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.

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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.

Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

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!

Visit our sponsor, ADVISOR METALS: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

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!

VISIT our sponsor: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

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!

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

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.