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 Apr 20, 2025
Sunday Apr 20, 2025
In Which We Discuss:
1. It’s our yearly Easter special! This year we learn the story of Jesus’s resurrection from leading biblical expert and improvisational essayist Marjorie Taylor Green!
2. Pete Hegseth: Still drunk texting war plans to his friends.
3. Chris Van Hollen is the one Democrat to try a stunt this week. Next week let’s aim for two!
4. Our hot take on private space travel.
5. An important general PSA: Have fun out there, guys!
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 Mar 30, 2025
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Turn off your push notifications - they're not helping you now. There's a major messaging and strategy challenge in front of us, and we're thinking through how to solve it.
Sunday Jun 30, 2024
Sunday Jun 30, 2024
It’s a June debate and SCOTUS season spectacular with special guest Ben Softness! (Plus the presidential pep talk you’ve been needing.)
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 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!
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Monday Oct 23, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Jim Jordan coaches the US House to its most embarrassing week in history
2. Recent Georgia plea deals leave us wonder, how many more times will we have to see the artwork of Trump standing next to Jesus in the courtroom before this is all over?
3. A gelato entrepreneur is running for president, because someone had to
4. Democracy in action: California will finally get to vote for a US Senator!
5. One (?) thing is sure: Kennedy either is or isn’t pulling votes from Trump and/or Biden. Or something.
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!
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. Joe the Plumber, the 2008 political symbol celebrated for his misunderstanding of tax laws, is dead at 49. He leaves behind a fully broken political system.
2. The Trump trial calendar is getting competitive!
3. Nikki Haley makes a stratospheric rise to fifth place and a higher single digit number in GOP post-debate polls.
4. It’s finally time to find out which 10 (and only 10 drugs) won’t send you into bankruptcy! Maybe!
5. Air travel is dangerous enough without being in Putin’s crosshairs.
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!
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Monday Aug 07, 2023
So much legal news, so little time! Our resident legal expert, Ben Softness, is back again with everything you need to know about the latest in this year's slew of Trump indictments. You won't want to miss our conversation about the Jack Smith, Trump's co-consipirators, his likely defense, Mike Pence's big opportunity, and more!
Follow Ben on Threads at @imsoftness!
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 Jul 30, 2023
Sunday Jul 30, 2023
In Which We Discuss:
1. If aliens are real, the real question is: What are they doing for me?
2. Doug Burgum inspires America with simple message: Cheating works!
3. The GOP Donor class abandons ship on Desantis and moves on to a newer, equally unappealing Governor.
4. Tim Scott’s campaign clearly watched too many episodes of Ozark.
5. Donald Trump? Nope, never heard of the man.
6. The gerontocracy had a bad week.
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.