The Decibel

Tension is ratcheting up in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military descends on the southern city of Rafah. This move has forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering there to flee yet again. All of this has been happening this week against the backdrop of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli government and souring relations between Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden.

The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon brings us up to speed on the many developments, breaks down what happened in the ceasefire talks this week, and what this means for the people in Gaza and the remaining Israeli hostages.

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TD Bank has been plagued by concerns about its anti-money-laundering capabilities for over a year. In March 2023, they tried to acquire the U.S. based bank First Horizon Corp. Regulatory issues delayed the acquisition, and in May 2023, the deal fell through.

The extent of TD’s anti-money-laundering issues weren’t clear until now, when it’s revealed that TD is involved in a U.S. investigation of a US$653 million money-laundering and drug-trafficking operation. Tim Kiladze, financial reporter and columnist for the Globe, is on the show to talk about TD’s alleged lack of oversight and what this means for the bank – and its customers – going forward.

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175 countries are in the midst of tense discussions around a UN treaty to reduce plastic pollution. The second-last negotiation session wrapped up in Ottawa last week, but there are still significant hurdles to getting it done, including disagreements about whether to include a production cap.

Today, The Globe’s environment reporter Wendy Stueck joins to explain what this treaty could change, and how countries are thinking about how to balance our reliance on plastic with its effects on our environment.

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Campus protests are spreading across Canada including at the University of Toronto and McGill. It comes after high profile demonstrations in the United States where students are demonstrating against the war in Gaza. And when police were called in to disband these protests, sometimes things got violent.

The protests and tensions with police call back to student movements of the past. Dr. Roberta Lexier is an associate professor at Mount Royal University, and her research focuses on social and student movements. She’s on the show to explain the tensions between campus protesters and police and what history tells us about the protests today.

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The public inquiry into foreign interference aimed to provide answers critical to Canada’s democracy: who are the main perpetrators of the threats against the country’s electoral system? What, if any, role did they play in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections? The first report from the inquiry has now been released – detailing the “pervasive, insidious and harmful” problems of foreign interference on Canada’s democratic institutions.

Robert Fife, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief, breaks down the report and explains what comes next, as pressure mounts on the Trudeau government.

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Diet culture that celebrates thinness, weight loss and supplements, has been around for decades. But the global reach of social media and influencers talking about nutrition trends and advice is something new. And what they’re telling – and selling – to followers isn’t always safe or fact-based.

Christy Harrison is a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counsellor and author. Her most recent book, The Wellness Trap, discusses moving away from diet-culture and sifting through disinformation. She’s on the podcast to discuss diet-culture’s presence on social media, the harms of nutrition trends and how to maintain a safe relationship with food today.

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Last year, British Columbia’s government began an experiment in drug policy by decriminalizing illicit drug use, up to a certain amount. The pilot program was meant to address the worsening opioid crisis that killed thousands of people in B.C. in 2023. But now, the provincial government has made a major reversal on that cornerstone policy, after reports from mayors of urban centres, residents and health care workers of rampant open drug use.

Justine Hunter, The Globe’s B.C. politics reporter joins the podcast to talk about the politics of decriminalization and what this means for harm reduction policies across Canada in the future.

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Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity. The trend has been ongoing for at least a decade, but 2024′s running season may be the biggest one yet. Marathon race organizers are expecting record participation in races this year, both in Canada and in cities around the world.

Today, Ben Kaplan, general manager of iRun Magazine, Allison Hill, co-founder of Hill Run Club, and members of The Decibel’s own running club explain how the sport has grown more inclusive and diverse, drawing in a whole new generation of runners.

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Sudan is facing a dire humanitarian crisis. Nearly 9 million people are displaced from their homes and millions face severe hunger, all stemming from a conflict that broke out just over a year ago. But there are widespread concerns that the world is turning a blind eye to Sudan – and to other African countries facing conflicts.

Today, The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York explains what’s been going on in Sudan, why so little attention is being paid to this conflict among others, and what that means for the people on the ground.

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By 2030, the federal government is hoping 60 per cent of new car sales will be zero-emission. By 2035, they want that number to be 100 per cent. To help with that goal, Canada and a number of provinces have been courting auto manufacturers to set up shop here. And just last week, Honda announced a $15-billion investment in EV production in Ontario – the biggest deal Canada has ever landed.

Adam Radwanski, The Globe’s climate policy columnist, is on the show to talk about a few of these Canadian deals and the future of the EV industry – both the prospect and obstacles ahead.

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