Episodes

Sunday Oct 16, 2022
10/17/22 - Just Not That Smart
Sunday Oct 16, 2022
Sunday Oct 16, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Our prop guide will be in your inbox this week!
2. LA managed to snag the lead story in the New York Times last week which shows just how big a catastrophe the city council was having
3. Catherine Cortez-Masto, the Julia Brownley of 2022
4. In the wise words of Herschel Walker himself, he’s “just not that smart.”
5. Nancy Pelosi governs the same way she tears into a Slim Jim
6. Can somebody explain Elon Musk, Russia, and Twitter to us please? We’re not interested enough to research it.
Other Updates:
Ballots are on their way and our prop guide is coming soon! Drop us a line at braintrustapproved@gmail.com to join out prop guide email list.
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.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's new podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!

Monday Aug 29, 2022
8/29/22 - Against All Odds, Rights Matter
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Monday Aug 29, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. According to primary voters, taking away women’s fundamental rights does, in fact, matter to people.
2. It’s clear people don’t really understand how student loans work.
3. White House twitter is looking to add some special New Jersey flavor.
4. Virginia tricks itself into banning gas cars in 2035.
5. Donald Trump announces his new memoir will contain all the nuclear codes.
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.
Plus, subscribe to Lila's new podcast, What Can I Do, wherever you get your podcasts!

Sunday Jul 31, 2022
8/1/22 - Pulling a McConnell on McConnell
Sunday Jul 31, 2022
Sunday Jul 31, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Somehow the entire executive branch is a part of the “small minority” of people who experience Paxlovid rebound. But don’t worry, we “have the tools.”
2. Former New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang is inexplicably teaming up with New York’s Public Enemy #1
3. Fetterman is trolling his way to the top of the polls
4. The call for climate reform is literally coming from inside the house!
5. Manchin and Schumer pull a fast one on Mitch McConnell and the political blowback is wild
6. The J6 Season Finale was viewed by all, and specifically not enjoyed by Josh Hawley
7. MedBeds: 2022’s best conspiracy theory
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

Sunday Jul 17, 2022
7/18/22 - Master of the Self-Own
Sunday Jul 17, 2022
Sunday Jul 17, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. The West Wing fight, brought to you by Overstock.com
2. The next January 6th hearings are PRIMETIME, which means speculation, drama, and the most primetime of gossiping!
3. John Bolton, the mustache, the weasel, the man, is the master of the self-own
4. Joe Biden checks in with his fraternity bros in Saudi Arabia
5. We’re going to lose Congress for literally no reason whatsoever
6. Joe Manchin and the truth: A Trumpian tale
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

Sunday Jun 05, 2022
6/6/22 - Try Literally Anything
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Does Pride Month belong to straight people now? A research-free exposé!
2. It’s shooting city out there, so naturally our representatives are back to begging us for help.
3. Alaska is looking to one-up CA’s chaotic primary process…and succeeding!
4. We’re pretty sure we attended the last Iowa Caucus.
5. Biden White House baffled by sad polling numbers as Americans face numerous predictable and solvable crises.
6. Democrats find unity on student debt cancellation: Everybody hates the White House plan.
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

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

Sunday Sep 19, 2021
9.21.21- No Takeaways
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. 9/11 is over, but you can still buy Lila’s book, Some Kids Left Behind.
2. The main correct takeaway from the CA Recall is that money was wasted and there’s nothing to learn from it.
3. Everybody is trying to leave the Senate
4. Losing statewide office once is one of the ways to get yourself onto a ballot for statewide office in Texas.
5. Infrastructure season update: lol.
6. Joe Biden, just like last time he was in the Executive Branch, is not afraid to deport you.
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!

Sunday Aug 22, 2021
8/22/21 - Vote NO
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Lila’s book comes out on TUESDAY AUGUST 24th. Get a copy.
2. If you’re in California, you already have your ballot and you only have to answer one question so voting NO on the recall couldn’t be easier.
3. Prop 22 is as illegal and ridiculous as it sounded.
4. Say it with us: Bush officials are not experts in Afghanistan, they are the opposite of that.
5. The COVID booster shots are coming.
6. Which is a good thing because there’s a post-vax Senate outbreak is in process.
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!

Monday May 24, 2021
5/24/21 - 400th Episode Extravaganza
Monday May 24, 2021
Monday May 24, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Having proved himself a terrible senator, we’re now seeing why Rand Paul didn’t hack it in the medical field either.
2. Joe Biden loves to compromise so much, he’s decided to do it with himself
3. The squad is finally coordinating with each other! Just maybe not in the way you’d hope
4. Turns out one way to end a war is for everybody to declare victory at once and avoid specifics.
5. Abortions: Men and Amy Coney Barrett don’t want you to have them.
6. In further proof that the space/time continuum is busted, it’s time to start talking about elections again!
Congrats to the winners of our anniversary trivia game, The Buttons!
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!

Sunday Aug 16, 2020
BTL #363 - Massachusetts: Who Knew? - 8/17/20
Sunday Aug 16, 2020
Sunday Aug 16, 2020
In Which We Discuss:
1. Become a Vote Captain, sign up to be a poll worker, and offer ballot pick-ups in your community.
2. All that suspense was for nothing in Joe Biden’s veepstakes saga
3. The DNC lineup leaves us wondering how you protest at a virtual convention
4. Another squad member “survives” a 20 point victory
5. Massachusetts: Who knew?
6. QAnon is headed to Congress!
Brain Trust Live is Lila Nordstrom and Brent Thornburg's look at the week in electoral and political news. Join the millions of quarantiners, helicopters, 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!