Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn Separation of Church and State is under attack, and the spread of White Christian Nationalism is ever present. Luckily, organizations like Americans United for Separation of Church and State are on the ground and fighting back in a major way. Brian Silva, the VP of Outreach from AU stopped by the pod to help us spot the most recent examples of the White Christian Nat...
Jul 02, 2025•56 min
Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn This week on The Monday Edit: JVN life updates, cuts to NPR funding, the recent attacks on Iran, the NYC mayoral primary election win for Zohran Mamdani, and a quick update on the killer whale’s salmon supply in the Pacific Northwest with this week’s Patreon guest, Dr. Deborah Giles from the SeaDoc Society. Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingb...
Jun 30, 2025•31 min
Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn This week on Getting Better, JVN sat down with internet sweetheart, icon, and author - the effervescent Drew Afualo. Talking all things clapping back to trolls, nuanced conversations on the internet, and why being woke isn’t a bad thing. Full Getting Better Video Episodes now available on YouTube. Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Drew Afualo is on Instagram @drewafualo an...
Jun 25, 2025•57 min
This week on The Monday Edit: JVN sat down with Chase Strangio from the ACLU to debrief on last week’s 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court on U.S. v Skrmetti - ruling in favor of continuing Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care. Chase made history in December 2024 as the first openly Trans lawyer to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. All that, plus! JVN and Chris break down the Karen Read verdict. Chase Strangio is Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project as well as a nationally re...
Jun 23, 2025•34 min
Money, money, money, money…MO-NEY! The Money with Katie Show host Katie Gatti Tassin here to talk with JVN all about how we can beat capitalism, get ahead, and get informed about the system that we’re all operating in - whether we like it or not! Katie’s new book Rich Girl Nation is out now. Money with Katie was founded in 2020 by Katie Gatti Tassin to document everything she learned about personal finance on her journey to financial independence. As a former public relations major in corporate ...
Jun 18, 2025•59 min
This week on The Monday Edit: JVN sat down with Cristina Jiménez Moreta to talk about her new book Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power, and Real Change and the work being done at United We Dream, the country’s largest youth-led immigrant organization - which Cristina co-founded. Plus our breakdown of the Tony awards and our HBOTW! Cristina Jiménez Moreta is an award-winning community organizer, political strategist, prominent advocate for social justice, and author. She is the C...
Jun 16, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 518
This week we’re joined by political commentator and Gen Z Icon, Matt Bernstein - the creator behind @MattXIV and A Bit Fruity Podcast. Together, Matt and JVN discuss the very real Gen Z red wave, finding your peace amidst online political discourse, make-up (yes, darling!), and much much more - plus, we find out just how many Millennial references Matt can pick up on. Matt Bernstein unpacks the events, people, and culture wars shaping the world around us.. On his podcast, On A Bit Fruity, he tak...
Jun 11, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 517
This week on The Monday Edit, we have a very special guest joining in on the Monday fun: best selling author Anna Malaika Tubbs stopped by to tell us all about her new book, Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us and helps us hone in on real time examples of our Patriarchy is being weaponized today. Anna unpacks how the United States has constructed a unique—and often invisible—gendered hierarchy, one that is inextricably linked to whiteness and a deeply flawed binary system. From t...
Jun 09, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 516
Matt Rogers, comedian, actor, writer, host, half of the duo behind Las Culturistas and multi hyphenate extraordinaire is on Getting Better this week to enter our queer millennial world on all things pop culture, pride heroes, lgbtqia+, Celine Dion, Tony Awards, Ariana Grande, Epic Universe and of course... JK Rowling. He tells us his and Bowen Yang’s origin story, how Las Culturistas came to be, what's next for him, and of course - Tony predictions! Matt Rogers is an actor, comedian, writer, pod...
Jun 04, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 515
This week on The Monday Edit: the Dry and Salty Environment of Salt Lake City, Supreme Court revoking the safe haven program, Elon’s drug dealer, the West Village Crypto Kidnapping, conspiracy theories, and propaganda we are not falling for! Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor &...
Jun 02, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 514
#1 New York Times Best Selling Author Julie Murphy stops by to talk with JVN about the recent attacks on local libraries, investing in independent bookstores, why exposure to Queer voices is paramount for young readers - plus! The two go all in on their new YA book Let Them Stare. Julie Murphy is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for all ages including Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix and one of TIME Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time), Dear Sweet Pea, and If the Shoe Fits. ...
May 28, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 513
This week on The Monday Edit: The Let Them Stare drop, Karen Read Retrial, The Supreme Court Deadlock, eating around friends, and independent bookstores. Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and...
May 26, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 512
Revenge, why do we want to get revenge so bad? And where does that urge come from? And how do we go from wanting to get revenge to being able to forgive someone or others? James Kimmel Jr., Yale lecturer and co-founder of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Studies, is on Getting Better this week to teach us just that. James gives us insight into the psychology of these complex emotions, the parts of the brain affected, and what research, studies and science shows us about forgiveness. James Kimme...
May 21, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 511
This week on The Monday Edit: Astrological events this week, drone sightings, Birthright Citizenship, Trump’s Qatari 747. Swifties Clowning about the 2025 AMAs, and friendship trauma. Donate: Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support...
May 19, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 510
This week’s expert is Aliza Kelly, a renowned celebrity astrologer, author, columnist, and host of the podcast, “Horoscope Weekly.” JVN and Aliza go all in on Jonathan’s chart, and how astrology can truly be a self-care practice. Together, they’re diving into the profound ways engaging with astrology can become a meaningful and empowering form of self-care, providing tools for self-understanding, navigating challenges, and aligning with one's inherent strengths. Aliza Kelly is a renowned celebri...
