The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Obama to Trump: ‘Stop whining’ | Curt Schilling planning Senate run | Podesta floated Bill Gates, Bloomberg for Clinton VP | Colbert helps Obama with job search (lol) | National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

BUONGIORNO! President Obama is hosting the Italian prime minister at the White House today. After holding a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference​, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will host Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Mrs. Agnese Landini for a state dinner and reception tonight. ​Sights and sounds:

Want a little cheese with that “whine?”: At the press conference with the Italian leader, Obama went after Donald Trump for his claims that the election is “rigged.” Tweet from NBC’s Mark Murray: “Obama: I’d invite Mr. Trump to stop whining and work instead to get the most votes.” http://bit.ly/2dYQ1bA The Hill’s Jordan Fabian has the full story: http://bit.ly/2dl3eO1

Obama also addressed Trump and Vladimir Putin at the presser: “First Q to Obama at presser is about Trump. Obama said Trump has modeled his politics in Putin, and that this is simply ‘unprecedented.'” (From CNN’s MJ Lee) http://bit.ly/2dLIFGT

The gist of Obama’s remarks: “Mr. Trump rarely surprises me these days.​”

State Dinner ​menu and setting: “Italy state dinner will feature set potato agnolotti, warm butternut squash salad, beef braciole by Mario Batali” (From The New York Times’s Julie Davis). Photo: http://bit.ly/2eormwE

An American welcome: Photo of the welcoming ceremony at the White House: http://bit.ly/2ep0fQJ

It’s Tuesday, and the election is three weeks from today — or as MSNBC depressingly put it this morning, “just under 500 hours until the polls open.” Well, in lighter news, the NBA season starts one week from today! 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 where to get the best chocolate cupcake to cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

NEW THIS MORNING — FASCINATING INSIGHT INTO A CAMPAIGN: In the latest WikiLeaks email release, Hillary Clinton‘s campaign chairman, John Podesta, floated a list of 39 names to be considered as Clinton’s running mate. Included: Michael Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders, Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), Housing Secretary Julián Castro and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Full list –> http://bit.ly/2e2EMAq 

DEBATE PREVIEW — EXPECT NOTHING SHORT OF A ‘JERSEY SHORE’ EPISODE: Via The Hill’s Niall Stanage, Donald Trump is expected to leave it all on the table during the final (!) debate on Wednesday. Fast facts for context: RealClearPolitics national polling average has Clinton leading Trump by about 7 percentage points; data forecaster FiveThirtyEight gives Trump a 14 percent chance of winning; good news for Trump is that polling shows he’s still competitive in Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. http://bit.ly/2edQZ5q

WELL, EXCEPT FOR CLINTON’S STRATEGY: Via The Hill’s Amie Parnes, Hillary Clinton is expected to play it safe during tomorrow’s debate with a simple strategy: Do no harm. Perfect analogy: “Like a football team up by double digits with time running out, Clinton doesn’t want to do anything that would let her opponent, Donald Trump, back into the game.” http://bit.ly/2dLim3A

DOMINATING THIS MORNING’S HEADLINES — MELANIA’S BIG NIGHT: Last night, Donald Trump’s wife Melania sat down with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in her first interview since several women made allegations of sexual misconduct against her husband. Key moments:

• Melania said she would focus on bullying on social media if she becomes first lady. Lol, you have to see the irony in this. http://bit.ly/2e2l7jO
• Melania does not want any sympathy. “People talk about me like, ‘Oh, Melania, oh poor Melania.’ People don’t really know me. I’m very strong. I can handle everything. Don’t feel sorry for me. Don’t feel sorry for me.” She also said she trusts her husband. http://bit.ly/2ehrDAS
• “Sometimes I said I have two boys at home — I have my young son and I have my husband. I know how some men talk. That’s how I saw it,” she said, referring to the “Access Hollywood” video. http://bit.ly/2doAnno

LOL, THIS SHOULD GO OVER WELL WITH HIS WIFE…: Via WPRI’s Ted Nesi, “Curt Schilling on 2018 US Senate bid vs. Elizabeth Warren: ‘I’ve made my decision. I’m going to run. But – but – I haven’t talked to Shonda, my wife.’ ” http://bit.ly/2e4BoqR

Tweet from The Hill’s Peter Sullivan: “Throwback to when Martha Coakley thought Schilling was on the Yankees…” http://bit.ly/2dLwzxv

AWKWAAAAARD: A woman mistook Tim Kaine for his Republican counterpart, Mike Pence. “Hello Mr. Pence, how are you?” a woman at a Florida restaurant said, greeting Kaine. “I’m the other one,” Kaine responded with a smile. “I’m Kaine, not Pence.” http://bit.ly/2e2QA5l

 

NOTABLE TWEETS:

CNN’s Teddy Schleifer
JetBlue just blatantly ripping up the Clinton HQ talking points this AM. http://bit.ly/2epctch

 

ON TAP:

2 p.m. EDT: Mike Pence holds a rally in Wilmington, N.C.

2:30 p.m. EDT: Tim Kaine campaigns with his wife Anne Holton in Detroit.

3 p.m. EDT: Donald Trump holds a rally in Colorado Springs, Colo.

3 p.m. EDT: Bill Clinton campaigns in Blue Bell, Pa.

5 p.m. EDT: Donald Trump holds a rally in Grand Junction, Colo.

6 p.m. EDT: Mike Pence holds a rally in Fayetteville, N.C.

8:55 p.m. EDT: President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden and Jill Biden attend a state dinner with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Mrs. Agnese Landini, followed by a reception on the South Lawn at 10:10 p.m.

10:30 p.m. EDT: The Washington Post hosts Garry Trudeau and Jim Messina for a Presidential Debate Pregame in Vegas.

 

WHAT TO WATCH:

4 p.m. EDT: Tim Kaine will join CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”

9 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off in their third (and final!) debate. It will air on all the major networks and stream online.

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

THE PERFECT PHOTO: After six years and more than 720,000 shots, a photographer finally got the perfect picture of a diving bird. Now you have to see it: http://dailym.ai/2eiFgUZ 

BECAUSE WE COULD ALL USE A LAUGH: Stephen Colbert interviewed President Obama on the “Late Show,” where he preps Obama for a job search after he leaves office. “No promotions in eight years?” It’s pretty entertaining. http://bit.ly/2eNaEKj

GAME ON, AIRLINES!: Via Mashable’s Karissa Bell, Google has updated Google Flights to be able to predict when airlines will raise their fares and how to bypass increases with other flights. Brilliant! http://on.mash.to/2e2Lt5r

And because I kept you this long, here’s a bunny having a water fight: http://bit.ly/2ee38aK

 

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