ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE STATEWIDE.

>> Cathy: WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

WE'LL GET TO THE BIG DEMOCRATIC U.S.

SENATE DEBATE IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM NOW, BUT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER STORIES FOR YOU FIRST, INCLUDING A LOOK AT THE LATEST TURMOIL SURROUNDING THE CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY IN MINNEAPOLIS.

>> Eric: WE START TONIGHT WITH POLITICAL NEWS NEAR AND FAR.

UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ON THE HEELS OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S.

AND IRAN TO END THE WAR.

CLOSER TO HOME, 15 PEOPLE ARE FACING FEDERAL CONSPIRACY CHARGES RELATING TO THEIR ACTIONS DURING IC.E.

PROTESTS.

DAVID SCHULTZ TEACHES POLITICAL SCIENCE AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY- ANIENCE AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY- AND NCE AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY- AND ISE AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY- AND IS AAT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY- AND IS ALS HAMLINE UNIVERSITY- AND IS ALSO AMLINE UNIVERSITY- AND IS ALSO ANLINE UNIVERSITY- AND IS ALSO AN ANE UNIVERSITY- AND IS ALSO AN ADJ UNIVERSITY- AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNNIVERSITY- AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNCTVERSITY- AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT LRSITY- AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT LAWITY- AND IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT LAWITY- PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST.

THOMAS.

WHAT LED TO THE DEAL?

>> WHAT LED TO THE DEAL, I THINK FOR TRUMP IT'S, WHAT, IT'S THE ELECTIONS I THINK AT THE END.

DAY.

IS THAT GAS PRICES ARE GOING UP AND HE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO STRIKE A DEAL TO HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO PREVENT THE HEMORRHAGING OF GAS.

FOR HE IRANIANS BY MOST ACCOUNTS, IRAN GOT A PRETTY GOOD DEAL OUT OF THIS.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ ARE GOING TO BE OPEN WHICH HELPS THE UNITED STATES, BUT IRAN STILL CONTROLS THEM.

THERE'S NO REGIME CHANGE, THEY KEEP THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM, U.S.

LIFTS EMBARGO ON IRANIAN OIL AND IRAN IS ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO 300 BILLION IN DEVELOPMENT FUNDS.

IRAN, THEY OT AN INCREDIBLY GOOD DEAL.

AND REPUBLICANS ND DEMOCRATS I SHOULD POINT OUT HERE ARE VERY CRITICAL OF THE DEAL THAT DONALD TRUMP NEGOTIATED HERE.

>> Cathy: THEN DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT WHAT WAS ACHIEVED AT ALL THROUGH THESE LAUNCHING THESE ATTACKS?

>> THAT'S, PROBABLY THAT'S GOING TO BE THE JUDGE ME WANT FOR HISTORIANS OF COURSE TO LOOK AT HERE.

BUT IF HIS GOAL WAS TO PREVENT IRAN FROM HAVING NUCLEAR WEAPON OR NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

IF IT WAS REGIME CHANGE, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN EITHER.

THE BIG COMPARISON OBVIOUSLY DRAWN AT THIS POINT BETWEEN THE PLAN OR RATHER THE AGREEMENT THAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAD VERSUS TRUMP.

AND RIGHT NOW AGAIN BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT IT ARE SAYING THE OBAMA DEAL WAS PROBABLY BETTER THAN THE DEAL THAT WAS STRUCK HERE.

>> Eric: COULD WE JUST BUY THE NUCLEAR MATERIAL >> WE COULD IF IRAN WANTED TO SELL IT.

BUT IRAN I THINK IS ALSO LEARNING SOMETHING FROM NORTH CORRIA.

NORTH KOREA HAS MULTIPLE NUCLEAR WARHEADS AT THIS POINT AND IT SORT OF BOUGHT PROTECTION.

I THINK IRAN IS LOOKING AT IT SAYING IF THEY PURSUE A NUCLEAR PROGRAM AT THIS POINT THEY BUY PROTECTION FOURS THEMSELVES.

>> Cathy: HOW MUCH OF A POLITICAL LIABILITY IS THIS THEN FOR THE PRESIDENT >> I THINK THE BIGGER LIABILITY IS GOING TO BE IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY.

WE'VE SEEN RECENT STORIES ABOUT THE INFLATION RATE IS STILL STAYING HIGH.

BUT FOR SOME OF HIS BASE WHERE HE PROMISED AND SAID NO MORE FOREIGN WARS THAT MAY HURT HIM.

BUT GO BACK TO THE JAMES CARVILLE LINE IT'S ALWAYS THE ECONOMY AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BIGGER IMPACT.

>> Eric: WILDCARD IS ISRAEL?

>> WILDCARD IS REALLY ISRAEL AT THIS POINT.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU DOES NOT LIKE THE DEAL AND THERE'S ALL TYPE OF SPECULATION THAT NETANYAHU MAY SABOTAGE IT BECAUSE HE NEEDS TO BASICALLY BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE WAR GOING INTO HIS ELECTION LATER THIS YEAR.

SO THIS IS FASCINATING BECAUSE ISRAEL AND UNITED STATES ARE NOW MOVING IF IN VERY, VERY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY VANCE HAS SHARPLY CRITICIZED UISRAEL AT THIS POINT TOO.

THERE'S A WEDGE FORMING HERE.

>> Cathy: I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK ABOUT THE EFFECT ON THE U.S.-ISRAELI RELATIONSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN A LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, THAT HAS BEEN THE TIGHTEST RELATIONSHIP WE'VE HAD IN THE WORLD NEXT TO MAYBE ENGLAND OR FRANCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT IT'S FRACTURING.

>> Eric: FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST SOME OF THE DEMONSTRATORS, PROTESTERS, THE SURGE, IN FEDERAL COURT, CAN STAND UP, OR?

>> IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT CHARGES THAT AT BEST NORMALLY WOULD ONLY BE MISDEMEANOR MAYBE IN TERMS OF THINGS BUT A LOT OF THE CHARGES HERE REALLY BORDER ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE TARGETING FIRST AMENDMENT, FREE SPEECH OR FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES.

TYPICALLY WHEN YOU BRING CHARGES FOR CONSPIRACY, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM, IS THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING VERSUS DOING SOMETHING, AND ACTUALLY BREAKING THE LAW, ARE VERY BIG DIFFERENCES.

AND HISTORICALLY THE U.S.

HAS BROUGHT CONSPIRACY CHARGES OFTENTIMES TO GO AFTER POLITICAL MOVEMENTS IT DOES NOT LIKE.

>> Cathy: I WONDER HOW HARD IT IS TO PROVE CONSPIRACY.

>> CONSPIRACY IS DIFFICULT UBECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST -- I CAN TALK ALL I WANT ABOUT SAYING I DON'T LIKE THE UNITED STATES, II WANT TO OVERTHROW THE COUNTRY, I WANT TO DO ALL KINDS OF NASTY THINGS BUT UNTIL I GET TO THE POINT WHERE I TAKE SOME STEP BEYOND TALK TO ACTUALLY EXECUTE THAT ACTION AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SHOW HERE IS THAT THIS WAS MORE THAN JUST SIMPLY TALK, IT CROSSED THE LINE.

BUT ALSO AGAIN AS I POINTED OUT HERE, GENERALLY THAT'S IN THE COMPLAINT HERE IS CHARGES AT