The Decibel

Since the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran almost a month ago, the ripple effects of the war have been felt globally. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected oil prices worldwide, but energy shocks are especially felt across the rest of Asia, which is heavily dependent on energy from the Gulf states. The 35 million migrant workers living in the Gulf – the bulk of whom come from South and Southeast Asia – are in a particularly precarious position. And China, a strategic partner of Iran, has found itself on the sidelines of this war.

The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths explains the geopolitics at play and how the war is impacting the day-to-day lives of people across the continent.

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The federal government is hoping to make room for the new spending outlined in last year’s budget by making cuts across the public sector. The goal is to save $60 billion over the next 5 years. Departments like Library and Archives Canada and the Correctional Service of Canada are reducing their workforces, while some programs, like one for public transit, are seeing funding cuts.

The Globe’s deputy Ottawa bureau chief, Bill Curry, explains what we know so far about the cuts and the potential impacts on the services provided to Canadians.

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Amid threats of annexation and U.S.-imposed tariffs, Canadians are using their dollars to purchase Canadian goods. However, consumer complaints about products mislabelled as Canadian have spiked since the Buy Canadian movement began. Some in the food and beverage industry say cracking down too hard on mistaken labelling could backfire, dissuading retailers from promoting Canadian foods.

Susan Krashinsky Robertson and Kate Helmore, both journalists for The Globe’s Report on Business, join The Decibel to discuss Canadian food labelling, the benefits of the Buy Canadian movement for farmers and producers, and how retailers can leverage patriotic shoppers to rebuild trust with them.

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Today, a case involving Quebec’s use of the notwithstanding clause is going before the Supreme Court of Canada. In the last decade, many provinces have used the clause to override federal powers to pass controversial laws. While cases involving the notwithstanding clause have been taken to the Supreme Court before, none have had the magnitude of being precedent-setting that could have major implications for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The hearing will be one of the longest at the country’s highest court in a decade.

The Globe’s justice reporter, David Ebner, explains how the clause came to be, why provinces have used it, and whether the case will change the power balance between provincial and federal governments in Canada’s charter.

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What does it mean to create music? Would you be able to tell if the sounds you were listening to weren’t made or sung by a human? Artists and supporters of the music industry are asking some of these existential questions, as technology in consumer generative AI has grown in leaps and bounds and record companies are settling legal battles with AI companies.

Josh O’Kane, Globe reporter on arts and business, joins The Decibel to talk about the friction between musicians and AI tools, how AI slop has found itself onto streaming feeds, and what this could mean for the future of music.

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