>>> WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

WE HAVE A FULL HOUR FOR YOU TONIGHT.

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE STORY OF THE WEEK HIT TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JAKUB FRY ANNOUNCED THE RESIGNATION OF FORMER POLITICIAN CHIEF BRIAN O'HARA.

WE'LL TALK WITH KEY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND A HISTORIAN ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT.

TWO RECENTLY RETIRED LEGENDARY METEOROLOGISTS STOP BY, AND WE'LL ROUND OUT THE HOUR WITH A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE POLITICAL PANEL.

>>> ALL RIGHT.

BUT WE START TONIGHT WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS.

THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ REMAINS CLOSED.

PRESIDENT TRUMP BACKED REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CANDIDATES 3 CONTINUE TO KNOCK OFF SITTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS FROZEN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S $1.8 BILLION PAYOUT FUND.

LARRY JACOBS HEADS UP THE CENTER FOR POLITICS AT THE U OF M'S HUMPHREY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

GOOD TO SEE YOU, PROFESSOR.

THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT DAY.

I MENTIONED THAT THE BILLION-DOLLAR PAYOUT FUND HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY FROZEN AND HE HAS TAKEN HIS NAME OFF THE CENTER, ACCORDING TO ANOTHER JUDGE.

>>> DONALD TRUMP LIKES TO PICK FIGHTS.

AND AT THIS POINT, PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK, AND WE'RE SEEING JUDGES DOING THAT.

WE'RE SEEING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

I MEAN, THERE ARE REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND HOUSE MEMBERS WHO, DESPITE EVERYTHING, YOU KNEE, THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, ARE PUSHING BACK.

AND NOT FOLLOWING HIS LEAD.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE AT A CUSP, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS WHERE FOLKS WILL BE MAKING JUDGMENTS BASED ON THEIR INTERESTS.

>>> WHY DO YOU THINK SOME OF THESE FOLKS FEEL MORE EMBOLDENED NOW?

IS IT BECAUSE HE LOOKS WOUNDED WITH THE POLLING NUMBERS?

>>> CERTAINLY, REPUBLICANS ARE TERRIFIED THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS GOT APPROVAL RATINGS IN THE MID 30s.

HIS APPROVAL RATINGS AMONG INSPECT ATTENTION, IT'S IN THE 20s.

REPUBLICANS ARE SUPPORTIVE, BUT THEIR ENTHUSIASM TO TURN OUT AND ACTUALLY VOTE, YOU KNOW, IS CLOUDY.

SO I THINK LL OF THAT IS CONTRIBUTING.

AND HEN DONALD TRUMP CONTINUALLY TAKES ON ISSUES LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, FUND THEY SET UP WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, THE IRAN WAR, AND MANY OTHERS THAT ARE HURTING REPUBLICANS.

SO, YES, I THINK THERE IS A WILLINGNESS TO PICK SPOTS.

>>> DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO KIND OF TELL US WHO WON AND LOST IN THE MIDTERM REDISTRICTING BALLOTS?

>>> OH, YEAH.

NO DOUBT, THE REPUBLICANS WON.

I MEAN, THEY PROBABLY WILL PICK UP SOMEWHERE AROUND TEN SEATS.

AND, YOU KNOW, DEMOCRATS HAD HOPED TO PICK UP SEATS IN VIRGINIA, BUT THE COURT STOPPED THAT.

NOW, THE ISSUE IS WILL DONALD TRUMP'S POLITICAL PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY LOW APPROVAL RATINGS, BE SO SIGNIFICANT THAT IT'S GOING TO OVERCOME THAT ADVANTAGE REPUBLICANS HAVE IN REDISTRICTING ASK STILL LEAD THE DEMOCRATS TO TAKE THE MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE.

>>> APPARENTLY, THE STATE CONSTITUTION RULES THAT ANY KIND OF MID-TERM REDISTRICTING WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN MINNESOTA, FROM WHAT I GATHER.

>>> YEAH.

AND I HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH SERIOUS EFFORTS TO GO THAT DIRECTION IN MINNESOTA.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THE SFU HRE.

