Heartland Daily Podcast

During COVID, power‑mad government officials around the globe shut down society to protect us from a contagious virus that killed a small percentage of those who got it. Restaurants, parks, and beaches were closed. Gatherings larger than what could fit in a phone booth were canceled. They even told us not to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones for “the greater good.”Today, power‑grabbers in Canada are banning hikers from the woods in the Maritimes and imposing enormous fines on those who dare set foot in their own public forests. Why? Because of the Canadian wildfires. And this kind of madness is just the beginning.Join The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely — along with special guest Matthew Wielicki — to discuss the coming Climate Lockdowns. We will also cover some of the crazy climate news of the week, including rap music being used to raise climate awareness among the illiterate in Pakistan, the continued blackballing of non‑alarmist climate scienti

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

How did Minnesota’s Medicaid program balloon from $2.5 million to $104 million today?Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News, and Devon Herrick of the Goodman Institute Health Blog as they discuss how fraud in two programs—both aimed at addressing non-medical “social determinants” of health care—has contributed to this explosive growth.Also in the show: the troubling connection between untreated mental illness and the recent wave of violence and murder-suicides across the country, including incidents in Michigan, New York City, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas, between July 28 and August 11.Why weren’t these individuals in institutional care?Should privacy laws be loosened so extended families can better monitor and help their loved ones?Can Medicaid be revised to provide more flexibility for substance abuse and mental health treatment?Should we investigate the link between marijuana use and psychosis?Helpful resources include the Treatment Advocacy Center and the discussion of outpatient civil

A “1,000-year flood.” The hottest temperatures ever recorded! Wildfires “everywhere.” The legacy media and social platforms can’t stop peddling sensational “climate p0rn” — fear-based stories designed to shock, not inform. But behind the dramatic headlines lies a far different reality. This week, we pull back the curtain and show you the hard facts the alarmists leave out.The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, and Jim Lakely dive into Crazy Climate News of the Week:

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/metalsCHAPTERS00:00 Intro5:01 Sam Altman's AI Nightmare Coming True?20:37 The Age of Trump46:30 The Federalization of Washington, DC58:28 Texas Redistricting and Gavin Newsom In T

CThis is a historic week—historically catastrophic for climate alarmists who have bullied their way through every institution in the United States and around the world. Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency formally announced, at long last, that it will repeal the so-called “Endangerment Finding” for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The EPA has determined that GHGs are not pollution and that their emissions from human activity do not pose a threat to human health. On the same day, Trump’s Department of Energy released a “critical review of impacts of GHG emissions on the U.S. climate.” This marks the first time ever that a climate report from the federal government can withstand scientific scrutiny, as it is based on actual science and data rather than politics or any particular agenda.The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely will be joined by Dr. Judith Curry, president of Climate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN). Dr. Curry is one of America's m

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

The International Court of Justice at the United Nations this week ruled that failing to take poverty-creating “appropriate action to protect the climate system” — meaning ending the use of life-giving fossil fuels — could open nations to being hauled before a global tribunal to answer for their crimes. As a trio of climate attorneys wrote in The New York Times, “continuing fossil fuel production and use, let alone expanding it, violates the law.” We’ll see about that.But this development is just the latest in a long line of legal actions trying to enforce climate communism, even as more and more countries reject it.The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and our special guest Daren Bakst — director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute — will also cover some of the breaking and Crazy Climate News of the Week from around the world.Thanks to Trump, those gasoline cans everyone hates will no longer be mandatory. We now have

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

The two most important members of the Trump administration reversing years of climate alarmism and junk science in public policy have been crushing it in media appearances. Alarmist outlets like CNN are on the defensive, left with little to say after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright finish with them. Never before have both public policy and public messaging been this coordinated and effective at pushing back against the alarmist narrative. We’ll break it all down.The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and special guest Steve Milloy of JunkScience.com will also cover some of the Crazy Climate News of the Week: Greta Thunberg’s Sweden is backing away from its climate-fighting commitments (with other European countries soon to follow), global warming supposedly makes kids dumber, the carbon footprint of heart surgery is now a “big concern,” and the National Academy of Sciences is throwing a Hail Mary to save the Endangerment Finding for

