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
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 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 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
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
Monday May 09, 2022
Monday May 09, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. It’s time to try to dream as big as Republicans.
2. Also, If you’re in line to protest at the homes of the SCOTUS judges, stay in line!
3. When Jen Psaki and Bill Kristol give you life advice, do the opposite.
4. If you’re going to pursue student loan forgiveness, try actually forgiving some loans.
BUT most importantly, you can do more than vote. Burn it down! Become ungovernable!
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 Mar 06, 2022
Sunday Mar 06, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Dakota Hall, ED at Alliance for Youth Action, joins us to talk about young voters, the SOTU, and more!
2. Joe Biden misread the mood of the American people as he jovially celebrated returning to the office during the SOTU. That’s right, he wants to send you to the place where your bosses are!
3. Cisneros and Cuellar head into a runoff in the Democrat’s bellwetheriest bellwether race.
4. Mask laws are ending, so get your noses ready for spring.
5. President Zelensky spoke for all of earth when he asked Rick Scott to please, finally, for the love of God, mute himself
Find the Alliance for Youth Action Online:
Twitter: @alliance4youth
Instagram: @allianceforyouthaction
Facebook: @AllianceforYouthAction
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 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
Monday Jan 24, 2022
Monday Jan 24, 2022
In Which We Discuss:
1. Gaby Goldstein from Sister District is here to talk midterms and the importance of building our bench at the state level.
2. Joe Manchin is teaching America a lesson about why you don’t negotiate with terrorists
3. Joe Biden proves once and for all that he’s mentally competent enough to be mentally incompetant for two full hours.
4. Are we at war with Russia? Can somebody call and let us know?
5. If the LAPD is the only source quoted in the article, it’s probably not news, it’s PR.
6. Japanese Snow Monkeys show us the path forward in 2022.
More From Our Guest:
* Follow Sister District on Twitter: @sister_district
* Find Sister District on the Web: https://sisterdistrict.com
* Follow Gaby on Twitter: @gaby__goldstein
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 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!
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!