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Episodes

Episode 210: The Next Pandemic
E1

Episode 210: The Next Pandemic

7.6

Main story: What could cause the next pandemic, what we can do to avoid it, and why you shouldn’t kiss pigs; plus, Impeachment Part 2.

30 min

Episode 211: Meatpacking
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E2

Episode 211: Meatpacking

7.1

Main story: Working conditions in the meatpacking industry; plus, the Texas power crisis in the wake of severe winter weather.

30 min

Episode 212: Raids
E3

Episode 212: Raids

7.4

Main story: How few guardrails there are on the use of police raids; plus, New York governor Andrew Cuomo faces multiple scandals.

30 min

Episode 213: Unemployment
E4

Episode 213: Unemployment

7.0

Main story: The many obstacles that impede access to unemployment benefits; plus, Fox News freaks out over Dr. Seuss.

30 min

Episode 214: Tucker Carlson
E5

Episode 214: Tucker Carlson

8.0

Main story: Where Tucker Carlson came from and why he's admired by white nationalists; plus, reaction to the Biden COVID-19 relief bill.

30 min

Episode 215: Plastics
E6

Episode 215: Plastics

7.6

Main story: How plastics are harming the planet, and why recycling isn’t the solution you think it is; plus, the Atlanta mass shootings and hate crimes against Asian-Americans.

30 min

Episode 216: The National Debt
E7

Episode 216: The National Debt

7.4

Main story: How national debt works and why it might be more helpful than you'd think; plus, Giuliani freaks over Lil Nas X; Amazon's anti-union tactics; Peeps and Pepsi form an unholy alliance.

30 min

Episode 217: Long-Term Care
E8

Episode 217: Long-Term Care

7.0

Main story: Why nursing homes and assisted living facilities need fixing; plus, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program; Matt Gaetz and Venmo; R.I.P. Yahoo! Answers.

32 min

Episode 218: Bankruptcy
E9

Episode 218: Bankruptcy

7.4

John Oliver details why people file for bankruptcy, how needlessly difficult the process can be, and the ways we can better serve people struggling with debt.

30 min

Episode 219: Vaccine
E10

Episode 219: Vaccine

7.8

John Oliver explains why some people don't want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured.

30 min

Episode 220: Hair
E11

Episode 220: Hair

6.6

John Oliver discusses the importance of black hair, the ways it can be a target of discrimination, and some ideas to address that.

30 min

Episode 221: Stand Your Ground
E12

Episode 221: Stand Your Ground

7.2

Main Story: John Oliver takes a look at why “stand your ground” laws were created, who they protect, and, crucially, who they don’t. Plus, a look at the past week’s events in Israel.

30 min

Episode 222: Sponcon
E13

Episode 222: Sponcon

8.0

John Oliver explains why the integrity of local news is so important, how sponsored content could damage that integrity, and why the Venus Veil is so much more than a blanket. (It's not.)

30 min

Episode 223: Asian Americans
E14

Episode 223: Asian Americans

6.6

John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term "Asian American", the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed.

30 min

Episode 224: Prison Heat
E15

Episode 224: Prison Heat

7.4

John Oliver explains how the failure to air-condition prisons can cause both physical and mental health issues for incarcerated people, and why the solution is simpler than you might think. Plus, some truly unique local car dealership ads.

30 min

Episode 225: PACE
E16

Episode 225: PACE

7.2

John Oliver explains how PACE, a program meant to pay for environmentally-friendly home renovations, is fundamentally flawed and can put people at risk of losing their homes. Plus, why hosting summer Olympics in Tokyo this year is a bad idea and why dog shows are weird.

30 min

Episode 226: Health Care Sharing Ministries
E17

Episode 226: Health Care Sharing Ministries

7.2

Health Care Sharing Ministries, or HCSMs, advertise themselves as a more affordable, faith-based alternative to health insurance. But John Oliver explains some of the massive limitations these plans can have.

32 min

Episode 227: Housing Discrimination
E18

Episode 227: Housing Discrimination

6.7

John Oliver breaks down the long history of housing discrimination in the U.S., the damage it's done, and, crucially, what we can do about it.

39 min

Episode 228: Emergency Medical Services
E19

Episode 228: Emergency Medical Services

7.4

John Oliver explains how emergency medical services function in the U.S., why they can be so expensive, and what we can do to fix things.

31 min

Episode 229: Opioids III – The Sacklers
E20

Episode 229: Opioids III – The Sacklers

6.8

John Oliver explains how the Sackler family has been handling lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, how hard they've been fighting to defend their name, and why you should judge the situation for yourself.

32 min

Episode 230: Ransomware
E21

Episode 230: Ransomware

7.2

John Oliver discusses ransomware attacks, why they’re on the rise, and what can be done about them.

32 min

Episode 231: Afghanistan
E22

Episode 231: Afghanistan

7.6

John Oliver discusses the end of America's war with Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis being left behind.

32 min

Episode 232:  Lukashenko
E23

Episode 232: Lukashenko

7.6

John Oliver discusses the longtime leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and the many reasons his country's citizens have not to like him.

28 min

Episode 233: Voting Rights
E24

Episode 233: Voting Rights

7.0

John Oliver discusses the current attacks on voting rights, who's behind them, and what we can do about it. Plus, John enters several paintings in the annual Duck Stamp contest.

40 min

Episode 234: PFAS
E25

Episode 234: PFAS

7.2

John Oliver discusses PFAS - a class of chemicals linked to an array of health issues - and why their widespread use isn't as magical as it may seem.

28 min

Episode 235
E26

Episode 235

7.5

John Oliver discusses how misinformation spreads among immigrant diaspora communities, how little some platforms have done to stop it, and, most importantly, how to have a very good morning.

29 min

Episode 236
E27

Episode 236

7.3

John Oliver discusses Taiwan's history of being governed by other countries, its fraught present-day relationship with China, and what its citizens would want their future to look like.

31 min

Episode 237
E28

Episode 237

7.5

With homelessness increasing nationwide, John Oliver takes a look at the way we discuss the unhoused, what policy failures are making the problem worse, and how we can help.

31 min

Episode 238
E29

Episode 238

8.0

John Oliver discusses the current state of the nation's power grid, why it needs fixing, and, of course, how fun the balloons are.

29 min

Episode 239
E30

Episode 239

8.5

John Oliver discusses the mechanics of union busting, why the companies who do it face so few consequences, and what it really means when your manager wants to talk to you about "your attendance."

39 min

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