
In The Tank
The weekly flagship podcast from The Heartland Institute features in-depth policy discussions connected to current news.
The Heartland Institute
Show overview
In The Tank has been publishing since 2022, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 189 episodes. That works out to roughly 240 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 1h 5m and 1h 22m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Government show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 4 days ago, with 19 episodes already out so far this year. Published by The Heartland Institute.
From the publisher
The weekly flagship podcast from The Heartland Institute features in-depth policy discussions connected to current news. Host Donald Kendal leads the discussion with the usual crew of Heartland Institute Vice President Jim Lakely, Socialism Research Center “Commissar” Justin Haskins, Editorial Director Chris Talgo, and others at this national free-market think tank. The entertaining and informative discussions often hit topics such as the environment, energy policy, Big Tech censorship, the troubling rise of socialism, globalism, health care, education, that state of freedom in America and around the world, and much more. This podcast is also available as part of the Heartland Daily Podcast, the “firehose” of all the organization’s podcasts that take deep and entertaining dives into public policy.
Latest Episodes
View all 189 episodesHousing Act Held Hostage Until Save America Is Passed — In the Tank Podcast #542
Elon Musk, Trillionaire — In the Tank Podcast #541
Social Security Insolvency by 2032 — In the Tank Podcast #540
Socialists Want to Take Over Artificial Intelligence — In the Tank Podcast #539
What's Old Is New: Seize Property & Give People Free Stuff - In the Tank Episode #538
The Cost of Living Crisis — In the Tank Podcast #537
China, Mamdani’s Budget Tricks, and AOC’s Billionaire Meltdown — In the Tank Podcast #536
Innovation vs. Dystopia: In the Tank Podcast #535
Raids, Charges, and Indictments — In the Tank Podcast #534
DOJ Charges Southern Poverty Law Center — In the Tank Podcast #533

Ep 533#NoKings Uncovered — In the Tank Podcast #532
We all know that the public education system in America is rotten, but it is actually even worse than you may realize. There are only so many hours in a school day, and while kids are falling behind in reading, writing, and arithmetic, teachers unions are making sure kids learn about how to be good left-wing activists. Many of these same groups support the "No Kings" protest movement, and we will discuss why that is. At the White House, Trump has signed an executive order about mail-in voting, in an attempt to limit fraud, but will it stick? And on UNHINGED: we will look at a very Canadian Communist Convention. The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #532 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

Ep 532Freedom Works, Socialism Fails — In the Tank Podcast #530
Another point goes to capitalism in the long war of economics, as Poland has overcome its once-communist decay and rocketed into becoming one of the world's largest economies. Meanwhile, socialist Cuba slowly crumbles amid a fuel embargo and the decades of communist economic influence. We will contrast and compare these two examples of economic systems and see which one is best (Hint: it's not the one represented by the hammer and sickle).Trump is temporarily suspending the Jones Act, which has had a major impact on energy shipping, especially for East-coast states, and we will look at how serious a threat AI is to white collar jobs. Andrew Yang says it will be catastrophic, but is that just hyperbole?And on UNHINGED: An attempted terror attack failed in New York City last week, amid a protest over the growth of Islam in the city.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #530 of the In The Tank Podcast.

Ep 531Blackrock Flinches on Energy — In the Tank Podcast #531
BlackRock and Larry Fink is continuing to blink on climate policy. The investment giant appears to be abandoning some of its climate-focused dogma in favor of protecting investor returns, a crazy idea that apparently everyone forgot for a few years. At the same time, the economic catastrophe that is Net Zero is beginning to convince even New York Governor Hochul that climate policies mostly just crush affordability and energy security.Meanwhile, a major victory for free speech comes out of Missouri, as the courts have decreed that the Biden administration was WRONG for using social media as speech police. We’ll explore what this settlement means for the future of online expression and government overreach.And on UNHINGED: a Chinese professor makes the bold claim that poverty can be eliminated by simply printing more money.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #531 of the In The Tank Podcast.

