>> CATHY: WE HAVE A FULL SHOW FOR YOU TONIGHT.

IN THE NEXT HOUR WE'LL TALK SPORTS WITH LARRY FITZGERALD AND THE NEWSHOUR'S FRED DE SAM LAZARO IS BACK WITH A PREVIEW OF HIS LEONARD PELTIER PROFILE.

AG COMMISSIONER THOM PETERSEN WILL EXPLAIN HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS HITTING MINNESOTA FARMERS.

>> ERIC: AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS WHERE WE START TONIGHT.

WE'VE HIT DAY TEN AND THE STALEMATE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., CONTINUES.

ANGELA GREILING KEANE IS THE BLOOMBERG GOVERNMENT NEWS DIRECTOR, WHICH MEANS SHE OVERSEES COVERAGE OF ALL THINGS POLITICAL IN THE NATION'S CAPITOL.

SHE'S ALSO A MINNESOTAN AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE HER HERE IN PERSON TONIGHT AS SHE IS HOME VISITING FAMILY.

GREAT TO SEE YOU.

WHAT'S THE CENSUS ON WHO'S GOING TO BLINK FIRST ON THE SHUTDOWN?

>> IT'S NOT LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SOON.

WE WERE PREPARED TO HAVE OUR JOURNALISTS STAY THIS WEEKEND, THE SENATE'S TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE SENATE IS COMING BACK ON TUESDAY, AND THE HOUSE IS SET TO BE OUT.

SPEAKER JOHNSON IS NOT BRINGING HIS MEMBERS BACK, HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MINORITY LEADER IN THE HOUSE, SAID TODAY THAT HE IS BRINGING DEMOCRATS BACK, BUT, OF COURSE, DEMOCRATS ARE NOT IN POWER.

SO THEY ARE GOING TO BE THERE MOSTLY FOR SHOW TO KIND OF MAKE A POINT THAT REPUBLICANS ARE NOT THERE, BUT WE'RE KIND OF PREPARING TO BE IN FOR THE LONG HAUL.

>> Cathy: THE HOUSE HAS BEEN IN RECESS FOR ALMOST, WHAT, FOUR WEEKS?

>> YES.

>> Cathy: THERE'S THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE FROM ARIZONA AND THERE'S REFUSAL TO SEAT HER.

DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE EPSTEIN FILES?

>> MAYBE.

THE WOMAN FROM ARIZONA WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SHE WAS JUST ELECTED IN A SPECIAL ELECTION TO SUCCEED HER LATE FATHER.

SO SHE WANTED TO BE SWORN IN, SHE HAD PLANE TICKETS FOR HERSELF AND HER FAMILY TO COME TO D.C., EXPECTED SHE'D BE SWORN IN, BUT THE HOUSE HASN'T CONVENED.

THEY COULD TECHNICALLY SWEAR HER IN IN PRO FORMA SESSION, BUT UNLIKELY TO DO SO AND SHE WOULD BE A VOTE TO -- ONE MORE VOTE TRYING TO RELEASE MORE EPSTEIN FILES.

AND, SO, THAT ABSOLUTELY COULD BE A FACTOR, THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT.

>> Eric: IN THE SENATE, THE DEMOCRATS HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME VOTES.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT NOW?

THEY'RE PLAYING HARD BALL THIS TIME.

BACK IN MARCH IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, THEY DID NOT.

THEY DID COME TO AN AGREEMENT.

>> ORRECT.

WELL, THAT MARCH ACTION DID NOT WORK OUT SO WELL FOR CHUCK SCHUMER.

HE TOOK A LOT OF HEAT FROM HIS OWN PARTY.

HE'S ALSO UNDER PRESSURE FOR HIS AGE, FOR NOT STANDING UP ENOUGH IN GENERAL TO THIS ADMINISTRATION.

SO THE FACT THAT HE CAVED SO QUICKLY BACK IN MARCH, EVEN THOUGH HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE, OF COURSE, DID NOT ENDEAR HIM TO HIS BASE.

SO, HE WOULD LIKE TO RETAIN HIS POSITION IN LEADERSHIP, HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK THE SENATE, THAT WOULD BE HARD, BUT, NONETHELESS, THAT'S IS JOB, AND, SO, HE, BIGGER PICTURE, HAS NO POLITICAL INCENTIVE, REALLY, TO DO THIS TIME WHAT HE DID LAST TIME.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, I GUESS FEDERAL LAYOFFS STARTED TODAY.

THE PRESIDENT WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT.

I KNOW REPORTERS ARE SCRAMBLING TO FIND OUT HOW MANY -- >> 4,100.

YUP, I WAS TALKING WITH COLLEAGUES AT BATHROOM BERG LAW JUST BEFORE I CAME HERE, THERE WAS A COURT FILING THAT DISCLOSED THE NUMBER.

>> Cathy: 4,100, HOW CHAOTIC WILL NEXT WEEK BE IN WASHINGTON?

