Episodes
![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!
![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!
![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!

Sunday Aug 29, 2021
8/30/21 - Pandemic of the Radio Hosts
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Lila’s book is in stores now. You should buy it.
2. Hurricane Ida: Just the kind of disrespectful hurricane that chose to come in the middle of a pandemic as opposed to...literally any other time.
3. Recall update: Idiots abound. Vote no.
4. No one wants everyone to be evicted from their homes more than SCOTUS.
5. Covid is now a pandemic of the radio hosts
6. Infrastructure Season: Everybody has claimed victory and yet nobody has won anything yet.
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 15, 2021
#8/16/21 - Scream Into The California Void
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Definitely vote no on the Newsom recall but it’s okay to scream into the void while you do it
2. Democrats actively looking to lose the Senate with new slate of candidates
3. Turns out Democrats did understand the spirit of Trump’s infrastructure week after all.
4. Andrew Cuomo becomes the latest victim of Andrew Cuomo
5. The world is completely falling apart, but at least white people are on the decline
6. Things not working out for 20 years in Afghanistan have surprisingly turned into a continuation of things not working out in Afghanistan
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!
![6/22/21 - The Dem Consensus on Consensus [w/ guest Kat Calvin (@KatCalvinLA)]](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/ep-logo/pbblog456765/IMG_0920_300x300.jpg)
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Kat Calvin (@KatCalvinLA) is in the studio to tell you why we can’t have a Dem consensus on Voter ID that involves...having Voter ID. [Go share her twitter thread about it!]
2. Democrats are bad at power: an exposé
3. The latest on infrastructure season is that it is now infrastructure year. We will never have an infrastructure deal. Get a new hobby.
4. The NYC Mayor’s race is ending in the same chaotic fashion it started: with headlines about Andrew Yang
5. Rhode Island: A non-surprising place to find an all-white country club
6. Happy Father’s day to all, including the sad men crashing weddings and funerals just for the attention while they work as unpaid hotel concierges at tacky resorts in Florida!
Also:
CALL YOUR REPS. ABOUT EVERYTHING. Make this number your profile picture. Tweet it every day. Add it to your phonebook:
Capitol Hill Main Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
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 Jun 13, 2021
6/14/21 - Emu Crime
Sunday Jun 13, 2021
Sunday Jun 13, 2021
In Which We Discuss:
1. Thankfully Tiktok will live on under the Biden administration because there are emus committing crimes out there.
2. Terry McAuliffe is still here. Why?
3. World leaders donated money to telling developing nations about technology they can’t afford.
4. Kamala Harris is a woman, so yes, she will only be given tasks she can fail at
5. Infrastructure month has officially turned into infrastructure season
6. Israel elected new impossible person to lead their impossible government
Also:
CALL YOUR REPS. ABOUT EVERYTHING. Make this number your profile picture. Tweet it every day. Add it to your phonebook:
Capitol Hill Main Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
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!