S. booze off of Canadian shelves. Then, last month, the Trump administration slapped a 50-per-cent duty on hundreds of Canadian goods including beer, wine, cider and most spirits. Notably, the U.S. cited the provincial shelf bans as justification for their tariffs. And now, the U.S. has implemented an outright ban on that same list of alcohol products. Jennifer Robson, an associate professor of political management at Carleton University, will explain why booze has become a focal point amid continuing trade tensions. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Officers at the Regina Police Service begin an internal investigation of one of their colleagues, and turn up a case larger and more complex than they could have imagined. Sgt. Alana Heiliger begins to identify patterns in an officer’s use of police databases, and a notebook filled with names and cryptic notations provides valuable clues. In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is a seven-part original podcast series from The Globe and Mail. The show is made by Kasia Mychajlowycz and Jana G. Pruden. Sound mixing is by Dave Crosbie, with additional recording by Amber Bracken. The show’s theme song is “Black Horses” by Birdbelly. Show art by Celeste Woods.

The Globe and Mail has learned that a Canadian diplomat was sharing intelligence with American spies in Havana and Canadians were using satellite equipment brought into Cuba by the United States when officials from both countries began experiencing debilitating symptoms caused by alleged sonic attacks linked to Russia, according to two sources. Now, former Canadian spies and high-level security officials are calling upon parliamentarians to independently investigate whether Russia used sonic weaponry against Canadian diplomats in Cuba, and how the diplomats were subsequently treated by Ottawa. Robert Fife is the Globe’s recently retired former Ottawa bureau chief. He joins the show to talk about these new allegations of spying. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

After several reports of AI agents going rogue, calls for regulation of this technology have grown louder. And some of the people advocating for more rules are the leaders of the frontier labs themselves, like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. But how can governments, which tend to move slowly, regulate a technology that is changing at an increasingly quicker pace? Taylor Owen talks about what responsive AI policy could look like. He is the Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications in the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. He is also the host of The Globe’s Machines Like Us podcast. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

For years, Sgt. Robert Semenchuk, a Regina police officer, preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women using information from police databases. He often posed as a contractor named Jay or Steve and sent seemingly wrong-number texts to women. Some of these texts led to intimate relationships. The women had no idea he was deceiving them, until one woman became suspicious. This case is the focus of the new season of In her Defence: Breach of Trust. Globe feature writer Jana Pruden is the host of the podcast. She’s on the show to talk about the women that came forward to hold Semenchuk accountable, and what it tells us about how law enforcement agencies in Canada are policing themselves. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Washington this week for his first official state visit to the U.S. in 11 years. A lot has changed since then – China has become one of the world’s most dominant countries, while U.S. President Donald Trump has drastically altered global relationships with his trade war. The Globe’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths, joins the show today. He’ll talk about the context at this meeting between Trump and Xi, what they’re expected to discuss and the elephants in the room neither of them want to talk about. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

On Monday, the governing Liberals tabled their first bill of the new session of Parliament. Bill C-39, also called the Building Canada Strong Act, is over 240 pages long and aims to streamline and speed up development approval. It also makes changes to the Canada Labour Code that have upset union leaders. Bill Curry is The Globe’s deputy bureau chief in Ottawa. He has been covering the new legislation and explains what exactly Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is proposing and what it is willing to sacrifice to boost building in Canada. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Canada has had a system of equalization payments for decades, where money collected by federal income taxes gets distributed to provinces worse off financially than others. It has proven to be controversial in some areas, like Alberta where Premier Danielle Smith has claimed that equalization is a ‘gravy train’ for the rest of Canada through these payments. Members of the Alberta separatist movement have also used this as a reason to push for separation. But there are a lot of misconceptions about this complicated program. So today, we speak with Patrick Brethour, the Globe’s Editorials editor and former tax and fiscal policy reporter. He’ll demystify the equalization program by explaining how it works, why it’s so controversial, and what he thinks would make it better. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Canada and the EU are working toward a more integrated partnership. As the relationship with the U.S. becomes increasingly less reliable, Canadians seem to be overwhelmingly in favour of the idea of getting closer to Europe. But what could this partnership actually entail – and how much more would Canada be getting than it has now? Today, the Globe’s international affairs columnist, Doug Saunders, is on the show. He’ll discuss the geopolitical implications of Carney’s address to the European Parliament, and what shape the relationship could take going forward. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

