The Lars Larson Show Interviews

Violent crime dropped sharply in 2025, with preliminary federal data showing major declines in violent offenses, aggravated assaults, burglaries, and vehicle thefts. The Trump administration credits its public-safety policies, including tougher enforcement and efforts to end cashless bail. Dr. John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and author of More Guns, Less Crime, joins L...

 A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company violated state consumer-protection law through statements about its content moderation and data practices. Meta is expected to challenge the verdict. Trace Mitchell, lead counsel for technology and free expression policy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), joins Lars to explain why the cas...

A new survey of 2,188 undergraduates found that many students feel pressure to adopt critical views of Western civilization to succeed academically. More than 80% said challenging a professor’s negative views of Western culture could hurt their grades, while nearly three-quarters said they hesitate to express their honest opinions in class. Esteban Elizondo, associate editor at Campus Reform, join...

Allison Singleton lives independently, volunteers in her community, sings in her church choir, and recently traveled to Canada on her own. Yet a court-ordered guardianship in Texas prevents her from voting, driving, or controlling her finances. Singleton, a process engineer and MBA who is challenging the guardianship, joins Lars to explain how the case began, why she disputes the need for a guardi...

Oregon House District 7 Republican candidate Adam Wilson wants to repeal House Bill 3115, a law he says restricts local governments’ ability to address homeless encampments. Wilson argues that communities need stronger tools to respond to public drug use, littering, and unsafe camps instead of continually spending more taxpayer money on approaches that have failed. He joins Lars to explain what he...

 Parent advocate Alvin Lui argues that some school policies around mental health can undermine parents’ role in raising their children and making decisions about their values. Lui, president of Courage Is a Habit, joins Lars to discuss his concerns about the role of mental health services in schools, which school practices parents should watch closely, and practical steps families can take to prot...

Seattle journalist Brandi Kruse says she and other spectators were forcibly removed from a Portland Thorns soccer game after wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts supporting sex-based categories in women’s sports. Videos of the confrontation have sparked questions about stadium security, political expression, and whether fans are being treated differently based on their views. Brandi Kruse, host of unDiv...

Washington’s paid family and medical leave program has seen benefit payments rise from about $613 million in 2020 to nearly $1.5 billion in 2023, while the payroll tax that funds the program is set by a formula tied to its finances. Elizabeth New, director of the Center for Worker Rights and Health Care at the Washington Policy Center, joins Lars to explain why the tax rate is increasing, what wor...

Billionaire philanthropist John Arnold has partnered with state governments on policy initiatives, including a deal with Oklahoma that could combine public and private spending on government programs. Critics question how wealthy donors influence policy without ever standing for election. Larry Behrens, communications director at Power the Future, joins Lars to examine Arnold’s energy-policy inter...

Pierce County’s spending is outpacing its revenue, and county officials plan to draw roughly $35.5 million from general-fund reserves to balance the 2026–27 budget. Mike Solan, a Pierce County Council candidate and former president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, is calling for an emergency audit. He joins Lars to explain why he believes the county faces a structural deficit, what the budget...

Republican Alaska gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson has secured a place on the November ballot under the state’s open-primary and ranked-choice voting system. Now she wants voters to eliminate both. Wilson, an Anchorage waste-management business owner who has promised to block new taxes, reduce government spending, and deliver Alaskans a full dividend from the state’s oil fund, joins Lars...

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is facing federal grand jury subpoenas after a judge removed him and a top aide from a murder-conviction case and referred them to federal prosecutors for possible investigation. The judge raised concerns about how the office handled errors in a legal filing. Cully Stimson, a Heritage legal expert, former prosecutor, and co-author of Rogue Prosecutors,...

From blaming unrest in France on President Trump’s policies to speculating about ICE agents shooting American voters and calling Trump a “Russian-owned mass murderer,” some high-profile media figures have made extraordinary claims this week. Bill D’Agostino, senior research analyst at NewsBusters, joins Lars to break down the week’s most outrageous media quotes and ask whether the press is informi...

