>> ERIC: ON TONIGHT'S SHOW, TWO OF THE REPORTERS WHO BROKE NEWS LEADING THE STATE'S FIRST CANNABIS DIRECTOR TO STEP DOWN, THE CHORAL GROUP CANTUS IS HERE WITH A PREVIEW OF THEIR FALL PERFORMANCES, AND WE'LL TALK WITH A MINNESOTAN WHO WROTE ABOUT GIVING UP HER LEGAL CAREER TO MOVE BACK HOME TO INDIA AND CARE FOR HER AILING MOTHER.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH THE BIG NEWS OUT OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT, JUST AFTER 8:00 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST, AND A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SEEMS MORE LIKELY THAN EVER AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO BATTLE AMONGST THEMSELVES.

THIS AFTERNOON, HARD-LINE CONSERVATIVES FOILED SPEAKER MCCARTHY'S ATTEMPT TO PASS A STOPGAP FUNDING BILL THAT WOULD AVERT A SHUTDOWN AT MIDNIGHT SATURDAY.

HERE TO HELP US SORT OUT WHAT THIS MEANS, KATHRYN PEARSON TEACHES POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND CONGRESS IS ONE OF HER SPECIALITIES.

WELL, THERE IS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT HERE.

SO THE SPEAKER'S DEAL TO KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN COLLAPSES AND I'M WONDERING, WHAT -- WHAT'S BEHIND THIS POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN?

>> WELL, SO, WE'RE IN A SITUATION NOW WHERE THE 12 AND NONE OF THE 12 ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS HAVE BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT LAPSING IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EVERY AGENCY, 1.5 MILLION WORKERS FURLOUGHED OR AT LEAST UNPAID AND GOING IN AND WORKING BY NECESSITY.

IT'S REALLY AN EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION.

USUALLY WHEN WE HAVE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS, IT'S I A SITUATION WHERE THE TWO PARTIES ARE BATTLING ONE ANOTHER.

IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, HOUSE REPUBLICANS CAN'T AGREE ON WHAT THEY WANT BUT IN SOME WAYS, THAT'S A MOAT POINT BECAUSE EVEN IF REPUBLICANS HAD PASSED THEIR BILL THIS AFTERNOON, THE SENATE DEMOCRATS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED ANYWAY, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A VERY LIKELY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IS TODAY, 21 CONSERVATIVES WERE UNWILLING TO BACK THE REPUBLICAN PLAN.

AND THIS MEANS THAT SPEAKER McCARTHY'S POSITION AS ENTIRE IS REALLY IN JEOPARDY.

ANY OF THESE REPUBLICANS COULD MOVE TO VACATE THE SPEAKERSHIP AND I THINK THAT'S -- WE'RE HEADING TOWARD THAT SCENARIO.

>> Eric: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DEBT CEILING AGREEMENT?

>> THE DEBT CEILING AGREEMENT WAS PASSED WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT BUT MORE DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR THAT BILL IN THE HOUSE THAN REPUBLICANS DID, AND SO THAT MADE CONSERVATIVES VERY ANGRY AT McCARTHY.

THIS HAPPENED BACK EARLY IN THE SUMMER AND THEY'VE VOTED DOWN SEVERAL ULES SORT OF HOLDING UMM BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE FOR WEEKS AT A TIME AND SO IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THE CONSERVATIVES ARE JUST UNHAPPY WITH McCARTHY, BOTH BECAUSE HE WON'T LOWER THE SPENDING LIMITS THAT ACTUALLY EVERYONE AGREED TO EARLIER IN THE SUMMER AND BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PASS POLICY PROVISIONS ON THESE SPENDING BILLS.

>> Cathy: I SUPPOSE THE SPEAKER WOULD NOT FORGE AN ALLIANCE WITH DEMOCRATS.

>> WELL, HE MAY HAVE TO.

SO WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN IS ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, THE SENATE IS LIKELY TO PASS A CONTINUING ESOLUTION TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS WHILE THEY CAN FIGURE OUT THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS.

AND IF THAT BILL WERE TO MAKE IT ON THE HOUSE FLOOR, ASSUMING THE SENATE PASSES IT TOMORROW, IT WOULD GET 218 VOTES.

