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!

VISIT OUR SPONSOR, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

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!

PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSOR, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

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

A recent and highly disturbing New York Times article promoting the idea that doctors should expand the definition of death in order to harvest more organs is stirring up disgust and debate about utilitarianism and the role of doctors or so-called “bioethicists” in shaping medical policy. What is the current state of the organ donation industry and what kind of policy actually makes sense. How far is too far when it comes to medical care?

Along similar lines, in this week’s UNHINGED segment, we spotlight another disturbing case: ex-CNN reporter Jim Acosta conducted a ghoulish interview with an AI simulacrum of a teenager killed during the Parkland school shooting—all for the purpose of pushing gun control.

Finally, the Swedish Prime Minister is facing criticism for “consulting” AI language models for opinions on how to govern the country.

The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, S.T. Karnick, (possibly Justin Haskins), and AnneMarie Schieber, along with special guest Dr. Heidi Klessig, will dive into all of this and more on Episode #505 of the In The Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and sound off in the live chat!

Ever wonder what happens when political spin meets reality? It's like watching a magician whose tricks have been exposed – suddenly everyone can see the wires! 🎭 In this explosive episode, we're serving up a feast of political commentary that's more satisfying than whatever's NOT rotting in Kansas City's taxpayer-funded grocery experiment. 

• 🎯 Obama's Russia-gate narrative gets the fact-check it deserved years ago
• 🎪 Hunter Biden's media circus tour – damage control or career suicide?
• 🤡 Cory "Spartacus" Booker's latest cringe compilation
• 🏪 Socialist grocery stores: when ideology meets produce sections

Don't miss the live chat where YOU can roast these political performances alongside us! Hit that notification bell and join the conversation at 1 PM ET. 

#RussiaGate #HunterBiden #InTheTank #Obama

Is America quietly shifting from a nation of property owners to a nation of renters? In this episode, we expose the growing forces behind the decline in homeownership—from skyrocketing prices to the corporate consolidation of housing. How is this trend impacting society and the political landscape?

Plus, we dive into another urgent emerging issue: the rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and what they mean for your financial freedom.

The Heartland Institute's Donald Kendal and Justin Haskins discuss all of this and more on Episode #502 of the In the Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and participate in the show in the live chat!

After losing the presidential election and seeing the administrative state’s efforts steamrolled by Trump’s agenda, the left is ramping up its calls to violence—and even acting on them. Just in the last week, there were two attempts on the lives of ICE agents, resulting in injuries and deaths. Likewise, real "color revolution" insurrection plots are being staged by ex-USAID employees who believe they are the rightful government of the United States—not the president. Also, an AI impostor mimicked Marco Rubio in an effort to gain access to other high-level government officials, and Elon Musk has expressed interest in starting his own political party.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and Sam Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode #501 of the In the Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and participate in the live chat!

On this special 500th episode of the In The Tank Podcast, the team takes a look at Culture -- from pop culture like movies, to broader American cultural trends like national pride. Is the dominant left-wing culture finally on its way out? Or are recent flops just a a hiccup in some eternal progressive march? Should conservatives even participate to try to influence it, or is it a lost cause?

The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, Sam Karnick, as well as our special guest--the ever-popular Donald Kendal, will discuss all of this and more, on Episode #500 of the In the Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and participate in the show in the live chat!

Riots are once again breaking out in California, all the way to Chicago and East coast cities. The National Guard is on the streets of LA to handle violent protests against ICE, and it seems there is evidence that these multi-day protests are anything but organic. Similar protests are planned around the country this weekend, attempting to counter a military showcase parade President Trump has planned for the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army. The media can't be trusted to cover it fairly, which leads to our next question: is the "knowledge" economy falling apart? The mainstream news media, academia, and scientific establishment are rapidly losing credibility in the eyes of the average person, and it may be well deserved.

Turning our eyes abroad, Trump says he struck a deal with China on trade, we'll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly -- and the UK's Labour Party recently levied taxes that resulted very quickly in a nice demonstration of the Laffer Curve, ending in less government income rather than more.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick will cover all of this and more on episode Episode #498 of the In the Tank Podcast.

SHOW NOTES:

Topic #1

Combining the main topic and Unhinged, we have the Riots! 

https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/california-pumped-tens-of-millions

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-defends-national-guard-la-deployments-says-ice-agents-must-be-protected

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5341670-fetterman-condemns-violent-protests-la/

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/massive-no-king-protest-planned-in-more-than-1500-us-cities-to-counter-trumps-june-14-parade-10-points/articleshow/121730782.cms?from=mdr 

Topic #2

"The Knowledge System Collapses"

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ten-warning-signs

Topic #3

US-China Trade Deal

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-trade-talks-resume-second-day-2025-06-10/

Topic #4

Labour Taxes Backfire

https://removepaywalls.com/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/labour-ideological-attack-private-schools-backfiring/