Man, things are absolutely wild out here right now. Down in Venezuela, the people are dealing with a straight-up tragedy. Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez had to declare a state of emergency after the country got hit by two massive earthquakes back-to-back. We're talking about a 7.2 foreshock and then, just 39 seconds later, a huge 7.5 mainshock. It's a miracle more people didn't lose their lives, but the toll is already devastating: at least 164 people are dead, 971 are injured, and the experts say those numbers are only going up.

Caracas got hit the hardest, and the videos on social media are pure panic. People were literally running for their lives through the corridors of Simón Bolívar International Airport while parts of the ceiling were coming down around them. The airport had to close down because of severe damage, and the whole transit system—metro, trains, everything—got shut down. Even the rich folks over in Altamira, where all the foreign embassies are, saw at least three buildings completely collapse into rubble.

But while Venezuela is dealing with natural disasters, folks back in the US are dealing with corporate disasters. Greystar, which is the biggest apartment manager in the country, is getting sued all over the place by tenants who are tired of getting hustled. These corporate landlords aren't just taking your rent money anymore; they are hitting people with some of the craziest, most ridiculous fees you’ve ever heard of.

They found at least 125 different named fees in Greystar's leases and listings. They are charging people for "boiler management," "variable refrigerant flow," "solar rebills," and even something called a "lifestyle fee." Like, what does that even mean? It’s straight-up predatory. Tenants are saying these fees are illegal and overwhelming, but Greystar is calling the lawsuits "futile" and says they are going to fight them in court. No cap, corporate greed is getting out of hand.

And don't look to Washington for help, because the politicians are playing games with people's lives. Both the House and the Senate actually agreed on a bipartisan bill to lower the cost of housing. It was ready to go, but on Wednesday, Donald Trump abruptly cancelled the signing. He's holding the whole housing bill hostage, refusing to sign it until Congress passes the Save America Act, which would force strict voter ID laws and cut back on mail-in voting.

So basically, while regular people are struggling to pay rent and keep a roof over their heads, the politicians are using housing relief as a poker chip to change voting rules. It's the same old story—the people at the bottom get squeezed while the ones at the top play chess.