The Lars Larson Show Interviews

A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has left passengers stranded and health officials searching for answers. How should governments and health agencies respond when an outbreak unfolds at sea? Dr. Amesh Adalja is a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. He joins the show to discuss the reported hantavirus outbreak aboard the Hondius cruise ship, co...

Texas is moving forward with a law allowing state police to arrest illegal border crossers. Does this mark a shift in how immigration enforcement is handled? Lora Ries is the Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation. She joins the show to discuss Texas Senate Bill 4, the recent court decision allowing it to take effect, and what it could mean for the balanc...

A potential deal could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East. Would forcing disarmament lead to lasting peace or greater conflict? David Daoud is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He joins the show to discuss a proposed framework involving Lebanon, Israel, and Hezbollah, what such a deal could require, and the potential consequences for regional stability and...

Foreclosures are rising as pandemic era mortgage relief programs are scaled back. Should public support continue or is it time for stricter limits? Michael Burkentine is a nationally recognized homebuilder and partner with the America First Policy Institute’s housing initiative. He joins the show to discuss recent changes to mortgage assistance programs, the increase in foreclosure filings, and wh...

He spent months asking for action. What happened next raised new questions about who the city is holding accountable. Are the priorities misplaced? Chris Bolton is the founder of Diviner Agency in Portland. He joins the show to discuss his efforts to get the city to address nearby encampments and what unfolded when enforcement finally came. He shares his perspective on how current policies are imp...

Washington has declared another drought emergency. But some data suggests water levels are above normal. Is the situation being overstated? Anthony Watts is a senior fellow for environment and climate at The Heartland Institute. He joins the show to discuss Washington State’s latest drought declaration, current reservoir and precipitation levels, and how these decisions are made. He shares his per...

Trump is backing challengers against members of his own party. Could this signal a deeper divide heading into the midterms? Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a columnist at The Washington Post. He joins the show to discuss new polling on Donald Trump, the significance of his endorsements in key primary races, and what these internal party battles could mean...

Hundreds of millions spent before construction even begins. Is this project delivering value or raising new concerns about oversight? Joe Cortright is an economist with City Observatory. He joins the show to discuss the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, the scale of its projected costs, and the funding challenges facing state transportation agencies. He explains how the proposal is structured...

Tariffs drop for some imports while others face sharp increases. Is this strategy about leverage or selective treatment? Bryan Riley is Director of the National Taxpayers Union’s Free Trade Initiative. He joins the show to discuss recent tariff decisions involving the United Kingdom and the European Union, how these policies are structured, and what they could mean for trade relationships and dome...

A major low cost airline shuts down and thousands are out of work. Did policy decisions play a role in what happens next for travelers? Marc Scribner is a Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at the Reason Foundation. He joins the show to discuss the shutdown of Spirit Airlines, the failed merger with JetBlue, and what this could mean for competition, pricing, and the future of budget air travel....

Oregon’s District 18 race is shaping up to be a referendum on what voters are really tired of, career politicians who talk big and deliver little. One candidate says the state doesn’t need more polished insiders. Ben Fisher joins the program to make his case for why he’s the right person to represent District 18 right now, what sets him apart from typical politicians, and why he believes Oregon is...

At a time when trust in federal institutions is already shaky, should the government really be taking more control over life-and-death decisions? Josh Marquis joins the program to break down what this new federal push actually means, whether expanding the death penalty is justified, and what risks come with giving Washington more authority over capital punishment. Marquis serves as an assistant to...

Homeless shelters are filling up fast, but access to a bed may not be as simple as who needs it most. At a time when thousands are struggling to find a roof over their heads, are cities quietly creating a two-tiered system for housing? Aaron Sibarium joins the program to expose how these policies are playing out on the ground, what they mean for struggling families, and whether they can even pass...

A homeless man builds his own tiny home from scratch. But there’s one problem: it’s sitting on a public sidewalk, and now the city wants it gone.  Kevin Dahlgren joins the program to break down what he’s seeing on the ground, from self-built shelters to some of the most dangerous homeless zones in the country. Dahlgren is an independent journalist who reports on homelessness, addiction, and what h...

Twenty years later, Miranda Priestly is back and Hollywood is already calling it a bold feminist statement. Dr. Gilda Carle joins the program to weigh in on whether The Devil Wears Prada 2 represents a meaningful cultural shift or just another example of Hollywood trying to control the narrative. Dr. Carle is a relationship expert and author of Real Men Don’t Go Woke , where she challenges modern...

Fifteen industrial crop-spraying drones vanish and the FBI still doesn’t know where they are. These aren’t toys. They’re powerful machines capable of covering large areas quickly, and in the wrong hands, experts warn it could turn into a nightmare scenario. Could these drones already be loaded and aimed at unsuspecting communities? Steve Lazarus joins the program to break down the national securit...

For the first time since World War II, America owes more than it produces and the numbers are getting worse fast. Washington is spending far beyond its means, interest payments are exploding, and the consequences are starting to hit closer to home.  So how bad is it really, and is there any realistic way out? Kurt Couchman joins the program to break down what this debt milestone means, why the fed...

Maryland just pulled the plug on the contractor rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge after officials balked at a staggering $5.2 billion price tag and an “unacceptable” timeline. Now taxpayers in Oregon and Washington are watching their own massive bridge project creep higher in cost while politicians promise everything remains under control. Are leaders in the Pacific Northwest ignoring the wa...

Every election cycle, politicians and activists warn that mail-in voting opens the door to fraud, stolen elections, and ballot harvesting schemes. But after decades of vote-by-mail in Oregon, are the accusations backed by evidence or has fear replaced facts? Between growing distrust in elections and nonstop political warfare over voting laws, Americans want to know whether their ballots are actual...

For years, Americans have watched politicians carve up voting districts while openly factoring race into the process — all in the name of “fairness.” Now the Supreme Court says enough. In a major ruling, the Court declared that the Voting Rights Act cannot be used to force states into drawing maps primarily around race, setting up what could become a nationwide political and legal earthquake befor...

The official tasked with exposing abuse, neglect, and corruption inside Washington’s prison system just got sidelined by the same government he was supposed to investigate. State leaders insist it’s an ethics probe, but critics are asking whether the real goal is silencing a watchdog who pushed too hard against the system. When the people overseeing accountability suddenly become the targets, what...

America once built nuclear reactors faster than today’s government can process the paperwork. Decades of regulation, lawsuits, and political fear turned one of the nation’s most powerful energy industries into a bureaucratic nightmare while China and other countries raced ahead. Now Washington may finally be preparing to rip up the rulebook and unleash a new generation of American nuclear power. C...

Americans keep hearing that only citizens can vote in federal elections — but critics say there’s a constitutional loophole hiding in plain sight. While Congress debates the SAVE Act and stricter voter verification laws, some legal experts warn that states still hold enormous power over voter eligibility rules. With non-citizens already voting in some local elections and in Washington, D.C., could...

Iran can choke off one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes using low-cost mines and cheap drones while America pours trillions into bloated military systems that may not stop the real threat. At the same time, artificial intelligence could wipe out millions of jobs faster than Washington can even define the problem. Are America’s leaders spending massive amounts of money on yesterday’s bat...

The ATF’s new leadership wasted no time taking aim at Biden-era gun regulations, rolling back dozens of rules that critics said turned millions of lawful gun owners into potential criminals overnight. From pistol braces to bump stock definitions, the Trump administration says it’s restoring constitutional protections and ending years of federal overreach. But after years of aggressive rulemaking,...