TDS Time Machine | Inflation

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition Episode: TDS Time Machine | Inflation Release Date: July 20, 2025

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1. Opening Skit: Time-Traveling Car Sellers

The episode kicks off with a humorous skit featuring John Oliver, Roy Wood Jr., and Desi Lydic. The trio parody the experience of selling a car to Carvana, blending elements of time travel and modern convenience.

• Desi Lydic humorously questions the sudden jump in time after accepting a Carvana offer:

  "When did I get here? I must have time traveled to the future." [00:03]

• John Oliver emphasizes the seamless service:

  "Sell your car the convenient way to Carvana. Pick up. Times may vary and fees may apply." [00:21]

The skit satirizes the ease of online transactions and the sometimes surreal speed of modern services, setting a comedic tone for the episode.

2. High Gas Prices and Memorial Day Preparations

As Memorial Day approaches, the hosts delve into the pressing issue of soaring gas prices, which have reached unprecedented highs across the country.

• Desi Lydic sets the stage by relating to holiday travelers:

  "Holiday travelers are going to be paying more than ever at the pumps." [01:38]

To illustrate the absurdity of the situation, the show features an extended segment from Rob Riggle, portraying a resident of a dystopian Columbus, Ohio, where gas prices have led to societal collapse.

• Rob Riggle comically describes the new barter system:

  "Fuel is the only commodity with any real value. It's enough to drive you crazy." [03:27]

• He continues to mock societal changes:

  "When you're murdering people for a few gallons of gas, you don't want to feel constricted." [04:00]

Riggle's exaggerated portrayal highlights the frustration and desperation caused by high fuel costs, emphasizing the real-world impact on everyday Americans.

3. The Inflation Crisis Deepens

Transitioning from gas prices, the discussion broadens to the overarching issue of inflation, revealing how it permeates every facet of daily life.

• John Oliver introduces the severity of inflation:

  "America's prices surging more than they have in 30 years." [15:08]

• Roy Wood Jr. sarcastically laments the cost increases:

  "I went to a gas station today and for a gallon of regular, it just said, kill yourself." [15:55]

The hosts break down the inflation data, pointing out significant price hikes in essential sectors:

• Desi Lydic mentions the relentless rise in costs:

  "Prices rose 8.2% between September 2021 and September 2022." [24:32]

• Roy Wood Jr. humorously connects past and present:

  "Back in my day, you could buy a house with a dollar." [16:59]

The segment underscores the tangible effects of inflation on consumers, from groceries to housing, while maintaining a comedic approach to a serious economic issue.

4. Obamacare's Unintended Consequences on Pizza Prices

A particularly comedic yet pointed discussion emerges around the impact of Obamacare on everyday items, specifically pizza.

• John Oliver cites a fictional statement by Papa John's CEO:

  "Our best estimate is that the Obamacare will cost about 11 to 14 cents per pizza." [11:03]

• Desi Lydic reacts to the absurdity:

  "I'm gonna pay an extra 11 to 14 cents so that the guy who makes my pizza can get antibiotics." [11:14]

• Roy Wood Jr. connects it to broader economic frustrations:

  "If you like pizza, get ready to cough up some more dough." [11:27]

This segment satirizes the intersection of healthcare policies and consumer goods pricing, highlighting the ripple effects of legislative decisions on everyday products.

5. Climate Change and Economic Policies

The hosts transition to discussing the relationship between inflation, gas prices, and climate change initiatives, critiquing government spending and policy effectiveness.

• Desi Lydic references NASA scientists and climate research funding:

  "Grounded in little more than hysteria." [14:02]

• Roy Wood Jr. mocks government priorities:

  "Our government spending over $10.6 million of your taxes on climate research." [13:51]

• Desi Lydic ties it back to economic struggles:

  "If it costs a lot more because human activity is burning our planet to an uninhabitable husk, eh, what the. Right." [14:46]

The discussion critiques the allocation of resources towards climate initiatives amid pressing economic challenges, using humor to question the efficacy and priorities of current policies.

6. Recent Inflation Reports and Mixed Economic Signals

The episode revisits the latest inflation data, presenting conflicting narratives between economic indicators and public perception.

