It’s Monday. August recess has officially come to an end — Congress is back in Washington today! Here’s what we’re watching:

• Harris and Trump have taken very different approaches to debate prep.
• ABC News has explained its strategy for Tuesday’s faceoff.
• Congress began its three-week sprint to keep the government open.
• Tom Brady made his debut as a broadcaster, and he was a bit awkward.
• Taylor Swift attended the U.S. Open over the weekend.

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

Tuesday’s debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be one of the biggest moments of the 2024 campaign.

Logistics: The debate will happen at 9 p.m. Tuesday in Philadelphia. ABC News is hosting the debate, and David Muir and Linsey Davis are moderating. It will last for 90 minutes.

Will the mics be muted?: Yes, the candidates’ microphones will be muted when it’s not their turn to speak.

Will the moderators fact-check during the debate?: ABC News’s Rick Klein said their goal is to “facilitate a discussion” because “the debate belongs to the candidates.” CNN’s moderators mostly stayed out of the fact-checking — and were praised for its “even-keeled style” — though some Democrats criticized the moderators for not correcting Trump’s falsehoods. Read more on ABC’s strategy via The New York Times.

The Hill’s Niall Stanage breaks down what Harris and Trump need to accomplish.

🔵 Harris needs to avoid big gaffes.

🔵 Harris needs to win the middle.

🔵 Harris needs to push back on Trump’s claims.

🔴️ Trump needs to avoid boorishness with Harris.

🔴 Trump needs to provide a measure of coherence and detail.

🔴 Trump needs to look to the future rather than the past.

Read more: Reasoning for each goal

Harris has been camped out at a Pittsburgh hotel. She’s been doing mock debates with a stage, TV lighting and an adviser playing Trump, according to The New York Times.

Meanwhile, Trump has been more lax about his debate preparations. The Times reports that his aides are having a handful of sessions to refresh his policy knowledge. No one is playing Harris, though. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) —  who is now an independent —  are helping Trump, according to ABC News.

Harris’s goal: “Bringing out Mr. Trump’s most self-destructive instincts is a priority for Ms. Harris, as is coming across as coolheaded and presidential,” the Times reported.

Team Trump’s goal: “The former president’s allies and advisers have urged him to be ‘happy Trump’ in the debate rather than ‘mean, bully Trump,’ as one close ally put it, while pressing a policy-based case against Ms. Harris.”

Trump advisers’ worry: “Trump advisers worry that he will not be able to stop himself from showing his deep contempt for Ms. Harris or from seeming to lecture a female opponent. While he respected Ms. Clinton as ‘smart’ and a hard worker, Mr. Trump plainly believes that Ms. Harris is unintelligent, advisers and allies say. In private, he uses misogynistic language to describe her and gossips about her past romantic relationships, including with Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco.”

Read more: ‘Inside the Trump-Harris Debate Prep: Method Acting, Insults, Tough Questions’

New polls show that Harris is falling behind among male voters in key states, such as Pennsylvania, Nevada and North Carolina. Meanwhile, Trump has big problems with female voters.

Why this matters: The gender gap isn’t new, but it’s becoming especially pronounced in the race between Harris and Trump, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.

Read more: ‘Harris falling behind among male voters in key states’

• ‘Harris’s Debate Challenge: Pushing Ahead Without Leaving Biden Behind’: The New York Times
• ‘Trump faces night-and-day difference in debate with Harris’: The Hill
• ‘How Trump and Harris Compare on Key Policy Issues’: Guide from The Wall Street Journal
• ‘How the Debate Will Test Harris and Trump’: Time

Congress is returning to Washington today with just three weeks to fund the government and avoid a government shutdown.

The chances of a shutdown are low simply because it’s an election year, but the dynamics of avoiding a lapse in government funding are still very tricky.

What’s the latest?: “Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is poised to kick off the process this week by putting legislation on the floor that pairs a six-month continuing resolution (CR) with a bill to require proof of citizenship to register to vote … a strategy favored by former President Trump and hard-line conservatives. Democrats, however, have deemed the effort a non-starter, and some House Republicans are expressing skepticism about the gambit.”

Where the funding fight stands, via The Hill’s Mychael Schnell

The White House issued a strong rebuke to House Republicans’ partisan proposal.

How so?: “The White House argued the funding pitch unveiled on Friday fell short of providing ‘necessary resources’ for defense programs and veterans, while saying the GOP-backed bill would bring the government closer to ‘across-the-board cuts to programs Americans count on.’” (The Hill)

🍗 Celebrate: Today is National Wiener Schnitzel Day!

👑  Kate finished chemo: Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced this morning that she finished her chemotherapy treatment. “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus,” she said in a video. 🎥 Watch her video

🎾 All of my favorite things in one place: Taylor Swift attended the U.S. Open on Sunday with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. The U.S. Open posted side-by-side photos of this year’s appearance with a photo of Swift singing “God Bless America” at the tournament in 2002.

📺 Tom Brady was a little out of his element: Former NFL star Tom Brady made his debut as a Fox broadcaster on Sunday. He got some mixed reviews on his performance, but I like how The Athletic phrased it:

“It is sort of endearing that the man considered the greatest NFL player of all time, who has a 10-year, $375 million contract to talk about football games, came across as nervous to open his Fox broadcasting career. Tom Brady — the 47-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl champion — sounded like a rookie out of the gate Sunday. His syntax was stilted. His interesting thoughts were limited. It was a bit awkward.”

The House and Senate are back from recess! President Biden is in Washington, D.C., and  Vice President Harris is in Pennsylvania. (all times Eastern)

• 1:15 p.m.: Biden receives his daily briefing.
• 1:15 p.m.: State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
• 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
• 2 p.m.: Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, the spouses of Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), respectively, campaign in Raleigh, N.C. 💻 Livestream
• 4:40 p.m.: Harris leaves Pittsburgh and flies to Philadelphia.
• 5 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to mark Disability Pride Month. 💻 Livestream
• 5:30 p.m.: The Senate votes on a nomination. 📆Today’s agenda
• 6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆 Today’s agenda

Because you made it this far, here’s a manatee with the munchies.