The Lars Larson Show Interviews

 Deron Smallcomb, founder of Modern Law Group and author of Securing America’s Future , joins Lars to discuss the Trump administration’s revocation of more than 175,000 visas. Should the U.S. be even tougher on foreign nationals who violate visa terms, commit crimes, or abuse the immigration system?  Send us Fan Mail

 Khara Boender, Director of Government Affairs for the West at the Data Center Coalition, joins Lars to discuss Oregon lawmakers’ push for a three-year moratorium on new data centers. Would a pause address concerns over energy, water and farmland, or send a message that Oregon is closed for business?  Send us Fan Mail

 Professor Peter Ward, a paleontologist and astrobiologist at the University of Washington and co-author of Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe , joins Lars to discuss why decades of searching the cosmos have produced no signs of intelligent life. Are we truly alone, or is complex life simply extraordinarily rare?  Send us Fan Mail

Randal O’Toole, Thoreau Institute policy analyst and Cascade Policy Institute adjunct scholar, joins Lars to discuss Portland’s push to move people away from cars. Are planners overlooking the economic and everyday benefits of driving while making transportation more difficult for working people?  Send us Fan Mail

Ryan Brobst, Deputy Director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Lars to discuss the growing military cooperation between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. As America’s adversaries increasingly share weapons, technology and intelligence, is the U.S. prepared for the possibility of simultaneous conflicts?  Send us Fan Mail

 Washington State Sen. Shelly Short joins Lars to discuss the fight over wildfire-prevention funding as devastating fires hit the Spokane area. After millions in wildfire funding were cut or delayed, did government decisions leave Eastern Washington dangerously unprepared?  Send us Fan Mail

 Anthony Rispo, a Young Voices contributor, joins Lars to discuss whether resentment toward wealth, success and authority is driving today’s socialist movement. Is helping the powerless really the goal, or is grievance becoming a path to power?  Send us Fan Mail

 Dr. Henry Miller, physician, molecular biologist and founding director of the FDA’s Office of Biotechnology, joins Lars to discuss President Trump’s proposed overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule. Is it a long-overdue reset of vaccine policy, or could the changes do more harm than good?  Send us Fan Mail

 John-Logan Pierson, producer of The Brink of War , joins Lars to discuss the Reagan-Gorbachev summit that helped change the course of the Cold War. Could the diplomacy and trust built between two adversaries offer lessons for world leaders today?  Send us Fan Mail

 Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana joins Lars to discuss the WNBA’s debate over transgender athletes after two former NBA players declared themselves eligible for the league by identifying as women. Will the WNBA redefine who is eligible to compete in women’s basketball?  Send us Fan Mail

Richard Stern, Vice President of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Advancing American Freedom, joins Lars to discuss the “Burrito Index” and what the price of a Chipotle burrito can tell us about affordability across America. How much does where you live determine how far your paycheck goes?  Send us Fan Mail

 Tyler Coward, Lead Counsel for Government Affairs at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, joins Lars to discuss how universities are responding to antisemitism while protecting First Amendment rights. Can colleges protect Jewish students without punishing constitutionally protected speech?  Send us Fan Mail

 Zilvinas “Z” Silenas, President of the Empire Center for Public Policy, joins Lars to discuss New York’s troubling reading scores despite spending more per student than any other state. If record education spending isn’t producing better results, where is all that money going?  Send us Fan Mail

Nearly everything Americans buy spends time on a truck, train, ship or plane, and new transportation regulations could make that journey more expensive. Will those costs ultimately land on consumers? Patrick McLaughlin, economist and Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins the show to discuss the BUILD America 250 Act, new freight regulations, and what they could mean for your wallet. Sen...

More than 50,000 migrants reportedly rushed toward Spain’s border after a court ruling restricted immediate deportations. Could a similar policy change trigger another surge at America’s border? Jeremy Beck, Co-President of NumbersUSA, joins the show to discuss what happened in Spain, weaknesses in U.S. asylum law, and whether America is prepared for the next migration crisis.  Send us Fan Mail

 The Trail Blazers are pushing for major renovations to the Moda Center as questions grow about the team’s future in Portland. Could they actually break their ties with the city and move to another state? Civil rights attorney Tony Aiello Jr. joins the show to discuss the legal hurdles, the team’s agreements with Portland, and what could happen if the Blazers decide to leave Oregon.  Send us Fan M...

 Hundreds of homes have burned in Spokane, one suspected arsonist is in custody, and reports from the community suggest he may not be the only person intentionally starting fires. How widespread is the problem? Independent journalist Kevin Dahlgren joins the show from Spokane to discuss what he’s seeing on the ground, what residents are telling him, and the investigation into the fires.  Send us F...

 The FDA has approved the first mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, bringing technology used during COVID into the annual flu shot. Is this the future of medicine or will Americans remain skeptical? Jeremy Nighohossian, Senior Fellow and economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss the new vaccine, the potential of mRNA technology, and why patient choice still...

A house may be gone, but valuables inside a fire-damaged safe could still be saved. The problem is heat, moisture and corrosive smoke can keep damaging the contents long after the flames are out. Daniel Mitchell, owner of Sporting Systems and Minuteman Ammunition, joins the show to discuss Northwest Safe’s free offer to help wildfire victims recover and open their safes and what families should do...

A Spokane man is accused of deliberately timing wildfires for days with dangerous winds, including a blaze that helped destroy hundreds of structures. How should someone accused of intentionally causing that level of destruction be punished? Andrew Paxton, Regional Editor for The Center Square, joins the show to discuss the charges, what investigators say the suspect confessed to, and the devastat...

An AI model reportedly escaped a cybersecurity test, reached the live internet and hacked a real third-party service. Other AI agents have created fake identities and tried to manipulate humans into approving malicious code. Are we losing control of the technology? Adam Ely, General Manager of AI Security at Check Point Software Technologies, joins the show to discuss what happened, the growing se...

 Fifteen years ago, 31 American service members were killed aboard Extortion 17 in the deadliest single incident for U.S. forces in the Afghanistan War and the greatest loss of life in Naval Special Warfare history. Are we doing enough to ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten? Don Brown, former U.S. Navy JAG officer and author of Call Sign Extortion 17 , joins the show to remember the fallen a...

Portland’s iconic U.S. Bancorp Tower once sold for $372 million. Now Jeff Swickard has purchased “Big Pink” for just $45 million. Is that a warning sign for downtown Portland or an opportunity to help revive it? Swickard Group founder and CEO Jeff Swickard joins the show to discuss why he bought the landmark tower and why he’s betting on Portland’s comeback . Send us Fan Mail

 Nearly two dozen Democratic attorneys general reportedly began coordinating potential legal challenges against Donald Trump months before he was reelected. Was this normal preparation or a lawfare strategy waiting for a target? Award-winning reporter TJ Martinell joins the show to discuss the confidential agreement, the nearly 100 lawsuits filed since Trump returned to office, and what the docume...

A socialist just won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, raising new questions about where the party is headed. Can that message win over working-class and independent voters in a key battleground state? John Tillman, President of the American Culture Project, Michigan native and author of The Political Vise, joins the show to discuss what the primary results reveal and what they could mean for...