May 14, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 509
This week on The Monday Edit - we’re making public push back fun with Strict Scrutiny’s co-host Leah Litman talking all about her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Came to Run on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. We’re also talking about why public schools are becoming the battle ground for the separation of church and state with Alessandro Terenzoni, VP of Public Policy from Americans United for Separation of Church and State - we’re going IN on the supreme court thi...
May 12, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 508
Dan Harris, host of the 10% Happier Podcast, best selling author, and former ABC News Anchor sits down with JVN to talk about how we can get comfortable with failure and how to stop letting fear control your life. Dan unpacks how failure became the unlikely catalyst for lasting change. Whether you're battling self-doubt or just trying to bounce back, this conversation offers real tools, raw honesty, and a fresh perspective on how falling down can actually move us forward. Dan Harris is a journal...
May 07, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 507
This week on The Monday Edit: JVN takes Miami, threats to due process, Barbra & Mariah & Ariana, when to stop drinking coffee, and some history making Tony Nominations. Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support from Julie Car...
May 05, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 506
Neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuku is joining Getting Better this week teaching us to how to care for the brain. Do supplements really work? And the research and science proven brain-changing benefits of exercise, sleep, movement and food. We're diving into memory and how our brains actually memorize. And diving into how we keep our minds and brains from aging to prevent cognitive decline, white matter changes, cortical thinning. So how do we begin taking better care of our brain so that our learni...
Apr 30, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 505
This week, we’re talking: espresso martini mayhem, the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, Trump 2028, tennis obsessions, and our POV on Michelle Obama’s act of self care. Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Our Senior Producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathana...
Apr 28, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 504
Leah Thomas, author of The Intersectional Environmentalist, stopped by Getting Better to help us get a grip on how we can be sustainable from home, understand why environmental justice IS social justice, and why joy should be at the center of all activism. Leah Thomas is an award-winning environmentalist based in Los Angeles. A passionate advocate for the often-overlooked intersection between social justice, environmentalism, and culture, her work is shaped through the lens of eco-feminism. She ...
Apr 23, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 503
This week, we’re talking: deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, the U.K. Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman, J.K. Rowling’s Cigar, Nicola Coughlin, and Lady Gaga at Coachella. Not A Phase. Trans Lifeline Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Our Senior Producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme mus...
Apr 21, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 502
Gabrielle Bernstein, best selling author and manifestation expert, stopped by Getting Better to help JVN understand the POWER of manifestation. What mental blocks do we carry with us that make it nearly impossible to manifest the life we want? How can we start TODAY? What does Family Systems Therapy have to do with it? We’re gonna find out! For nearly two decades, Gabby Bernstein has been transforming lives—including her own. The #1 New York Times bestselling author has penned ten books, includi...
Apr 16, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 501
This week, we’re talking: travel fatigue, negative self talk, the price of Presidential pardons, Ron Vara, and the end of music’s longest feud. Plus! Our breakdown of The White Lotus finale. Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Our Senior Producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael...
Apr 14, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 500
Procrastination, honey! We’ve all been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. But whether it’s fear or misalignment - we’re uncovering the real reasons why we procrastinate, how to handle the procrastinator in your life, and how we can change the narrative on negative self talk to set ourselves up for success. Marie Forleo, New York Times Best Selling Author of Everything Is Figureoutable and host of The Marie Forleo Podcast and MarieTV, breaks down Procrastination with Jonathan Van Ness on t...
Apr 09, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 499
This week, we’re talking: idealistic Maine seaside towns, Kelly Clarkson and her wink, Tariffs, Georgia’s Abortion Law, Mario Kart World, and Hot B*tch Of The Week: Cory Booker. Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris New video episodes Getting Better on YouTube every Wednesday. Our Senior Producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Pro...
Apr 07, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 498
We’re diving into the world of love, self-awareness, and the power of releasing the old labels that no longer serve us. JVN is joined by the wise and wonderful Yung Pueblo (aka Diego Perez) to talk about how we can all love BETTER. We’re getting into why we need to move beyond "masculine energy" and "feminine energy,” why the foundation for love is self-awareness, and how growth and love go hand in hand. Plus! Diego's dishing out some daily practices that will help you show up with more love and...
Apr 02, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 497
Welcome to The Monday Edit! This is the official Getting Better companion podcast where JVN and senior producer Chris are diving into all things BTS from the pod, answering listener questions, and breaking down the world at large. This week, we’re talking: Doechii, Hannah Einbinder’s HRC speech, the White Lotus, the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on U.S. vs. Skrmetti, and the campaign for the Dolly Parton International Airport. Plus: Full video episodes now on YouTube every Monday! Follow us on I...
Mar 31, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 496
This week, JVN and Antoni Porowski serve up a delicious conversation on the intersections of food, identity, and personal growth. From Antoni’s culinary journey to the ways food connects us to our past, present, and future, they explore how what we eat can reflect who we are. Antoni opens up about the role of food in self-care, how cooking can be a mindful practice, and the lessons he’s learned from years of sharing meals with friends, family, and the Fab Five. Antoni Porowski is a New York Time...
Mar 26, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 495
Welcome to The Monday Edit! This is the official Getting Better companion podcast where JVN and senior producer Chris are diving into all things BTS from the pod, answering listener questions, and breaking down the world at large. This week, we’re talking: astrological sister signs, the ongoing Bhad Bhabie & Alabama Barker feud, the great Cybertruck recall of 2025, and the recent attacks on the HIV social safety net. We’re giving you laughs and learning over here - plus: Full video episodes ...
Mar 24, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 494