• John Oliver presents the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI):

  "Annual inflation rate now 2.4%. That's inflation's lowest point in three years." [27:26]

• Roy Wood Jr. sarcastically counters with a bleak outlook:

  "The Biden economy is a nightmare." [28:45]

• Asif Manvi offers a balanced perspective:

  "Just because the numbers are good doesn't mean people aren't struggling." [29:14]

The hosts highlight the disparity between positive stock market trends and persistent inflation, emphasizing that economic recovery is uneven and many Americans continue to face financial hardships despite favorable statistics.

7. Conclusion: The Persistent Struggle with Inflation

Wrapping up the episode, the hosts reaffirm the ongoing challenges posed by inflation, underscoring its pervasive impact on American lives.

• Roy Wood Jr. encapsulates the sentiment:

  "Inflation is a lot like masturbation, right? A little bit is completely natural. But once you start noticing it in restaurants and car dealerships, things have gotten out of hand." [25:30]

• John Oliver reinforces the gravity of the situation:

  "The numbers that we're getting on the real economy show that it's holding up remarkably well." [28:37]

Through a blend of sharp humor and critical analysis, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of inflation's multifaceted impact, balancing comedic relief with substantive commentary on economic realities.

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Notable Quotes:

• "We're back at our fancy new gas pump, which we're calling America's Gas Pump." – Asif Manvi [02:10]
• "The real economy is holding up remarkably well." – John Oliver [28:37]
• "If you like pizza, get ready to cough up some more dough." – Roy Wood Jr. [11:27]

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This summary captures the essence of the episode, blending humor with insightful commentary on high gas prices and the broader inflation crisis affecting the United States. Through engaging dialogues and satirical sketches, The Daily Show: Ears Edition delivers a compelling narrative that is both entertaining and informative for listeners seeking to understand current economic challenges.

Transcript

[John Oliver]

Thanks for selling your car to Carvana. Here's your check.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Whoa.

[Desi Lydic]

When did I get here?

[John Oliver]

What do you mean?

[Desi Lydic]

I swear it was just moments ago that I accepted a great offer from Carvana online. I must have time traveled to the future.

[John Oliver]

It was just moments ago. We do same day pickup. Here's your check for that great offer.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It is the future. It's.

[John Oliver]

It's the present. And just the convenience of Carvana. Sorry to blow your mind.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It's all good.

[Desi Lydic]

Happens all the time.

[John Oliver]

Sell your car the convenient way to Carvana. Pick up. Times may vary and fees may apply. Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts. On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Desi Lydic]

Heading into Memorial Day weekend. If you're anything like me, you're packing up a cooler, you're loading the kids into the minivan, and you're just driving around aimlessly. That's what you get when you don't book a hotel room. But this year, holiday travelers are going to be paying more than ever at the pumps. With gas prices hitting record highs across the country. As news stories go, perhaps it's not very exciting, but the news networks have ways to make it pop. Virtual gas stations, cool computer graphics. And Good Morning America went all out.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

We're back at our fancy new gas.

[Asif Manvi]

Pump, which we're calling America's Gas Pump.

[Desi Lydic]

You know what, dude? You can call it really whatever you want. You know, you should call it their crazy magical rectangle. But the point is, we all know what gas pumps are. We want to know why it costs so damn much. Yes, somehow, every Memorial Day world events conspire to drive gas prices and oil profits through the Roof. How does it happen? For more on this bizarrely consistent market fluctuation, we go to Rob Riggle live in Columbus, Ohio. Rob, thanks for joining us. Thanks for joining us, Rob.

[Rob Riggle]

John, the cost of driving this weekend will be positively gastronomical. So if you're hitting the road, don't be fuelish. Drive the limit and go easy on the road. The ac. You'll tank yourself later.

[Desi Lydic]

What are you wearing?

[Rob Riggle]

This? Just the usual leathers and feathers, Standard casual menswear. In a futuristic dystopia like this.

[Desi Lydic]

The gas crunch has hit Columbus, Ohio, that hard?

