The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report — It’s showtime: What you need to know before the epic debate | Clash could draw Super Bowl ratings | Trump, Clinton tied in new polls | 5 days to prevent government shutdown | National Pancake Day

RELEASED THIS A.M. — NO PRESSURE, GUYS. NO. PRESSURE.: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are tied nationally, according to a new Bloomberg poll. Both candidates have 46 percent support. Keep in mind — this is important: When third-party candidates are included, Trump has a 2-point advantage over Clinton. Why that matters: Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein are pulling supporters away from Clinton, not Trump. http://bit.ly/2dvWfBC

STATE POLLS ARE INCREDIBLY CLOSE, TOO: Clinton and Trump are in very close races in Pennsylvania and Colorado, according to a new CNN/ORC poll. And according to a new Florida poll, Clinton and Trump are polling within the margin of error. Why this is huge: These are three of the most critical states. http://bit.ly/2dtzw6l

It’s a sleepy Monday morning as the political world gears up for tonight’s big debate. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning — and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and pancake recipes (!) to cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

THIS IS LIKE THE SUPER BOWL PLUS A WWE WRESTLING MATCH: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are facing off tonight in one of the most anticipated presidential debates in modern times. And. I. Could. Not. Be. More. Excited. The Hill’s Niall Stanage is on site, so watch for his tweets today. Primer: http://bit.ly/2dlR20o

When: 9 p.m. EDT. The debate is scheduled to last for 90 minutes without commercials.

Where: Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Who: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein did not reach the 15 percent threshold in five national polls, so they won’t be participating.

How to watch: It will air on all major TV networks, cable networks, C-SPAN and through online live streams, including at TheHill.com: http://bit.ly/2d3TlBn

Format: Six segments, each lasting 15 minutes. Two minutes for each candidate to answer a question from moderator Lester Holt, followed by around 10 minutes to debate each other.

Next debates: The other two presidential debates will happen on Oct. 9 and Oct. 19. The sole vice presidential debate will happen on Oct. 4.

Records to break: 75 percent of registered voters have said they will watch this debate. The most-watched debate was in 1980 between President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, with 80 million viewers. The most-watched TV event ever was the 2015 Super Bowl, with 114 million viewers.

EVERYBODY CAN BE A PUNDIT IN 5 EASY STEPS!: Lol, but here are five things you should actually watch for tonight: http://bit.ly/2dcNqIL

1. Will Trump veer off into Clinton controversies or conspiracies?
2. Notice the body language.
3. How will NBC’s Lester Holt handle moderating?
4. What voters do Trump and Clinton speak to?
5. The debate over African-Americans and the police.

ALL THIS TALK OF THE CANDIDATES, BUT HOW’S LESTER HOLT DOING?: Via CNN’s Brian Stelter, NBC’s Lester Holt, who is moderating the debate, is prepping by asking advice from other NBC News colleagues. But Holt has been silent about tonight, refusing to give interviews even to NBC newscasts. http://cnnmon.ie/2ddUPvc

 

IN NON-DEBATE NEWS…

THIS IS CRINGE-WORTHY FOR THE TRUMP CAMP: A civil rights museum in Greensboro, N.C., rejected a request from Donald Trump’s campaign to visit. Why: “We did not honor the request of the Donald Trump team because we thought they demonstrated, in their approach was disrespectful, so therefore we did not grant that request,” said Early Jones, co-founder of the museum. How so: The museum called the campaign rude and aggressive. The campaign also wanted the museum closed for five hours to accommodate Trump. http://bit.ly/2dm0vF7

{mosads}THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS — SO MUCH FOR THAT EARLY GETAWAY: Via The Hill’s Cristina Marcos and Jordain Carney, Congress has just five days to avert a government shutdown. Keep in mind: It’s not in either party’s interest to let a shutdown happen before Election Day. Veto override: Congress appears to have the votes to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that would allow for the families of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia. http://bit.ly/2cFoQTo

 

NOTABLE TWEETS:

The Boston Globe’s Matt Viser
Overheard just after airplane lands in New York City: “Aw, man. I’d rather be in Iowa right now.” http://bit.ly/2cydimp

 

ON TAP:

The House is in at 12 p.m. with suspension votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. The Senate is in at 3 p.m. working on the government-funding bill, but no votes are planned.

12:15 p.m. EDT: Tim Kaine campaigns in Lakeland, Fla.

1:30 p.m. EDT: Mike Pence holds a rally in Milford, N.H.

4 p.m. EDT: Tim Kaine meets with Latino Faith Leaders in Orlando, Fla.

8 p.m. EDT: Tim Kaine attends a LGBT debate watch party with the Human Rights Campaign in Orlando.

9:15 a.m. EDT Tuesday: Tim Kaine holds a canvassing kick-off event in Orlando.

10 a.m. EDT Tuesday: The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing on the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulatory framework for commercial drone operations. http://bit.ly/2dg7nPH 

1 p.m. EDT Tuesday: Hillary Clinton holds a rally at the Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C.

7 p.m. EDT Tuesday: Donald Trump campaigns in Melbourne, Fla.

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Pancake Day and National Dumpling Day! Here’s where to get the best pancakes in D.C.: http://bit.ly/2d3Pkgq

BECAUSE THIS DEBATE NEEDS ALCOHOL: Via DCist, here are 18 places in D.C. to watch the debate, with specials! http://bit.ly/2dmkOSE

THE NEXT GOOGLE GLASS: Via Time, forget Google Glass, Snapchat Spectacles may be the next big thing. Think: wearable high-fashion sunglasses with a built-in camera. This is intriguing: http://ti.me/2ddfw6I

And because I kept you this long, here are a bunch of cats nonchalantly hanging out in dino costumes: http://bit.ly/2d3zlR3

 

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