S7 E17: Coronavirus IX: Evictions & Papa John’s: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The US Coronavirus Surge and Political Responses

• The US is setting records for daily new cases of the coronavirus as the virus surges around the country, with over 120,000 Americans having died from the virus (1m33s).
• Vice President Pence claimed that the US had slowed the spread of the virus and flattened the curve, which is considered an open and stupid lie (57s).
• Pence also admitted that wearing a mask is a way to slow the spread of the virus, despite previously not wearing one, and it is unclear why Republicans have made not spreading disease a culture war issue (1m38s).
• Some states that were aggressive about reopening for business, such as Texas and Florida, are now seeing some of the worst spikes in cases, making their governors' early proclamations of success seem ill-advised (2m7s).

The Looming Eviction Crisis in the US

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis previously claimed that Florida would not be like New York in terms of coronavirus cases, but the state is now experiencing a surge in cases (2m19s).
• The continuing spread of the coronavirus has led to a huge COVID-related catastrophe, with hundreds of tenants rallying for rent relief and warning of the largest number of eviction cases ever in the next few months (3m1s).
• The coronavirus has played havoc with employment, making it difficult for many to make rent, and given that about one-third of US households are renters with lower incomes than homeowners, the consequences are significant (3m35s).
• Stimulus checks, expanded unemployment insurance, and state and federal moratoriums on evictions have helped hold back the tide of evictions, but these mechanisms are now starting to run out or expire, and experts are predicting horrific outcomes if nothing is done (3m55s).
• The United States is facing its worst economic crisis in generations, and if nothing changes, the public health crisis could turn into a full-blown homelessness crisis, with millions of people left vulnerable (4m7s).
• Eviction hearings are set to take place via webcams, Zoom, or even phone calls, which raises concerns about the process of throwing people out of their homes during a pandemic (4m50s).
• Evictions can have long-term effects on the community, including heightened residential instability, substandard housing, declines in neighborhood quality, and job loss (5m40s).
• On an individual level, evictions can be devastating, causing families to lose their possessions, struggle to obtain new housing, and face significant difficulties due to having an eviction on their record (5m54s).
• The lack of affordable housing is a systemic problem that the coronavirus has highlighted, with rents rising significantly faster than incomes, leaving many renters below the poverty line spending more than half of their income on housing (7m37s).
• The issue of affordable housing has been a crisis in the United States long before the pandemic, with stories of people desperately seeking rental assistance and facing injuries in the process (6m36s).
• The problem of affordable housing has only worsened over time, with a notable example being a chaotic scene in Dallas County where hundreds of people made a run for housing vouchers, resulting in injuries (6m38s).
• Many households in the US are struggling to pay rent, with around 70% or more of their income going towards rent, which is unsustainable, and around a million households have been evicted each year for over a decade (7m47s).
• The pandemic has made things worse, and the Trump administration's plan to pause evictions only applied to certain properties with federally backed mortgages, which account for just a quarter of all rental units (8m22s).
• The policy did not freeze rent payments, but rather paused evictions, meaning that those unable to pay rent have been accumulating debt (8m50s).
• Several dozen states put in place their own moratoriums, but many of those protections have already expired, leaving renters in 23 states with no state-level protection from eviction (10m9s).
• Some landlords have worked with their tenants and reduced the rent owed, while others have tried to threaten tenants despite the protections in place (10m23s).
• Mario Salero, a landlord in Williamsburg, has waived rent for all his tenants, citing the importance of people's health and well-being over rent payments (10m32s).
• The solution to the eviction crisis cannot rely on the kindness of individual landlords, and a more comprehensive plan is needed to protect renters (11m7s).
• A woman received an email from her landlord stating that she and her grandmother could either pay the rent or move out, despite the woman's Governor having ordered a freeze on evictions for those affected by COVID-19 (11m48s).
• The landlord later apologized and offered to waive late fees and half of the April rent, which he would have lost anyway if he had to find a new tenant (12m26s).
• Even when landlords and property managers obeyed the moratoriums, they often made it clear that tenants would be evicted at the first available opportunity (13m10s).
• Some landlords have continued to file for evictions in court, despite the physical act of eviction being prevented by moratoriums, resulting in a backlog of cases (14m1s).
• As moratoriums are lifted, evictions could happen quickly, and some landlords argue that tenants should have prepared better for the crisis (14m25s).
• One property management company told a local news crew that it's not the property owner's responsibility to plan for a rainy day, and that tenants should have saved for emergencies (14m30s).
• In response, a tenant argued that renters are consistently told to plan better, while others are not held to the same standard (14m41s).
• The crisis is not just a "rainy day," but a more extreme situation, and some tenants are calling for drastic measures like rent strikes and rent cancellation (15m13s).
• Tenants are accumulating debt and may not be able to repay it, leading to demands for rent cancellation from the city, state, and federal government (15m29s).
• Many people are already choosing between food and rent, and it's being suggested that families should be treated at least as well as banks, which can reestablish themselves when they get in trouble (15m45s).
• Rent strikes are a risk, and could result in eviction for nonpayment, making it harder to get housing in the future, and also affect landlords' ability to meet property taxes (16m22s).
• Rent strikes have been an effective way of calling attention to the dire situation, and while long-term solutions are needed, short-term measures are necessary to keep people in their homes (16m47s).
• Some cities are trying to provide rental assistance, but limited funds make it difficult to address the scope of the problem, as seen in Houston where a $15 million rental relief fund was depleted in 90 minutes (17m10s).
• The city of Houston knew the funds would be insufficient and encouraged people to advocate for greater funding, acknowledging that cities can only do so much without federal intervention (17m52s).
• The city of Ithaca, New York is trying to cancel rent for those affected by the pandemic and is calling on the state to provide funding for landlords who need relief (18m26s).
• The federal government has dragged its feet on offering solutions for renters, and a bill providing $100 billion in rental assistance has stalled in the Senate after being passed by the House in May (18m51s).
• Some high-level Republicans have expressed reluctance to pass another relief package, citing concerns about the economic impact of massive assistance programs (19m5s).
• The stimulus package passed earlier may not be enough, and it's essential to assess what worked and what didn't, but as of the end of June, nothing new has been passed, and rent is due, highlighting the urgency of the situation (19m28s).
• The current state of affairs is critical, with people like Kiana Ashley being evicted, and it's unacceptable to wait any longer to address the issue, as the consequences are severe and affect vulnerable individuals, including children (20m22s).
• Everyone deserves the basic stability of shelter, and not knowing where one will live from day to day is a significant problem that needs to be addressed (20m46s).
• The worst thing that can be done is nothing, as every day without action compounds another future crisis for millions of vulnerable renters and their communities (21m6s).
• In the long term, solving the affordable housing crisis is crucial to prevent similar situations in the future (21m21s).

