S4 E29: Economic Development, USPS & Stupid Watergate: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

26 Aug 2024 (4 months ago)
S4 E29: Economic Development, USPS & Stupid Watergate: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The Mueller Investigation and Related Cases

  • Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, and his business partner, Rick Gates, were indicted on 31 charges related to hiding tens of millions of dollars in income from a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party. (1m47s)
  • Manafort allegedly used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including spending nearly $1 million on antique rugs and over $1.3 million on clothing. (2m46s)
  • Manafort reportedly possesses three US passports with different numbers and has traveled internationally using a phone and email registered under an alias. (5m25s)
  • Paul Manafort's associate, Rick Gates, had 5 bank accounts, helped run the Inaugural Committee, and visited the White House frequently. (6m54s)
  • George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign staff member, admitted to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians during the campaign. (7m28s)
  • Trump claims to not remember a meeting with Papadopoulos, despite having posted a photo of them together at a national security meeting to Instagram. (10m17s)

Economic Development Incentives: Successes and Failures

  • Politicians place a high value on jobs, frequently mentioning them in their speeches. (13m39s)
  • Economic development incentives, such as tax breaks, are used by state and local governments to attract businesses to their areas. (14m21s)
  • Amazon is currently prompting a bidding war among governments for the location of its second headquarters, with New Jersey reportedly offering $7 billion in tax breaks. (16m30s)
  • Kentucky invested $18 million in tax incentives for the Ark Encounter, a full-size replica of Noah's Ark, hoping for a positive economic impact on the surrounding area. (19m37s)
  • The Ark Encounter has faced criticism for its hiring practices, requiring employees to be Christian and imposing a chastity pledge. (20m16s)
  • Louisiana, Maryland, and Connecticut have found that their film incentive programs have yielded low returns on investment, generating significantly less tax revenue than the amount spent on the programs. (24m26s)
  • Missouri and Kansas have offered competing tax breaks to businesses for years, leading to companies moving employees back and forth across state lines to claim tax breaks. (25m35s)
  • A study estimates that since 2009, this "border war" has resulted in a net gain of approximately 1,100 jobs on the Kansas side, but at a combined cost of $331 million in lost tax revenue for the two states. (26m26s)

The United States Postal Service: Challenges and Entertainment

  • The United States Postal Service has been experiencing financial difficulties, posting a loss of $5.6 billion last year. (29m34s)
  • "The Inspectors" is a television show that blends elements of teen dramas, police procedurals, and public service announcements about mail-related crimes. (30m58s)
  • The show stars an actor who bears a striking resemblance to Anthony Michael Hall. (31m10s)
  • The intended audience for "The Inspectors" is kids and teens, but the primary viewership consists of adults aged 55 and older. (35m41s)

The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)

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