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
8.12.2026 - Wisconsin DSA Setback | Idaho Civics Test | The “Mormon Stories” Lawsuit
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Neal and Julie opened with a national politics temperature check, using last night’s primary results as a real-world test of the “socialist surge” narrative. They walked through key races (with special attention on Wisconsin and Minnesota), why some high-profile DSA-backed candidates fell short, and what they see as a late-breaking shift: more mainstream Democrats finally sounding alarms about their party’s far-left flank. Along the way, they mixed analysis with their trademark bluntness—arguing Republicans need to stop being “soft” about what they see as extremist policy—and weighed whether it’s better to defeat those candidates in primaries now or in November.
From there, the show swerved into a few of the morning’s most-talked-about segments: a local Idaho Falls traffic stop that escalated into an alleged bribe attempt (and a surprisingly capable Honda Fit), a surprisingly fun rundown of Idaho’s updated civics test (with listeners requesting the link in real time), and a deeper dive into the LDS Church’s lawsuit involving “Mormon Stories” and brand confusion claims—plus how groups can capitalize on the “Mormon” label in ways that may be misleading. The back half of the episode also tackled online influence and credibility, with Neal and Julie criticizing what they described as a profitable “conspiracy economy” and calling for listeners to slow down, check sources, and avoid pedestal-or-dumpster thinking—before ending on lighter ground with movie-line banter and listener humor.
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## 2. Highlights
- Wisconsin’s Democratic primary becomes a reality check for the DSA “surge” narrative as Francesca Hong loses statewide—plus Neal’s argument that the political mood has shifted against DSA candidates in the last two weeks.
- The Idaho Falls “Honda Fit” traffic stop: allegedly 90 in a 35, a curb hit, burning rubber… and then “I could flip you $100” to let it go.
- Neal and Julie take on Idaho’s revamped civics test—why it matters, what the questions reveal, and why some opponents seem to get “icky” about basic constitutional knowledge.
- Live listener interaction explodes as people repeatedly text for the civics quiz link (and the show sets up an easy keyword system to share it).
- The LDS Church vs. “Mormon Stories” lawsuit: discussion centers on alleged brand confusion (fonts/imagery) rather than the word “Mormon” itself.
- A pointed critique of influencer-style outrage cycles and conspiracy framing—why “we don’t know everything yet” doesn’t automatically validate whoever fills the gaps with viral theories.
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