On In The Tank Podcast #523, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick break down the latest reminders that socialism doesn’t “fix” anything—it wrecks it. From political theater in Washington to chaos in corporate America, and from Venezuela’s collapse to what’s brewing in New York City, the panel connects the dots on how bad ideas keep spreading.
The panel digs into Democrats holding a candlelight vigil… for Jan. 6. Then the crew looks at a Hilton franchise caught in a PR firestorm after targeting ICE bookings, and asks the obvious question: when did basic law enforcement become a corporate punching bag?
The conversation also turns to Venezuela’s oil—why anyone still wants access to it, what decades of socialism did to the country, and why America shouldn’t be taking notes. Finally, the panel looks at NYC’s trajectory, including Mamdani’s tenant-power agenda and what it could mean for the city if these policies keep gaining ground.
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Hollywood is at a breaking point—and audiences can feel it.
On In the Tank Podcast #522, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal dig into what’s reshaping movies and TV right now: DEI-era gatekeeping, studios quietly changing course, shrinking opportunities for creators, and the growing role of AI in entertainment.
They’re joined by Christian Toto, returning for his fifth annual appearance, to break down how Hollywood’s incentives filtered out creative voices—and why so many films now feel safe, preachy, and lifeless.
The panel also tackles Disney’s new AI deal involving OpenAI’s Sora platform and what it means for writers, actors, and storytelling itself. Plus: the crew runs through their “Unhinged” list of the worst movies and TV of 2025—and what might actually be worth watching next.
If Hollywood has lost its edge, this episode explores why—and what comes next.
Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
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Chapters:
00:33 Intro
01:57 Special Guest Introduction
03:55 Support Our Sponsor!
05:50 Unhinged: Worst Movies of 2025
22:08 Film Affected By DEI
49:15 AI in Movies? Good or Bad?
1:19:25 The Future of Movies: Embracing The Experience
STORIES COVERED ON THE SHOW:
DEI To Blame? - Writers and other roles in movie companies are being filtered by DEI politics in Hollywood. Does this have an effect on the quality of films?
https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-lost-generation/
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/hollywood-drops-dei-programs-donald-trump-disney-paramount-amazon-1236327202/
AI in Movies - Where is it good, and Where does it suck?
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-openai-sora-agreement/
https://archive.ph/2xtns
Optimism for the Future: the best films of 2025, what to look forward to in 2026 and beyond.
https://x.com/vegasstarfish/status/1961588349799731453
https://www.imdb.com/calendar/
"Woke" and its pushers continues to be exposed for the ugliness, fraud and tyranny their policies unleash on the rest of us, all over the world. We'll cover how the architect of Jaguar’s disastrous rebrand has finally been canned, and Rep. Aftyn Behn’s loss to Matt Van Epps in Tennessee reveals her and her party as very sore losers indeed.
We'll also take a look at the years of widespread fraud inside Minnesota’s social services system, and discuss how Governor Walz not only buried the problem but may be setting the stage for even more abuse through a new program.
And on UNHINGED: Multiple-time violent criminals are being released to attack people again, and other craziness.
The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and S.T. Karnick will talk about all of this and more on Episode #521 of the In The Tank Podcast.
Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
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Thanksgiving is approaching, but grocery prices seem to just keep getting higher. We will discuss what causes food costs to rise, and how it can be stopped.
A new exclusive from the Free Beacon reports that George Soros gave a quarter million dollars to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which works with advertisers for Big Tech trying to deplatform conservative voices and destroy X.com. Plus, Rasmussen polling found that a worrying chunk of young voters would be willing to hand functions of government over to AI, including policymaking decisions and our very rights.
And on UNHINGED: Trump Derangement Syndrome increasingly appears to be a genuine pathology, with sufferers totally unable to cope.
The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #520 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals
Interesting and recommended video on AI: We Are Not Ready for Super Intelligence:
Chapters:
00:38 Intro
02:17 Panel Introduction
06:47 UNHINGED: Trump Derangement Syndrome Continues
20:57 Real Reason Food Cost is High
43:30 Advisory Metals
45:33 Soros continues to control the media
54:31 AI OVERLORDS?
America’s great exodus from major cities and entire states keeps accelerating — and the election of socialist Mayor Mamdani in New York City is only speeding things up. Yet polls show young Americans becoming more favorable toward socialism, even embracing ideas like government-run grocery stores. What does that say about our culture, our education system, and the nation’s future?
On the education side, things are just as alarming. UC San Diego reports that incoming students can’t meet basic math expectations — not just at grade level, but far below it. How did we get here, and how can states and the federal government fix this before it truly spirals out of control?
