The Lars Larson Show Interviews

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. Could this become the biggest energy comeback in decades?

Emmet Penney joins the program to discuss the Trump administration’s push to overhaul nuclear regulations and revive reactor construction across the United States. Penney is a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow, and author of the “Nuclear Barbarians” newsletter on Substack. 

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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 does that say about transparency in Olympia?

Tiffany Attrill joins the program to discuss the growing controversy surrounding Washington’s Office of the Corrections Ombuds and allegations of retaliation coming from inside state government. Attrill is an administrator with the Victim Justice Coalition and has worked on issues involving victims’ rights, criminal justice oversight, and prison accountability. 

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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 before the next election cycle. Has the era of race-driven redistricting finally hit a constitutional wall?

Zack Smith joins the program to break down the Supreme Court’s decision and what it could mean for congressional maps, state legislatures, and future elections across the country. Smith is a legal fellow at the The Heritage Foundation and co-author of the book Rogue Prosecutors alongside Cully Stimson. He discusses the Court’s 6-3 ruling, Justice Samuel Alito’s constitutional arguments, the future of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and why states across America may soon have to redraw legislative districts from scratch.

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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 actually secure or whether confidence in the system has become the real casualty.

Barbara Klein joins the program to discuss Oregon’s long-running vote-by-mail system, the safeguards used to protect ballots, and why election misinformation continues spreading despite extremely low documented fraud rates. Klein serves as first vice president of the League of Women Voters Oregon and is the action chair for the league in Rogue Valley. 

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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 warning signs before another megaproject spirals into a financial black hole?

Rep. John Ley joins the program to discuss whether the Columbia River bridge replacement could follow the same path as Maryland’s troubled Key Bridge rebuild. Ley represents Washington’s 18th Legislative District, Position 2, and has been outspoken on transportation spending, taxpayer accountability, and infrastructure oversight. 

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Americans are skipping prescriptions, rationing medication, and struggling to afford basic treatments while drug companies continue posting massive profits. New polling suggests even Republican voters increasingly support aggressive pharmaceutical reform, including policies aimed at lowering prescription costs through President Trump’s “Most Favored Nation” pricing model.

Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance, joins us to discuss Big Pharma pricing, growing voter frustration over healthcare costs, and whether Washington is finally being forced to confront the prescription drug affordability crisis.

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For decades, OPEC helped control global oil prices and, in turn, what Americans pay at the pump. But after the United Arab Emirates announced plans to leave the cartel, some analysts say the organization’s influence may finally be cracking just as global energy markets face major instability.

Daniel Turner, founder and executive director of Power The Future, joins us to discuss what the UAE’s exit could mean for oil prices, America’s energy future, and whether the world’s most powerful oil cartel is starting to fall apart.

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A congressional budget hearing erupted into chaos after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin accused Rep. Rosa DeLauro of being “uninformed” and crossing the line with inflammatory rhetoric during a heated exchange over climate policy and federal authority. The clash is fueling new concerns about whether political debates in Washington are turning into pure outrage theater instead of serious governance.

Ryan Mulvey, Policy Counsel at the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, joins us to discuss the explosive hearing, growing hostility in Congress, and whether lawmakers are becoming too ignorant and too unhinged to effectively lead the country.

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A Los Angeles couple says the city turned their private property into a government-controlled monument after officials blocked plans to redevelop a home once briefly owned by Marilyn Monroe. Critics argue the owners are now stuck paying for security, maintenance, and restrictions they never agreed to — all to preserve a celebrity connection from more than 60 years ago.

Robert Thomas, director of the Property Rights practice group at Pacific Legal Foundation, joins us to discuss property rights, historic preservation laws, and whether the government can effectively take control of your home without compensating you.

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Teachers unions have reportedly directed hundreds of millions of dollars toward political campaigns and progressive activist groups over the past decade, raising questions about whether educators truly have a choice in where their dues money goes. Critics argue public school teachers are being forced to bankroll political agendas they may not personally support.

Paul Runko, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for Defending Education, joins us to discuss union political spending, teacher representation, and whether educators should have more control over how their money is used.

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