John Oliver is worked up about the current financial struggles of the US Postal Service—so his show has launched what Mashable calls a "glorious stamp collection" featuring Bolivian zebras, Mr. Nutterbutter the giant squirrel, and Japanese mascot Chiijohn. On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, Oliver reported that the coronavirus has done substantial damage to the USPS, though he noted the agency had issues even before the pandemic. At the center of those problems: the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which, among other things, mandated the Postal Service prepay health care benefits to retirees over a 50-year time period, kicking off with $5 billion set aside each year for the first 10 years, per the Hollywood Reporter.
"What they badly need is an infusion of funding as soon as possible," Oliver noted. "And not only should we be demanding that they get that, Congress should also take a look at undoing some of the more onerous terms in that 2006 law." He said that although the branded stamps showcasing some of his show's favorite icons couldn't make up for all of the Postal Service's losses, it could still make a small dent, as "the purchase of stamps is still a key revenue generator for them." Each sheet of stamps, created via Stamps.com, is $14, with $11 of that going directly to the USPS; the other $3 will pay for production and distribution. The stamps—which also feature one that simply reads "And now ... a stamp," a shoutout to his "And now ... this" segment—will be available through June 15, while supplies last. (More John Oliver stories.)
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