>> CATHY: IN THE NEXT HOUR, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT PLANS TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL.

ALL-STAR WEATHER DUO PAUL DOUGLAS AND MARK SEELEY ARE HERE.

KAOMI LEE HAS A RARE LOOK INSIDE WHITE EARTH'S CANNABIS OPERATION, AND MARY LAHAMMER'S LEGISLATIVE RACES TO WATCH SERIES CONTINUES.

>> ERIC: WE START TONIGHT WITH THE BIG NATIONAL NEWS HITTING MINNESOTA.

THE YOU WERE PRECEDENTED ANNOUNCEMENTS BY PRESIDENT BIDEN THAT HE WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION IN THE FALL LEAVINGS VERY LITTLE TIME FOR ANOTHER DEMOCRAT TO CLAIM THE PARTY'S NOMINATION.

IT APPEARS THAT VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WILL BE THAT CANDIDATE AND SPECULATION HAS TURNED TO WHO SHE WILL CHOOSE AS HIRE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, AMONG THE DOZEN OR SO OFTEN MENTIONED NAMES, MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR KATHRYN PEARSON JOINS US TO SORT THROUGH THE SPECULATION.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO START?

>> Eric: WALLS GOT A SHOT?

>> HE DOES, HE DOES.

I DON'T KNOW THAT HE'S TOP OF THE LIST BUT HE IS ON THE LIST AND THAT IS SIGNIFICANT.

YOU KNOW, HE IS AMONG A HANDFUL OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS WHO HAVE STRONG QUALIFICATIONS AND ARE REALLY IN THE MIX, IN ADDITION TO DEMOCRATIC SENATOR, MARK KELLY.

NOW, WHAT WALZ DOESN'T MUCH GOING FOR HIM IS HE DOESN'T -- HE'S NOT IN A SWING STATE, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA IS DEFINITELY LEANING DEMOCRATIC, AS IT HAS SINCE 1976 AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN ADVANTAGE THAT, SAPE, A COOPER OF NORTH CAROLINA OR SHAPIRO OF PENNSYLVANIA OR A SENATOR MARK KELLY HAS IN ARIZONA.

BUT THAT SAID, VICE PRESIDENTIAL SELECTIONS ARE USUALLY NOT GOOD WINNING A PARTICULAR STATE.

THEY'RE ONLY REALLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF EXAMPLES THAT YOU CAN OINT TO WHERE IT'S ABOUT WINNING A PARTICULAR STATE.

AND SO THERE ARE, OF COURSE, ELECTORAL ONSIDERATIONS, BALANCING THE TICKET, YOU KNOW, ALL WALZ HAS A VERY DISTINCT BACKGROUND FROM VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS.

YOU KNOW, SCHOOL TEACHER FROM MANKATO, THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD ACTUALLY REPRESENTED A RURAL DISTRICT IN CONGRESS FOR MANY YEARS, SO A PROFILE THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIALLY NICE COMPLIMENT.

BUILT THE OTHER THING THAT POLITICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH HAS FOUND IS THAT FOR THE MOST PART, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS IN GOVERNING, THAT REALLY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN STARTED WITH CARTER'S SELECTION OF MONDALE FROM MINNESOTA.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, E DON'T KNOW THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AND ALL OF THESE GOVERNORS AND SENATOR KELLY, AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HER CHOICE WILL REST ON BUT HE IS DEFINITELY IN THE MIX.

>> Cathy: HE'S MAKING QUITE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN TERMS OF NATIONAL MEDIA, DOING A PRETTY DECENT AUDITION.

>> YES, HE'S CLEARLY AUDITIONING, AND DOING AVERY GOOD JOB.

>> Cathy: SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PRESUMED NOMINATION OF VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS.

SO REPUBLICANS ARE CRYING CORONATION, THAT THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AT ALL.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

>> WELL, I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION, YOU KNOW.

IT WAS BACK IN 1968 WHEN JOHNSON IN MARCH SAID AS AN INCUMBENT PRESIDENT HE WON'T RUN FOR REELECTION AND BEFORE NOW, THAT'S THE LATEST IT'S EVER HAPPENED.

SO OF COURSE DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES WERE POISED TO VOTE FOR THE BIDEN AND HARRIS TEAM AND NOW THEY ARE FREE AGENTS BUT PRETTY MUCH AS SOON AS PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCED HE WASN'T RUNNING AGAIN, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY ENDORSED HARRIS, A CONSENSUS SORT OF IMMEDIATELY FORMED AMONG DEMOCRATS WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE PROVE TO BE A FOR MIDDABILITY CHALLENGER, LIKE THE GOVERNORS WHO COULD HAVE BEEN ON THAT LIST EITHER IMMEDIATELY SAID THEY WEREN'T RUNNING OR NDORSED HER, AND DELEGATES ALSO PRETTY QUICKLY SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT HER, AS WELL, AND NO ONE ELSE IS RUNNING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S RULES THAT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF GET THESE DELEGATES TO VOTE.

IT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE PRIMARY PROCESS SO THAT IS MAYBE A DISADVANTAGE FOR HER BUT DEMOCRATS DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, 100 DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION SO IT REALLY MAKES SENSE.

>> Eric: IF THE DEMOCRATS' GOAL WAS TO SAVE DEMOCRACY, DOESN'T A COUP OF THE SITTING PRESIDENT AND PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE FOR A SECOND TERM, DOESN'T THAT KIND OF NEGATE THE FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY?

>> OH, IT'SLY A COUP.

SHE WAS ON THE TICKET AS THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL -- AS THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE SO, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE PROCESS USED TO WORK BEFORE 18972, THE DELEGATES WEREN'T CHOSEN IN PRIMARIES AND CONVENTIONS -- I MEAN, IN PRIMARIES.

>> Eric: I DON'T THINK HUMPHREY WON A SINGLE PRIMARY.

>> EXACTLY.

SO IT WAS DONE IN SMOKED-FILLED ROOMS SO THEY CHANGED IT TO MAKE IT MORE RESPONSIVE SO THAT PRIMARIES WERE CHOSEN IN THE PRIMARIES BUILT IT'S THE DEMOCRATIC RULES THAT ESTABLISHED THIS AND SO THERE'S JUST NO TIME FOR CANDIDATES TO COMPETE IN PRIMARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY SO DELEGATES ARE FREE AGENTS.

>> Cathy: IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE RACE IS TIGHTENING.

WELD THIS NEW USUMMIT A -- KSTP-USA POLL OUT TODAY.

HARRIS 50, TRUMP 40 IN MINNESOTA, SO THE RACE IS TIGHTENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, IT REALLY HASN'T CHANGED MUCH, HAS IT?

>> IT'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.

I MEAN, CERTAINLY, THIS TIME LAST WEEK, IF YOU LOOK AT KEY SWING STATE POLLS, AGAIN WAS BEHIND.

HARRIS IS STILL BEHIND IN SOME OF THEM, THOUGH SHE'S GAINING GROUND BUT SHE ALSO OPENS UMM THE POSSIBILITY OF A COMPETITIVE RACE IN GEORGIA, WHEREAS BIDEN REALLY DID NOT.

IN ARIZONA, IN NEVADA AND SOME OF THESE STATES WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF VOTERS OF COLOR WHO ARE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HER