Start Me Up with Kimberley A. Johnson

Bruno Amato is back! We talked about the writer's strike and why it's so important; his latest acting roles; we chatted a bit about Donald and the fascists but we quickly went back to fun stuff. From dating stories to psychic predictions that came true, we covered a lot of (fun) ground. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Simon is an optimistic guy and we talked about why it's so important to be optimistic with the understanding we don't always get our way. Topics: Dems in array while the GOP is rapidly unraveling; what we can do individually to help save democracy, and how we keep from being sucked into the negative messaging so that we don't unknowingly do the GOP's dirty work for them. Advertisin...

Brian Karem is a White House Columnist and his latest book is titled Free the Press: The Death of American Journalism and How to Revive It. He's a political analyst for CNN and hosts the "Just Ask The Question" podcast. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. We touched on all. Today's show is more about Brian but we did get to some politics. Not only is Brian a reporter, but he also sings...

David Pepper is back. He's the former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party and his latest book Saving Democracy is out now. Topics: David shared some effective and easy ways to help save democracy--and they don't require much of your time; why it's so important to win in local and state elections; David shared some of the more egregious laws/abuses happening on the state level and he...

Paige Wolf is a communications expert dedicated to creating meaningful progressive change locally and globally. For more than 20 years, she has run Paige Wolf Media and Public Relations, offering communications services to a wide variety of clients including nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and mission-driven businesses. She has worked on Democratic political campaigns throughout Penn...

Craig Bierko has been acting for decades. Some of his most notable films include Cinderella Man & Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. TV: Sex and the City, Murphy Brown;  Law & Order; Mad About You. Stage: The Music Man; Guys and Dolls and Company. I had Craig back on so soon because I had more questions for him (and he makes me laugh...a lot). We talked about why he chose to become an actor,...

Actor/comedian/musician and political commentator Hal Sparks is back! I needed Hal's optimism today and he delivered! Topics: The debt ceiling and why Hal believes it'll all work out; why he feels the "No Labels" Independent ticket will go nowhere; Trump's legal woes are growing by the second and Hal shares what he thinks will happen re: jail time (if DJT is found guilty in the...

David Corn of Mother Jones joined me to discuss the "nothingburger" Durham Report and how the right is using it to deflect attention from the Russian attack on democracy in 2016; a new website, The Messenger, that supposedly exists to be fair and non-partisan but gave Trump the softest of softball interviews (sound familiar?); and David talked about his latest book, American Psychosis: A H...

Writer/Director Jay Arnold is back! Topics: White supremacy is an urgent threat to US democracy, even Biden is talking about it and everyone should be sounding the alarm; Rudy is being sued for rape and he allegedly admitted to selling pardons for $2 million; extremism is motiving the electorate; Elon Musk has been subpoenaed by the Virgin Islands in a lawsuit against JP Morgan and the connection...

Travis Bone, Executive Producer of the Stephanie Miller Show joined me. After we had fun chatting, the E. Jean Carroll verdict came down as we recorded, so we got to celebrate E Jean's victory together! Other topics: "polite" social etiquette should not keep us from telling the truth about our corrupt political figures(re: SCOTUS/Tea Party/MAGA, The Republicans are getting increasingly...

Andy is back and as per usual, I laughed a lot! We had so much fun! The show is a mix of politics, personal stories, my not-so-great plan to get a 2nd bivalent shot (I don't qualify--Andy offers up a sensible warning against my dumbass idea), we bagged heavily on Bill Maher and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sarah is back! Topics: GOP voted to cut veterans' benefits; the current Republican ideology is on the same trajectory as pre-Nazi Germany; how we cope when it's all too overwhelming and Sarah shared how she shot down some MAGA dude in a bar using only facts! All that and so much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Adeline Koh is the Founder and CEO, and she started Sabbatical Beauty while on academic sabbatical because she was frustrated with the beauty products on the market. Many generic products loudly proclaim their "active" ingredients on their packaging, but these actives only make up a tiny percentage of ingredients. Inspired by the DIY beauty scene, she decided to start making her own skinca...