[Rob Riggle]

Absolutely. In fact, we're calling it barter town. These days, paper money, like life itself, has become virtually worthless. Fuel is the only commodity with any real value. It's enough to drive you crazy. Seriously though, a lot of people are going insane.

[Desi Lydic]

But why is it that you got to dress like that? Why is it that in all the movies about the horrible dystopian wasteland, everybody wears those neo primitive things? You know, I never thought that would actually happen in, in a real life situation like that. John.

[Rob Riggle]

I think it's common knowledge that when a society dissolves, people break out the feathers in football gear. It's all about comfort. When you're murdering people for a few gallons of gas, you don't want to feel constricted. You're murdering people, they're murdering themselves. John. If they just give me the gas like I ask, I wouldn't have to pump them full of lead.

[Desi Lydic]

Rob, I. I think. I think we're past the point of the stupid gas related puns, don't you think?

[Rob Riggle]

Well, it's the only thing I have left that reminds me that I'm a human.

[Desi Lydic]

All right, well, thank you, Rob. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. All right? It's killer be killed.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Law of the jungle.

[Desi Lydic]

All right, Rob, very nice. Rob Riggle, everybody. He's got to wear that until we come back to work next week. Tonight's show is not solely about a minor dispute over the size of Anton and Scalia's jurisprudence. We're also covering our top story, high gas prices. I know a lot of people out there are suffering, sacrificing. You're feeling the pain. Well, you know what? Shut up. Because you know what's much worse than your pain? The pain of the people who have to cover your pain. The supply of ways to illustrate the effect of high gas prices is limited. But the demand for high gas priced stories has never been higher.

[John Oliver]

Forget bigger is better. It's now. Honey, I shrunk the car.

[Desi Lydic]

She's a witch. Burn her using biofuels. Yes, these are dark days. But innovators continue to push for alternate means of illumination. Like the misdirect with gas prices where they are.

[Asif Manvi]

More and more people are leaving their.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cars here in the parking lot and.

[Asif Manvi]

Waiting for a ride to work on the train.

[Desi Lydic]

He was in a train station the whole time he was standing there. There were cars in the background. And then he walked right forward. And then it was a train station. I was like. With more on the media and how they're coping with high gas price stories, I'm joined by senior media analyst Asif Manvi. Asif, thanks so much for joining us. Thank you, John.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Trevor Noah]

Wait.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Sorry, John. First of all, that guy, he ripped me off.

[Desi Lydic]

What are you talking about?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

What am I talking? Panning the camera slightly to the left to reveal something related to what I'm saying.

[John Oliver]

This.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That is my move. I have been doing that for years. Can we roll that tape, please? Look, syrup. It's a delicious addition to any waffle or stack of pancakes. But what if I told you this sweet confection comes from a tree? There's a new exercise that has some fitness buffs climbing the walls. With 20 dead and dozens wounded, Peace talks have broken down with neither side willing to make any concessions.

[Desi Lydic]

The last one was a hostage crisis. You just put on that cheap pun. That was horrible.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Well, I've never noticed because my soul is a nebulous, indistinct void.

[Desi Lydic]

Asif, that's not even a pun. That's not even a. The guy is doing my bitch. All right, Asif, we're moving on, folks. As you can see, this situation has reached a crisis point. Now, many of you may be asking, what can I do to help? Well, it's simple. You can do your part by appearing in these stories as a concerned consumer in gas station B roll or as an average Joe commenter. It costs so little. Just three or four words.

[Asif Manvi]

My wife and I drive a lot.

[John Oliver]

Less than we used to.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It's pretty bad. This cost too much money.

[Desi Lydic]

Of course, that was pretty generic. I mean, you might want to try 409 is the. Oh, my goodness. I didn't even know.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Oh, my God.

[Desi Lydic]

Thank you. Yes. Shock. Surprise. A woman at odds with a society beyond her control. Technology necessary, yet heartless. But sometimes a hero comes along and elevates a boilerplate. The rising cost of gasoline is crushing everyone in its wake Story. With a simple turn of phrase that lifts a nation's spirits.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I'm gonna just close my eyes and.

