The Decibel

Canadians braced for new tariffs on Wednesday. Instead, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold off on 50 per cent tariffs for three more days because a “good” trade deal was in the works.

The details of the tentative trade deal remain murky. But Prime Minister Mark Carney is insisting that progress is being made and met with his cabinet and Canada’s premiers on Wednesday afternoon. 

Whatever the deal entails, the Prime Minister faces a difficult balancing act politically. The Globe’s senior political reporter, Marieke Walsh, explains all the different groups Carney must answer to in this fraught moment and what impact this could have on his political career.

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New research from the University of Regina and the University of Alberta provides evidence that Russian content farms and right-wing U.S. influencers are targeting Alberta’s upcoming referendum. Some foreign actors are trying to foment discord in Canada, while others overtly try to persuade Canadians to join the separatist cause. 

Grant Robertson is an investigative reporter with The Globe. He explains how these campaigns work, what messages these foreign actors are pushing and how ready Alberta – and Canada – are to fight back against them. 

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More than 6,000 ship workers, including some Canadians, have been stranded in the Persian Gulf — some in the Strait of Hormuz — since the war in Iran began at the end of February. Some workers — also known as seafarers — have been stuck on board without pay, or help from their ships’ owners. With little signs of progress on talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of these workers remains unclear.   

One of the people they turn to for assistance is Mohamed Arrachedi, a co-ordinator for the International Transport Workers' Federation, a group that represents unions across every sector of global transport. Mr. Arrachedi shares what he’s hearing from these stranded seafarers and the challenges involved in getting them the help they need. 

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Canada is in the middle of one of its worst seasons for ticks. The tick population and tick-borne diseases are climbing year-over-year, and it’s not just Lyme disease that experts say we should be concerned about.

Today, the Globe’s health science reporter Jennifer Yang joins the show to discuss the emergent tick-borne disease causing concern in Canada, why our country’s tick problem is only getting worse, and what we can do to protect ourselves.

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GLP-1 medications to treat diabetes, obesity and several other illnesses have exploded in popularity since Ozempic was approved for use in Canada back in 2018. Ozempic and Wegovy, the GLP-1s which contain semaglutide, are the third-most prescribed drug in Canada and by far the bestselling one.

Chris Hannay, The Globe’s business of health reporter, will explain why the introduction of generic semaglutide will mean lower prices and more options for Canadians. And we’ll explore access to these drugs with The Globe’s health reporter Kelly Grant on who gets their GLP-1 covered by their insurance – and who doesn’t.

Plus, Globe audio producer Kasia Mychajlowycz leads us on a journey to understand just how the virtual pharmacies advertised all over her social-media feed are vetting people who want Ozempic prescriptions.

This episode is the second of a three-part series. It originally aired March 2, 2026.

You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free hotline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website.

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