Paul Savas joined me to talk about his work at the Trike Theatre in Arkansas. We talked about how theatre training helps children develop skill sets that can benefit them no matter what they choose to do in life. We also discussed the need for inclusivity as well as the importance of the arts. I've known Paul for more than two decades. Listen in as we have fun chatting about the arts; we both...

Leta McCollough Seletzky is the author of The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. National Endowment for the Arts 2022 Creative Writing Fellow whose work has been featured in The Atlantic; The New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; The Washington Post; and elsewhere. Her essay "The Man in the Picture," published in O,...

Topics: Dominion v. Fox - Ethan explains why part of a settlement could result in Fox being forced to apologize on air, and he breaks down what it all might mean for the network in the long term; what's happening in Tennessee is a window into all of the other autocratic red states; we touch on the Trump indictment(s) and what happens if he's the 2024 GOP pick and much more. Advertising Inq...

D. Knight is the host of the Pardon the Insurrection Podcast. Topics: The Tennessee Three and what may happen as a result; Fox "news" is going through some things; D weighs in on Frank Luntz's advice to Republicans who want to primary Trump (you will laugh); why we both prefer Spoutible over the current Twitter alternatives and we both had a good laugh at Matt Taibbi's expense. All...

Skyleigh is a disabled U.S. Army Veteran- Working in Activism in every corner needed, continuing the fight for democracy. Skyleigh talked about her service and then we had a good 'ol conversation about our current political landscape: why we shouldn't depend on one group of voters to "save us"--all of us need to fight for democracy; batshit GOP is digging its own grave; MAGA family...

Allison Gill is the CEO of MSW Media, She's the host of Mueller, She Wrote, Jack, Clean Up on Aisle 45 and The Daily Beans podcasts. She's a veteran, Ph. D., and a former federal government executive, she’s a comedian, author, and staunch advocate for the resistance. Topics: The importance of last night's Wisconsin election; Pence won't appeal a court ruling compelling him to testi...

Actress and author Kiersten Warren returns! Her new book I wish I were an Ocelot: Adventures of an Essential Kitten was released last month and she joins me to talk about it! We also chatted about her acting career, Kirk's (her husband's) latest role on Star Trek: Picard, family life, and lots more! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.co...

The marvelous Sarah Wood is back. We talk politics first: Trump incitement watch; fascist GOP antics, what it feels like to be a liberal woman in today's America, and what the country's future holds. After we talked shop, we had some fun discussing what we do when we're not working. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Andrew Lawrence is the Deputy Director of Rapid Response at Media Matters for America. He watches Fox News so you don't have to. Topics: It's Indictment Watch week and Andrew weighed in on how he thinks it will all go down. We talked about how indictments will affect the MAGA base and leaders in the GOP. Andrew also explained how the Dominion suit against Fox is doing real damage to the br...

Craig Bierko has been acting for decades. Some of his most notable films include Cinderella Man & Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. TV: Sex and the City, Murphy Brown;  Law & Order; Mad About You. stage: The Music Man; Guys and Dolls and Company. Craig entertained us with stories from his fascinating career. He shared his experience of being in the stage productions of Matilda the Musical an...

Chris Hahn is a progressive pundit and the host of the Aggressive Progressive.  He also hosts a syndicated radio show and works as a  political consultant and attorney based in New York. He has made numerous national television appearances on a variety of political, pop culture and public policy topics. Topics: How the Fox defamation lawsuits will affect journalism long term; Trump indictments are...

Brian Karem is a White House Columnist and his latest book is titled Free the Press: The Death of American Journalism and How to Revive It. He's a political analyst for CNN and hosts the "Just Ask The Question" podcast. Topics: The First Amendment/Fox and how the Dominion lawsuit affects all journalists--what should be done and what it could all mean; Trump's 2024 run and why Brian...