V Interesting with V Spehar

V chats with advocates who are pushing for evidence-based, comprehensive, and inclusive sex education in schools. V asks 18-year-old Aspen Schenker how they’re breaking down misconceptions about sexual health and helping their peers stay safe. Then, Advocates for Youth Director of Training Brittany McBride and physician Jennifer Cowart weigh in on the important life skills sex ed teaches. We’ll le...

A new pill could help hundreds of thousands of women who suffer from postpartum depression each year. Thousands of beagles are celebrating one year of freedom after being rescued from an inhumane breeding facility. And V chats with NPR culture critic Aisha Harris about her new book, “Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me,” and what it means to be a critical consumer of pop cultur...

Blood from young mice could be the new anti-aging serum we’ve all been looking for. New virtual surveillance along the English Channel could help save the lives of migrants crossing perilous waters, but it could also lead to harsher border policies. And V chats with former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich about the urgent need to get involved with organizations fighting for progressive change...

A certain doll movie is making millennials feel all kinds of nostalgic for the 90s. Financial exploitation of older generations is getting more prevalent – and trickier to spot. And V is joined by New York Times bestselling author Mary Roach, whose latest book explores what happens when animals do things that run a-fowl of human laws. They talk about making science writing fun and accessible, how...

V chats with two retired State Supreme Court chief justices about the role these often-overlooked courts play in defending our democracy. V asks North Carolina’s Cheri Beasley and Ohio’s Maureen O’Connor what exactly state supreme courts do, how you can be a more informed judicial voter, and their thoughts on everything going on at the U.S. Supreme Court.   This discussion was made possible by Uni...

A New York City architect is charged with murder in the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK) case. Sarah Silverman joins a class action lawsuit against OpenAI and Meta over their AI programs. And V hangs out with podcast host and creator Nikki Boyer, who wants you to feel more comfortable and empowered to have the tough conversations with your friends and family about “making a date with death.”   Fol...

This bonus episode was made possible by the Marguerite Casey Foundation. V chats with Jared Ball, professor of communication studies at Morgan State University, about the importance of scrutinizing the media we consume, why he doesn’t feign objectivity in the classroom, and why he describes the term “Black buying power” as both a myth and propaganda. Plus, his thoughts on how performers like Snoop...

We celebrate a major win for women’s reproductive health in the form of a new blood test. If you didn’t keep track of who got canceled this week, don’t worry – we kept a list. And V chats with University of Texas-Austin media researcher Samuel Woolley about how social media bots, artificial intelligence, and algorithms can manipulate public opinion and what that means for the future of democracies...

We're off this week, but we wanted to share a new series we think you'll love! Who should you root for at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup? Get to know soccer’s most inspiring players and the causes they champion on My New Favorite Futbolista. Team USA defender Becky Sauerbrunn describes herself as an “introvert,” but she proudly steps out of her comfort zone to advocate for causes she finds import...

The extreme travel industry is leading more and more billionaires to die on dangerous adventures. Chicken grown in a lab may be hitting your plate soon – how should we feel about that? And V chats with Grammy award-winning country music artist Ashley McBryde about her new album, “Light On In The Kitchen,” sharing stages with country legends, and making country music a space for everyone. Plus, you...

This bonus episode was made possible by the Marguerite Casey Foundation. V speaks with Trinity College professor and urbanist Davarian Baldwin about how universities extract wealth from their host communities and drive inequitable growth in cities. Davarian, who analyzes this behavior in his book, “In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities are Plundering Our Cities,” explains why schools...

So-called “renovictions” are gaining in popularity, displacing renters and erasing affordable units in tight housing markets. What can whales teach us about fighting cancer? And V chats with Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender athlete to compete in a NCAA Division 1 men’s sport, about gender justice and his upcoming book “He/She/They: How We Talk about Gender And Why It Matters.” Follow Schuyle...

