Send us a text

On this pre-Thanksgiving edition of the show, Neal held down the fort while Julie Mason was away enjoying some well-deserved family time with her new grandson. We dove deep into the local Idaho Falls runoff elections, specifically focusing on the "dark money" mailers that have been circulating. We examined the mysterious political action committee "Defend and Protect Idaho," questioning its true motives after discovering its funding comes from out-of-state PACs. When we put out the call to our listeners in the farming community—a group the PAC claims to represent—we found that none of them had ever heard of it, confirming our suspicions that their good name is being exploited for political gain.

The conversation wasn't all serious politics, though. We had some fun listening to the Idaho governor's awkward attempt to answer a citizen's question about "chemtrails," and we took several calls from passionate listeners who weighed in on the local City Council race. Neal wrapped everything up with a heartfelt Thanksgiving message, reflecting on family and the importance of gratitude, reminding us all to focus on what's right in the world before heading into the holiday weekend.

### Show Highlights:

*   A deep dive into the "dark money" mailers in the Idaho Falls runoff race, specifically investigating the political action committee "Defend and Protect Idaho" and its questionable claims to represent local farmers.
*   We played a clip of the governor's awkward response to a citizen's question about "chemtrails," which sparked listener feedback and a bit of comedy.
*   Listener calls drove the conversation about the City Council runoff, with many expressing concerns about candidate transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
*   Neal shared a personal Thanksgiving message, encouraging everyone to focus on gratitude and what's right in the world before the holiday break.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On this week's show, Neal Larson hosted solo while Julie Mason was away visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday. With the December 2nd runoff election just around the corner, we dedicated the entire morning to giving Idaho Falls voters a chance to hear directly from the candidates. We were joined first by the two candidates for City Council Seat 2, Teresa Dominick and Brandon Lee. We discussed their backgrounds, their competing visions for managing the city's growth, and their thoughts on zoning, property taxes, and traffic. Neal also pressed both on important issues, asking Teresa how her background prepares her for the council and questioning Brandon about potential conflicts of interest given his work in real estate development.

Later in the program, we welcomed mayoral candidate Lisa Burtenshaw into the studio for an in-depth conversation. We asked her about the shift in her campaign strategy for the runoff, the big-name political endorsements she has received, and a controversial mailer sent out by an independent political group supporting her. We also dug into her stance on a potential local option sales tax and how her administration would differ from the current mayor's. 

Timestamp guide:

00:06:42 -- Teresa Dominick

00:24:01 -- Brandon Lee

00:40:55 -- Lisa Burtenshaw

Click here for our interview with Mayoral candidate Jeff Alldridge from November 18th.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On the show today, Neal Larson kicked things off while Julie Mason is out for the Thanksgiving holiday. We jumped right into the political fray, discussing the ongoing "mutiny gate" controversy where Democrats are encouraging the military to defy a potential President Trump, and we examined their attempts to clean up those comments over the weekend. We also touched on Marjorie Taylor Greene's decision to step down from Congress. But it wasn't all national politics; we had a lot to celebrate on the local sports front, congratulating Rigby on their dominant state championship win and the Idaho State Bengals for bringing home the potato trophy for the first time since 1981.

We also took a deeper look at some compelling local and social issues. Following BYU's weekend win, we had a serious conversation about the religious bigotry seen in post-game chants and explored why certain groups refuse to adopt a victim identity in the face of it. Closer to home, we dove into the heated mayoral run-off races, specifically calling out the rampant and illegal theft of campaign signs—we even made an offer to publicize any video evidence sent our way to help stop it. To cap it off, we were joined in-studio by State Senator Kevin Cook for a fascinating discussion about Idaho's long-term water strategy, including plans for new reservoirs and infrastructure projects stretching decades into the future.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On today's show, we dove headfirst into the controversy started by a group of Democrat veterans in Congress who released a video telling military members they can refuse "unlawful orders." We see this as a dangerous and irresponsible provocation, a vague attempt to sow chaos and undermine the military's chain of command. When President Trump pushed back hard on social media, correctly identifying their actions as seditious and pointing out the serious legal penalties for such behavior, the left immediately began "flopping" like an NFL player looking for a flag. We discussed how this is a classic case of them starting a fight and then playing the victim when they receive a strong response.

