This is Brian Lair's Daily Politics Podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Friday, October 3rd.

I'm David First, WNYC's weekend edition host filling in for Brian today, and Brian will be back on Monday.

We are on day three of the federal government shut down.

President Trump has been talking about slashing Democratic priorities and about the possible mass firings of federal workers.

The administration has already canceled green energy projects in Democratic states

and withheld funds for projects in New York. As WNYC's transportation reporter, Stephen Nesson, has

been reporting, the federal government is putting on hold about $18 billion worth of funding for

the Hudson River Gateway Tunnel and Second Avenue subway extension,

with the White House citing the state's diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements as the reason.

While we contemplate the impact of the shutdown and the possible political fallout, New Jersey is

feeling the white-hot spotlight of national attention

on its governor's race. Governor Phil Murphy's eight-year term is coming to an end, and Republican,

Jack Chitorelli and Democrat Mikey Sherrill are locked in a tight election. Joining us now is Russell

Berman, a staff writer at The Atlantic who has covered Congress and National Politics.

His latest pieces have focused on government shutdown politics and on the New Jersey governor's race.

And Russell Berman, welcome to the Brian Laird Show.

Thanks for having me.

Russell, let's start with the shutdown. You contributed to two articles on the shutdown this week. One on Trump's grand plan for a government shutdown, how the Trump administration might use a shutdown to finish the job that Doge started, and another on how Democrats backed themselves into a shutdown, arguing that the Democrats

surrendered a spending fight in March, and that all but foretold the October shutdown.

Let's start right there.

First of all, talk about that, explain what you mean about the Democrats.

This is the sixth government shutdown that we've had in the last three decades.

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