Good morning. Here are the stories we're following today:
1. Did Melania Trump's Speech Plagiarize Michelle Obama?
A chunk of Melania Trump's Republican National Convention speech appears to have been lifted from Michelle Obama's address at the 2008 Democratic convention. Trump said on TODAY that she wrote the speech largely on her own, telling host Matt Lauer that: "I read once over it, and that's all. Because I wrote it … with as little help as possible." Read more in POLITICS.
2. Poll: Clinton and Trump Tied as GOP Convention Kicks Off
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are virtually tied in the polls as the Republican National Convention convenes in Cleveland this week. Clinton now just barely edges out Trump in a direct head-to-head match-up, 46 percent to 45 percent. This is slightly down from the 3-point lead she held in last week's tracking poll numbers. Read more in POLITICS.
3. Baton Rouge Gunman Stalked Cops With Military Focus: Police
The former Marine who killed three Louisiana law enforcement officers and wounded three others Sunday stalked his targets with military-like precision, looking past citizens as he moved through a commercial strip seeking more cops to shoot, authorities said. The gunman, a 29-year-old Missouri man named Gavin Long, traveled to Baton Rouge a few days before the attack and clearly wanted to kill police officers, authorities said Monday. Read more in NEWS.
4. