NATIONAL POLITICS WILL BOOKEND THE HOUR.

>> CATHY: WE START WITH NATIONAL POLITICS.

THE RECORD 43-DAY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN HAS ENDED, BUT FULL RE-OPENING WILL TAKE SOME TIME AS SYSTEMS CATCH UP ON S.N.A.P.

PAYMENTS, FEDERAL WORKER PAYCHECKS AND MUCH MORE.

WITH THE RETURN OF CONGRESS, THERE IS ALSO RENEWED TALK OF THE EPSTEIN FILES.

AND I HAVEN'T EVEN MENTIONED ONGOING LITIGATION AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WINDING ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURTS.

DAVID SCHULTZ TEACHES POLITICAL SCIENCE AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT LAW PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST.

THOMAS.

WOW!

OKAY.

YEAH.

DEEP BREATH.

[ SIGHS ] >> Cathy: HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST, THOUGH?

AREN'T WE ACK IN THE FIRE BY JANUARY 30th OF THIS COMING YEAR?

>> WE ARE.

YOU WOULD HAVE AT LEAST THOUGHT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE SOME KIND OF CONTINUING RESOLUTION OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE PUSHED IT OUT, I WAS THINKING, AT LEAST OCTOBER, THE START OF THE NEW BUDGET YEAR OR SOMETHING THAT GETS THEM PAST THE 2026 ELECTIONS, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT AGAIN.

MY CALCULATION IS TWO TO THREE MONTHS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

NOT LONG ENOUGH, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE, LET'S SAY, THE POWER DYNAMICS AT ALL OR I'LL SAY THE ANGRY FEELINGS THAT THEY WALK AWAY WITH.

>> Cathy: TALK ABOUT THE ANGRY FEELINGS, TOO, THERE ARE SOME PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS WHO ARE JUST REALLY UNHAPPY ABOUT THE EIGHT SENATE DEMOCRATS WHO DECIDED TO VOTE WITH THE REPUBLICANS.

>> YEAH.

IT'S INTERESTING, TOO, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS THAT YOU HAD ABOUT A WEEK AGO THE DEMOCRATS DID WELL, THEY HAD A GREAT ELECTION, AND, SO, THE DEMOCRATS ARE THINKING, WE'VE GOT A VOICE, WE GOT A MESSAGE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS ARE EXCEEDINGLY UPSET, AND IN SOME SENSE, THE DEMOCRATS ARE ALMOST BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE, I DON'T KNOW, RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION AST YEAR AND AN INCREDIBLY DIVIDED PARTY, DIVIDED MESSAGING, AND INTERNAL FIGHTS.

>> Eric: SO WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF GETTING AN EXTENSION OF THOSE TAX SUBSIDIES FOR HEALTHCARE THROUGH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE?

>> I THINK PRETTY LOW.

ALTHOUGH WHAT'S INTERESTING HERE IS THAT THE DEMOCRATS, ESPECIALLY SCHUMER'S DEAL HE OFFERED LAST -- EARLIER THIS WEEK, ACTUALLY WAS A SMART DEAL FOR THE REPUBLICANS, THAT THEY TURNED DOWN ALSO, WHICH IS BASICALLY GET THE EXTENSIONS THROUGH THE 2026 ELECTIONS SO IT DOESN'T HIT THE FAN RIGHT NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.

SO INSTEAD, WHAT WINDS UP HAPPENING, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEWHAT OF A VICTORY FOR THE DEMOCRATS, WE'RE ALL SEEING OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS GO UP, THE DEMOCRATS HAVE THE ABILITY TO MESSAGE, SAY, THIS IS BECAUSE OF OF THE REPUBLICANS.

REPUBLICANS WOULD HAVE BEEN SMART, REALLY, TO PUSH IT DOWN THE LINE.

BUT ALSO, LET'S THINK ABOUT IT HERE, THIS IS A YEAR AWAY FROM THE ELECTIONS.

>> Eric: RIGHT.

>> WHO KNOWS HOW MANY DOZENS OF THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> Cathy: SO, REALLY, LONG TAILS TO HE FALLOUT IN TERMS OF THE FALLOUT THAT HAS -- THAT WE WILL SEE IN THE FUTURE?

