V Interesting with V Spehar

This week is special because it’s V’s birthday episode! As a gift to their listeners, V invited one of their favorite comedians, Adam Conover, on the show to talk about his new Netflix special, The G Word. Adam went from ruining everything from weddings to airlines, to investigating the U.S. government. He’ll talk about getting access to some of the most guarded government buildings and taking viewers behind the scenes to build trust. We’ll hear about how the country regulates food and why we’re not subsidizing more fruits and vegetables. Plus, how the government has complete control over the money supply and why PPP loans benefited the wealthy instead of the small businesses they were intended for.  Follow Adam at @adamconover on Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, V explains the new Florida law that allows military veterans to skip the university and certification requirements to teach school in the state. How do you know when your political advocacy is unwise or even ungodly? There are 5 questions Christians claim you need to ask yourself to guard against false prophets, is it working? We’ll also take a SWING at Pickleball, the hottest new sport with roots to the pro-choice movement of the 1970s, good for grandma then, good for grandma now! Then, V sits down with Jason Kander, former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer and author of “Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD,” for a meaningful conversation about how he put his mental health before his political career. Jason shares what role masculinity plays in therapy, why getting help is a sign of strength, and how to support others who are also battling depression and PTSD.   Follow Jason on Twitter and Instagram @jasonkander. Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're seeing this podcast, the universe has a message for you! Don't ignore this sign! Do you talk to the dead? Hit up the tarot deck? Keep crystals in your pockets? Does your spirit guide manifest in a cape? Well you might be a Spiritualist, or at least, might be interested in learning more about this uniquely American religion started in the mid 1840's by two teen girls the night before April Fools Day. Part parlor trick, part grief therapy sesh, part star spangled - if you describe yourself as "not really religious, more spiritual" you're about HALFWAY to becoming an American Spiritualist. Ghost Church podcast host & comedian Jamie Loftus joins V to talk about how the Spiritualist movement got started, influenced presidents, and promoted women's rights. We’ll find out what keeps people seeking the truth even after a century of psychic mediums at the center of the religion being "debunked.”   Follow Jamie on Twitter @jamieloftusHELP and Instagram @jamiechristsuperstar Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, V breaks down the Respect for Marriage Act, because we all deserve the joy of sharing a bed bath and beyond with the person of our choosing and no Republican divorcée congressman is gonna stop us! We’ll also find out how green became the international color of abortion rights. (Spoiler: we didn't start it). Then, V puts our media literacy skills to the test by showing listeners what’s actual news versus clickbait. Later, V chats with the head of the largest flight attendants’ union, Sara Nelson, about the truth on summer air travel, including staffing shortages within the airline industry and flight cancellations. She’ll give us the inside scoop on the inequities between flight attendants and pilots and why women should “Join Unions, Run Unions” to diversify and empower labor movements.   Follow Sara Nelson at @flyingwithsara on Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monkeypox has the potential to infect anyone, regardless of age, gender or race; in cases where pregnant women are infected, the virus can even travel to the fetus. Scientific analysis of the virus is severely lacking, but we do know one thing: folks are not “more at risk” purely because of their gender, race, geographic location or even line of work. That said, there is one demographic being the most vocal and forthcoming about their experiences: gay and bisexual men. This week, V chats with two healthcare professionals and TikTokers who personally experienced monkeypox. Doctor John and Nurse Brian are helping break the stigma by documenting their journeys and educating their followers on how to identify early signs of monkeypox, and the symptoms and care techniques you’ll need to know if you do contract the virus. We’ll also talk about the failures of local & national government policies to protect public health. Monkeypox is not a dirty secret -- we’re here to (literally) air the dirty laundry surrounding mainstream media bias in reporting on the virus and take you to the truth. Follow Dr. John and Nurse Brian on TikTok at @thatgaydoctor and @pozrn. Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not every day that a big-budget Hollywood book-to-movie adaptation sparks an IRL murder investigation. Today, V looks into why the author of the bestselling novel Where the Crawdads Sing is wanted for questioning in a deadly shooting. V also digs into some companies like Netflix and BMW, who are trying to stay relevant and gain customers by launching pointless subscription services, and runs through a list of political backstabs, including who’s the latest to be trashing Trump and his false stolen election claims. Finally, there's a slew of recent Supreme Court cases that are directly affecting Native Americans. To help unpack these rulings, V brings on activists Julian Brave NoiseCat and Birdie to talk about tribal sovereignty, indigenous rights, and how they're helping elevate the voices of their communities.  Follow Julian on Twitter at @jnoisecat and Birdie on TikTok @showme_your mask   Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, V is talking money, money, money, money - MON-AYYY - with gal pals Jannese Torres-Rodriguez of the Yo Quiero Dinero podcast and First Gen Living financial coach Maria Melchor. At a time when there’s a lot of recession chatter - we will sort out what’s worth worrying about, where you can have fun on a dime, and the “boss babes” MLM schemes to watch out for. They’ll give us advice on what to do when the economy slows down, and why even folks ballin’ on a budget can diversify their income streams. Let’s get financially literate!  Follow Jannese at @yoquierodineropodcast and Maria’s work at First Gen Living.Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, V finds out how some far-right leaders are using tactics of political terrorism to establish a system of government based on religious law. Then, we'll get smart about basic firearm terms you should know before getting into conversations about mass shootings or gun control. We’ll also hear about how Elon Musk has lost interest in pretending to buy Twitter and why the social media giant is planning to pursue legal action against him. Speaking of billionaires, what is their infatuation with space? V invites space communicator Astro Alexandra on to talk about collaboration between NASA and privately-owned companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Plus, planet facts, space conspiracies and UFO gossip!   Follow Astro Alexandra on TikTok and Twitter at @astro_alexandra  Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new generation of activists is very tech-savvy and isn't afraid to call out what they believe is wrong. This week, V is talking to Gen-Z For Change activists, who utilize social media to educate their generation, encourage and mobilize civic participation. V sits down with leaders Victoria Hammett, Olivia Julianna and Harry Sisson from the organization to talk about how they’re deploying TikTok armies, posting political thirst traps, shutting down tiplines and planning other clever ways to shift the political debate. We’ll hear about when they each realized speaking out was part of their calling, what it’s like being a leader at a young age and how you can get started in also fighting for change.   Follow our guests on TikTok at @victoriahammett, @0liviaJulianna, and @typical_democrat.Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, V talks to chef and activist Adrian Lipscombe about how she’s helping reclaim the narrative of where food in this country started by empowering people in the fields. Adrian also runs the 40 Acres and A Mule Project, an initiative aimed at preserving the legacy of Black farmers and Black foodways. We’ll hear about what’s causing the dwindling population of Black farmers, why we're at risk of losing some key elements of Black culture, and how that’s affecting food independence. Follow Chef Adrian at @adie_eats. And learn more about her 40 Acres and a Mule project online and at @40acresproject.  Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.