[Desi Lydic]

P. I'm just going to close my eyes and pump.

[Asif Manvi]

John.

[Desi Lydic]

John. Yes, John Oliver, May I? Please.

[Asif Manvi]

I'm just going to close my eyes and pump. Sounds like my wedding night.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Oh.

[Desi Lydic]

I think we all saw that one coming. John.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's what she said. Oh, ho ho.

[Desi Lydic]

We are childish.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I know.

[Asif Manvi]

Scalia is so right about us.

[Desi Lydic]

We'll be right back.

[John Oliver]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

The McDonald's Snack Wrap is back. You brought it back. Ranch snack wrap. Spicy snack wrap. You broke the Internet for a snack Snack wrap is back. Ba da ba ba ba.

[Desi Lydic]

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[John Oliver]

Terms and conditions apply.

[Desi Lydic]

Now that Chick Fil? A has proved that wearing your political beliefs on your corporate sleeve can send your sales through the roof. We're definitely going to expect other fast food chains to start staking out their own ideological territory.

[John Oliver]

The CEO of Papa John's yesterday, John Shatner, came out on an earnings call and said, in 2014, quote, our best estimate is that the Obamacare will cost about 11 to 14 cents per pizza.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

What the what?

[Desi Lydic]

I'm gonna pay an extra 11 to 14 cents so that the guy who makes my pizza can get antibiotics to keep him from hacking up lung tissue onto my pizza.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Outrageous.

[Desi Lydic]

Something tells me I'm not alone in that sentiment.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

If you like pizza, get ready to cough up some more dough. Will Obamacare make your pizza more expensive?

[John Oliver]

You will soon have to pay more for your pizza, and you have President Obama to thank for that.

[Desi Lydic]

You know what? I think we can absorb that 11 to 14 cents, considering that you can't turn on the TV without being offered two pizzas for the price of one. And if you call right now crazy bread, a 2 liter soda and a third, pizza made out of Oreos seems to be the cheapest food product on the planet. Of course, it's really not about the 11 cents. It's about a larger issue.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Obamacare is driving the price of your.

[Desi Lydic]

Pizza through the roof.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Socialism sucks.

[Desi Lydic]

I don't know how to break this to you, but under socialism, business owners wouldn't have to fit the bill for their employees health care. Under socialism, health care would be the responsibility of the state and not private businesses. Which I'm sure colleague Bob Beckel, who's a liberal, is going to point out to you. Except. Except that. Come on man, shut the lid. That is not right. You are hypnotizing him. That is not fair. All right, fine. That is a sneaky argument.

[Rob Riggle]

Move.

[Desi Lydic]

I guess the Republicans have made their point. We must end Obamacare to save our pizza. Just one thing. I know this is probably a stupid question. Are there any other factors that could also drive up the cost of pizza? Could there?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

About 64% of the US is now.

[Asif Manvi]

In some form of drought.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

64%.

[Asif Manvi]

There's fear that food, things like dairy.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Meat prices, even the price of pizza could skyrocket.

[Desi Lydic]

Oh, this summer's crop killing milk scorching drought of biblical proportions. Come to think of it, that might also be somewhat affecting the price of pizza. Not to mention the future of. But let's focus on the pizza. Summer's almost over. That'll solve the heat wave, right?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

There is a connection to these extreme weather events that we've been seeing. They are in fact a product of global warming.

[Desi Lydic]

What do you know, NASA scientist? That's just a scientific fact. One that happens to be confirmed by a recent study funded by climate denying petrochemical billionaires. So as upset as the right got over Obamacare's effect on their pizza, I can't imagine how wigged out they're going to be about global warming.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Our government spending over $10.6 million of your taxes on climate research to increase all this spending on combating global warming. On the hunch it's man made trying.

[Desi Lydic]

To redesign the American economy as well.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

As foreign policy and so on on.

[Desi Lydic]

The basis of a theory that proved to be grounded in little more than hysteria.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

This is surprising. You know, I haven't heard on the other channels that some of the glaciers are getting bigger.