What happens when one of the “good guys” turns out to be a bad guy? The acclaimed true crime podcast series ‘In Her Defence’ returns with ’In Her Defence: Breach of Trust”. A seven-episode series exploring the case of Sgt. Robert Semenchuk, a Regina police officer who preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women using information from police databases. Some of those women risked it all to expose him, and hold him accountable. But would the system punish one of its own? Hosted by award-winning crime reporter Jana G. Pruden, and based on more than 50 hours of exclusive interviews with dozens of women, police officers, lawyers and legal experts, In Her Defence: Breach of Trust reveals serious gaps in the way law enforcement agencies in Canada are policing themselves, and the serious harm women are suffering as a result.

The Canadian Armed Forces is undergoing a generational change. From record investment and spending, to its most extensive re-organization in decades – military officials say this is Canada’s preparation for a “future battlefield.” Gavin John, journalist and photographer for The Globe, has covered the Canadian Armed Forces extensively. He joins The Decibel to discuss why the military is moving with such urgency, what it says about future conflicts and how the nature of warfare has changed. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The Canada Investment Summit wrapped after two days of deals and announcements meant to spur more capital in the Canadian economy. This includes the federal government leasing parts of some of the country’s biggest airports and unveiling new tax incentives, and companies doubling down on AI data centres. Prime Minister Mark Carney is hoping that this will create a “supercycle” of investment. Report on Business columnist Andrew Willis explains what the Prime Minister said to him during their interview and what to make of the major announcements from the summit. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Albertans will head to the polls in just over a month, on Oct. 19, to vote in a referendum. There are 10 questions, but the one that’s garnering the most attention is the question about separation: do they want to remain in Canada, or hold another referendum on whether to separate? Polling suggests 70 to 75 per cent of Albertans want to stay in Canada, but the federalists are having trouble raising enough money to get the message out. We’re talking to Marieke Walsh, a senior political reporter for The Globe, and Matthew Scace, a Globe reporter based in Calgary. They’ll break down why the ‘Remain’ side, which has an overwhelming amount of public support, is struggling to translate that into campaign contributions, and what a disorganized campaign could mean for the outcome of the referendum. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Headlines about vacant office buildings and deserted downtowns is old news. The return to office, in downtown Toronto especially, is back on. Vacancy rates have plummeted, commute-fuelled traffic is up and businesses are scrambling to find more space for their workers. Globe reporter Jason Kirby takes us behind the numbers, the return-to-office mandates and what this post-pandemic shift tells us about the future of work. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Starting today, 300 big-money investors are descending upon Toronto to take part in the inaugural Canada Investment Summit. Prime Minister Mark Carney will try to convince them to fund development projects in the country, such as oil and gas pipelines, critical mineral mines and data centres. Getting their buy-in is a crucial plank in the prime minister’s plan to diversify and fortify the country. James Bradshaw is The Globe’s institutional investment reporter. He’ll be covering the event. He’s on the show to explain what projects are being offered and what this means for Canada’s economy while we’re engaged in a trade war with the U.S. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Personal connections have always mattered when it comes to political lobbying, but as the trade war ramps up, and global interests try to influence U.S. policy as set by U.S. President Donald Trump, industry sources told The Globe that those connections at the executive level matter now more than ever. Today, Irene Galea is on the show. She’s a business reporter for The Globe, and she was in Washington, D.C. in the lead up to Canada’s countertariffs coming into effect. She’s here to talk about how the dynamics of lobbying have changed and what that tells us about power and influence in the trade war. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Scary bond market headlines – warnings of an impending financial crisis – have been in the news for weeks now thanks to a rise in U.S. Treasury yields. This market is the bedrock for much of the global financial system and changes in it can ripple across governments and companies and right into people’s bank accounts. Scott Barlow is a columnist for Globe Investor. He explains the worry about the current rising bond yields, what’s behind the increase and what kind of impact it may have on your life. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