PLUS on UNHINGED:
An AI-generated country song has charted in online music sales. Is this a sign of an unhinged future — or has mainstream music been formulaic and awful for years anyway?
The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo break it all down on Episode #519 of the In the Tank Podcast.
Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
Streaming on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
Support our sponsor, Advisor Metals:
https://climaterealismshow.com/metals
Chapter:
02:08 Intro
5:48 TOP Country song is AI????
24:36 Exodus of NYC and other Blue States
36:11 Most Young Voters Embrace Socialism
1:10:43 How Do We Fix Our Education System?
On Tuesday, New York City elected a trust-fund communist as mayor. New Jersey, which seemed to be trending red, put a scandal-ridden Democrat in the governor's mansion. In Virginia, voters rejected a black Republican conservative woman over a woke former CIA spook who pledged to force girls and women to endure biological men in their private spaces again. Oh, and Dems in the Old Dominion also elected a man who wished a political opponent and his children would be murdered so his grieving wife would finally agree with him on policy as she held her family in her arms.
The weird part is that all these results were expected for weeks. What happened? On Episode #518 of the In the Tank Podcast, the Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will break it all down. It seems that the rise of socialism has not been arrested after all. Is this an outlier, or a sign that the midterm elections in 2026 will be a bloodbath for Trump and the MAGA movement.
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Are Democrats holding SNAP funding hostage to keep the Schumer Shutdown alive? The In the Tank crew dives into the latest Washington tricks — and whether major reforms are long overdue.
As the Democratic Party embraces openly socialist candidates, we ask: are there any moderates left?
On UNHINGED, the team rants about Christmas displays popping up before Halloween 🎃 — and then wraps up with a lighter segment on our favorite spooky-season books and movies.
Featuring Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Chris Talgo of The Heartland Institute.
🕐 Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X — and join us in the live chat!
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The AI Revolution is happening at an incredible speed. New AI products, like OpenAI's Sora 2, continue to push the envelope and blur the lines between reality and fabrication. And as this revolutionary technology continues to advance and integrate deeper into our daily lives, serious questions are emerging about power, control, and human rights in the digital age. Should there be a framework—an “AI Bill of Rights”—to protect individuals from algorithmic abuse, data manipulation, and government or corporate overreach? The ITT crew discusses how real this future is becoming, the potential threats to privacy and autonomy, and whether society is prepared for the moral and political challenges AI is bringing to the surface.
The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Justin Haskins will discuss all of this and more on Episode #516 of the In The Tank Podcast. Watch LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
Chapters:
0:37 Intro
2:06 Start
6:41 Debate on the role of AI in education
26:05 The Radical Normalization of AI Tech
43:12 AI Game: Is it real?
58:30 AI Bill of rights?
The government is still shut down, and Democrats are warning that the expiration of Obamacare subsidies at the end of this year will make healthcare unaffordable for millions. But that’s not true. While the system certainly needs reform, the real problem lies deeper than temporary subsidies. The Heartland crew will break down what needs to change to make healthcare work for everyone.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has floated the idea that the United States may need to “decouple” from China if they continue to play unfairly in global markets. What would that mean for essential materials and the broader economy—and has America waited too long to act?
And on this week’s UNHINGED segment, CNN revives an old feminist slogan that claims men who find women attractive are a societal problem. The panel will discuss why this narrative keeps failing and what it says about modern media culture.
The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, Chris Talgo, and special guest AnneMarie Schieber will discuss all of this and more on Episode #515 of the In The Tank Podcast. Watch LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
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SHOW NOTES:
CNN, After years of progress on gender, the male gaze is back:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/11/health/male-gaze-wellness
The Epoch Times: US May Decouple From China If Rare Earths Dispute Persists: Bessent
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/bessent-says-if-china-refuses-to-be-a-reliable-partner-us-and-allies-will-have-to-decouple-5929817
The Federalist: No, Obamacare Premiums Are Not Doubling
https://thefederalist.com/2025/10/08/no-obamacare-premiums-are-not-doubling/
The Federalist: Here’s How Republicans Should Fix Health Care Rather Than Bailing Out Obamacare
https://thefederalist.com/2025/10/07/heres-how-republicans-should-fix-health-care-rather-than-bailing-out-obamacare/
Forbes: How Obamacare Set In Motion Today’s Premium Crisis
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2025/10/14/how-obamacare-set-in-motion-todays-premium-crisis/
Are Democrat-led cities spiraling out of control? Weeks of unrest, weak law enforcement, and rising violence are testing the limits of left-wing policies.
