The Decibel

For more than two years, the federal Conservatives have held a solid lead in the polls, and with the party bringing in a record-setting $41.7 million in donations last year, leader Pierre Poilievre looks poised to win the upcoming election.

But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigning, U.S. President Donald Trump threatening tariffs and Liberal leadership candidates gaining some traction, the Conservatives are having to rethink their strategies.

Stephanie Levitz is a senior reporter with the Globe. She’s spoken with a dozen Conservatives, including MPs, strategists and organizers. Today, she’ll explain the new challenges the party is facing, and how they’re repositioning themselves within the shifting political landscape.

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The U.S. tariff threats against Canada may be on pause, but the reaction from many Canadians shows that the cross-border chaos struck a nerve. From an immediate pledge to boycott and ‘buy Canadian’, to political figures threatening to pull U.S. products from shelves, Canadians across the political spectrum decided to assert themselves against the might of the elephant south of the border.

Shannon Proudfoot, feature writer and columnist for The Globe, explores our collective Canadian identity and what the fallout from this week says about the nation’s psyche when we’re threatened by our closest ally.

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Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the reasons that brands work with influencers is because they can speak to their audience from a place of authenticity. So how does that change when the influencer is not a real person?

Samantha Edwards is the Globe’s online culture reporter. She’s on the show to talk about the rise of virtual influencers created using artificial intelligence, and how that could change the way we interact with other users – real and AI-generated – online. 

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There’s a fairly long list of public transit projects that have gone off the rails all across Canada. These projects often end up over budget and face multiple delays. Is this problem unique to Canada?

Oliver Moore is a journalist with The Globe who has covered transit issues for years. He explains why this phenomenon keeps happening and what public transit agencies can do about it.

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Hours before historic, damaging tariffs were set to be imposed between Canada and the U.S., the two nations stepped back from the brink.

The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe, joins the show to break down the phone call that led to the 30-day pause, Canada’s increased measures at the border, and what may be the beginning of a troubling trend: Trump threatening tariffs to get whatever he wants.

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The economies of Canada and the United States are on a collision course. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on 25 per cent tariffs to be imposed on all Canadian goods, beginning February 4. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled tariffs back toward the U.S., warning that “the coming weeks will be difficult for Canadians and they will be difficult for Americans.” The trade war effectively transforms a decades-long economic partnership, with serious implications for millions of workers.

Jason Kirby is reporter for The Globe and Mail and Report on Business section. He breaks down the details of the tariffs, what it will mean for major industries and why this fight will likely send Canada into a recession.

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If it seems like everyone you know is sick right now, that’s because respiratory virus season is in full swing. On top of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, this year, medical professionals are seeing a surge of norovirus cases – also known as ‘winter vomiting disease.’

Alanna Smith is a health reporter with the Globe. Every week, she’s publishing data on respiratory virus season across the country, including links to resources about where you can get vaccinated. Today, she’s on the show to talk about what the spread of illnesses looks like in Canada, how hospitals are affected, how to best prevent illness, and what you need to know about avian flu.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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Ontario is officially in an election campaign. Voters will go to the polls on February 27 – more than a year before they were supposed to cast their votes. So what is behind this early snap election? And will Premier Doug Ford’s political calculations pay off? 

Laura Stone covers Ontario politics for The Globe. She is on the show to explain what Doug Ford has said about why he is calling this early election, what the other party leaders think is actually behind his decision and political insiders are talking about the 1990 election in Ontario. 

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After an 18-month long public inquiry, the final report on foreign interference in Canada has been released. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s seven-volume report weighs in on allegations of parliamentarians participating in foreign interference, outlines concerning examples of when foreign states have tried to influence our elections and gives 51 recommendations on what to do about it. 

Steven Chase is the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter. His reporting over the years with colleague Robert Fife uncovered allegations of foreign interference before the inquiry even started. Today on the show, he breaks down the key findings of the public inquiry and what the report says should be done to counter further attempts to interfere with Canadian democracy. 

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Phase one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for just over a week, but so far, it has been incredibly fragile. In the first days of the ceasefire, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas released three Israeli hostages. On the second weekend, two hundred Palestinian prisoners were released, as were four Israeli hostages. 

But the deal hit a snag on Saturday, when Palestinians were set to return to northern Gaza. When Hamas did not release Arbel Yehoud, one of the hostages Israel was expecting, Israel kept the corridor closed. On Monday morning, Qatar announced Hamas will return Yehoud this week, along with two other hostages, and Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza. 

Janice Dickson is the Globe’s international affairs reporter, and she’s been reporting from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Ramallah over the last week. She’s on the show to talk about how the ceasefire has been playing out for people on the ground, and what’s been happening in the West Bank in the meantime.

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