THE RESTAURANT OPENED IN 2025 AND WAS THE ONLY MINNESOTA PLACE TO MAKE THE LIST.

WE START TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

TODAY MARKS THE FIRST DAY OF ABSENTEE VOTING IN MINNESOTA.

EARLIER THIS WEEK THE SUPREME COURT AGAIN VOTED AGAINST RESTRICTING VOTING BY MAIL.

DAVID SCHULTZ IS PROFESSOR AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY AND ALSO ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST.

THOMAS.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT, EARLY MAIL-IN VOTING, A LOT OF RURAL AREAS, IS THIS NOW A DEAD ISSUE?

>> IT'S MORE OR LESS A DEAD ISSUE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE MINNESOTA'S ALREADY STARTED EARLY VOTING AND A FEW OTHER STATES ARE DOING IT TOO.

PRETTY MUCH I AS SORT OF THINKING LAST WEEK WHEN PEOPLE KEPT WAITING, WHEN'S THE COURT GOING TO DECIDE, I SAID THEY'RE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY 'TIL IT'S TOO LATE THEY DON'T REALLY WANT TO DECIDE THIS CASE.

AND SO WAIT 'TIL EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED AND THEY CAN SORT OF PUNT AT THIS POINT.

I WANT TO ADD ONE MORE THING TO IT TOO WHICH IS INTERESTING.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RURAL VOTERS.

YOU KNOW WHO'S BEEN THE SINGLE BIGGEST BENEFICIARY OF EARLY VOTING?

>> RURAL VOTERS?

>> WORKING WOMEN WITH CHILDREN.

>> Cathy: OHHH.

>> BECAUSE THINK ABOUT IT.

PROBABLY A LOT OF THE LISTENERS HERE, THEY'RE CHAUFFEURS, THEY'RE TAKING THEIR KIDS EVERYWHERE, ON ELECTION DAY IT'S HARD TO GET OFF FROM WORK, NAVIGATE EVERYTHING.

THIS HAS HAD A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON IMPROVING WOMEN'S VOTER TURNOUT IN THE UNITED STATES.

>> Eric: U.S.

HOUSE WAS SENT HOME?

UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION?

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

>> FIRST OFF THEY WANT TO BE CAMPAIGNING, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN WASHINGTON.

TWO, THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO BE DEALING WITH LEGISLATION OR PRESSURE FROM DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT ACROSS THE COUNTRY ESPECIALLY IN THOSE 30 OR SO CONGRESSIONAL SEATS IN 7 OR SO SENATE SEATS THAT ARE GOING TO DECIDE CONTROL OF CONGRESS, THEY'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM TRUMP BECAUSE TRUMP IS A LIABILITY AND A 34% APPROVAL RATING.

SO WALK AWAY, DON'T BE IN WASHINGTON AT THIS POINT, GO HOME AND CAMPAIGN.

THEY'RE PLAYING IT SAFE.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

HEY, BY THE WAY, THE PRESIDENT KEEPS BRINGING UP 2020.

HOW IS THAT PLAYING WITH VOTERS?

>> VOTERS EITHER DON'T -- WELL, HIS BASE PROBABLY STILL CARES.

HIS BASE PROBABLY STILL CARES BUT FOR THE MOST PART VOTERS DON'T CARE.

AGAIN, IF WE LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT ARE DRIVING PEOPLE AT THIS POINT I STILL CALL IT THE MILK, BREAD, AND EGGS ISSUE.

PEOPLE ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRICE OF CONSUMER GOODS , ADD TO THAT GASOLINE.

FUEL LIKE THAT.

EVERY ONE OF US GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, BUY ONE BAG OF GROCERIES AND I'M NOT FAULTING GROCERS, BUT YOU BUY ONE BAG OF GROCERIES AND IT'S LIKE THAT MUCH, OR YOU GO TO THE GAS STATION.

SO THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY MOVING PEOPLE AT THIS POINT.

THIS OTHER STUFF AT BEST PERIPHERAL FOR A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

>> Eric: DO WE KNOW HOW THE REDISTRICTING MIDTERM REDISTRICTING SHOOK OUT?

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY MAYBE A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE TO REPUBLICANS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, TEXAS DID IT FIRST, CALIFORNIA COUNTERACTED IT.

MISSOURI DID IT BUT THEN MISSOURI SUPREME COURT SAID YOU CAN'T DO THIS.

MAYBE, MAYBE REPUBLICANS PLUS ONE, PLUS TWO IN TERMS OF THE REDISTRICTING AND THE GERRYMANDERING BUT WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING NOW IF POLLS CAN BE ELIEVED, THERE'S LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT POLLING, IS THAT THE DEMOCRATS NOW HAVE AN ADVANTAGE IN TERMS OF GENERIC BALLOT BETWEEN 7 AND 11 POINTS.

THAT'S NOW STARTING TO GET INTO PRETTY GOOD TERRITORY FOR THE DEMOCRATS EVEN FACING THE GERRYMANDERING TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SHOT AT SOLID CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

>> Cathy: SAY, HERE ARE CERTAIN NEWS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOW BARRED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM.

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: RIGHT?

AND I'M CURIOUS THAT WOULD OPEN UP I WOULD PRESUME COURT CASES.

>> OH, YEAH.

THERE'S AT LEAST TWO.

>> Eric: NEAR V. MINNESOTA 1931.

>> WAS GOING TO SAY ONE OF THE GREATEST CASES COMING OUT OF MINNESOTA ABOUT PRESS FREEDOM AT THIS POINT.

YOU HAVE BASICALLY TRUMP SAYING POLITICO, CNN AND MS NOW CAN'T COME HERE ANYMORE.

IT'S GOING TO RAISE FIRST AMENDMENT, FREE SPEECH, AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS ISSUES.

AND JUST IN CASE THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE OUT WHO SAY I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THOSE STATIONS, GUESS WHAT, TODAY IT'S GOING TO BE MNNOW, CNN, NEXT ADMINISTRATION IT COULD BE, WHAT, FOX.

I'LL BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW FOX NETWORK APPROACHES