The Decibel

Is expropriation, or forcing corporations to sell apartments to the government, a way to ease the housing crisis? Berlin seems to think so. In a landmark referendum back in 2021, the majority of Berliners voted ‘yes’ to forced sales, calling for the government to buy 240,000 apartments owned by some of Berlin’s mega landlords - whether they want to sell or not. Some call the strategy “radical” but needed. Others say it’s unconstitutional. But is it a viable solution to Berlin’s housing crisis, and could it work here in Canada? In this episode, we dive into the history behind Berlin’s expropriation campaign and try to figure out if a similar referendum on housing could succeed on this side of the Atlantic.

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Bill C-2, also known as the Strong Borders Act, is one of the first pieces of legislation by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. The 140-page bill proposes a series of enhanced powers for law enforcement and major changes to how the government processes some asylum claims and immigration applications.

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is an investigative reporter at The Globe who writes about immigration and refugees. She explains the details of the bill and why the government believes the changes are necessary.

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More than three years on, the war between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of slowing. Ceasefire talks have stalled. Last week, Ukraine landed one of its biggest blows against Russia, when it smuggled drones inside Russian territory and destroyed or severely damaged more than 40 Russian warplanes. Russia hit back with some of its heaviest bombardment yet.

Ukraine’s demands for a ceasefire deal include returning the Ukrainian children who have allegedly been taken into Russian custody. According to the Ukrainian government, 20,000 Ukrainian children have been reported missing since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Mark MacKinnon is a senior international correspondent for The Globe. Today, he’s on the show to talk about the efforts of a Ukrainian organization, Save Ukraine. A grant from Global Affairs Canada has funded Save Ukraine’s work with Lisbon-based tech company Hala Systems to locate, track, communicate with, and ultimately bring the children home. Mark will explain how they managed to map the facilities where Russia is allegedly holding the children and what they understand about Russia’s plans for them.

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On Monday, closing arguments are set to begin in the trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey Team. Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged with sexually assaulting a woman known publicly as E.M. in London, Ont. in June of 2018. Michael McLeod also faces a second charge of being a party to sexual assault. All five men have pleaded not guilty.

Rachel Giese is the author of the 2018 book, Boys: What It Means to Become a Man. She’s also the Culture & Life editor at The Globe and Mail. Today, she’s on the show to unpack what this trial tells us about our cultural understanding of consent and masculinity, and how we can have better conversations with boys and young men by reaching them where they’re at.

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Maryam Fatima was born with a condition called hemimegalencephaly, a rare birth defect where one side of the brain is abnormally large. She suffered from severe seizures from the moment she was born. They became so bad that they stopped Maryam from feeding, sleeping and breathing. Her life was at risk.

That’s when a team at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto decided to attempt a first-in-Canada procedure to save Maryam’s life.

Health Science reporter Jennifer Yang interviewed some of the medical professionals who performed the procedure, as well as Maryam’s mother, Muzna Nafees. She tells the story of how Maryam’s life was saved.

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On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order that raised tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. One Canadian steel producer said this means that their American business is now ‘unviable’.

Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business section. He explains why these higher steel and aluminum tariffs could mean higher prices on nearly everything, and what may have contributed to Trump’s escalation. 

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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Ottawa’s plans to fast-track infrastructure projects. The effort aims to bolster the Canadian economy, as our trade war with the U.S. stretches on. Provinces are also in a rush to expedite project approvals and reviews — the controversial Bill 5 is currently working its way through the Ontario legislature, and B.C. just narrowly passed Bill 15.

Some Indigenous nations and leaders, along with conservation groups and civil liberty associations, oppose the fast-track efforts gaining momentum across Canada. And even as governments affirm their duty to consult, Indigenous leaders warn road and rail blockades may be coming.

The Globe’s Jeff Gray has been reporting on Premier Doug Ford’s Bill 5. He’ll explain the wave of fast-track legislation we’re seeing across Canada, and how the effort to speed development up may actually slow things down.

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The Canadian Medical Association says that the Alberta government has created a “moral crisis” for doctors in the province. The CMA, alongside three Alberta doctors, has filed a constitutional challenge against the Alberta government for legislation limiting access to medical treatment for transgender youth. Bill 26 became law last December, and is part of a suite of laws in Alberta that regulate access to health care, participation in sports and use of pronouns in schools for trans youth. Together, they form the most restrictive gender and sexuality laws in the country.

Alanna Smith is a health reporter for The Globe. She joins the show to explain the law, the rationale of Danielle Smith’s government, and why the applicants have filed their challenge.

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More than 20 years ago, a group of internet users created the online forum 4chan – a mixture of memes, pranks, disinformation and hate speech. Soon, a hacker group on the forum calling themselves Anonymous gained notoriety for their online pranks and disruption. But now, a former member of that hacker group says they regret the role they may have played in driving today’s divisive political environment and wants to make amends.

Alexandra Posadzki is the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter. She’ll talk about an interview she had with the hacker, who now faces criminal charges, and how memes on a toxic online forum bloomed into real-world consequences.

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In 2021, mine workers in Morocco made a huge discovery. They found a fossil that scientists believed to be a new species of mosasaur – a large swimming reptile that lived in the same era as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, many scientists, including a group in Alberta, are now questioning whether or not the fossil is real or fake.

Ivan Semeniuk is The Globe’s science reporter. He’s on the show today to explain what we know about this fossil, the feud that it’s provoked between paleontologists, and when we might uncover the truth.

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