In Portland, ANTIFA attacks ICE facilities by night while petty crime dominates by day. In Chicago, local leaders defend policies that fuel gang violence and lawlessness. As the Trump administration vows to crack down, the question is — how far should it go?
Plus: President Trump threatens Hollywood with tariffs on movies filmed overseas, and in UNHINGED, we reveal shocking text messages from a Democrat AG candidate showing violent hatred toward a GOP legislator.
Join Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Chris Talgo for a fiery discussion on all this and more in Episode #514 of the In the Tank Podcast.
👉 Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X — and join us in the live chat!
VISIT OUR SPONSOR, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals
Are Democrat-led cities spiraling out of control? Weeks of unrest, weak law enforcement, and rising violence are testing the limits of left-wing policies.
In Portland, ANTIFA attacks ICE facilities by night while petty crime dominates by day. In Chicago, local leaders defend policies that fuel gang violence and lawlessness. As the Trump administration vows to crack down, the question is — how far should it go?
Plus: President Trump threatens Hollywood with tariffs on movies filmed overseas, and in UNHINGED, we reveal shocking text messages from a Democrat AG candidate showing violent hatred toward a GOP legislator.
Join Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Chris Talgo for a fiery discussion on all this and more in Episode #514 of the In the Tank Podcast.
Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X — and join us in the live chat!
VISIT OUR SPONSOR, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals
The United States government has shut down once again as Democrats demand the reversal of major spending cuts while Republicans and President Trump refuse to back down. At the same time, the ADL is facing growing backlash after its “Glossary of Hate” targeted groups like TPUSA, prompting even the FBI to distance itself. Meanwhile, Chicago schools continue to struggle with failing literacy rates, yet the teachers union chose to highlight and celebrate Assata Shakur, a convicted terrorist. And while the Wall Street Journal claims the U.S. is losing the race to China on green tech, is that really the full story?
The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Chris Talgo will discuss all of this and more on Episode #513 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk is still having an impact on current public discussions about the radical left and their intolerance of dialogue and ideas that challenge the prevailing leftist dogmas. The media wasted no time trying to dismiss leftwing political violence as a “both sides” problem, but we know better.
The Heartland Institute’s Eann Tang experienced how difficult it is to be a young conservative, especially on college campuses, but he is going to share why he holds on to hope and optimism for the future. We’ll also take a look at some very Unhinged behavior, talk about the folly of “both sides-ism” in the wake of leftist violence, and there seems to be reason to hope that Big Tech censorship of conservatives is beginning to wane. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken,
Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, Chris Talgo, and Eann Tang will discuss all of this and more on Episode #512 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
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The impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination has been felt far wider and deeper than many expected. Tributes have sprung up around the globe — from the UK and Australia to South Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia. Yet much of the media first misinformed the public and then tried to push the “both sides are violent” narrative, while thousands of online leftists cheered his death and desecrated memorials. What does this say about the moral health of our institutions — and the people shaping public opinion?
Speaking of what’s wrong with our institutions: this week The Heartland Institute received a letter from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) clearly intended to bully. He’s demanding that by September 30 Heartland hand over any and all communications since Election Day 2024 discussing why the Endangerment Finding for carbon dioxide should be rescinded — after reports that Heartland influenced the Trump administration’s decision to attempt that rescission. Heartland President James Taylor has a simple reply: pound sand.
Join Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and James Taylor as they break down the media spin, the moral rot, and Sen. Whitehouse’s fishing expedition on Episode #511 of the In the Tank Podcast. Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join the live chat on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, and X.
Unspeakable horror struck on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah yesterday. Charlie Kirk, the founder of TurningPoint USA, was murdered by an assassin's rifle shot while he was speaking to a crowd of thousands. Charlie's talent, credibility, intelligence, authenticity, patience, and courage were on display for all to see to the very end of his life. He was a champion of liberty and a tireless patriot whose love of country was deep and heart-felt. More than that, Charlie was a devoted Christian and a loving father and husband. At the age of just 31, he left a legacy greater than many public figures twice his age.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk was an act of evil. It was also undoubtedly a political act spawned out of the dark heart of modern leftism. We live in a country in which prominent media outlets suggested Charlie brought his public slaying upon himself. In today's media and political environment, anyone who vigorously differs from leftist ideology and Democratic Party talking points is painted as a fascist, a threat to democracy, a domestic terrorist -- or, as President Biden once put it -- a threat to "the very soul of this nation." This is the political environment in which the killing of Charlie Kirk occurred.
