By Jamie Ross and Hannah Jewell  Email Listen to this briefing Good morning. It’s Friday, July 19, and we’re grateful to finally get some answers about how hotel towels got so bad. Now let’s get to the news. Donald Trump accepted his nomination at the Republican National Convention. Key takeaways: Trump described Saturday’s assassination attempt and appealed for unity, before turning to falsehoods and barbs about his opponents. We fact-checked him here. What else to know: Trump’s wife, Melania, finally appeared at the Milwaukee event yesterday. It was one of four key moments that got the loudest crowd reaction. Read this story            Barack Obama privately expressed doubts about President Biden’s reelection. In recent days: The former president told allies that Biden’s path to victory has diminished and he should seriously consider the viability of his candidacy. Obama’s not alone: Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately said she believes Biden can be persuaded to drop out soon. If he does, we’ve laid out possible next steps here. In other news: Biden froze 8 million student loans after an appeals court blocked his repayment plan. Read this story            Mass IT outages are hitting businesses across the world this morning. What’s happening? Airlines, banks and media outlets reported issues with Microsoft Windows overnight. American Airlines, United and Delta grounded flights. The latest: Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said the outages were caused by an update of its software and that “a fix has been deployed.” Follow live updates here. Read this story              The Trump rally shooter had photos of both Trump and Biden on his phone. The latest: Thomas Matthew Crooks had searched online for information about both men, officials said. His motive in the Saturday shooting in Pennsylvania remains unclear. Other developments: A vigil for Corey Comperatore, the man killed in the shooting, was held yesterday. And the Secret Service requested help to protect Trump’s next rally tomorrow. Read this story            A covid summer wave is spreading across the country. What to know: Coronavirus activity in wastewater samples reached levels considered “high” or “very high” in 26 states, CDC data shows. Biden tested positive Wednesday. What it means: Covid isn’t gone, but it’s no longer overwhelming hospitals. We may see two to three waves a year, one expert said. Remind yourself of the latest guidelines here. Read this story            ADVERTISEMENT     Bob Newhart, the legendary stand-up comedian and sitcom star, died yesterday. Newhart with a bronze likeness of Dr. Bob Hartley, his character on the 1970s sitcom “The Bob Newhart Show,” in 2004. (M. Spencer Green/AP) His legacy: In 1960, he became the first comedian to have a No. 1 recordand he went on to star in two hit sitcoms. Younger audiences know him as Papa Elf in the 2003 holiday hit “Elf.” What we know: The 94-year-old died at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist said. A cause wasn’t given. Read this story            Musket balls that started the American Revolution were found in Massachusetts. The musket balls found at Minute Man National Historical Park briefly went on public display last week. (Charles Krupa/AP) The discovery: Archaeologists found the first of four balls at a historical park near Lexington and Concord last year. It’s believed they were fired at the British by colonial militiamen. That’s significant: The park is the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s first battles in 1775. These may be among the first hunks of metal that began America’s bloody history. Read this story