The Decibel

Introducing ‘Lately’: a new weekly podcast from The Globe and Mail about the intersection of business and technology. Every Friday, host Vass Bednar dives into the defining trends that shape our lives.

This episode’s guest is author and Polaris Award-winning artist and producer producer Cadence Weapon – the tech skeptic behind the new album Rollercoaster– who breaks down the depressing economics of an industry governed by Ticketmaster trauma, streaming algorithms and an AI invasion. 

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Last week, Tesla shareholders voted to approve a huge pay package for CEO Elon Musk that a judge previously struck down. If the payout is approved, Musk will receive company shares worth around US $50-billion. Last year, Loblaw’s CEO was paid more than $22-million. These pay packages are supposed to act as incentives for reaching company targets, but most executives can still receive these massive payouts even if they don’t meet their company’s objectives.

David Milstead is a reporter and columnist with The Globe’s Report on Business. He joins the show to discuss why big paydays for executives still happen – and why they matter – even in instances of corporate failure.

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Artificial Intelligence has been creeping into our lives more and more as tech companies release new chatbots, AI-powered search engines, and writing assistants promising to make our lives easier. But, much like humans, AI is imperfect and the products companies are releasing don’t always seem quite ready for the public.

The Globe’s Report on Business reporter, Joe Castaldo is on the show to explain what kind of testing goes into these models, how the hype and reality of AI are often at odds and whether we need to reset our expectations of Generative AI.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

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Point Pelee National Park juts out into Lake Erie like a finger, as every spring thousands of birds touch down on it. It’s a key stop along their migratory routes from the southern U.S., Central and South America to northern Canada.

But climate change has been shifting the conditions of migration, making it harder for some birds and ultimately affecting bird populations, which are already in steep decline. Decibel host Menaka Raman-Wilms, producer Rachel Levy-McLaughlin and Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee headed to Point Pelee to see spring migration up close.

A special thanks to Matt Fuirst and Birds Canada, and, as well as, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who provided some sounds from their Macaulay Library in this episode.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

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Canada’s newest law school is in crisis. After an open-letter called for the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University to drop its neutral position on the Israel-Hamas war, donors pulled funding and law firms withdrew summer internship placements – leaving students feeling ostracized and abandoned. The fallout has left the law school asking questions about who and what they represent and where they go from here.

The Globe’s corporate law reporter, Robyn Doolittle, breaks down the rift within the school, what the self-deemed progressive law school is doing to mitigate the damage and the letter’s consequences with the professional legal world.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

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Yesterday on The Decibel, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon told us about the top commanders and soldiers he’s been following and speaking with in the Ukrainian army. These soldiers have been in incredibly dangerous situations, many at the centre of the major battles in the war against Russia.

Today, Mark joins us for the second part of that conversation. He’ll tell us about the critical role these soldiers played in the defence of Kharkiv, the toll the fighting and military setbacks have had on them, and how they make sense of everything they’ve been through.

You can listen to Part One here: https://pod.link/thedecibel/episode/eeee888019060f26d57415ec0d160ff8

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

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For the past few years, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon has been building relationships with some of the top commanders and soldiers in the Ukrainian army, following them in the war against Russia. These soldiers have been in the midst of major battles – Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Bakhmut – and many have been fighting Russia since long before the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Today and tomorrow, Mark tells us about this group of elite soldiers, what roles they’ve played in the major battles for Ukraine, and how they think about everything they’ve been through so far.

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

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Hospitals across Canada have long been overwhelmed by patient demand and staff shortages. But another category of medical experts, specializing in childbirth and pregnancy care, has been growing to lift the weight – midwives. In 2021, midwives oversaw more than 48,000 live births. So why aren’t they recognized as other health professionals are?

Carly Weeks, the Globe’s former health reporter joins the show to explain why midwives could be a vital answer to Canada’s health care labour shortage.

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

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Canada’s ‘green energy’ transition has begun. By 2035, the federal government is aiming to achieve a net-zero electricity grid. But is it possible? And is one of the answers to help in that transition in front of us right now? With an expected increase in energy demands, how does the aging technology of hydroelectric power plants factor in and how essential are they now to keep everything running?

The Globe’s environment data journalist, Matt McClearn, explains how important hydroelectricity is to Canada’s energy infrastructure and looks into whether the cost of keeping hydro dams in business is justified.

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

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A national watchdog report says some parliamentarians in Canada are ‘semi-witting’ or ‘witting’ participants in foreign efforts to interfere in our politics. The report from NSICOP says that the parliamentarians (whom are not named) may have collaborated with foreign actors to advance their own interests. This is the latest information around concerns of foreign interference in Canada since The Globe first started reporting on this over a year ago.

The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase is on the show to explain the latest report and what this means for and what might be done about fighting foreign interference in Canada.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

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