Episodes

Sunday Mar 19, 2023
3/20/23 - Mean Since 2003
Sunday Mar 19, 2023
Sunday Mar 19, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Trump looking forward to being arrested to jumpstart his lackluster campaign.
2. Marianne Williamson has been mean since at least 2003. What else do you have, Politico?
3. Santos takes a first step towards his potential second run.
4. Surprise: We’re in the KHive Now!
5. Nebraska legislature treated to a surprise retelling of the movie Madagascar.
6. Will the LAUSD strikers have the courage to burn garbage piles like the French?
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!
![2/13/23 - Space Cylinders [w/ Grant Sloss]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Feb 12, 2023
2/13/23 - Space Cylinders [w/ Grant Sloss]
Sunday Feb 12, 2023
Sunday Feb 12, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. The question of the week: Is it War of the Worlds or World War III?
2. Special Guest Grant Sloss Explains the SOTU
3. Man who tied dog to car has opinions about who’s moral enough to serve in Congress
4. It’s not just George Santos! More fake Jews arrive in Congress.
5. Ron DeSanctimonius channels Trump Steaks Presser vibes
About Grant Sloss:
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 Dec 11, 2022
12/12/22 - Happier Than Raphael Warnock
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Kevin De Leon first ruins city government, then ruins Christmas for LA families
2. The only person happier than Raphael Warnock about the Georgia runoff results was Herschel Walker
3. Newsflash: Kirsten Sinema had left the Democratic party long before this week
4. The Trump org is officially as guilty as we knew in our hearts they were
5. House passes marriage equality for everybody but polygamists
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 Nov 21, 2022
11/21/22 - Return to New Jersey
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Monday Nov 21, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Dr. Oz will not be a United States Senator from Pennsylvania OR his home state of New Jersey
2. Nancy Pelosi retires and takes up the mantle for glizzy gladiators everywhere
3. West Hollywood said no to Cory Matthews. Jury's still out on Mr. Feeny.
4. Donald Trump demoted to Florida Man meme by the New York Post
5. Senate ends COVID emergency amid exciting new COVID emergency
6. West Virginia defunds police by way of a giant sinkhole
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!
![7/11/22 - Permission To Have An Idea [w/ Carla Nordstrom]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
7/11/22 - Permission To Have An Idea [w/ Carla Nordstrom]
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Feeling helpless post Dobbs? Carla Nordstrom joins us with a list of action items that will help you sow the seeds of chaos!
2. Sri Lankans hold the pool party of the summer during their palace coup extravaganza! This is why you shouldn’t hold coups in January.
3. My baloney has a first name, it’s P-A-T-S-Y
4. Everything is the left’s fault. [End of Quote. Repeat the line.]
5. Democrats spend their primary season doing what they do best: Electing Republicans.
6. COVID. It’s on you.
Plus, find Carla's Girl Power playlist at the bottom of the post!
More from Carla Nordstrom: CBS News / Over 50 years ago this woman had an illegal abortion. Now, she's telling her story.
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
Carla Nordstrom's Girl Power Playlist:
I’m Just a Girl No Doubt
The Pill Loretta Lynn
You Don’t Own Me Lesley Gore
Girls Just Want to Have Fun Cindy Lauper
Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley
Respect Aretha Franklin
Not Ready to Make Nice The Dixie Chicks
9 to 5 Dolly Parton
Talking About a Revolution Tracy Chapman
Sisters are Doing it for Themselves Eurythmics
Independent Women Destiny’s Child
I am Woman Helen Reddy
Can’t Hold Us Down Christine Aguilera
Our Problem Amada Shires
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor

Sunday Jun 26, 2022
6/27/22 - The End of Roe/World Roundtable
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
We’re doing a roundtable about the end of Roe and…that’s basically it.
About Our Guests:
BEN SOFTNESS is an old friend of Lila’s who spent years as partner at a DC law firm, where he briefed half a dozen cases in the Supreme Court on issues of statutory and constitutional law. He’s the author of an article on how the Supreme Court is usually incrementalist and avoids seismic shifts in the law to protect its legitimacy —an article who's premise was recently disproven! He is also the reformed Republican from Lila’s book, Some Kids Left Behind, available wherever books are sold.
SASCHA MEISEL is a lawyer and friend of the pod who’s experience in campaign work and the law seemed relevant here. And also she’s Lila's personal lawyer b/c sometimes Lila gets into her car and cries until she gives her legal advice.
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 12, 2022
6/13/22 - It’s On You Right Now
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. The fact that it was a Cheney that argued the Jan 6 opening case is an absolutely bananas story point.
2. The gun violence issue has been left to Matthew McConaughey to solve, so we really are out of ideas.
3. We completed Step 1 of stopping Rick Caruso from being the mayor! (No thanks to the celebrity class.)
4. The anti-Biden 2024 whisper campaign is becoming a speaking-volume campaign.
5. COVID. It’s on you right now.
6. If things aren’t enough like a horror movie yet, THE MACHINES ARE COMING ALIVE.
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 May 22, 2022
5/23/22 - Let Them Eat Formula!
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 22, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Free ballot guides! Free ballot guides! DM us on Twitter if you want our free LA ballot guide!
2. There’s nothing like the sweet taste of learning that PA hates Connor Lamb as much as non-PA does.
3. Big primaries are coming up on Tuesday, including Cuellar/Cisneros.
4. NY’s new maps have led to Manhattan chaos!
5. Eric Adams claims he’s not thinking of running for president, but he’s also lying about living in NJ so do with that what you will.
6. Let them eat formula! But, like, really. Let them. Babies need food.
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 May 15, 2022
5/16/22 - Stupidity Week
Sunday May 15, 2022
Sunday May 15, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Protests should feel more like protests and less like guitar circles: A graduate thesis from Brain Trust Live.
2. Somehow Donald Trump missed the opportunity to endorse a pro-rape candidate in the PA primaries, and that seems like an oversight.
3. There’s nobody to vote FOR on the LA mayoral ballot, just people to vote against.
4. Biden had a prime stupidity week, but at least the deficit is going down.
5. Baby formula: Let’s find some.
6. Student Loans: Let’s cancel some.
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