The Decibel

Marie Henein is one of Canada’s most famous criminal defence lawyers. Her successful career is highlighted by her representation of well-known clients most notably, former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi. This has also made her a polarizing figure. Defending Ghomeshi against sexual assault charges – which he was acquitted thanks to her work – garnered public backlash. She was even accused of being a traitor to her gender.In a new book, Nothing But The Truth: A Memoir, Henein details her journey from her childhood in Egypt to her high-profile legal career. She sat down with Robyn Doolittle to discuss what she thinks needs to change in our justice system, how growing up surrounded by strong women has shaped her and her thoughts on the future of the #MeToo movement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After spending more than a 1,000 days in Chinese detention, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor arrived back in Canada on Saturday. Just hours earlier, Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Vancouver’s airport in 2018 on charges related to violating U.S. sanctions, returned to China after a deal was reached with U.S. prosecutors. These events signal a swift and dramatic end to what has been a tumultuous time for Canada and China’s relationship.Yves Tiberghien, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, explains the details of the deal, why he thinks it left Canada looking admirable on the world stage, and why China’s history made Meng’s return to China strike such a chord with the Chinese public. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a four-lane bridge that separates Del Rio, Texas from Acuña, Mexico. As far as border crossings go, it’s not that remarkable. But until this Friday, the scene had looked more like a refugee camp for most of September as thousands of migrants gathered there with hopes of getting into the United States.The Globe’s Nathan Vanderklippe went to visit the migrant camp at this spot along the U.S.-Mexico border. There he spoke to Haitian migrants, many of whom travelled for months from South America to get there and then found themselves staring down the prospect of being deported back to their homeland. Nathan is on the show to share their stories and how the U.S. is handling yet another immigrant dilemma. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do you do when your depression doesn’t respond to traditional treatments? Especially when that depression is severe and causes suicidal thoughts? For author Anna Mehler Paperny, that meant turning to ketamine.Often thought of as just a party drug, evidence for the use of ketamine as a treatment for depression is growing. Anna details her journey navigating the new treatment as a patient, examining how the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs has changed the way we understand the brain and depression.If you are having thoughts of suicide, call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or Crisis Service Canada at 1-833-456-4566, or visit crisisservicescanada.ca. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

China’s second-largest property developer, Evergrande, owes about US$300-billion in liabilities, sparking fears that the property developer could default. But would Beijing allow such a huge company to fail?The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths explains how Evergrande became a behemoth in a real estate market overrun with speculation, and why its current trouble started partly because of new government crackdowns on inequality in China. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There is a reckoning happening on campus at Western University. The London, Ont., post-secondary institution is reeling after allegations that young women were drugged and sexually assaulted started spilling out over social media following its orientation week earlier this month.Now the university is pledging to do something, not just to make students feel safer on campus but to address the underlying cultural issues that have led to this situation. The Globe and Mail’s postsecondary education reporter, Joe Friesen, is on the show with Hope Mahood, the co-ordinating news editor for Western’s student paper, the Western Gazette. They discuss the mood at the university now, what pressures the university administration is facing and what promises are being made. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada won their third straight election, but failed to capture a majority mandate in Canada’s 44th federal election. By early Tuesday morning, the results nearly mirrored the seat count when parliament was dissolved.So now the question that is being asked is: Was the campaign worth it? Political columnist and writer at-large John Ibbitson and parliamentary reporter Kristy Kirkup join to discuss this, and break down what happened on election night and what it means for the country.You can find more coverage of the results in the days after the election at www.theglobeandmail.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One hundred and eighty two. That’s how many COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit (ICU) beds at the peak of Alberta’s third wave in May. But after a summer of no restrictions, that number is now beyond 200. And it is going to climb; public officials are nearly certain about that.Alberta Bureau Chief James Keller is on the show to explain how the province wound up here, why vaccination rates are the lowest in the country and what lies ahead for hospitals as case counts rise and ICUs are pushed to the brink. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At the start of the federal election campaign, we asked the three major federal party leaders to come on the show. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s team declined, and we never heard back from Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.But this week, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said yes, and from his tour bus between campaign stops, we asked him about his party’s plans to protect people from the effects of climate change and make affordable housing, and about strategic voting and low voter turnout among young people. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the first time, all four major federal parties have credible climate plans. And there is even some agreement between them. For example, they all want to invest in electric vehicles, develop battery supply chains and transition to a greener economy. But where do they differ? And whose plans are the most realistic according to experts? And will any of them actually hit their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets?Emma Gilchrist joins the show. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Narwhal, a non-profit journalism organization that does investigative work about Canada’s natural world. She breaks down the various climate change policies across the different party platforms to help voters make sense of what plans are being offered to save the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.