Marketplace All-in-One

The EPA will limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas wells, saying that would eventually reduce those emissions by around 75%. Oil and gas producers would also be required to plug leaks in methane gas pipelines. The process of venting would also be essentially banned. We also continue our discussion with David Brooks, who wrote about the impact of an elite “creative class” in America 20 years ago and has revisited the topic in The Atlantic.

From the BBC World Service: Large areas of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest have been cut down, some of it by illegal loggers. Now, more than 100 world leaders meeting at COP26 in Glasgow are pledging $19 billion of private and public money to try and tackle this issue. Plus, leading nations plan to set rules promoting low-carbon technology. And, should Chinese consumers be concerned as authorities urge people to stock up on basic supplies?

When companies change names, sometimes they stick. Google introduced Alphabet six years ago, and it seems to have worked out. Netflix tried to introduce Qwikster a decade ago, and it definitely didn’t. Now, Facebook is taking on Meta as its new corporate name. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Anthony Shore, a linguist who founded the company Operative Words to name companies and products. He said that when it comes to a corporate rebrand, Meta … pretty much works.

The big story from the weekend is the start of the United Nations COP26 climate conference. And even though we’re watching it, we’re wondering if the meeting will lead to any major changes to get a deal done. We’ll discuss the meeting’s potential. Plus, an update on New York City workers and COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and the Halloween supply chain.

Here’s everything we talked about:

Read the transcript here.

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Usually, people’s feelings about the labor market and the larger economy mirror one another. Recent surveys show that’s no longer the case. Why? Experts are pointing fingers at inflation and the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic. Later on in the show, we’ll also explore how minimizing economic inequality could better prepare the country for the next pandemic, hear how “dirty steel” plays into the U.S.-China trade war and see why England’s Stratford-upon-Avon is hosting a “mop fair.”

American Airlines is cancelling more flights today, adding to its issues from the weekend, when almost 2,000 flights were cancelled. Julia Coronado helps prep us for the flood of data we’ll be seeing this week in relation to the markets. We look into how the push from companies for people to get their holiday shopping done early falls into the grand marketing machine. The BBC checks in regarding the COP26 climate change conference in Scotland.

From the BBC World Service: In a surprise move, Jes Staley has quit as CEO and a director of Barclays after a probe into his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Plus, we hear from the Qantas boss as Australia permits fully-vaccinated citizens to fly home from abroad without quarantining, for the first time in over 18 months. And, what’s in store for the leaders attending the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

If you don’t know what a “bobo” is, it’s a term for bourgeois bohemian, someone with ’60s values and ’90s money, according to political commentator David Brooks. He wrote about the bobos 20 years ago and revisited the topic in The Atlantic against the backdrop of class divisions in America. We speak to him at length about the development and impact of this class of cultural elite. Negotiations over President Biden’s social spending plan have led to support for community colleges being left out.

This weekend kicked off COP26 — the United Nations Climate conference in Glasgow. The country commitments made this week could determine what the world will look like in just a few decades. And those countries are turning to advanced climate models to imagine that world. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Zeke Hausfather, a data scientist and is the Director of Climate and Energy for The Breakthrough Institute, about these models.

Even if you don’t know the name Marc Andreessen, you’ve probably interacted with one of his companies. He’s the man behind some of the very first web browsers, Mosaic and Netscape, a Facebook board member and a venture capitalist with investments Twitter, Lyft, Roblox, Airbnb, Stripe and more. He’s also getting into crypto, and that makes us nervous. On today’s show, Kai talks about it with guest co-host Marielle Segarra. Plus: the Starbucks’ unions, new vaccine approvals and another round of our favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

Read the transcript here.

Thanks to everyone who joined us live on YouTube for this episode! We’re live Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern for happy hour! Subscribe to our channel and sign up for notifications so you don’t miss it.