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

26 Aug 2024 (17 days ago)

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.
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.
Manafort reportedly possesses three US passports with different numbers and has traveled internationally using a phone and email registered under an alias.
Paul Manafort's associate, Rick Gates, had 5 bank accounts, helped run the Inaugural Committee, and visited the White House frequently.
George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign staff member, admitted to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians during the campaign.
Trump claims to not remember a meeting with Papadopoulos, despite having posted a photo of them together at a national security meeting to Instagram.

Politicians place a high value on jobs, frequently mentioning them in their speeches.
Economic development incentives, such as tax breaks, are used by state and local governments to attract businesses to their areas.
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.
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.
The Ark Encounter has faced criticism for its hiring practices, requiring employees to be Christian and imposing a chastity pledge.
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.
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.
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.