## 1. Episode Summary
With Julie Mason still out of town celebrating a brand-new granddaughter, Neal ran solo and opened the show with U.S. Senator Jim Risch. Risch addressed a suspicious campaign text that appeared to impersonate the Democratic Socialists of America “endorsing” him—something he called a dirty trick and potentially a criminal violation because it lacked required disclaimers. Neal and Risch also dug into Achilles’ ongoing debate complaints, with Risch arguing modern debates have devolved into insult-fests and that his campaign is prioritizing broader-reach formats like phone town halls. They closed with Risch’s perspective on Iran, where he backed President Trump’s actions based on intelligence he says he has also seen, stressing pressure tactics and a desire to avoid “boots on the ground.”
The rest of the program was Neal in campaign-season mode: previewing the station’s “News Talk 2” launch, laying out election-night plans, and spending significant time on Idaho’s Prop 1 abortion initiative—especially why the margin matters, and why he believes confusion and misinformation are driving some support. Neal also ran a fast “flash poll” on HJR 4 (a constitutional amendment giving the Legislature sole authority over marijuana and certain drug policy), sparking a lively listener back-and-forth about direct democracy vs. out-of-state money and ballot manipulation. The hour wrapped with Neal revisiting Todd Achilles’ attempt to explain his Bernie Sanders/AOC appearance, arguing Achilles’ donation history undercuts his “I’ll speak anywhere” framing.
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## 2. Highlights
– Senator Jim Risch reacts to the fake-looking “DSA endorsement” text and calls it a likely dirty trick—and potentially a state and federal offense without proper disclaimers.
– Risch on why he’s skipping debates: they’ve shifted from issue-focused to “demeaning sparring,” and he’d rather reach voters through town halls and direct messaging.
– Neal’s deep dive on Prop 1: why it would become law quickly with little/no legislative “buffer,” and why a bigger defeat margin could keep it from returning.
– Flash poll fireworks on HJR 4: listeners split between “stop out-of-state initiative money” and “don’t surrender voter power,” with sharp arguments on both sides.
– Neal plays Todd Achilles’ own audio defending the Bernie/AOC rally appearance—then counters with Achilles’ donation record and unanswered culture-issue questions.
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