In Episode 180 of Ill Literacy, Tim Benson talks with David Zweig, author ofAn Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions. Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by David Zweig to discuss his latest book, An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions. They chat about how everyone from journalists to eminent health officials repeatedly made fundamental errors in their assessment and presentation of evidence regarding COVID and the closing of American schools, and how there was never any evidence that long-term school closures, nor a host of interventions imposed on students when they were in classrooms, would reduce overall cases or deaths in any meaningful way. Get the book here: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262549158/an-abundance-of-caution/ Show Notes: The Atlantic: David Zweig – “The Disaster of School Closures Should Have Been Foreseen” City Journal: James B. Meigs – “What Were We Thinking?” Commentary: Noam Blum – “School’s Out Forever” 

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. is clamping down on removing organs from patients declared “brain dead.” Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News and Devon Herrick, of the Goodman Institute Health Blog  to find out starting new facts on, as well as the latest headlines in health care from a free market perspective. Also on tap, Minnesota is encouraging moms on Medicaid to deliver babies at home, what happened to hormone replacement therapy for women? Will FDA Commissioner Martin Makary take steps to make it more available? Sen. Josh Hawley wants to repeal limits on Medicaid provider taxes to keep rural hospitals afloat, states are suing to stop ICE from using Medicaid data to enforce immigration laws, and is being a doctor today a job or a calling? Devon explains what has changed over the years. In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The Tank Crew. Be sure to subscribe and

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!

Losing the 2000 election was the best thing to happen to Al Gore. He has since become insanely wealthy and admired around the world by peddling climate alarmism. Hollywood gave him an Oscar for his fictitious documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and (like Michael Mann) he claims to be a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his environmental activism.Yet despite trillions of dollars in propaganda, there’s a sign that Gore’s message of doom is in big trouble: He gave a TED Talk attacking “climate realists” by name. That’s BIG, folks—it shows that the truth, the data, and reality are winning.The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and our special guest Lois Perry, director of Heartland UK/Europe, will cover some of the breaking and crazy climate news of the week from around the world.Antarctica is gaining ice, defying the predictions of climate doomers. A BBC presenter is worried that climate scientists might be a monolithic ideological bloc. An environmental protection charit

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! In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The Tank Crew. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode. See you there!Climate Change Roundtable is LIVE every Friday at 12pm CT on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Have a topic you want addressed? Join

What is next in the fight to manage waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid now that the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is law?  Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News and Devon Herrick, of the Goodman Institute Health Blog as they discuss the latest headlines in health care from a free market perspective. Will there be an effort to make states more financially responsible for their Medicaid programs outside the OBBB?  How will states manage Medicaid work requirements and will work requirements ultimately eliminate Medicaid waste? Also, it appears Congress is ready to tackle  “site neutral payments” under Medicare, the latest Supreme Court decisions impacting “Medicaid Provider of Choice” and required preventative screenings under the Affordable Care Act. And, did the 2020 No Surprises Act make an impact in surprise medical bills and balance billing? Plus, health savings account expansion and what this means to patients. In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartlan

The tragedy on the Guadalupe River in Texas is as shocking and sad as it gets. A flash flood took the lives of at least 100 people, including many children, at a popular Christian summer camp held in the floodplain. Climate alarmists and ghoulish politicians were quick to blame both climate change and budget and staffing cuts by President Trump for the loss of life.The truth is, the federal agency responsible for issuing flash flood warnings did its job and confirmed it had sufficient staffing. Flash floods are a regular occurrence in the Texas Hill Country, with that very same floodplain experiencing a similar tragedy in the 1980s. The attempts to politicize this tragedy and use it to advance the climate agenda are disgusting and wrong.On episode #164 of The Climate Realism Show, we bring you the facts.The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely will also cover some of the Crazy Climate News of the Week with special guests Myron Ebell and Steve Milloy.What changes

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! In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The

Welcome to another episode of the Heartland Daily Podcast, where Ann Marie Sheber and healthcare economist Devon Herrick unpack this week’s biggest developments in health policy:

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! In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The Tank Crew. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode. See you there!Climate Change Roundtable is LIVE every Friday at 12pm CT on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Hav