[Desi Lydic]

But that's why people watch Fox, you know. Yep, that's why they watch Fox. You know why? Cause it's so much easier than literally sticking your head up your own ass to shut out reality. So to summarize, if Pizza costs a little more, but in return, everyone gets health insurance.

[Rob Riggle]

Outrageous.

[Desi Lydic]

But if it costs a lot more because human activity is burning our planet to an uninhabitable husk, Eh, what the. Right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

We're screwed.

[John Oliver]

We're screwed.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Our first story is about money. It's the world's number one favorite thing to embezzle. And as of now, you need a lot more of it to buy all the stuff you need. The government just released brand new numbers on inflation from October. They're big.

[John Oliver]

America's prices surging more than they have in 30 years. And there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Unfortunately, the numbers are all moving in the wrong direction. Consumer prices were up by 6.2% in October from the year before.

[John Oliver]

Now let me walk you through some.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Of the individual items. Look at computers and smart home assistance up more than 8%. Televisions up more than 10%. Washers and dryers up nearly 15%.

[John Oliver]

We're paying more for energy. We're paying more to heat our homes. We're paying more for our housing. When we go to the grocery store, we're paying more for beef and for eggs, for food, used cars, new cars, trucks as well. The President taking a harder line, saying in a statement, quote, inflation hurts Americans pocketbooks. And reversing this trend is a top priority for me.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, guys, inflation is becoming a real problem. I went to a gas station today and for a gallon of regular, it just said, kill yourself. Now, some critics are saying that America's inflation problems are President Biden's fault. But here's the only issue with that argument. Almost every country in the world is dealing with this issue, which means President Biden is, is actually screwing up the entire world. But whether his policies have contributed to inflation or it was always going to happen when society emerged from the pandemic. This is a big danger to Biden politically because inflation is one of the economic concepts that normal people actually care about. Like, let's be honest, the debt ceiling, the Federal Reserve derivatives. That's all just shit we pretend to understand. Oh, yeah, the debt ceiling, the debt ceiling. But when you hear inflation is rising, you know it means you're about to be a broke bitch. The only good part of inflation is that I, I was always jealous of those old guys who would be like, back in my day, you could buy a house with a dollar. It looks like now, if inflation gets bad enough, we'll get to be those old guys.

[Asif Manvi]

Oh, yeah, back in my day, a.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Million dollars could buy a whole lot more Than just a haircut. But look, yes, material goods are increasing in price. And that is why people. It's important to value the things that are always free. Like spending time with your family or robbing people. You know, the important things in life, Roy.

[Trevor Noah]

The thing with inflation though, man, like, honestly, I think that's why, like, people appreciate hand me downs. Like, that's where I came from. It was a hand me down culture. So, you know, I ain't really worried about shit going up in price. Cause I always knew that I was gonna get my older brother shit. That's how we live, yo. My older brother, right now I got an older brother, Arthur, he got a Dan Marino jersey. Chalk line throwback, Mitchell Laness. And I'm gonna get that bitch sooner or later.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Oh, wow. I thought you were gonna tell me that you were. Good for you, Roy.

[Trevor Noah]

No, I'm still. I'm still waiting on it though, man. I'm still waiting on it. I'm gonna get that damn jersey, man. Hey, man, also, the other issue is that like, honestly, like $20 don't do what it used to do. So I will give inflation that. I'm not really panicked about inflation, But I will admit that $20 don't do what it used to do. Cause I remember back in 93, your mama could drop you off at the mall with $20. You could live at the mall three days and you come back to the house with $6 change. Like that was a good time. $20, you could get a Bell Biv Devoe ticket. You could get a Flintstone push up. You could get you two pairs of Jordans. You could get you a Mugsy Bogues T shirt and still have money to go see Boyz n the Hood at the Midfield six cinema right there in Birmingham.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You've got a fantastic memory.