Ep 530AI-Powered Military and Surveillance - In The Tank Podcast #529
In the days leading up to the attack on Iran, a rift formed between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic. The dispute rose over restrictions the company imposed on the AI model used in US intelligence and military operations. The feud, interesting in its own right, provided insight into how the government is using AI in the theater of war.The Heartland Institute's Donald Kendal, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #529 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

Ep 529Socialism In Our Schools — In The Tank Podcast #527
New York City is struggling with its budget, and despite Mayor Mamdani campaigning on affordable housing, he’s now turning to property tax hikes to try to close the gap. This is fairly typical for Democrats—and totally unsurprising. Meanwhile, Trump struck a deal with Japan that looks poised to sidestep China while also boosting American energy abundance. We’ll also cover socialism in our schools—how bad it really is—and how to counter it.And on UNHINGED: the Obama Presidential Center, scheduled to open this spring, is astonishingly ugly—and fitting for the Obama legacy.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #526 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

Ep 528The Next Big Crash — In the Tank Podcast #526
Justin Haskins joins us to talk about his and Jack McPherrin's new book, "The Next Big Crash," covering the shady dealings of Wall Street insiders and elites who have conspired to rig our economy and transfer control over our futures to massive financial interests. When the next crash comes, it could very well be more devastating than any before. On a brighter note, federal employment is at the lowest level it has been since 1966, showing that the Trump administration really has made progress on cutting federal bloat, while American private sector jobs are improving. Meanwhile, the SAVE America Act may be passed soon, but Democrats say it will disenfranchise voters by requiring them to simply have ID.On UNHINGED: How would you feel about living in a constant, ubiquitous surveillance state? Ring is more than happy to provide, but promises it will only be used for finding lost dogs.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and guest Justin Haskins will talk about all of this and more on Episode #526 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

Ep 527They’re Dumbing Down NYC Schools… On Purpose — In the Tank Podcast #525
This week, Bitcoin is DOWN, but does that mean anything to those of us who don't own it? Some argue that it indicates the dollar is strengthening, which is good news for affordability. AND the Washington Post has laid off a third of their staff, journalists are unemployed all over the place, and it could mean the beginning of the end for the far-left publication. Finally school is out... all the time, it seems, because students seem to be missing class for protests, snow weeks, all kinds of things that aren't school. In New York City, Mamdani's government is focusing on removing programs for high-achievers, and refocusing on "green" initiatives.For UNHINGED: Kathy Griffin is at it again, this time she is angry that First Lady Melania Trump's documentary is doing well, and recommends you turn in your pesky MAGA neighbors.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will talk about all of this and more on Episode #525 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

Ep 526Heartland Invades Davos — In the Tank Podcast #524
The scale of fraud in federal entitlement programs is truly staggering with some estimates reaching into the TRILLIONS, and we have to ask, who can be held accountable for all this?Fresh off the plane home from Switzerland, Linnea, Donald, and Jim discuss the Heartland Institute's inaugural WORLD PROSPERITY FORUM, the antidote to the globalism of the World Economic Forum held at Davos every year... which Linnea and Donald may or may not have also gone to visit while in Europe.And on UNHINGED: An insane viral video of a nurse shows her instructing "resistors" on how to harm ICE agents. How did we even get to this point? And why on Earth are there so many videos like this?The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and Donald Kendal will talk about all of this and more on Episode #524 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

Ep 525Socialism Destroys Everything? — In the Tank Podcast #523
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.Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

Ep 524The Future of Movies — In the Tank Podcast #522
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.Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metalsChapters: 00:33 Intro01:57 Special Guest Introduction03:55 Support Our Sponsor! 05:50 Unhinged: Worst Movies of 2025 22:08 Film Affected By DEI49:15 AI in Movies? Good or Bad?1:19:25 The Future of Movies: Embracing The ExperienceSTORIES 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/1961588349799731453https://www.imdb.com/calendar/