We feel this whole affair is another example of the left operating in bad faith, creating political drama while pretending to hold the moral high ground. We also heard from a veteran who called in to emphasize just how critical the code of military justice and the chain of command are to the safety and effectiveness of our armed forces. On a lighter note, with Thanksgiving approaching, we also shared Neal Larson's mom's famous pecan pie recipe and replayed a great musical performance from a past guest.

Find the pie recipe here.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On today's show, we got into the final stretch of the local runoff elections, which are now less than two weeks away. Neal and Julie spent a lot of time breaking down the increasingly divisive and negative tone of the mayoral races. We discussed how what began as a civil, policy-focused contest between two capable candidates has unfortunately been soured by surrogates engaging in bad-faith attacks and injecting religion into the debate. We also heard from many of our listeners—a surprising number of whom are business owners—who shared that they feel forced to keep their political opinions quiet for fear of backlash, which really speaks to the tense climate we’re all feeling.

We also took a deep dive into the school choice issue, highlighting an article about protestors disrupting parent information meetings for the "Idaho Kids Win" tour. We framed the debate as one side fighting to "save our schools" as an institution, while the other is focused on putting kids first. On a lighter note, we had some fun with the idea of using AI to clone our voices for an on-air prank, and the whole morning was dominated by the bizarre mystery of Neal's inexplicably orange thumb, which had everyone guessing. Finally, we said a temporary farewell to Julie, who is off to see her new grandbaby for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On today's show, we took a deep dive into the final stretch of the Idaho Falls mayoral runoff between Jeff Aldridge and Lisa Burtenshaw. Neal Larson and Julie Mason began by analyzing Lisa's decision not to attend a recent candidate forum. We discussed why this may have been a calculated political strategy in a runoff election, where mobilizing your own base is more crucial than trying to win over your opponent's supporters. We also explored the broader theme of this race: a voter appetite for a "disruptor" like Aldridge versus the more established, traditional campaign being run by the Burtenshaw team, which seems to be struggling to connect in the current political climate.

The conversation then shifted to the surprising issue that has come to dominate the local political landscape: high-density housing. This led us into a significant discussion about potential conflicts of interest, specifically concerning the city council race. We pointed out connections between city council candidate Brandon Lee, who is an executive with a major development company, and the Lisa Burtenshaw mayoral campaign. We stressed that while we're not making accusations, we believe voters deserve full transparency on these issues to ensure their elected officials are representing the taxpayers without compromise. The housing topic also sparked a lively debate with callers about rental application fees, making for a packed and informative show.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On today's show, Neal Larson and Julie Mason tackled some major national stories right out of the gate. They started with the upcoming House vote on releasing the Epstein files, expressing skepticism about whether the public will ever see the unredacted truth, especially given the new supermajority requirement needed for passage. The conversation then shifted to the disturbing details emerging about Donald Trump's would-be assassin, which led to a frank discussion about a troubling trend of violence connected to the trans community and the media's role in legitimizing radical ideologies instead of treating them as the mental health crises they are.

The second half of our show focused on the intense local runoff race for Idaho Falls mayor. Before our guest joined, Neal and Julie addressed our show's philosophy on covering the race, defending the need for tough questions and extra scrutiny for candidates backed by powerful endorsements. We were then joined in-studio by candidate Jeff Alldridge. He spoke candidly about the contentious social media environment, his plans for managing the city's growth and high-density housing, and his vision for the future of Idaho Falls. 

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On this episode, we briefly touch on national topics like President Trump's new approach to Obamacare and local sports victories before diving deep into the heated runoff election for Idaho Falls mayor. The central discussion analyzes the race between political newcomer Jeff Alldridge, who is benefiting from a public mood for change, and "quasi-incumbent" Lisa Burtenshaw. The hosts observe that while Alldridge is running a disciplined underdog campaign, Burtenshaw's efforts are being hampered by a disconnect between her civil style and the aggressive tactics of her surrogates. They argue that high-profile endorsements from the governor and a congressman may be backfiring, making her campaign appear weak and reinforcing an "establishment vs. outsider" narrative.