BUILT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE VOTES WOULD COME FROM DEMOCRATS AND SO SPEAKER McCARTHY'S UNWILLING TO DO THAT OR IT WILL COST HIM HIS SPEAKERSHIP.

>> Eric: SO MUCH SPECULATION ABOUT AND DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, ONE OF THEM IS THE FREEDOM CAUCUS IN THE HOUSE, THE REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVES OUST McCARTHY NEXT WEEK AND TOM EMMER, THE WHIP, MINNESOTA C.D.

6 BECOMES THE SPEAKER.

WHAT DO YOU HINK?

>> I THINK THAT IS A POSSIBILITY.

I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ANYONE THAT EVERYONE IS LINED UP BEHIND BUT RIGHT NOW, EMMER IS THE THIRD IN LINE FOR THE LEADERSHIP.

NUMBER 2, STEVE SKA LEASE FROM LOUISIANA IS A POSSIBILITY.

>> Eric: UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT, THOUGH.

>> A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.

I THINK EMMER AS A WHIP IS LARGELY LIKED.

ON THE OTHER HAND, HIS KEY JOB IS TO GET 2318 VOTES TO PASS LEGISLATION AND REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT THESE DAYS.

>> Cathy: WHEN HAVE WE LAST SEEN THIS KIND OF MUTINY BEFORE IN A CAUCUS?

>> I WOULD ARGUE AS THIS IS AS EXTREME AS WE EVER SAW IT BUT WE SAW IT IN 2015 WITH SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER WHO DID GIVE UMM THE SPEAKERSHIP BECAUSE THERE WAS MOVEMENT TO OUST HIM BY HIS OWN REPUBLICANS BECAUSE HE RELIED ON DEMOCRATIC VOTES TO PASS MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUDGET ILLS.

GO.

>> Eric: HOW IS IMMIGRATION AT THE BORDER COMING TO PLAY AS THEY NEGOTIATE TERMS?

>> IT'S DEFINITELY PART OF IT, BOTH BECAUSE IT REQUIRES FUNDING O SECURE THE BORDER AND BECAUSE REPUBLICANS WANTS TO ATTACH POLICY PROVISIONS SORT OF CURBING IMMIGRATION TO THESE BILLS.

NOW, POLICY PROVISIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON APPROPRIATIONS BILLS AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

NOW, THE RULES COULD BE ALTERED FOR THIS BILL TO ALLOW THEM BUILT THE PRESIDENT WOULDN'T SIGN THEM AND SENATE DEMOCRATS WOULDN'T GO ALONG WITH THEM, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PIECES BECAUSE THESE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS OR A CONTINUING RESOLUTION, THEY'RE CONSIDERED MUST-PASS LEGISLATION, MAJORITY PARTY REPUBLICANS VIEW THEM AS A VEHICLE TO ATTACH PROVISIONS TO BUT IT WON'T WORK.

>> Cathy: SO ONE OF THE LONGEST SERVING SENATORS HAS DIED, DIANE FEINSTEIN, DIED AT THE AGE OF 90.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT HER LEGACY?

>> HER LEGACY IN TERMS OF ENCOURAGING WOMEN AND FORGING A PATH FOR WOMEN IN CONGRESS, IN THE SENATE, IN THE HOUSE, AND AS MAYORS, WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE.

I MEAN, HER -- SHE HAS BEEN A POWERFUL FORCE IN POLITICS FOR DECADES FROM THE START OF HER CAREER AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF MUGS CONNIE AND MILK IN SAN FRANCISCO, SORT OF BECOMING A MAYOR BORN OF TRAGEDY, THEN RUNNING IN 1992 FOR THAT SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE U.S. SENATE IN CALIFORNIA.

AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE ONLY TWO SITTING WOMEN IN THE SENATE, AND SO SHE REALLY CHANGED THE SENATE.

SHE CHANGED IT FOR WOMEN AND SHE CHANGED IT FOR CALIFORNIANS AND SHE HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON A LOT OF POLICIES.

THE 1994 ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN, CERTAINLY RELEASING A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT TORTURE DURING THE IRAQ WAR OF 9/11.

AND SO SHE HAD A VERY SIGNIFICANT LEGACY AND I THINK SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HER LEGACY IN TERMS OF POLICY-MAKING AND OPENING DOORS FOR WOMEN.

>> Eric: THANKS MORE OR LESS SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE, AS USUAL.