Two performers made history this week when they became the first openly nonbinary actors to win Tony Awards. AI-generated images and videos are infiltrating politics, causing concern over the dangerous potential of deepfake technology in the 2024 presidential election. And V chats with “American Hysteria” podcaster Chelsey Weber-Smith about the phenomena of moral panics, urban legends, and the leg...

It seems the NYPD unknowingly painted a questionable acronym on the side of their cop cars for Pride Month. A new docu-series shows what happens when you disguise Christian extremism as a wholesome TLC reality show. And V chats with award-winning journalist Tre’vell Anderson about Tina Turner’s legacy, “possibility models,” and their new book “We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV a...

V shines a spotlight on four of their favorite nonprofits, from a comedy troupe of abortion activists to a theologian holding community naps as a form of resistance. Then, V chats with Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr and journalist Erin Reed about their recent engagement and ongoing quest to protect trans rights. Follow Zooey @zoandbehold on Twitter and TikTok and Erin @erininthemorn on...

A deluge of money is streaming into the southwest to incentivize people to save the Colorado River. The long-awaited video game “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” has gamers talking about their carbon footprint. Then, what are we to do with art we love made by people we don’t? V chats with author and critic Claire Dederer, whose latest book, Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, explores our relationshi...

It’s true! The Food and Drug Administration has moved to allow gay and bisexual men to once again donate blood, and V explains exactly what’s changed. Plus, how one congressman is schooling us on what it means to outsmart AI. Then, adults rejoice! We’re talking through a more effective and less stressful parenting strategy that everyone can learn from. V chats with “whole parenting” expert Jon Fog...

In just the past two days, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a huge package of anti-immigration legislation for the state, and we entered a world where COVID-19 is no longer an official public health emergency. V breaks down all the big changes these decisions will bring. Then, they talk to a champion of change, courage, and civic engagement: former Miss Tennessee Tally Bevis. Tally pulls back...

When most people think of home economics, they imagine women baking muffins and caring for practice babies. But this week, we’re learning that the field was much more than just “stitching and stirring.” It was an empowering way for women to gain respect and recognition. Journalist and author Danielle Dreilinger joins V for a look back at the history of home economics and how it shaped American cul...

In light of big media personalities getting booted from their platforms and other outlets shutting their doors, V discusses the phenomenon of news deserts and where to find good information in spite of this. Plus, they run through the pros and cons of broadcasting one’s relationship status to the world. V then sits down with MTV trailblazer and veteran journalist SuChin Pak to discuss the value of...

As conservative officials continue to restrict abortion access, Republican constituents are starting to put their foot down. V explains why, for many people, bans on the mifepristone pill have crossed a line and are making them question their party’s judgment. Also, V highlights new research showing that the financial health of millennials is looking… better than we thought? Then, a peek into V’s...

This bonus episode was made possible by Flourish Ventures. Today, V learns hard money lessons in an easy way with “zillennial” financial expert Haley Sacks — or, as her droves of followers know her, Mrs. Dow Jones. As it turns out, it can be fun to learn about finances, especially when your teacher wields compassion, pop culture references, and financial advice especially geared toward women. Hale...

Justice Clarence Thomas has been living the high life and not telling a soul… except all the people who dimed on him for a new ProPublica report. V breaks down what exactly this top judge did — and didn’t do — wrong in his role as a public servant. V also talks about the lengths that researchers have to go to for people to care about the environment. Fortunately, V is then joined by investigative...

The news within the news of Donald Trump’s criminal indictment is that anti-Semitic conspiracy theories unfortunately still prevail. V debunks the thin threads that theorists try to spin between money, power, and religion, and what all this has to do with politics. Plus, elsewhere in the government, it’s coming out that unmanned, remote-controlled trains are far less regulated than they should be....

Legislation is wildin’ these days. Fresh off their trip to Congress, V breaks down the who, what, and why behind the recent grilling of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. They also outline which states are introducing bills to get more teenagers into manufacturing plants and construction sites. Then, some penne for your thoughts: just in time for the announcement of this year’s James Beard Award finalists,...