If it hasn’t rusted through, has good tires and an airbag, why trade? The quality of cars these days and, yes, the pandemic, have something to do with an aging car fleet in the U.S. Plus, more data on increasing prices equals more anticipation for what the Federal Reserve will say about its forecasts for interest rates. And, the systemic failure to equitably invest in Black entrepreneurs in the U.S., how that’s changing and whether the wave of commitments by corporations and venture capitalists over the last year represents a temporary blip or a lasting shift in how money is allocated.

One answer is giving rank-and-file employees, those not in management roles, a strong voice at the table. New York’s “Hero ACT” requires just that. It will require companies with more than 10 employees to implement a series of safety protocols to help prevent transmission of airborne diseases. Plus, today is the day California ends most of its pandemic restrictions. And, a report this week from the New York Federal Reserve found that people are finding it easier to obtain credit now compared with a year ago.

From the BBC World Service: People in Britain will be able to buy tariff-free beef from Australia, though farmers in the U.K. are worried about being undercut on price. Plus, India faces protests against the dominance of e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart-backed Flipkart. And, research is underway in New Zealand to see if protective masks and gowns can be decontaminated and used again.

There’s new data on the changing views of where people want to live and work, given the experience of the pandemic year. The trends are those we’ve heard anecdotally: smaller cities, bigger houses. Plus, preparing for the Fed meeting on policy and interest rates this week. And, the latest in our “Vanishing America” series: fabric stores going out of business.

The benefits expired in Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi and Missouri on Saturday. Will this drive more applicants to jobs that have remained unfilled? We speak with a couple of economists who explain how it’s more complicated than that. Plus, in a closely watched case, a federal judge has ruled that a health care company can order its employees to get COVID vaccinations. And, changing rules for tax-protected retirement accounts.

From the BBC World Service: G-7 leaders say the pledge will offer lower-income countries a new source of infrastructure finance and an alternative to Chinese loans from the “Belt and Road” initiative. Plus, after hosting the G-7 summit, we hear about plans in Cornwall to extract lithium for electric car batteries from underground hot springs. And, WhatsApp says it will resist attempts by governments to weaken end-to-end encryption of messages.

With the main talks on fixing infrastructure at an impasse, a side group of 10 Democrats and Republicans in the Senate say they’ve come up with a deal, although details are scant and it’s unclear if others key players will embrace this. Plus, among the things that have gotten more expensive over the past year and last several months: food away from home. We look at the rise in restaurant prices. And, decisions from the G-7 summit on getting more vaccine doses to the countries that need them.

More than a year into the pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released emergency standards for the workplace, but they’re only for health care workers. Also, ahead of the G-7 summit, there were reports that President Joe Biden was going to raise concerns about tensions in Northern Ireland in his talks with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday. Johnson, speaking with the BBC, said that did not happen. And, new guidelines this week call for banks to take extra care in case cryptocurrency investments go bad.

From the BBC World Service: Leaders gathering in Britain for the G-7 summit are expected to pledge the shots for lower-income nations as part of a global push to end the pandemic. Plus, Hong Kong will ban films that violate its national security law, further restricting artistic freedom. And, congestion at Chinese ports due to pandemic lockdowns means warnings of disruption to global shipping routes.