A Southern Oregon man created Shunned at a Funeral, a Christian metal-and-banjo project that exploded online despite featuring fictional band members. Professor Ethan Howard, the project’s creator and musical director, joins Lars to explain how it grew to more than 3.5 million views, how his progressive visual impairment shaped his musical journey, and why he says people who dismiss the music as e...

Former Marine intelligence analyst and small-business owner Jake Pelroy is running for East Lane County Commissioner, Position 5. After serving three deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pelroy went on to work on Oregon policy and political campaigns and helped form the Lane County Garbage and Recycling Association. He joins Lars to explain why he’s running, what his experience bring...

A new election complaint targets Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai over an allegedly altered flag video. Jeff Myers, an education advocate and founder of Save Oregon Schools, says he filed a supplemental complaint with Oregon’s Secretary of State Elections Division. He joins Lars to explain his concerns and why transparency and accountability matter when elected officials and political cam...

Washington spent $79 million building the Brockmann mental health campus in Clark County, but the facility remains closed and serves no patients while costing taxpayers roughly $300,000 a year to maintain. State Rep. John Ley wants to explore a public-private partnership to get the hospital staffed and operating. He joins Lars to explain why Southwest Washington needs these beds now—and why taxpay...

Higher oil prices may boost profits for energy producers, but consumers and businesses pay more for fuel and transportation, leaving less money for food, housing, and investment. Competitive Enterprise Institute senior economist Ryan Young joins Lars to challenge the idea that war-driven oil price spikes make America wealthier. Who really benefits when energy costs soar—and who gets stuck with the...

Oregon lawmakers poured hundreds of millions of dollars into residential mental health treatment, promising 689 new beds by October 2026. But the state now projects just 377 beds, with more delays ahead. Aaron Mesh, managing editor of Willamette Week, joins Lars to explain why the state is falling short, what the delays mean for people too mentally ill to stand trial who remain stuck in jail, and...

Female athletes at Camas High School walked out of a cross-country competition rather than race against a biological male. Now a rally is planned in support of the girls, reigniting the debate over fairness and the future of girls’ sports. Carleen Johnson, a staff reporter for The Center Square, joins Lars to discuss what happened, why the athletes took a stand, and whether schools are doing enoug...

Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was detained by Israeli security forces alongside dozens of American and Israeli activists while helping Palestinians harvest olives in the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities said the activity required prior coordination, while Lander condemned the detention and criticized the occupation. Leland Vittert, NewsNation’s chief Washington anchor and hos...

Federal agencies spent $1.4 billion on guns, ammunition and military-style equipment from fiscal years 2024 through 2026, according to OpenTheBooks.com. While some agencies sharply increased spending, others—including the IRS—cut back. Rachel O’Brien, deputy public policy editor at OpenTheBooks.com, joins Lars to break down the numbers and ask a basic question: Why do federal agencies that aren’t...

Washington lawmakers gutted key parental-rights protections passed by voters in 2024. Now, Initiative 001 aims to strengthen parents’ ability to review school materials, receive notifications about certain incidents and medical procedures, and opt their children out of some activities. Washington State Rep. Travis Couture joins Lars to push back against claims that the initiative weakens parental...

A Douglas County political fight has erupted over a school board vote on locker room privacy. Commissioner Chris Boice accused school board member and county commissioner candidate Steve Hammerson of voting to use taxpayer money to accommodate biological boys in girls’ locker rooms. Hammerson says the motion actually called for prioritizing up to $95,000 for privacy measures, and that the board un...

Frustrated with both major parties, retired Marine officer and entrepreneur Chad Humphrey is running as a Libertarian for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. He says Republicans and Democrats alike have embraced corporate subsidies, government overreach, and endless wars. Humphrey joins Lars to explain why he wants to abolish the IRS, challenge the Federal Reserve, and put more money back in Am...