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
Sunday Oct 19, 2025
Sunday Oct 19, 2025
This week, we’re live in the shutdown trenches reporting on a good 2% of the news that’s happened since you last heard from us. (And also the NYC Mayor’s race!)
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!
Monday Jul 28, 2025
Monday Jul 28, 2025
In Which We Discuss:
1. How many times are we going to get breaking news that this guy is in the Epstein files, a thing we’ve known in our hearts since thinking itself was invented?
2. At long last, Barack Obama has finally been told about the crisis in Gaza!
3. Trump health controversy leads us to discover shocking news: Mitch McConnell is still alive and still in the senate.
4. Democrats so bad at their jobs that voters now trust Republicans more on TARIFFS.
5. New York City primary results leave Andrew Cuomo in a high school lunchroom nightmare scenario
6. If fraud is allowed now, why is George Santos the only Republican without a pardon?
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 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
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Monday Jun 17, 2024
In Which We Discuss:
1. Sadly Donald Trump is not yet a political prisoner! If only.
2. GOP frustrated that the Hunter Biden conviction they’ve long sought is now here.
3. First presidential debate shaping up to be more physical comedy than content.
4. Democrats mysteriously unbothered by spooky parallels to ‘68 Chicago convention.
5. Did Donald Trump commit 34 felonies to get out of going to Milwaukee for the GOP Convention?
6. Imagine how many trips Doug Burgham would get to take to the border if he was Trump’s VP pick!
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 May 19, 2024
Sunday May 19, 2024
In Which We Discuss:
1. MMT: Now you don’t have to read the book. (But you should!)
2. To celebrate his 80th, Rudy Giuliani was served birthday cake and birthday indictment papers.
3. Democracy is not, in fact, on the ballot in New York State care of the state Dems.
4. Democrats shocked at 700th poll showing Joe Biden losing battleground states.
5. The Trump Trial strategy can’t rely on jurors trusting Michael Cohen as a non-liar. We know he’s a liar. Work around it.
6. Samuel Alito’s wife: Just another SCOTUS spouse working to overthrow the government.
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 Mar 24, 2024
Sunday Mar 24, 2024
In Which We Discuss:
1. There’s been elections. Lots of elections. We’ll tell you about them.
2. Republicans continue to flee the scene of the crime.
3. Everytime a new government funding bill passes, a new GOP speaker gets their wings.
4. Democrats try to make a splashy announcement, seem unaware that everybody else denounced Netanyahu twenty years ago.
5. Like the collection of old foggety people that it is, Congress sets its sights on banning fun next.
6. The return of George Santos, queen of the return.
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!
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. The House now “formally” working on a fake impeachment case
2. More people are leaving Congress due to self-inflicted embarrassment
3. Why was there another GOP Debate? An important question you will not be hearing an answer to on this podcast.
4. New Iowa poll leaves us wondering, why are we even still doing new Iowa polls?
5. SCOTUS to decide specifically on whether America is a failed state
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 Dec 03, 2023
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Henry Kissinger is dead, and not even his dear friend Hillary Clinton offered a statement.
2. George Santos can finally move into his next stage of D-List celebrity.
3. Ron DeSantis is the latest GOP figure to proudly announce he’s carrying pornography on his person.
4. Democrats in Florida move ahead with their plan to save democracy by…eliminating elections.
5. Why are there so many ophthalmologists in congress?
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 Nov 19, 2023
Sunday Nov 19, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Latest election results prove one important thing: People want Republicans to stay out of their damn business.
2. “In a fight, I’m gonna bite,” is a real quote you could only get from a real US Senator named Markwayne.
3. Santos begins preparation for his prison and reality television tour.
4. Jill Stein is back to haunt democratic nightmares once again.
5. Tim Scott will now have all the time in the world to spend with his “very nice,” very real girlfriend.
6. Trump’s hatred of windmills takes center stage at criminal trial focused on financial misdeeds.
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 Nov 05, 2023
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. The Brain Trust Live 2023 Super Bowl (i.e. Election Day) is this Tuesday
2. Polls reveal that Biden is not just too old, he’s also bad at his job
3. This week we find out if Donald Trump actually loves Eric
4. The George Santos expulsion vote failed, and thank God for that
5. Mike Johnson is committing tax fraud. Ask us how we know.
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!