Giving new life to a dying language in Canada

With nearly one billion eligible voters, India is the world’s biggest democracy. Beginning April 19, with voting staggered over six weeks, they will decide their leader for the next five years. Narendra Modi aims to consolidate power with his third term as prime minister, as a coalition opposition looks to unseat him.Sanjay Ruparelia is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and Jarislowsky Democracy Chair explains why India’s elections matter for democracy – and the balance of power for the rest of the world.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

The 2024 Canadian federal budget has been unveiled, with a particular focus on affordability and housing this year. But the 430 page plan covers a wide gamut of other spending details – from defence, tax hikes, generational fairness and much more. Making sense of it all can be overwhelming.We’ll cover all the key points of this year’s budget and explain how it will affect your wallet and financial prospects. A team of Globe and Mail journalists – senior political reporter Marieke Walsh, real estate reporter Rachelle Younglai, Report on Business reporter Mark Rendell and personal finance expert Rob Carrick – join The Decibel to explain what you need to know.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

There are an estimated 650,000 cases of dementia in Canada right now. The last 20 years of research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s have been, as one expert put it, “agonizing.” But a new drug was approved in the United States and is being tested in Canada to see if it can delay or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. And it’s giving researchers and patients some hope that a breakthrough could be on the way.Kelly Grant, health reporter for The Globe, has been looking at this drug more closely. She’s on the show today to tell us what these trials mean for patients and the future of Alzheimer’s research.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast takes on the big issues, questions and stories of urban living. What makes a city function? Why was it built that way? How will it change in a tech-powered society? This episode takes a look at the unhoused and encampment crisis in many cities and towns in Canada. In Halifax, the homeless population has tripled in the last three years. Emergency shelters aren’t enough, and building new housing takes time. Real fixes will require money and policy solutions. The city finds itself caught in the middle – between those who just want the problem to disappear and those trying to find long-term answers. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

After a spate of news stories and immense public pressure, the government of Canada established the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference to examine allegations that foreign countries like China and Russia interfered in our elections. The inquiry has heard from many high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, about interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections.Robert Fife, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief, is on the show to explain the main points from the public inquiry so far and whether it will answer the lingering questions around foreign interference in Canada.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

Long wait times and the never ending battle to connect with a healthcare professional is a reality most people know all too well. Especially for the 6.5 million Canadian residents who do not have a family doctor. It’s a problem that has existed for years because it isn’t easy to solve.Dr. Jane Philpott is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. She is a family doctor, the former Minister of Health and recently published a new book, Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada. Dr. Philpott is on the show to talk about her ‘hopeful’ vision for primary care in Canada.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

Vietnam is having a moment on the world stage. Last month, Canada sent the largest ever “Team Canada” delegation of business leaders and government officials in a push to strengthen the bond with the country. And Canada isn’t alone – the U.S., Australia and China are all looking to do the same.The Globe’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths was recently in Vietnam and he’s on the show to explain why the southeast Asian country is so popular right now, what Canada is hoping to gain and what this all means for Vietnam’s future.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]

Where does your seafood come from? And who, along the supply chain, handled it? An investigation from the non-profit investigative journalism organization, Outlaw Ocean Project, reveals a network of North Korean labourers at Chinese seafood plants – a violation of United Nations sanctions – supplying certain Canadian seafood companies. The workers detail a pattern of hyper-surveillance, poor pay and sexual assault by their employers.Ian Urbina, executive editor of The Outlaw Ocean Project, joins The Decibel to discuss the findings of the investigation, the working conditions inside the processing plants and how products made from forced labour are ending up on Canadian store shelves.VIDEO: Investigation reveals North Korean forced labour in Chinese seafood plantsQuestions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

In the last few years, there has been an increase in research around using psychedelic drugs, like LSD and magic mushrooms, as treatments for mental health conditions. And recently, two Canadian companies working in the sphere have gotten a special designation from a big U.S. regulator that could fast-track the development and review of their drugs.Sean Silcoff is a journalist with The Globe’s Report on Business. He has been looking at recent developments in these companies and how that fits into the bigger picture of investor excitement around these drugs.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers in Gaza has shone a light on the dangerous conditions facing people delivering essential supplies to Gazans. Some aid organizations have either suspended or modified deliveries in order to protect worker safety. It comes at a time when food and other supplies are desperately needed in Gaza. The UN says that a famine is looming for people living there. Simply put, getting aid into Gaza has long been difficult. But without a ceasefire it is a logistical nightmare.Dr. Sarah Schiffling is an expert in humanitarian logistics. She’s the Deputy Director of the HUMLOG Research Institute at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. She explains the challenges of getting aid into Gaza and what can be done to make it easier.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]