Owen Parsons — Writer

Episodes 51

February 14, 2021 30m

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.

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February 21, 2021 30m

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

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February 28, 2021 30m

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

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March 7, 2021 30m

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

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March 14, 2021 30m

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

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March 21, 2021 30m

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.

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April 4, 2021 30m

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.

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April 11, 2021 32m

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.

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April 18, 2021 30m

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.

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May 2, 2021 30m

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

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May 9, 2021 30m

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

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May 16, 2021 30m

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.

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May 23, 2021 30m

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.)

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June 6, 2021 30m

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.

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June 13, 2021 30m

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.

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June 20, 2021 30m

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.

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7.3

Episode 226

8x17
June 27, 2021 32m

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.

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6.3

Episode 227

8x18
July 25, 2021 39m

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.

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8.0

Episode 228

8x19
August 1, 2021 31m

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.

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7.0

Episode 229

8x20
August 8, 2021 32m

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.

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7.5

Episode 230

8x21
August 15, 2021 32m

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

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August 22, 2021 32m

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

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September 12, 2021 28m

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

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September 26, 2021 40m

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.

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October 3, 2021 28m

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.

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8.0

Episode 235

8x26
October 10, 2021 29m

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.

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8.0

Episode 236

8x27
October 24, 2021 31m

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.

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8.0

Episode 237

8x28
October 31, 2021 31m

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.

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8.5

Episode 238

8x29
November 7, 2021 29m

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

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8.5

Episode 239

8x30
November 14, 2021 39m

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."

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February 20, 2022 35m

John Oliver explains what critical race theory is, what it isn't, and why we can expect to hear more about it in the coming months. Plus, the Canadian trucker protests.

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7.5

Sex Work

9x2
February 27, 2022 40m

As long as sex work has existed, so have efforts to end it. John Oliver explains why criminalizing the trade hasn’t helped the most vulnerable people involved, and why we should start listening to those at the center of the conversation: sex workers. Plus, Russian invasion into Ukraine, that has placed the whole world at the brink of WW3.

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March 6, 2022 29m

John Oliver talks about the current practices of overturning wrongful convictions and how it is quite unsupportive of even apparently innocent people. He advocates for urgent reforms in the flawed system which is clearly not working in favor of the innocents. Plus, the heroic resistance of Ukrainians against the invasion of Russia.

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8.0

Tickets

9x4
March 13, 2022 30m

John Oliver explains why concert tickets are so expensive, who’s making money off of them, and which One Direction is his favorite. Plus, the introduction of some appalling anti-LGBT laws in several states.

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7.6

Harm Reduction

9x5
March 27, 2022 40m

John Oliver discusses why overdoses in the U.S. have been on the rise and what we should, and shouldn't, be doing to prevent them. Plus, a rather odd yearly tradition in Nenana, Alaska.

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7.2

Trucks

9x6
April 3, 2022 35m

John Oliver explains how truck drivers get paid, how they often don’t, and how companies exploit them to increase profits. Plus, Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn's tales of GOP orgies and drug use has him in trouble with his own party.

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8.5

Data Brokers

9x7
April 10, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses how much data brokers know about us, what they’re doing with our personal information, and one unusual way to change privacy laws. Plus, Russian State TV lies about the Ukraine war; DirecTV drops OAN; John says goodbye to AT&T.

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April 17, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses the tactics that can make police interrogations so damaging, particularly to the innocent. Plus, a look at Dr. Oz's campaign for U.S. Senate.

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May 1, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses environmental racism, how both government and industry are failing people of color and how zoning is manipulating the same people to live in adverse conditions. Plus, pandas doing some weird things and 'gas math' by Shaquille O'Neal.

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May 8, 2022 42m

John Oliver discusses the current presidential election in The Philippines and why Bongbong Marcos is - albeit in a very limited and unflattering way - sort of like Ant-Man. Plus, the leaked anti-abortion draft opinion that looks set to overturn Roe v. Wade, how we got to this point, and where we may be headed.

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7.7

Utilities

9x11
May 15, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses the incredible amount of power we give electric utility companies, how weakly regulated they are, and why they get such bad Yelp reviews. Plus, a look at Alabama's extreme anti-trans law and some ridiculous participants of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.

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7.3

Subway

9x12
May 22, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses one of the largest franchises in the U.S., how their business model doesn’t always serve franchisees, and what it all has to do with Korean dramas.

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7.3

School Police

9x13
June 5, 2022 35m

In the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, John Oliver discusses the push for more police in schools and whether they are the answer to school safety issues, or a new problem altogether. Plus, John makes an offer for a banana sculpture in Australia.

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7.7

Tech Monopolies

9x14
June 12, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses tech monopolies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook, and how to address the hidden harm they can do. Plus, a look at the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Arizona, which includes Trump-endorsed candidate Blake Masters.

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7.2

Rent

9x15
June 19, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses why rent has become increasingly unaffordable, what we can do to combat a system that is stacked against tenants, and, of course, Dakota Johnson’s complex relationship to limes. Plus, a look at GOP primary winners claiming the 2020 election was stolen.

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7.2

Water

9x16
June 26, 2022 35m

John Oliver discusses the water shortage in the American west; plus, the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

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February 19, 2023 35m

John Oliver discusses psychedelic assisted therapy: its history, its potential, and what it has to do with A$AP Rocky’s relationship to rainbows. Plus, the Fox News lawsuit and the Ohio train derailment.

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February 26, 2023 39m

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our lives, from self-driving cars to ChatGPT. John Oliver discusses how AI works, where it might be heading next, and, of course, why it hates the bus.

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7.5

Ron DeSantis

10x3
March 5, 2023 35m

John Oliver discusses Ron DeSantis, his track record as the governor of Florida, the pitfalls of comparing him to Donald Trump, and the supposed dangers of “woke math.” Plus, the hilarious advertising by a plumbing company called Radiant.

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John Oliver discusses TANF – a federal program designed to help families with little to no income – who’s currently receiving these vital funds, who should be receiving them, and what it all has to do with Brett Favre.

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7.7

Timeshares

10x5
March 19, 2023 35m

John Oliver discusses timeshares, how people get into them, why it’s so difficult to get out, and one exciting new business venture.

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