With Canada’s countertariffs coming into effect on roughly $28-billion worth of U.S. goods on Tuesday, the trade war between Canada and the U.S. is heating up. With neither side indicating whether they plan to return to the negotiating table anytime soon, we wanted to look at how Carney’s goal to drum up foreign investment is going. Tim Shufelt is the Globe’s investment reporter. He’s here to talk about whether Carney’s bet on foreign investment is working, which sectors are seeing an increase in investments, and what this says about the resilience of Canada’s economy. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

A growing and worrying trend is happening in Canadian schools – student violence against teachers is on the rise. Data from school boards across Canada supports this finding, with one study finding that the modern-day classroom is a hazardous workplace. But the reasons why violence is more common are complex, and educators, school boards and unions aren’t always in agreement on how to fix it. Dave McGinn, The Globe’s education reporter, joins the show to recount the experiences of teachers who’ve faced assault, the reasons why violence is surging and what ideas are being considered to address a nationwide problem in the education system.

A big issue hangs over university students and professors, and that’s artificial intelligence. There are some rules and guidelines, but professors are largely left on their own to determine how much they want to adopt AI or not – and that’s created a wide range of opinions. Today, we hear from five Canadian university professors about how they’re thinking about education and students in the world of AI. We speak with Amanda Perry, professor of literature at Champlain College-Saint Lambert and Concordia University; Matt Dinan, associate professor and director of the Great Books program at St Thomas University in New Brunswick; Sarah Elaine Eaton, professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary; Adegboyega Ojo, professor and Canada Research Chair in AI Governance at Carleton University; and Mike Welland, professor of Engineering Physics at McMaster University.

The popularity of e-scooters on Canadian roads has exploded in recent years. But new data from health officials and the Canadian Paediatric Society shows that the risks of e-scooters can lead to hospitalization and death. Has policy and regulation kept up with how readily available the transportation has become? Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, pediatric emergency physician at SickKids Hospital in Toronto and chair of the Injury Prevention Committee for the Canadian Paediatric Society, joins The Decibel to talk about the trauma cases he’s seen first-hand, why e-scooters can be deadly and how to balance regulation with medical safety.

It’s been a turbulent time for the official opposition of the British Columbia provincial legislature, the B.C. Conservative party. After seeing a surge in popularity leading up to the 2024 provincial election, they’ve now lost a third of their sitting members. Seven MLAs have left since mid-August alone. Today, Globe national affairs columnist Gary Mason is on the show. He’ll explain the party’s surprising implosion, how they lost their surge in popularity and what lessons there are for politics in the province and beyond.

The 50-per-cent tariffs from the U.S. that came into effect on Aug. 22 are hitting a long list of goods — everything from cosmetics and toiletries, to electronics, clothing, and chemicals. For Canadian small businesses selling to the U.S., the levies are having a big impact already; a 50-per-cent tariff means that, for example, a wedding dress that costs $1,000 will now cost $1,500 overnight. A survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business this summer, found that 40 per cent of its members would be affected by the tariffs; some expect to lose at least half of their revenue. Today, we hear from small business owners across Canada to get a sense of how they’re getting caught up between the U.S. tariffs and Canadian countertariffs.

The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing number of people have started devoting their vacations to intensive workshops, where they can pick up new skills or hone a craft. Toronto-based audio journalist and frequent Decibel producer Allie Graham recently looked into the phenomenon of “skillcations” to find out how people across the country are spending their vacations in the pursuit of hobbies.

A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Blaze Baum worries they may not know exactly what they’re signing up for. Today, Baum shares her first-hand story and reporting into the fertility industry in her new book, In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It. Kathryn will explain what it’s like to navigate assisted reproductive technology, its high costs financially and emotionally, and what she thinks needs to change about how Canada handles fertility.

The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. How the U.S. was planning on dealing with the auto industry was one of the reasons the trade deal between the two countries fell apart over the weekend. So today, The Globe’s economics reporter, Mark Rendell, explains why trade discussions focus so heavily on the auto industry, what impact the tariffs have had, and what it means for a sector that is already struggling.

