5.18.2026 - Stump Speeches on Election Eve!

6.3.2026 - McGrane Complaint, Rubio Clashes, Teton Dam Stories

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] Neal Larson and Julie Mason kick off the morning with some light banter—vacation plans to Seattle, food quirks, and a reminder that National Donut Day is coming (with a throwback to Neal’s infamous donut-choking moment). Then we dig into the bigger issue: Senator Scott Herndon filing a complaint against Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane over election-season mailers and how those costs were allocated. We talk through why this matters—less about “gotchas” and more about the unique optics of the state’s top elections official getting deeply involved in endorsements, donations, and political network-building. Since the Secretary of State can’t investigate himself, the complaint heads to Attorney General Raul Labrador, and we kick around what the “why” might be behind McGrane’s unusually active primary season (including the possibility he’s plowing the field for a future statewide run). From there, the show bounces between serious and spirited: we unpack the “retroactive standards” people apply to policies like House Bill 93 (parental choice tax credit), push back on a clip claiming “Christianity is a feminist religion” with a candid discussion about scripture, doctrine, and political co-opting of faith, and then hit national politics with Marco Rubio’s sharp exchanges in a Senate hearing—especially his no-nonsense framing that the U.S. government isn’t a “charity” and his detailed rebuttal to senators trying to score points for social media. The hour also includes a moving preview of Friday’s pre-taped special with Dr. Nathaniel Gee on the 50th anniversary of the Teton Dam collapse, plus powerful listener call-ins sharing firsthand memories of the flood’s devastation, miracles, and aftermath. ### Highlights - Senator Scott Herndon’s complaint against Secretary of State Phil McGrane and why it automatically routes to AG Raul Labrador   - The “propriety vs. legality” question: endorsements, campaign spending, and the elections-referee optics problem   - A gripping preview of the Teton Dam 50th anniversary coverage—and emotional listener stories of survival and loss   - Marco Rubio’s Senate hearing moments: “We are not here to play social worker…we are here to win”   - Calling out political re-framing: when critics grade policies against standards they were never designed to meet   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.

6.2.2026 - Marijuana Ballot Fight, Medicaid Fraud Narrative, Language & Election Integrity

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] On today’s show we bounced between Idaho politics, media narratives, and a few big “who’s actually responsible here?” questions. We started with the marijuana initiative and the odd math around signatures—how do you gather 150,000 when you only need about 71,000, and what happens if a huge chunk turns out invalid? That led into a bigger conversation about whether Idaho’s citizen initiative process is being abused, and whether the state should tighten the rules (or even reconsider the process altogether), especially with the potential “train wreck” of voters approving both a marijuana measure *and* a constitutional amendment meant to lock marijuana policy back into the legislature’s hands. We also flagged other ballot talk, including an English-as-official-language amendment, and the general principle that changing the constitution should never be treated like a quick fix. From there we dug into the ongoing feud between Attorney General Raul Labrador and the *Idaho Statesman* over Medicaid fraud enforcement—specifically the paper’s framing of cost vs. recovery and the way they injected race and immigration into a discussion that (to us) is first about crime and deterrence. We talked through why “ROI” isn’t the whole story in fraud prosecution, how the media can selectively amplify “historic first” narratives only when it fits their politics, and why elevating “diversity over merit” often produces leaders who are easier to control. In hour two we widened the lens: major Medi-Cal fraud in California, skepticism that fraud is “rare,” ballot drop box vulnerabilities after an alleged ballot box fire in Los Angeles, and a segment on language expectations—whether it’s reasonable to treat government services and education as something taxpayers must provide in every language, or whether assimilation and English proficiency are part of the deal when someone chooses to come here. Along the way we hit America 250 performers bailing (and Vanilla Ice not bailing), show scheduling notes for Neal Larson and Julie Mason while Neal is out, and an update that the Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing will be televised—more transparency, less room for online conspiracy fog. ### Highlights - Big questions around the marijuana initiative signatures and whether Idaho should tighten (or rethink) the initiative process   - Medicaid fraud: deterrence matters, media framing matters, and “race-first” analysis can distort basic law enforcement issues   - Ballot drop boxes and chain-of-custody: what happens when ballots are destroyed, and how do voters even know?   - Language access vs. assimilation: where responsibility should sit when people enter U.S. systems   - Tyler Robinson case: judge allows televised preliminary hearing, increasing transparency   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.

