The Decibel

Seven Hong Kong democracy activists were sentenced to prison this week for their roles in the 2019 protests that saw hundreds of thousands of people protesting, and many violent clashes with the city’s police.That unrest continues to have a major impact on Hong Kong today, thanks to the national security law passed in its wake, which banned secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers. This broad law created a chilling effect on the city’s once-vibrant pro-democracy movement and other civil society.Hong Kong-based Asia correspondent James Griffiths speaks with us from the city to explore how it has changed since the national security law was passed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re heading into the third school year of the pandemic. For 18 months now, students and their parents have had to deal with unpredictable school disruptions and a lot of anxiety around contracting COVID-19. Most students were forced into remote learning for weeks at a time. Kids in Ontario spent more than half of the 2020-2021 academic year out of the classrooms. Most kids and parents managed the isolation, the screen time, the tech issues. But very few thrived.And now that the vaccination rollout has over 65 per cent Canadians fully inoculated, most Canadian students are returning to in-person learning. But there is still a tangled web of restrictions for parents to sort out and the looming threat of the Delta variant that could send kids home, again.The Globe and Mail’s education reporter, Caroline Alphonso, is on the show to help parents understand how schools are gearing up to keep kids stay and facilitate as normal of a return to school this fall as possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has started in California. Holmes has been accused of defrauding investors and patients by lying about a groundbreaking technology that could test for a range of diseases from a single drop of blood.Jason Kirby, a reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business section, has been following the case and tells us Silicon Valley entrepreneurs will no doubt be closely watching to see how the court – and media – regard one of their now-fallen stars, the youngest ever self-made female billionaire. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Monday it was announced that the last American troops had left Kabul’s airport, ending 20 years of Western military presence in Afghanistan. Canada’s last flight evacuating Canadians and Afghans who had worked with Canada departed last week. But individuals and groups, including The Globe and Mail, continued to try to arrange ways out of the country for those threatened by the Taliban.Adrian Lee is an editor for Globe Opinion, and our guest host. He first introduces us to two Afghan men who have successfully fled to Ukraine with the help of The Globe. Then, Adrian speaks with Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife about what the government has done — and hasn’t done — to help Afghans trying to flee the Taliban in these final days. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his new memoir, environmentalist Clayton Thomas-Müller recounts growing up surrounded by love and strength – but also family violence, relentless racism, and poverty. From selling drugs in a gang to organizing environmental campaigns against oil and gas extraction, the stories of Thomas-Müller’s life defy any one category to paint a complex picture of what it is to be a Cree man in Canada.Guest host and Globe national reporter Willow Fiddler speaks with Thomas-Müller about the connection between fighting climate change and healing in Indigenous communities, and how his book Life in the City of Dirty Water is part of his own path to healing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As a bonus, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from The Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.A lot of people feel uncomfortable negotiating with their boss for a raise and other perks. But if you don’t ask, you won’t get. And it’s definitely a lot easier to save money if you’re making more of it. We hear from a group of friends (who tell each other everything) as they discuss their recent experiences asking for a raise. Plus, Roma talks to Hadiya Roderique, who taught negotiation at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and also was a lawyer. She shares her tips on how to make your case like an expert. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite the pandemic, Canada’s federal election campaign has felt somewhat normal. There have been socially-distant campaign events and speeches full of policy promises. The NDP and Conservatives have released their platforms and while the Liberals haven’t released theirs, they are still making new announcements. But has one of these issues come to define the campaign so far?Marieke Walsh, a political reporter at The Globe and Mail, joins guest host Laura Stone from the campaign trail to break down what’s been going on so far and explore the big question … what is this federal election actually about? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Should judges take race into account when deciding on punishments for crimes? The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled last week that it should. Judges in that province must now take the effects of marginalization and racism into account when sentencing Black offenders by considering ensuring reports called Impact of Race and Culture Assessments – or it could be grounds for an appeal. Justice Anne Derrick wrote in the ruling that Black and other racialized people are overrepresented in federal prisons. Nearly 10 per cent of Canadian federal prisoners are Black, while Black people make up only 3.5 per cent of the country’s population.Tanya Walker, a lawyer from Toronto, is on the show to tell us how systemic racism shapes legal outcomes, the importance of rehabilitation, and what this ruling could mean for the future of Canadian law. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shein may be one of the most successful clothing brands that you’ve never heard of. The fast-fashion giant is where Gen Z shoppers go to find cheap, trendy clothing. Over the course of the pandemic, the brand managed to bring in nearly $10 billion (USD) in sales. But what are the environmental and ethical costs of this quickly produced yet easily disposed form of fashion?Terry Ngyuen, a reporter for The Goods at Vox, recently wrote a piece called, Shein is the future of fast fashion...is that a good thing?, and is on the show to tell us how Shein got so popular, where it stands alongside competitors and what questions still remain about how it has managed to become so big so quickly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada has an opportunity when it comes to electricity. We’re ahead of the game in some ways. A sizable part of the electrical grid is already decarbonized. And, about 80 per cent of our electricity comes from clean sources like hydroelectricity. But with demand expected to double as we electrify everything in our lives – from electric vehicles to heating homes – Canada’s grid faces some major challenges if we are going to keep up and meet our net-zero climate goals.The federal election provides us with a moment to have a national conversation about an infrastructure issue that could be as consequential as building the railway was in the 19th century. Columnist Adam Radwanski discusses the hurdles for modernizing and unifying the grid and why all Canadians should care about an admittedly wonky policy topic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.