[Trevor Noah]

Oh, yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

All right, let's kick things off with some big economic news about inflation. You know inflation, the reason your grandfather is always bragging about. I paid 7 cents for a movie ticket in 1972. And it was a porno movie. Yeah. Back in my day, you had to see them in the theaters. Yeah. You couldn't just pull them up on Pub Hub like you kids do. You had to remember the scene and go home and try and recreate the feeling. Sometimes you'd see a friend on the way home and you'd have to be like, shut up, Jerry, stop talking. I'm trying to remember the boobs. And then I'd finally get home and your grandmother would say, were you at one of those movies? Again. And I'd say, shut up, Cheryl. I'm trying to remember those boobs. And then finally, I got to yank my crap. And it will be boobs and Jerry and your grandmother in my head. And the point is, things cost a lot less back then. So, yes, inflation, it's getting worse and it's affecting everything.

[Asif Manvi]

The breaking news this morning, the US.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Labor Department out with new inflation numbers this morning. They're high. The highest inflation, in fact, rate in the US in more than 40 years.

[Asif Manvi]

When you look at the sectors, it.

[John Oliver]

Is gas, it is shelter, it is.

[Asif Manvi]

Food, it is used cars.

[John Oliver]

These are numbers that, year over year have had big, big increases in prices. This is a situation where just about everything is going up. 8.5% inflation increase year over year. That's a strong, strong number.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

The highest since December 1981, when Raiders of the Lost Ark was number one at the box office, Ronald Reagan was president, and unemployment was pushing 10%. Seriously, this inflation is taking us back to 1981. I don't wanna go back to 1981. First of all, there's no WI Fi. Secondly, I could never pull off a Jericho.

[Asif Manvi]

People.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Actually, actually, I take that back. I take that back. Yeah, maybe I can. All right, doesn't look bad. Silk Sonic, you call me, baby. Yeah, we're doing this. But, yeah, people. Because the economy opened up suddenly and the government gave everyone money. Everyone is spending again, but the supply chain issues, so there's not enough products for the people to buy, and that drives the prices up. And then on top of that, Vladimir Putin decided that, oh, now would be a nice time to Airbnb eastern Ukraine by force, raising oil prices, which makes everything more expensive. And that's what's happening. It's gonna happen to all of us. And so because of all of that, inflation is rising faster or higher than the price of Bitcoin, you know, which is. Sorry, wait, no, no, Bitcoin's down again. Sorry, my bad. Ignore that. Ignore that. So, ba. Wait. Oh, it's up again. It's up again. It's the future, all right? It's the future. So the point is. Wait, it's down again. Which guy. Is it a scam or is it the future? Guys, the point is, everything has gotten expensive. So expensive that even Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons are starting to get all cocky with us. Well, well, well, who's the junk mail now? Used to throw me away. I guess my 20% offer isn't clogging up your mailbox anymore, is it, Mother? Yeah, here's the thing, man, inflation is bad for everybody, right? It doesn't just hurt your wallet. It makes life harder for people and it makes you feel crazy, you know? Cause you'll be in the store and you'll be like, yesterday this avocado was $3. Now it's 6. Are you gaslighting me, avocado? The only thing that gets better because of inflation is small talk. That's the only thing that improves in life. Yeah. Because at least now you can talk about something else other than the weather. Yeah. Price of cheese is up again, huh? Man, it's getting crazy. Cheese. Cheese. Jeez.

[John Oliver]

This episode is brought to you by Greenlight. Get this. Adults with financial literacy skills have 82% more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids lives. But are we investing in their future financial success? With Greenlight, you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving and investing. And this investment costs less than that. After start prioritizing their financial education and future. Today with a risk free trial at greenlight.com Spotify greenlight.com Spotify Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile.

[Asif Manvi]

With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a.

[Desi Lydic]

Thing Mint Mobile Unlimited Premium wireless.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Everybody get 30, 30, better get 30, better get 20, 20, 20. Everybody get 20, 20. Every 15, 15, 15, 15. Just 15 bucks.

[Asif Manvi]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[John Oliver]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

All right, let's kick things off with some news about the US economy. Remember how the Fed raised interest rates a thousand times in the last week to try and stop inflation? Well, it turns out it didn't work.

[Desi Lydic]

Breaking news on the economy. Inflation shows no signs of slowing down. The last inflation report before the midterm elections. Take a look at some of these numbers. Shows that prices rose 8.2% between September 2021 and September 2022.