WILL THIS WHOLE SITUATION HAVE LONG TAILS TO IT, THE SHUTDOWN?

>> WELL, WE KNOW IN THE PAST, USUALLY THE PARTY THAT'S BLAMED FOR IT PAYS SOME PRICE IN THE NEXT ELECTION.

HOWEVER, AGAIN, THIS IS A YEAR OUT, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT, STILL THE INFLATION, THE ECONOMY, I MEAN, THERE ARE DRUM BEATS OF WAR WITH VENEZUELA AT THIS POINT, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT YEAR.

AGAIN, THERE'S THE OLD ADAGE, ETERNITY IS FOREVER IN POLITICS.

IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THERE SOMEWHERE, THE QUESTION BECOMES, CAN THE DEMOCRATS OR THE REPUBLICANS, WHICHEVER PARTY IT IS, HOW GOOD ARE THEY GOING TO BE AT MESSAGE, GETTING THEIR MESSAGING ACROSS.

>> Eric: PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ORDERED THE DOJ TO LOOK INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOME PROMINENT DEMOCRATS AND JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

>> YES.

>> Eric: WHO'S ON THE BACK FOOT, WHO'S N THE FRONT FOOT?

WHAT ARE WE THERE?

>> OKAY.

TRUMP IS ON THE BACK FOOT AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF THE EMAILS THAT CAME OUT HIS WEEK BASICALLY COMMENTS BY EPSTEIN ABOUT TRUMP KNOWING CERTAIN THINGS.

NOW, EXACTLY WHAT E KNOWS, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, TODAY, IS THAT THERE'S SOME OF US, YOU KNOW, WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH THAT REMEMBER THE IDEA OF, WHAT, SPECIAL PROSECUTORS, THE IDEA THAT YOU DON'T LET THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATE ITSELF OR THE PRESIDENT.

YOU NEED SOMEBODY DISTINCT.

YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF DOING IT.

AND THIS IS THE PERFECT SITUATION BECAUSE NO NE'S GOING TO TRUST THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO DO AN INVESTIGATION OF TRUMP OR THE DEMOCRATS.

YOU WANT TO, AGAIN, TAKE IT OUT OF POLITICS.

WE LIT THAT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR LAW -- LET THAT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR LAW EXPIRE A QUARTER CENTURY AGO.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE SCENARIO YOU WANT TO HAVE.

>> Cathy: BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

>> YES.

YOU CAN'T TRUST THEM TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP.

YOU CAN'T TRUST THEM TO INVESTIGATE DEMOCRATS, BECAUSE, WHAT?

BONDI, ULTIMATELY, IS ACCOUNTABLE TO DONALD TRUMP.

SO YOU HAVE TO WONDER, MUCH IN THE SAME WAY THAT SOME OF US REMEMBER ARCHIBALD COX FROM A LONG LONG TIME GO, SOMEBODY WHO I ACTUALLY HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET AT ONE TIME, GETS FIRED BECAUSE, WHY?

HE'S GETTING TOO CLOSE TO NIXON, TO FIGURING OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, NIXON SAYS, YOU'RE GONE.

>> Cathy: LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THE TARIFFS WILL BE ROLLED BACK ON COFFEE AND SOME OTHER -- >> Eric: STAPLES.

>> Cathy: YES, EXACTLY.

IS THE PRESIDENT HEARING ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY?

>> I THINK HE IS.

RIGHT NOW HE'S HEARING ABOUT THE PROBLEM ABOUT TARIFFS, WHICH IS DRIVING UP INFLATION, WE ALSO HAVE THE PROBLEM OF HEALTHCARE PREMIUMS OING UP.

THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, I THINK, IS PRETTY DPROUCH WHICH I ABOUT THE ECONOMY.

THIS IS LIKE LAST YEAR WHEN BIDEN KEPT SAYING, THE ECONOMY'S GREAT AND FORGOT, WHAT, FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON, MILK, BREAD AND EGGS IS WHERE