A totally genius analysis of the week’s political news from two certified brains. Ready to resist, progressive AF. Podcast posted weekly since 2012.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
In Which We Discuss:
1. Crowd math is not math, it’s a vibe.
2. There’s no such thing as pointless activism.
3. Maybe Democrats never do the WORST version of the thing, but why are they so complicit in the thing?
4. Can Democrats not put us in the position of having to agree with Tucker Carlson?
5. Are you in NYC? Vote for Mamdani! Elect fun people with ideas!
6. Speaking of ideas, you can have them too!
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of chirping birds, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's other podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!
Sunday Nov 03, 2024
Sunday Nov 03, 2024
🚨ELECTION DAY IS TOMORROW, NOVEMBER 5th!!! Need help with your CA ballot? Looking for a breakdown of the props? Check out the BTL CA Prop Guide: https://tinyurl.com/CApropguide2024 🚨
In Which We Discuss:
1. What do you do when the one outlier poll is the most respected state pollster in the nation?
2. Newspapers are afraid of Trump. Is it possible pollsters are too?
3. Early vote continues to tell us…that a lot of people are early voting and little else.
4. Brain Trust Live Exclusive: We’re not doing “election week” this year.
5. Trump closing argument: I can be even more orange than I was in 2020.
6. Kamala’s closing argument: Your vote is secret and vibing together is fun.
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's other podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your
Sunday Oct 27, 2024
Sunday Oct 27, 2024
In Which We Discuss:
1. Early voting numbers. We’ve got ‘em, and we don’t know what they mean! (Don’t worry, nobody does.)
2. The Trump Nazi Rally adds insult to injury by denying New Yorkers their daily bagel run.
3. Harris’ ability to stay on message in front of television cameras is expiring.
4. Beyhive and KHive finally become one.
5. Latest debacle at LA Times and Washington Post are pretty excellent reasons for doing away with billionaires.
6. Trump’s Rogan interview reminds us that at his core, he’s really just a mediocre entertainer.
ALSO, need help with your CA ballot? Looking for a breakdown of the props? Check out the BTL CA Prop Guide: https://tinyurl.com/CApropguide2024
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's other podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
Sunday Oct 20, 2024
In Which We Discuss:
1. Early voting is happening and you should do it!
2. How is it possible that we haven’t left Elon Musk on the moon yet?
3. Donald Trump would like you to know something about Arnold Palmer.
4. Jon Tester’s opponent either got shot in a gunfight in Afghanistan, or shot himself with a pistol while visiting a national park. Just depends who you ask.
5. Control of the senate is within the margin of error.
6. Despite what you see in today’s news, Donald Trump still technically hasn’t worked at a McDonald’s.
Need help with your CA ballot? Looking for a breakdown of the props? Check out the BTL CA Prop Guide: https://tinyurl.com/CApropguide2024
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's other podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
In Which We Discuss:
1. Ben Softness, our resident legal expert, who is in no way representing the views of Alphabet Inc., joins us to discuss the recent Trump legal action. (Skip to 39:02 to start there)
2. Can we move on, as a people, from caring about Taylor Swift?
3. If a tree falls in the South Carolina primary, and no voters hear it, did an election actually occur?
4. Hot takes from a low stakes California senate candidate forum.
5. New potential immigration bill might be a paperwork nightmare for drug cartels.
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's new podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Feinstein commemorative memes are a cautionary tale for Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden.
2. A government shutdown has been averted…until it 100% happens in November.
3. Kevin McCarthy was shocked to be voted out after agreeing to be voted out at any moment.
4. Get excited for a six-way presidential race next fall!
5. Why is anybody agreeing to go to the GOP debates?
6. Are candidate Ron DeSantis’ makeup, 4 inch heels, and shapewear illegal in Florida thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis?
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's new podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. An exhaustive list of all 25 of the candidates who may or may not be running in the GOP presidential primary
2. No Labels is a Republican organization, but you probably knew that in your hearts
3. Ron DeSantis is a man who loves making us right
4. Iowa Republicans accidentally admit that elections should be national holidays
5. Barbie’s geopolitics and cartoon maps are a new area of concern for Republican lawmakers
If you'll be at Netroots Nation this weekend, come say hello!
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's other podcast, now in it's second season: What Can I Do.
Sunday Apr 23, 2023
Sunday Apr 23, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. GOP undercard debate shaping up to be just as crazy as we’d hoped.
2. Polls show nobody wants Trump or Biden to run so naturally it’s looking like Trump v. Biden in 2024.
3. Donld Trump admits to living in one of the “worst states.
4. Look out Joe Manchin! There’s a new coal baron in town.
5. Dianne Feinstein Retirement-Watch 2023 continues.
6. GOP’s massive successes are being celebrated…under the cover of darkness?
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's new podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!
Sunday Apr 02, 2023
Sunday Apr 02, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. You Guys! Where on earth is Mitch McConnell and is he still actually on earth?
2. Trump will have to be brought down by the very people who brought him to us: New Yorkers
3. Chris Christie harkens back to the heady days of his undercard debate glory
4. Joe Manchin and Joe Lieberman: Why didn’t we see the parallels sooner?
5. Ron DeSantis takes on the real government of Florida - Disney - and loses
6. Federal government picks an arbitrary end date to a pandemic that’s still very much ongoing
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of falling phones, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's new podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!
Sunday Feb 19, 2023
Sunday Feb 19, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Donald Trump is finally on the right side of history in his final choice for DeSantis nickname
2. The supposed moderates are entering the race, and they’re just as terrible as the fascists
3. Feinstein learns about her career’s most important announcement from the media, just like we all did
4. Updated UFO Score: Trillion $ American Military 1: $100 mylar balloon: 0. Take that balloon hobbyists!
5. If you suspect you’re in an environmental disaster, you probably are, even if the government is distracted by flying balloons.
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of quarantiners, sirens, helicopters, barking dogs, and computer beeps who love our podcast and tell your friends about BTL! Then rate us on iTunes or find us Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Stitcher, or Instagram!
As always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's other podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!