>> IT COULD BE.

REMEMBER THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD TENS OF THOUSANDS OF GOVERNMENT MPLOYEES CUT BY DOGE EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

WE HAD A BIG CHUNK TAKE THE FORK IN THE ROAD BUYOUT, IF YOU WILL, THAT TOOK EFFECT JUST, YOU KNOW, A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, ON OCTOBER 1st, THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO THIS IS ON TOP OF THOSE CUTS THAT HAVE ALREADY COMPOUNDED.

>> Cathy: DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE AS TO HOW GOVERNMENT IS FUNCTIONING?

>> NOT AS WELL AS IT WOULD, PROBABLY, IF THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE IN IT.

IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SAY HOLISTICALLY, BUT WE IN MANY OF OUR -- AND IS MANY OF OUR COMPETITORS, OF COURSE, ARE LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF GOVERNMENT CUTS.

WE HAD A STORY HIS WEEK BY OUR HEALTH REPORTER, ABOUT CHALLENGES TO THE ORGAN DONATION SYSTEM.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL SORTS F THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT THINK OF AS BEING RELATED TO FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT THEY ARE EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH GRANTS OR AUTHORIZATIONS AND SO ON.

SO THERE'S ALL SORTS OF TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECTS.

RIGHT NOW ABOUT 2/3 OF FEDERAL WORKERS ARE ACTUALLY WORKING BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER CONSIDERED, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, ESSENTIAL WORKERS OR THEY ARE WORKING ON PROGRAMS THAT ARE STILL FUNDED, DESPITE THE FEDERAL FUNDING HAVING LAPSED.

BUT THAT NUMBER WILL DECREASE IF THIS GOES ON LONGER.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT THE IMPRESSION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP, THE NATIONAL GUARD, PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, SHUTDOWN.

HIS HAND IS IN ALL OF THIS.

>> OF COURSE.

YES.

MIDDLE EAST, THERE'S ACTUALLY DEMOCRATIC PRAISE FOR HAVING HELPED REACH A DEAL THERE.

AND HE'S ANNOUNCED THIS EVENING THAT HE'S GOING TO GO TO CAIRO AND JERUSALEM EARLY NEXT WEEK.

HE WANTS TO BE THERE WHEN THE 20 HOSTAGES ARE RELEASED.

SO THAT'S CLEARLY A WIN.

HE'S FEELING GOOD ABOUT THAT.

AND SO ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE, OF COURSE, NOT ONLY IN THE U.S.

BUT AROUND THE WORLD.

SHUTDOWN AND NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS, THERE'S CLEARLY MUCH MORE DIVISION, NO CONSENSUS ON WHETHER THOSE THINGS ARE GOOD OR BAD, REALLY DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.

BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE ENERGIZING HIS BASE, MAYBE NOT THE SHUTDOWN IF IT GOES ON TOO LONG, BUT NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS, ABSOLUTELY.

NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN DEMOCRATICALLY LED CITIES ARE A WIN FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT AND OF COURSE A RALLYING POINT FOR DEMOCRATS ON THE OTHER SIDE.

>> Cathy: ANY CRACKS IN THE WALL WHEN IT COMES TO THE REPUBLICANS?

I'M THINKING MARJORY TAYLOR GREEN COMES TO MIND.

>> YEAH, ONE OF OUR REPORTERS INTERVIEWED HER WEDNESDAY.

THIS WAS AFTER SHE POSTED ON X, FORMERLY TWITTER, THAT SHE PERSONALLY HAS ADULT CHILDREN WHO WOULD BE FFECTED BY THE END OF THE TAX CREDITS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT FOR HEALTHCARE.

SO SHE POSTED A VERY LONG POST ABOUT HOW SHE THINKS -- WELL, SHOULDN'T SAY DEMOCRATS ARE RIGHT -- BUT EFFECTIVELY THINKS DEMOCRATS ARE RIGHT IN WANTING TO EXTEND THE TAX CREDITS.

SO, IN MY COLLEAGUE'S INTERVIEW WITH ER, SHE SAID- THTERVIEW WITH ER, SHE SAID- THATRVIEW WITH ER, SHE SAID- THAT, IEW WITH ER, SHE SAID- THAT, YOW WITH ER, SHE SAID- THAT, YOU WITH ER, SHE SAID- THAT, YOU KNTH ER, SHE SAID- THAT, YOU KNOW ER, SHE SAID- THAT, YOU KNOW, R, SHE SAID- THAT, YOU KNOW, SH SHE SAID- THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'HE SAID- THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S SAID- THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOAID- THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOTID- THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOTID- GOING TO VOTE TO END THE SHUTDOWN, BUT SHE DOES THINK THAT REPUBLICANS NEED TO JUMP ON THAT PIECE.

>> Eric: GREAT TO SEE YOU IN PERSON.

THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

>> GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

HAVE A GREAT TIME HERE.

>> Eric: THANKS.