{beacon} 12:30 REPORT It’s Monday, the last day of September! In an alternate reality, lawmakers would still be in Washington, fighting about midnight’s government funding deadline. But instead, it’s crickets on Capitol Hill, and staffers are able to take slightly longer lunches. 😉 Here’s what’s happening today: Harris and Trump are focusing on Helene’s aftermath.Vance and Walz have very different goals for Tuesday’s debate.Plus, Pete Buttigieg showed up at debate prep dressed in a classically Trump-red tie. Biden may call Congress back to town to pass Helene relief funding.Biden’s hosting Team USA at the White House today. 🥇  I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to [email protected]. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.   🦺 On The Campaign Trail  All eyes on Helene: ©  AP Vice President Harris is ending her West Coast swing early to return to Washington for a briefing on the devastation from Hurricane Helene and updates on the federal response. She’s stopping by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters this afternoon in her official capacity. Meanwhile, former President Trump is traveling to Georgia to survey the damage and receive a similar briefing.  💡 Why this matters: Helene has devastated several states, including North Carolina and Georgia — both important battlegrounds that could determine the presidential election outcome. Candidates regularly face scrutiny over their actions in the aftermath of a natural disaster and whether they come across as presidential, and that's particularly true for an incumbent carrying out official duties. Remember when former President Obama visited the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012? Then-Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) greeted Obama, and that presidential interaction is seen as one of the critical moments in Obama’s reelection campaign. These well-timed visits are politically strategic.   💻 Watch Trump’s 2 p.m. remarks live. Read more on the hurricane's devastation below. ➤  MAYBE WRITE THAT 6-WEEK RECESS IN PENCIL:President Biden said this morning that he may ask Congress to return from recess to pass a supplemental funding bill to help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts.  ➤  WHERE POLLING STANDS IN THE KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES:From The Hill and Decision Desk HQ’s current model: Arizona: Trump has a 0.8-point lead. Georgia: Trump has a 0.2-point lead.Michigan: Harris has a 0.6-point lead. Nevada: Harris has a 2.2-point lead.North Carolina: Trump has a 0.5-point lead.Pennsylvania: Harris has a 0.8-point lead. Wisconsin: Harris has a 1.7-point lead.'Harris stands alone in this race':^You know I love any excuse to use T. Swift lyricsThe New York Times’s Editorial Board announced its endorsement for the 2024 presidential election: Vice President Harris.  Excerpt: "As a dedicated public servant who has demonstrated care, competence and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution, Ms. Harris stands alone in this race," the editorial board wrote. "She may not be the perfect candidate for every voter, especially those who are frustrated and angry about our government’s failures to fix what’s broken — from our immigration system to public schools to housing costs to gun violence. Yet we urge Americans to contrast Ms. Harris’s record with her opponent’s."   What the board had to say about Trump: “It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks.” 👀👀   📰 Read the NYT editorial 👔 Debate Prep   Their one job — don’t screw things up: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) are facing off Tuesday in their only vice presidential debate of the campaign cycle. Historically, running mate debates don’t matter much, but this one could be different. If Harris and Trump don’t meet for another faceoff, this could be the second and last debate between the campaigns before the November election. The VP hopefuls' biggest goal: Don’t make new headaches for their bosses.  What Walz needs to prove — that he’s serious: He needs to prove that he’s fit for the job. He will likely face questions about his military service and his liberal record. But even more importantly, he needs to look presidential. He seems nervous to debate Vance. He said in August that “[Vance is a] Yale Law guy. I’m a public school teacher, so we know where he’s at on that.” That’s a deliberate strategy to keep expectations low. He has been characterized as a friendly, dad-next-door in his VP rollout, but can he take it a step further in looking like a potential commander in chief?   What Vance needs to prove — that he’s not too serious: Vance has had a pretty rocky rollout into the public sphere. He’s been plagued by the infamous “childless cat lady” comment. Remember the awkward clip of him ordering doughnuts? That’s a prime example of the body language he needs to avoid. He needs to look relaxed and natural — someone Americans who would trust and want to hang out with. Axios reports that his strategy is to try to make Walz look “too liberal for most Americans.”   Funny tidbit about Walz’s debate prep: A source told The Hill’s Alex Gangitano that Walz is camped out in Michigan — or “Camp North Star” as his team calls it — prepping for the debate. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is playing Vance and surprised everyone by showing up in “a cheap red tie” instead of casual attire. I would have loved to see Mayor Pete show up dressed as Trump.  ➤  MORE HEADLINES FROM THE TRAIL:‘Pollsters: Don’t be so sure Trump will outperform our surveys’: The Hill ‘Trump fights his old policies in series of flip-flops’: Axios ‘The GOP’s Tipping Point on Weed’: The Atlantic ‘Americans Are More Reliant Than Ever on Government Aid’: The Wall Street Journal 🌀 Hurricane Helene This storm was devastating: ©  AP Hurricane Helene pummeled through the southeastern United States last week, tearing through communities and killing more than 60 people.  Particularly in North Carolina: Parts of the state were hit with life-threatening flooding and landslides. Supplies are being airlifted because of road closures. AP noted this was the worst flooding N.C. has seen in a century.Blue Ridge Public Radio reports that access to water in Asheville is “dire.” Nearly 100,000 residents may not have access to water for weeks. This article is gut-wrenching: The Washington Post’s Brady Dennis writes that one small mountain is “completely and entirely erased.”  ➤  TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE DEVASTATION: This is heartbreaking: “The water receded at Biltmore Village today revealing the devastation. I have been in this area many times, and today it was not recognizable,” storm chaser Dan Whittaker posted. 📹 Footage from Biltmore Village📹 Ugh, this is the Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee 📹 An aerial shot of Black Mountain, N.C.  Wow: @ghosts_hmu posted, “Was able to talk to my husband in Asheville for the first time in over 24 hours today. He sent me this video of the River Arts District near our home. I’m so devastated.” 📹 See downtown Asheville  📹 Omg, that’s a Wendy’s Sam’s Club is open: There’s a roughly 📹 2-mile-line to get in.  📹 The scene at Montreat College: It’s roughly 20 miles away from Asheville. 📹 Flying over Chimney Rock, N.C.  ➤  INTERESTING READ — AMERICANS HAVE BEEN MOVING INTO DISASTER-PRONE AREAS: “The country’s vast population shift has left more people exposed to the risk of natural hazards and dangerous heat at a time when climate change is amplifying many weather extremes.” 🗺️ Read The New York Times analysis 🐝 Internet Buzz  🍒 Celebrate: Today is National Hot Mulled Cider Day!  🛰️ What a wild place to be stranded: SpaceX sent a crew to the International Space Station to rescue two astronauts who have been there since June 6. “During their docking, the spacecraft experiences a number of helium leaks and failures of its thrusters.” (Bloomberg)   🥦 Have you heard of the DASH diet?: Well, it’s apparently shown to lower blood pressure, but few people follow it. It involves eating four to five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  (The New York Times) 📆 On The Agenda  The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Washington. Vice President Harris returns from Las Vegas around 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) This morning: Biden hosted an event to celebrate the 2024 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams. 💻 Watch 2 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream3 p.m.: Biden receives his daily briefing. 5:05 p.m.: Harris receives a briefing at FEMA headquarters on the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene.Tuesday: Former President Carter’s 100th birthday!👋 And Finally… In honor of Olympians visiting the White House today, here’s a cat who’s a big table tennis enthusiast. Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the 12:30 Report newsletter Subscribe