Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Season 8 (2021)

John Oliver details the many obstacles that impede access to unemployment benefits in the US - often by design - and why the entire system needs to be rethought.

Tucker Carlson is admired by white nationalists, elected officials, and some of your relatives or coworkers. Since he has the ear of so many Americans, John explains where Tucker came from, what his tactics are, and what he represents.

Plastic is in everything, from the clothes we wear to the water we drink. John explains how plastics are harming the planet, why recycling isn't the solution, and why fixing the problem will be up consumers, corporations and policymakers.

The national debt has long been portrayed as a burden we're placing on future generations. John Oliver discusses how national debt works, why people are so concerned about it, and why it might be more helpful than you think.

John Oliver talks about nursing homes and assisted living facilities which are providing long term care for elders. He also states how these things operate without much accountability and what dire situations staffs and residents both has to face here.

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.

John Oliver explains why some people don't want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured. (Even you, Mike in Baltimore.)

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

John Oliver takes a look at why "stand your ground" laws were created, who they protect, and, crucially, who they don't.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

John Oliver discusses the current attacks on voting rights, who's behind them, and what we can do about it.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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."