6.1.2026 - Biden Spin, School Choice Battles

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] Neal Larson opens the show in “real life” mode—he’s heading out later this week for a short Seattle trip with his wife and teenage daughter, and he’s openly taking listener suggestions for hidden gems beyond the obvious stops. He also shares a weekend movie detour: seeing *Michael* (the Michael Jackson biopic) with his daughter, recommending it primarily as an entertaining, nostalgic ride for Gen X—strong performances, music, and choreography—while noting it feels “sanitized” and likely influenced by the Jackson family (including Michael being played by his nephew, Jafar). He then pivots to what he sees as the bigger cultural/political theme of the day: Democrats and major media figures continuing to act like Joe Biden’s cognitive issues were a one-off “debate moment,” with Jill Biden’s book tour re-lighting the fuse. Neal argues the public was knowingly gaslit, and that Democrats are now stuck trying to thread the needle—admitting mistakes without admitting the full deception—while also pretending Kamala Harris’ loss was shocking. Julie Mason joins and the conversation sharpens into a broader theory: is the left lying because they believe their own narrative, or because destabilizing people with obvious untruths is a power play? They speculate about 2028—why Democrats keep floating names like Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and Pete Buttigieg, and why Newsom’s “California-brand” politics (and even his on-camera mannerisms) may not translate in swing states. From there, the show moves into Idaho-centric policy and accountability: the parental choice tax credit (House Bill 93), transparency demands around the program, and the frustration that critics often demand intense scrutiny for school choice while ignoring larger pots of government money that escaped the same oversight (including past COVID-era spending questions). They argue the fight keeps getting dragged back to money and institutions—especially unions—when it should be about outcomes for kids, including room for micro-schools and flexible models that don’t have to mirror traditional public schools. The hour wraps with listener texts/calls, a quick lawn update (the “four-step lawn program”), appreciation for the audience, and a call for 20–30 second “Greeting to America” audio submissions ahead of the 250th anniversary celebrations. 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.

5.29.2026 - America 250, Fourth Verse, Trump Fatigue

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] We kicked off a Friday show in full “America 250” mode—loosening things up while also getting serious about what it means that the country is nearing its 250th anniversary. Neal shared why he sees America’s founding as more than historical luck—something rooted in providence, liberty, and the idea that our rights come from God, not government. He also invited listeners to be part of the celebration by submitting short audio/video “birthday greetings” to America that we’ll use on air and online (with a quick heads-up: iPhone users might see an error even if the message still goes through). Then we leaned into the patriotic theme with a Studio for Cover performance: Marine veteran Jason Franklin sang the *fourth verse* of the National Anthem—something most people never hear, but hits hard once you do. We also talked with Army veteran Ryan Lloyd about his “Why We Stand” project, aimed at bringing that fourth verse back into the public conversation during America 250 commemorations. From there, the show drifted into a familiar cultural reality: how some people let Trump-related anger crowd out everything else (even national celebration), and how politics—locally and nationally—can leave communities fractured, cynical, and exhausted. Still, we circled back to the bigger point: don’t miss the moment. America is worth celebrating, and the best way forward is to stay grounded in gratitude, perspective, and purpose. --- ### Highlights - Neal’s America 250 listener project: submit a short greeting (audio/video) about what America means to you   - Jason Franklin performs the **fourth verse** of the National Anthem live in studio   - Ryan Lloyd explains the **Why We Stand** project and why the 4th verse captures the “why” behind American resilience   - Discussion on Trump fatigue: not letting political rage override love of country   - Honest talk about how elections and “dark money” can fracture local communities and leave voters jaded 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.

5.28.2026 - FLASHPOLL: Should we rebuild the Teton Dam? - Also NGO's and UAP Disclosure

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] Nine days after the election, we’re still processing how much noise we all got dragged into—dark money, viral single-issue drama, and the constant firehose of information that can make us worse at decisions instead of better. We talked about how distrust has become the default setting: people reflexively argue, pick teams, and assume bad intent, even when the facts (like how legislators actually vote in Boise) are sitting right in front of us. That same skepticism spilled into our UAP/UFO chatter too—between AI, government credibility issues, and the possibility we’re being “slow-walked” into disclosure, we’re basically at “call us when the mothership parks downtown” levels of belief. From there, the show shifted into a bigger political frustration: alleged NGO/grant money laundering and how hard some systems seem to work to avoid scrutiny—highlighted by Trump’s claims about massive last-minute grant dumps and a viral clip about California’s proposed “Stop Nick Shirley” bill. Then we pivoted local and practical with a flash poll that lit up the text line: should we rebuild the Teton Dam (safely, and likely not in the exact same way or place) for water storage, power, and recreation? The response was overwhelmingly “yes,” but with real pushback too—geology, ecology, trauma from the 1976 disaster, and concerns about long-term feasibility. Bottom line: everyone wants a stable water future in East Idaho; nobody agrees on a single magic fix, and we’re going to have to stack solutions. ### Highlights - Post-election clarity: we obsessed over distractions and forgot to focus on how lawmakers actually behave in Boise   - Trust is collapsing: “reflexive disagreement” is replacing thoughtful debate   - NGO/grant fraud concerns: claims of taxpayer money being funneled through nonprofits and efforts to shield them from scrutiny   - Flash poll: strong support for rebuilding the Teton Dam—tempered by geology, wildlife, and flood-trauma concerns   - Water solutions aren’t one-and-done: raising Jackson Lake, adjusting American Falls, recharge credit, and structural reforms all came up   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.