In just the past 13 months, radicals have attempted two assassinations on President Trump and killed one of his most-prominent and successful advocates. Earlier than that, an avowed Marxist gunned down a health insurance CEO and was celebrated for it by many on the left. Radical leftists got very close to pulling off assassinations of Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. And let's not forget the radical left Bernie Bro who tried to murder a baseball field full of Republicans just a few years ago.
This must stop. And it starts with the Democratic Party putting an end to its eliminationist rhetoric, expelling from its party and offices anyone who encourages or excuses violence, and leading the march back to respectful debate. For a start, they can do away with the "both sides" lie. And they can also stop saying that every election and policy debate they lose is not the dawn of fascism.
On Episode #510 of The Heartland Institute's In the Tank Podcast, we will talk about the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk, mourn his loss together, and try to give each other hope that America's tolerance for this madness is soon coming to an end.
The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen recently collaborated on a poll asking voters under the age of 40 what kind of government they support. Shockingly, more than half said they would back socialist candidates for president — and even more favored nationalizing major industries. This reflects the same troubling trend seen across Europe in recent decades, where increasingly left-wing governments took hold, even with supposedly “conservative” politicians supporting leftist policies.
On UNHINGED, we examine the case of a British comedian arrested for making jokes on Twitter, the broader war on free speech (even at the pub!) in Britain, and the looming threat of digital IDs.
Join The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, and Chris Talgo for Episode #509 of the In the Tank Podcast. Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
Labor Day has long been claimed by socialists in the United States who pretend to be champions of the working class — but history shows they’ve never truly stood with America’s workers. In fact, socialist policies hurt the middle class and working poor more than anything else, and leftist “soft on crime” agendas only make matters worse.
This week, we’re reclaiming the holiday as an America First Labor Day. Plus, we’ll talk about Cracker Barrel’s embarrassing backpedal on their woke redesign after massive customer and social media backlash. And we’ll cover how Trump’s energy policies are driving gas prices back down to sane levels, making this one of the most affordable Labor Day weekends in years.
Join The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and AnneMarie Schieber for Episode #508 of the In The Tank Podcast. Tune in LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and join us in the live chat!
Just because a war is abroad—and between countries other than your own—doesn’t mean it won’t have impacts at home. In the USA, history shows that U.S. intervention in foreign wars increases federal intervention in our everyday lives; constant involvement in wars has led to much of the creeping expansion of our government over time. The whole world seems to be watching as Trump attempts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. We’ll talk about why it’s good for domestic freedom that Trump is resisting getting the U.S. directly into the war.
On UNHINGED, Loudoun County schools are once again in the news—this time for suspending boys who complained about a girl in their locker room. Also, bank executives are beginning to point the finger at the Obama and Biden administrations for debanking conservatives, and some college students have apparently been exaggerating their progressive bona fides to keep attention off themselves in school.
The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and S.T. Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode #507 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube and Rumble and jump into the live chat!
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We are only six months into the Trump Administration 2.0, and The Age of Trump is already in full swing. National Review hails his presidency as “truly historic,” outlining a laundry list of accomplishments he has already achieved. The left and right clash over what Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C., really means. Is this a bold reset of a broken city or a dangerous power grab?
Also, California Governor Gavin Newsom is threatening a political counterstrike over Texas’ redistricting push, setting the stage for another coast-to-coast political showdown.
The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and S.T. Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode #506 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and sound off in the live chat!
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
5:01 Sam Altman's AI Nightmare Coming True?
20:37 The Age of Trump
46:30 The Federalization of Washington, DC
58:28 Texas Redistricting and Gavin Newsom
Over just the last seven months, Trump’s administration has landed one blow after another on the administrative state and “deep state.” Most recently, Trump’s EPA and Department of Energy teamed up to announce a pending repeal of the greenhouse gas Endangerment Finding, which has allowed the government to regulate nearly every aspect of our lives since its passage in 2009. Democrats still try their best to “resist” the Trump administration—either petulantly, like Cory Booker’s grandstanding, or through activist judges. All of it began with the Russia Hoax, which we are still unraveling. Meanwhile, on the culture war front: Leftists are losing it over an ad series put out by American Eagle featuring Sydney Sweeney and a pun involving “great jeans.” They claim this is literal fascism, and we wonder if it’s another sign that “woke” is falling out of favor in media. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and S.T. Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode #504 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and sound off in the live chat! VISIT OUR SPONSOR, ADVISOR METALS https://heartland67740.ac-page.com/advisor-metals-page