Episodes

Sunday Apr 03, 2022
4/4/22 - GOP Obsessions
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. New York is the only place on earth insane enough to continually come for Amazon…and win.
2. Trump’s phone logs - or lack thereof - are the latest in his ongoing quest to one-up Richard Nixon.
3. The White House is very concerned about the effect of inflation on the defense budget, not as concerned about it impacting your ability to eat.
4. Known liar Madison Cawthorn finally gets in trouble for telling an absolutely unbelievable story that’s…probably his first true one.
5. The KBJ SCOTUS hearings prove once again that the GOP cannot think of anything other than child pornography.
6. America’s least-favorite slam poet is ready to bring crazy sentence syntax back to Washington.
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!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind
![3/1/22 - LA Needs A Mayor [w/ guest Chris Melody Fields Figueredo of BISC]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Monday Feb 28, 2022
3/1/22 - LA Needs A Mayor [w/ guest Chris Melody Fields Figueredo of BISC]
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Monday Feb 28, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Our guest Chris Melody Fields Figueredo of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center joins us to talk props and progressive policy!
2. The LA Mayor’s race update you forgot you needed!
3. And the Love is Blind recap that you knew you needed
4. Joe Biden finally delivers on a campaign promise in appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson to SCOTUS
5. In all this week’s excitement, you probably forgot about the SOTU. It’s today!
6. What a dick move to start a war right now, two years into a pandemic. People haven’t even gone to their first party yet!
Find the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) Online:
Twitter: @BallotStrategy
Instagram: @BallotStrategy
Web: www.ballot.org
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!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind
![1/31/22 - More Binders Full of Women [w/ guest Kat Calvin]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
1/31/22 - More Binders Full of Women [w/ guest Kat Calvin]
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Our long-promised guest Kat Calvin is finally here!
2. Biden is collecting his own binders full of women for Breyer’s soon-to-be-open SCOTUS seat.
3. After 36 years of single handedly saving democracy, Pelosi assures us she will run again!
4. We incepted the San Jose Mayor to try gun insurance and couldn’t be more excited!
5. The Olympics are here, so you can finally experience the splendor of living through the Golden Age of Ice Dancing TM.
6. Of course the Bidens are cat people.
Find Kat and Her Work Online:
- Kat on Social: @katcalvinla
- Subscribe to Kat's Newsletter
- Spread The Vote (@spreadthevoteus on social)
- Project ID Action Fund (@projectidus on social)
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!
And, as always, you can buy and review Lila's book here: Some Kids Left Behind

Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
1/19/22 - Veep is Supposed to Be a Parody
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Extremism, according to Joe Manchin, is you voting.
2. As you bemoan Biden’s bad week last week, the one thing that should give you solace is that this is the 52nd bad week of his term.
3. Note to Kamala Harris and all future Vice Presidents: Veep is a parody.
4. 2024 is shaping up to have…the same primary as 2020?
5. Eric Adams is not even good at nepotism.
Brain Trust Live is (still) 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!
![1/10/22 - Thanks, Teachers! [w/ guest Carissa Byrne Hessick]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Jan 09, 2022
1/10/22 - Thanks, Teachers! [w/ guest Carissa Byrne Hessick]
Sunday Jan 09, 2022
Sunday Jan 09, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Carissa Byrne Hessick joins us to talk about her book Punishment Without Trial: Why Plea Bargaining is a Bad Deal.
2. COVID is everywhere thanks to…teachers?
3. Jobs: You can now even do them with COVID!
4. Voting: What if we could protect your ability to do it
5. Chris Matthews and Hillary Clinton chime in with a message from the bunker.
6. Madison Cawthorn ends his marriage to a Crossfit Influencer who may or may not be a Russian spy.
* Follow Carissa on Twitter: @CBHessick
* Buy Carissa's Book: Punishment Without Trial: Why Plea Bargaining is a Bad Deal
* Buy Lila's Book: Some Kids Left Behind
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!

Sunday Nov 28, 2021
11/29/21 - The Thanksgiving Conspiracy Spectacular!
Sunday Nov 28, 2021
Sunday Nov 28, 2021
It’s a Thanksgiving conspiracy spectacular!! (Aaaaaaand…we were too lazy to write the rest of the rundown.) So buckle up, because we’ll have that and so much more!
Get a booster so you too can record a podcast in the same room as your co-host!
Brain Trust Live is (still) 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!
![11/22/21 - You Should Run For Office [w/ guest Amanda Litman]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Nov 21, 2021
11/22/21 - You Should Run For Office [w/ guest Amanda Litman]
Sunday Nov 21, 2021
Sunday Nov 21, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Amanda Litman from Run For Something tells us why YOU should run for office!
2. Call in the brass band: We signed a bill! Turns out it is still physically possible to sign those.
3. A sprawling bill that will help all americans is now headed to the senate where it will die because of…the price of milk?
4. World War II swim meets, Jimmy Carter’s sweaters, and other missives from Kevin McCarthy’s 9 hour speech.
5. The legal system is broken beyond repair. That’s it. That’s what we have to say about that.
6. Kamala Harris becomes the first female president due to a colonoscopy...in her defense, that’s just as legitimate as the electoral college.
Follow Amanda on Twitter: @amandalitman
Learn more about Run for Something: runforsomething.net
Run for Office: runforwhat.org
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!
![11/8/21 - The Congressional MLM Caucus [w/ guest Laura Packard]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
11/8/21 - The Congressional MLM Caucus [w/ guest Laura Packard]
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Laura Packard is here to talk healthcare and Build Back Better!
2. To the surprise of zero hosts of this podcast, Terry McAuliffe was not the best candidate for Virginia governor
3. The BIF passed, the BBB needs the CBO. Is it DOA?
4. Nobody saw Australia emerging as the supervillan of this week’s climate summit
5. Last month's jobs numbers are great or terrible, depending on whether you’re Brent or Lila
6. Nothing has ever made more sense than Krysten Sinema’s ties to MLM
Learn More About Laura:
Follow Laura on Twitter: @lpackard
Follow Laura on Instagram: @laurapackardactivist
Follow Healthcare Voter on Twitter: @HealthCareVoter
Check Out Laura's Recent Op-Ed in Business Insider
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!

Sunday Oct 31, 2021
11/1/21 - When Dad Bods Take Europe
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Your kids can finally get microchipped
2. Biden’s plan to brag to Europeans about his fifth rate social safety net proposals are dashed
3. What’s left in BBB? We’ll go over the very short list
4. Terry McAuliffe is not using his prodigious fundraising skills to buy good ideas in Virginia
5. Redistricting is upon us, so expect a bunch of Congresspeople to suddenly leave office for “principled” reasons
6. In the year of our lord 2021, “dad bod” has finally made it into the dictionary
Get a vaccine so you too can record a podcast in the same room as your co-host!
Brain Trust Live is (still) 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!
![10/25/21 - Zebras on the Loose [w/ guest Tatenda Musapatike]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
10/25/21 - Zebras on the Loose [w/ guest Tatenda Musapatike]
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Tatenda Musapatike talks voting, Real Housewives, and Dem strategy
2. Infrastructure Update: Just…what?
3. Voting rights is filibuster reform. Everything is filibuster reform.
4. Joe Biden wants you to want to pay your student loans
5. A sentence we never thought would be necessary to say: India Walton is not David Duke
6. Apparently the solution to zebras on the loose is…more zebras on the loose
Follow Tatenda on Twitter and Instagram: @TatendaCheryl
Follow Voter Formation Project: @VoterFormation
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!