The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect. On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, and all manner of other things are facing tariffs of 15, 25 or even 50 per cent. These new countertariffs take effect in just two weeks, on Sept. 8 – the same day that President Trump’s new round of tariffs against Canadian goods are set to begin. Jason Kirby, from The Globe’s Report on Business, tells us how Canada is striking back in this latest front of the trade war.

After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to retaliate with dollar-for-dollar countertariffs, which are set to take effect after Labour Day. On Monday, President Trump announced the U.S. would also be doubling its tariffs on Canadian auto parts and steel to 50 per cent come Jan. 1, 2027. As the trade war escalates and deepens, Canadian businesses — already struggling under existing levies — are bracing for even more pain as uncertainty becomes the norm. Today, the Globe’s capital markets reporter, Jameson Berkow, is here. He’ll tell us what he’s hearing from business leaders, how these new levies and countertariffs will impact Canada’s economy, and how businesses are preparing for a lengthy trade war.

Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteers, for the most part. While paid donation was legal in some provinces, it wasn’t especially common. But in 2022, Canadian Blood Services partnered with Grifols, a Spanish company, to expand paid plasma donation. Now, they operate 17 sites across six provinces. After the deaths of two donors in the past year, however, Health Canada has been examining the company’s procedures. Earlier this month, Grifols announced they were pausing operations. Chris Hannay covers the business of health for The Globe. Today, he’s here to talk about what we know about Grifols’ temporary closure, what we’ve learned about the deaths, and what this all means for Canada’s access to plasma-based medication.

The first episode of Skinny Inc. was all about the science behind GLP-1s, and the second episode was about the business, from the pharmaceutical companies who make GLP-1s to the insurance plans that may or may not cover it. Today, we’re exploring how the so-called “Ozempic era,” affects people’s mental health. First, business owner Maiyhet Burton tells us how using a GLP-1 has helped her body image. Globe health reporter Kelly Grant details how experts are split on the effect of GLP-1s on weight stigma, and psychotherapist Zoë Bisbing explains how the body positive movement helps her clients. Plus, Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance on why the popularity of GLP-1s shows how far we have to go with anti-fat discrimination, and Ary Mahraj and Emily Donahue from the National Eating Disorder Information Centre tell us how people with eating disorders may be impacted by the constant discussions about weight loss. Finally, Dr. Stephen Glazer, Medical Director…

Canadians braced for new tariffs on Wednesday. Instead, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold off on 50 per cent tariffs for three more days because a “good” trade deal was in the works. The details of the tentative trade deal remain murky. But Prime Minister Mark Carney is insisting that progress is being made and met with his cabinet and Canada’s premiers on Wednesday afternoon. Whatever the deal entails, the Prime Minister faces a difficult balancing act politically. The Globe’s senior political reporter, Marieke Walsh, explains all the different groups Carney must answer to in this fraught moment and what impact this could have on his political career.

New research from the University of Regina and the University of Alberta provides evidence that Russian content farms and right-wing U.S. influencers are targeting Alberta’s upcoming referendum. Some foreign actors are trying to foment discord in Canada, while others overtly try to persuade Canadians to join the separatist cause. Grant Robertson is an investigative reporter with The Globe. He explains how these campaigns work, what messages these foreign actors are pushing and how ready Alberta – and Canada – are to fight back against them.

More than 6,000 ship workers, including some Canadians, have been stranded in the Persian Gulf — some in the Strait of Hormuz — since the war in Iran began at the end of February. Some workers — also known as seafarers — have been stuck on board without pay, or help from their ships’ owners. With little signs of progress on talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of these workers remains unclear. One of the people they turn to for assistance is Mohamed Arrachedi, a co-ordinator for the International Transport Workers' Federation, a group that represents unions across every sector of global transport. Mr. Arrachedi shares what he’s hearing from these stranded seafarers and the challenges involved in getting them the help they need.

Canada is in the middle of one of its worst seasons for ticks. The tick population and tick-borne diseases are climbing year-over-year, and it’s not just Lyme disease that experts say we should be concerned about. Today, the Globe’s health science reporter Jennifer Yang joins the show to discuss the emergent tick-borne disease causing concern in Canada, why our country’s tick problem is only getting worse, and what we can do to protect ourselves.