Anti-Mask Sentiment in Palm Beach County

• In Palm Beach County, Florida, citizens have expressed strong opinions against mandatory face masks, with some comparing the situation to a "planned demic" and citing concerns about the effectiveness and safety of masks (21m37s).
• One citizen, Butch, stated that he would die for the American flag and the Constitution, and he believes that wearing a mask is a violation of his rights and freedoms (21m43s).
• Butch also mentioned that he knows people who have been negatively affected by wearing masks, including an Amazon Prime driver who became weak and begged for Advil and water (22m2s).
• Another citizen expressed concerns about the impact of masks on children and the potential for harassment and discrimination against those who choose not to wear masks (22m15s).
• The citizens emphasized their right to not wear masks and their willingness to fight for their freedoms, with one stating that she would die for the country and the Constitution (22m45s).

Papa John's Social Media Comeback and Controversy

• Papa John, also known as John Schnatter, has recently gained popularity on TikTok, riding a tiny tricycle to a Megan Thee Stallion song and asking if he's doing it right, marking a moment when the platform has officially become "shitty" (23m37s).
• Papa John has significantly boosted his social media presence since late last year, using TikTok and Instagram to share various posts, including a tour of his house, which features a unique and expensive-looking entryway piece (24m24s).
• The entryway piece is a clock featuring eagles that separate before hitting the ground, but this is not an accurate representation of how eagles mate, as they actually have sex in a nest or on a tree branch (25m0s).
• Papa John's office tour also featured a 4,500-year-old Bishop's chair from a church in Italy, as well as a framed quote from Polish Nobel Prize winner Czesław Miłosz, which seems out of place in the context of his office (25m42s).
• The quote is about the importance of staying grounded, but it appears to be more of a decorative piece or a Wi-Fi password rather than a source of inspiration (26m1s).
• Papa John's social media presence is part of a concerted PR campaign to repair his image, which was damaged by various controversies and scandals, including his 2017 comments about NFL leadership and players protesting police brutality (26m36s).
• As a result of these controversies, Papa John had to leave his company, and his recent social media efforts seem to be an attempt to improve his public image (26m45s).
• Papa John's founder and face, Papa John, has admitted to using the n-word on a conference call in May during a role-playing exercise focused on averting public relations crises (27m5s).
• Papa John has attempted to explain his behavior, arguing that the conference call was leaked as part of a conspiracy to remove him from his company and that he only used the slur to explain that he doesn't use it (27m33s).
• He has also tried to prove that he's not a fan of the n-word by claiming that he would leave a dinner if someone used the word, which has been met with skepticism (27m47s).
• Papa John has hired a new PR team and is now trying to take ownership of jokes made at his expense, including selling T-shirts with the phrase "Papa bless" (28m37s).
• He has also released online content, such as a TikTok video, in an attempt to reclaim his image, but this has been met with disapproval and mockery from some people (29m2s).
• Some individuals have responded to Papa John's attempts to redeem himself by making disapproving comments or mocking him, with one person calling him a "little racist Pizza Man" (29m13s).