The Neal Larson Show
Neal Larson is an Associated Press Award-winning newspaper columnist and radio talk show host. He has a BA from Idaho State University in Media Studies and Political Science. Neal is happily married to his wife Esther with their five children in Idaho Falls.
Julie Mason is a long-time resident of east Idaho with a degree in journalism from Ricks College. Julie enjoys reading, baking, and is an avid dog lover. When not on the air she enjoys spending time with her three children and husband of 26 years.
Together these two are a powerhouse of knowledge with great banter that comes together in an entertaining and informative show.
The Neal Larson Show
4.21.2026 - Election Races, Media Trust, Cultural Flashpoints
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Today was one of those shows where we admitted up front: the news cycle is a mess, and it’s hard to even know what deserves attention anymore. We talked through the flood of conspiracy-laced clips people send in (often with a weird demand that we *have* to watch them), and why confirmation bias is basically supercharged right now—especially online. We don’t have unlimited time, and we’re not interested in being dragged into an outrage treadmill. Instead, we focused on what *is* tangible and local: the sheer volume of legislative races, how surprisingly solid many candidate interviews have been, and why this cycle feels like “chocolate vs. vanilla” rather than tiny personality differences. We kept coming back to the idea that voting should be treated like a hiring decision—values and competence first, relationships second—and that listeners who are paying attention need to help educate the people in their circles who vote based on familiarity.
From there we zoomed out to the bigger national and cultural fights that are driving politics right now, especially where kids are involved. We reacted to the Provo Pride event near BYU that included violent imagery toward President Trump and a piñata-style effigy of Senator Mike Lee—particularly disturbing because children were present. We also hit accountability (or lack of it) in media and government: Kash Patel’s claims about upcoming election-related arrests, his lawsuit against *The Atlantic*, and the broader skepticism that “disclosure” rarely means full truth. We wrapped with a look at how Trump-derangement has gotten so intense that some on the left openly cheer against U.S. interests (like Chris Murphy’s “awesome” comment about Iran), plus a frank conversation about what happens when people let politics override foundational religious or moral commitments.
### Highlights
- Why we’re done entertaining endless obscure “you have to watch this” conspiracy videos—and how confirmation bias traps people
- This election cycle feels like clear ideological contrasts, not minor differences; voting should be a “hiring event”
- Provo Pride/BYU-adjacent controversy: violent political imagery + kids involved, and what that says about our culture
- Kash Patel, media accountability, and why discovery in lawsuits matters
- The uncomfortable reality: some people hate Trump so much they’ll cheer for America’s enemies
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