The Lars Larson Show Interviews

A Michigan developer wants to transform Detroit’s Belle Isle into a privately funded special economic zone with its own tax structure, governance model, and economic rules. Could a Freedom City attract investment and revive one of America’s most challenged urban areas?

Rod Lockwood is a developer and former chairman of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce board. He joins the show to discuss his proposal to turn Belle Isle into a special economic zone, why he believes lower taxes and fewer regulations could attract residents and businesses, and whether the Freedom City concept could become a model for urban revitalization across America.

Send us Fan Mail

A group of Maryland sheriffs is challenging the state's new sanctuary law, arguing it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities and puts them in conflict with federal law. Does the Constitution allow states to restrict that cooperation?

Mateo Forero serves as counsel for the Federation for American Immigration Reform and represents seventeen Maryland sheriffs in the lawsuit. He joins the show to discuss the legal challenge to Maryland's Community Trust Act, the constitutional questions at stake, and whether sanctuary policies make communities safer or undermine immigration enforcement.

Send us Fan Mail

A new survey finds that nearly 30% of likely voters now carry a concealed handgun at least occasionally, with participation rising across demographic groups and states. As concealed carry becomes more common, what impact is it having on crime, personal safety, and self-defense?

John Lott is an economist, founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center, and a nationally recognized expert on guns and crime. He joins the show to discuss new concealed carry data, trends in firearm ownership, and the debate over whether more law-abiding citizens carrying firearms makes communities safer.

Send us Fan Mail

A new study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon, Oxford, MIT, and UCLA suggests even brief exposure to AI tools can reduce independent problem-solving ability and persistence when the technology is taken away. Are Americans becoming too dependent on artificial intelligence?

Nicholas Kardaras is the Founder and CEO of Omega Recovery and author of Digital Madness and Glow Kids. He joins the show to discuss the latest research on AI's impact on cognition, the growing concern over digital dependency, and whether constant reliance on technology is weakening the skills needed for critical thinking and lifelong learning.

Send us Fan Mail

Washington Republicans are already looking ahead to 2028 as questions grow about who can build a statewide conservative coalition. Could Jim Walsh be the one preparing to lead that effort?

Rep. Jim Walsh serves as the State Representative for Washington’s 19th Legislative District. He joins the show to discuss whether he is considering a future run for governor, why he believes conservatives need a stronger statewide ground game, and what a coordinated Republican strategy could look like in Washington.

Send us Fan Mail

Questions are being raised about outside funding in one of the most high-profile civil cases involving President Trump. If wealthy political donors help finance lawsuits against elected officials, does that create concerns about transparency, influence, and the legal system?

Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She joins the show to discuss reports of a Justice Department investigation into testimony provided by E. Jean Carroll, allegations involving outside funding from billionaire donor Reid Hoffman, and the broader debate over third-party financing of politically significant lawsuits.

Send us Fan Mail

A new study suggests political diversity among faculty donors at major universities is shrinking, while many conservative professors say they feel uncomfortable expressing their views on campus. Is higher education fostering open debate or becoming increasingly one-sided?

Angela Erickson is Vice President of Research at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. She joins the show to discuss new data on faculty political donations, ideological diversity in higher education, and whether concerns about viewpoint discrimination are affecting academic freedom and open inquiry on college campuses.

Send us Fan Mail

Millions of consumers own older devices that still function perfectly, yet manufacturers increasingly end support and force users onto newer products. When does a software update become a forced upgrade?

Nathan Proctor is Senior Director of the Campaign for the Right to Repair at PIRG. He joins the show to discuss Amazon's decision to cut off Kindle Store access for older Kindle devices, the growing right-to-repair movement, and whether technology companies should be allowed to discontinue support for products that consumers still use every day.

Send us Fan Mail

A tech CEO says firing his entire HR department improved productivity, customer service, and company culture. Are corporate HR departments solving workplace problems or creating new ones?

Andrew Crapuchettes is CEO of RedBalloon. He joins the show to discuss the controversy surrounding Ryan Breslow and Bolt Financial, the role HR departments play in modern companies, and whether businesses are becoming too bureaucratic to stay competitive and productive.

Send us Fan Mail

Florida’s citrus industry is struggling to survive after years of disease, falling production, and mounting costs. As growers turn to gene edited crops for answers, are outdated regulations slowing down the very technology that could save American agriculture?

Henry Miller is a physician, molecular biologist, and the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Scholar at the Science Literacy Project. He also served as the founding director of the FDA’s Office of Biotechnology. He joins the show to discuss the future of Florida citrus farming, the role of CRISPR and genetic engineering in agriculture, and whether federal regulations are helping or hurting innovation in food production.

Send us Fan Mail