The hosts further dissect the challenges facing the Burtenshaw campaign, including the perception that she would be a continuation of the previous administration and a failure to effectively address voter dissatisfaction with issues like high-density housing. Throughout the conversation, which includes calls from listeners, the hosts defend their analysis against accusations of bias, insisting that while they believe both candidates are capable, their role is to scrutinize campaign strategies and dynamics as they unfold. They conclude by expressing hope that the community can move past the current political tension and support whoever ultimately wins the election.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

On today's show, Neal Larson flew solo as Julie Mason had to attend to her daughter's childbirth. Neal shared the news of Julie becoming a grandmother again and that both mom and baby are doing well. The conversation took a turn into discussing the recent end of the government shutdown, with Neal expressing his views on the bloated federal government and the impact on federal employees. The discussion also highlighted the political dynamics around the shutdown and the perceived winners and losers. Neal shared his thoughts on the recent gubernatorial candidates in Idaho and their platforms.

The conversation then touched on the tragic incident in Boise where a young girl was hit by a vehicle driven by an illegal alien, sparking a community mourning and calls for safer driving in the area. Neal also addressed the mayoral runoff races in Pocatello and Idaho Falls, discussing the support for the candidates and the concerns around each campaign. 

Listeners shared their views, and Neal addressed their questions and comments, providing candid analysis and insights into the current events. The segment also touched on the ongoing charitable effort, Baskets of Blessings, and encouraged continued donations for families in need. The episode ended with a reminder to text the word "blessings" to contribute to the cause and to tune in for more engaging discussions on News Talk 107.9.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

Send us a text

Neal Larson and Julie Mason kicked off the show by mocking Democrats for caving on the recent government shutdown. Neal argued that Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, suffered a political loss whether they shut the government down or reopened it, comparing their strategy to walking through thorny bushes and expecting to come out unscathed. The hosts expanded their critique to other out-of-touch Democrats, poking fun at Pete Buttigieg for a tweet about making dinner for his kids, which they viewed as another example of a politician failing to connect with everyday Americans. The conversation then pivoted to local Idaho politics, with the hosts enthusiastically promoting a town hall meeting for Idaho Kids Win, a group advocating for parental choice in education. They framed the event as an "anti-panic tour" in direct opposition to the "Save Our Schools" movement, which they contend is more focused on protecting teachers' unions than serving children's best interests.

The centerpiece of the show was an in-depth interview with Congressman Mike Simpson, who joined from Washington D.C. to discuss the end of the government shutdown and the path forward. He provided a timeline for reopening the government and addressed key concerns for constituents, confirming that federal paychecks and SNAP benefits should begin flowing again quickly. The conversation highlighted the deep partisan divisions, particularly around healthcare, with the Congressman expressing his confusion over the Democrats' goals during the shutdown. The hosts and Congressman Simpson spent significant time on the future of the Affordable Care Act, a discussion that continued after the interview. Neal and Julie expressed a cynical but hopeful view that the shutdown and the Democrats' own complaints about healthcare costs may have inadvertently created the perfect political catalyst to finally repeal and replace Obamacare.

Key moments from the conversation with Congressman Mike Simpson include:
*   **Government Reopening:** He expected the House to pass the Senate's funding bill that same day, getting the government fully reopened by the evening.
*   **Affordable Care Act Subsidies:** Congressman Simpson stated his opposition to extending the COVID-era subsidies, arguing they don't address the root problem of high healthcare costs and that Republicans would demand major reforms before considering an extension.
*   **Trump's Influence:** He agreed that former President Trump would continue to use his platform to push for a more competitive, market-based healthcare system, keeping the issue at the forefront of public discussion.
*   **Shutdown Strategy:** The Congressman expressed genuine confusion about what Democrats hoped to achieve with the shutdown, noting that Republicans had met their initial demands for a clean, short-term resolution, only to see Democrats vote against it anyway.

Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?

You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.

Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.