[John Oliver]

Gasoline prices up more than 18% from last year. Food prices still up 11%. Turkey up 20% from this time last year. Eggs up 27%. Butter 25%. And then look at the little candy corn graphic. Halloween candy up a whopping 34% across the board.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's right, people. Halloween candy up 34%. I love how they say it like, it's necessary to live. What are we gonna do without it? Once again, inflation numbers are out, and prices are still going up, affecting everything from gas to Halloween candy. And not only that, razor blades are up 52%. Now, what am I supposed to put in the candy? Oh, how do I live? I. I will say a 34% increase in candy. That is a lot. It's so expensive. Parents are gonna start encouraging their kids to get into strange vans. You know, just like, look, look, Timmy, the stranger says he's got free candy. And in this economy, we gotta take a shot, buddy. We gotta do it. You gotta air tag. I'll find you. Look at people. All this. All this inflation is just not sustainable, right? Cause. Cause here's the thing. Inflation is a lot like masturbation, right? Yeah, a little bit is completely natural. But once you start noticing it in restaurants and car dealerships, things have gotten out of hand. And look, if we had more time, we could talk about the Federal Reserve. And it looks like how they're gonna keep raising interest rates to try and curb this rampant inflation, because that's basically the only tool that they have. The problem is raising interest rates take so long to filter through the economy that this could be too much. Raising interest rates and we just don't know it yet. Yeah, in some ways, raising interest rates is a lot like taking mushrooms, right? You take some, nothing happens. So you take some more, nothing happens, man. You finish the whole box. And because this stuff clearly doesn't work. Oh, okay.

[John Oliver]

I think the interest rates are kicking in.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I just met God, and he's a gorilla.

[Asif Manvi]

Let's kick things off with the number one issue for voters, the economy. Everyone's favorite system of producing and distributing goods and services. Inflation has been a major headache for America the past few years. But for those of you who like paying less for things, today brought some welcome news.

[John Oliver]

Some new economic info just Today we have new inflation numbers. Annual inflation rate now 2.4%. That's according to the Consumer Price Index. It is inflation's lowest point in three years.

[Asif Manvi]

Yeah, suck it, inflation.

[John Oliver]

Suck it.

[Asif Manvi]

You get down and you stay down. Now, for those of you who aren't big CPI heads like myself, 2.4%. Inflation is getting pretty close to the Fed's target level of 2%, which was chosen because it's Jerome Powell's favorite kind of milk. Of course, good news for the Biden Harris economy is bad news for Donald Trump, who is campaigning against the Biden Harris administration. But throughout this campaign, Trump has had a very subtle way of casting doubt on positive economic reports. See if you can catch it.

[Desi Lydic]

Wall street ends the week on a positive note. The Dow and S&P 500 both hitting record highs.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

We are a nation whose economy is collapsing into a cesspool of ruin.

[Desi Lydic]

2024 has kicked off with a bang.

[John Oliver]

353,000 jobs were added.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You're going to lose your jobs.

[John Oliver]

Main street hiring, firing on all cylinders here.

[Desi Lydic]

Economy has just been reported to be doing very badly.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

One month gain in job growth, best since January 2022. Our economy is doing terribly.

[John Oliver]

The numbers that we're getting on the real economy show that it's holding up remarkably well.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

The Biden economy is a nightmare.

[Rob Riggle]

Look at that spike in consumer staples. Everything's looking great here.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Keep hearing about their economy. Their economy is terrible.

[John Oliver]

The blue chips make history for the fourth straight day.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It's the worst economy that we've ever had.

[John Oliver]

Jobs are up. The stock market hit that all time high. Do you acknowledge that economy is improving?

[Desi Lydic]

No, it's not.

[Asif Manvi]

Nuh. Bad economy says what?

[Rob Riggle]

What?

[Asif Manvi]

Now look, in Trump's defense, just because the numbers are good doesn't mean people aren't struggling. I mean, just the other day I saw one very desperate American pawning everything he owns for chump change. You know, so sad that bitcoin was a family heirloom. His grandfather smuggled it out of Europe in his ass.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Trevor Noah]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.