GLP-1 medications to treat diabetes, obesity and several other illnesses have exploded in popularity since Ozempic was approved for use in Canada back in 2018. Ozempic and Wegovy, the GLP-1s which contain semaglutide, are the third-most prescribed drug in Canada and by far the bestselling one. Chris Hannay, The Globe’s business of health reporter, will explain why the introduction of generic semaglutide will mean lower prices and more options for Canadians. And we’ll explore access to these drugs with The Globe’s health reporter Kelly Grant on who gets their GLP-1 covered by their insurance – and who doesn’t. Plus, Globe audio producer Kasia Mychajlowycz leads us on a journey to understand just how the virtual pharmacies advertised all over her social-media feed are vetting people who want Ozempic prescriptions.

Summerland, B.C., has been devastated by the Bald Range wildfire. More than 20,000 people have evacuated, and by Wednesday, it had burned 178 square kilometres. The evacuees don’t know when they can return home yet, and many don’t know if their home is standing at all. Today, we bring you conversations with people on the ground about how they fled the fast-moving wildfire, and how they’re coping with uncertainty and loss.

For years, the Canadian athletic-wear brand Lululemon both pioneered and dominated the athleisure retail market. It turned workout gear into a status symbol, growing its international operations to 30 countries. But there’s trouble – a public battle with its founder, controversies over its marketing and a cratering stock price have all amounted to serious problems for the once-stalwart brand. Susan Krashinsky Robertson, The Globe’s retailing reporter, dives into the issues Lululemon faces, crunches the numbers of its financial outlook and asks what happens when a big brand loses its cool.

Canadian banks are leaning heavily into AI adoption. More than 30 per cent of finance and insurance firms are using AI, compared to just 1.5 per cent of businesses in accommodation and food services. The banks are spending millions, in some cases billions, of dollars on AI programs, like chatbots for customers, for employees, and even for a CEO’s morning briefing. Today, we’ve got The Globe’s banking reporter Stefanie Marotta on the show. She’ll explain how banks are using AI (including ways customers don’t ever see), the risks they’re weighing, and what it means for the adoption of AI across Canada.

Steeped in military and naval history, Halifax is increasingly used as the backdrop for announcements of defence investment. The city is poised to benefit from substantial investment thanks to Mark Carney’s commitment to meeting NATO targets. But as more development arrives, is Halifax able to support the demands of an increased strain on its infrastructure and housing supply? Chris Wilson-Smith went there to find out. He’s a business reporter and the author of one of The Globe’s daily newsletters, Business Brief. He’s on the show to explain how Halifax is trying to make sure it makes the most of this moment.

Dr. Daniel Drucker’s research helped pave the way for Ozempic, the blockbuster GLP-1 class drug. The endocrinologist has been researching the effects on Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide in the body for decades. Today, he’ll show us around his lab and explain how a stout lizard kept in a freezer helped unlock the science behind a drug taken by more than a million Canadians. Then, health reporter Kelly Grant tells us about rising obesity rates in Canada, and we’ll hear from a doctor who prescribes GLP-1s – and a patient who takes them.

With a Quebec provincial election on deck this fall, and the Parti Québécois leading in the polls, there’s a good chance Quebec will hold another referendum on independence. Support for separation is polling at around 30 per cent — far below the majority vote result needed to form an independent country. However, a new generation of sovereigntists is cropping up, one that hadn’t even been born for the last referendum, in 1995. Maura Forrest is a Quebec correspondent for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show to talk about what Gen Z sovereignty looks like, how it differs from previous movements, and the implications for the upcoming election.

A Canadian woman has been arrested and accused of spying for a third country during her internship at NATO’s headquarters in Belgium. The woman had a work history with Canadian government agencies and was once found to have committed fraud when trying to apply for a job with the Canada Border Services Agency. This case is now raising questions about how the Canadian government vets its candidates, especially for roles that could have access to sensitive information. Greg Mercer is an investigative journalist with The Globe and one of a team of reporters working on this story. He joins the show to explain what we know so far.