>>> I KNOW YOU SAID THAT IN OUR EARLIER CONVERSATION HERE THAT THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE NOW FEELING A LITTLE MORE EMBOLDENED TO TO THE PRESIDENT.

YET WE SEE THE PRIMARY RSULTS.

THE PRESIDENT CLEARLY HAS KIND OF A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE PARTY.

SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?

>>> WELL, THERE'S A PARADOX HERE.

AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP IS AN ENFORCER AND WE SAW IN TEXAS THE FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL, PACKSTON, JUST BLOW AWAY THE LONG-TIME INCUMBENT, JOHN CORNYN.

AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A TERRIFYING MESSAGE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.

BUT AS DONALD TRUMP DOES THAT, HE ALSO IS WEAKENING THE PARTY'S POSITIONING.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, IN TEXAS, PACKSTON IS GOING TO NEED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO WIN THAT RACE.

IT'S GOING TO BE RISKY, OR AT LEAST COMPETITIVE WHERE IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN WITH CORNYN.

THEY ALREADY SPENT $135 MILLION IN TEXAS JUST ON THE PRIMARY.

AND ALL OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF DONALD TRUMP.

SO YOU WONDER, YOU KNOW, WOULD OLYMPIA SNOWE IN MAINE LIKE SOME OF THAT MONEY.

BECAUSE THAT'S A REALLY COMPETITIVE RACE.

>>> JOE BIDEN'S BOOK, IN WHICH SHE SAYS SHE WAS AFRAID FOR HER HUSBAND ON THE NOTORIOUS DEBATE NIGHT AND THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE HAD A STROKE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE DEMOCRATS ARE EXCITED TO HAVE THIS STORY REKINDLED.

>>> I WAS TALKING TO A DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT, AND I ASKED THEM ABOUT THIS.

HE SAID, WILL THEY EVER GO AWAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE DEMOCRATS FEEL LIKE THEY WANT IT TO BE ONLY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.

THEY'RE GOING TO RUN THIS AS NATIONAL REFERENDUM EVERY RACE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.

INCLUDING HERE IN MINNESOTA.

AND WHENEVER THE BIDENS KIND OF POP YOU VP UP, THEY DISTRACT THAT NARRATIVE.

>>> INTERESTING.

BEFORE YOU GO HERE, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DULUTH AND ALSO ROCHESTER WITH THE STATE DFL AND REPUBLICAN CONVENTIONS?

>>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S -- IT'S A PATTERN WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHICH IS THE FOLKS WHO ARE THE ACTIVISTS IN THE PARTY, WHICH ARE VERY SMALL PERCENT, YOU KNOW -- MAYBE SPAIN 5% OF THE ELECTORATE THAT WILL TURN OUT.

THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DRIVING THE ENDORSING.

AND THEY'RE CHOOSING CANDIDATES WHO ARE FURTHER TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT THAN MOST MINNESOTANS WANT TO SEE.

AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO A PRIMARY, WHICH ALSO TILTS A BIT, YOU KNOW, LEFT AND RIGHT.

BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH.

SO I THINK YOU'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW -- BOTH PARTIES, THE CANDIDATES WHO ARE A BIT MORE IN THE MODERATE RANGE U YOU KNOW, JUST SKIPPING THE ENDORSING PROCESS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO A PRIMARY AND FIGHT THIS OUT.

AND IT JUST MAKES YOU WONDER WHY DO WE HAVE A PRIMARY.

IT JUST -- IT SEEMS TO BE EMPOWERING THE EXTREMISTS.

>>> IF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WERE TOMORROW, WOULD IT BE VANCE VERSUS NEWSOME?

THIS IS WAY TOO EARLY BUT WHY NOT.

>>> VANCE WILL BE IN THE MIX, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN IRAN.

THAT WILL BE A BLEMISH ON THE ADMINISTRATION.

THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT VANCE WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR.

IN TERMS OF THE DEMOCRATS, IF YOU GO BACK TO 2007, WHO WAS TALKING ABOUT BARACK OBAMA AS A SERIOUS CANDIDATE?

>>> ANTIBIOTIC.

>>> SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE KNOW WHO THAT CANDIDATE IS GOING TO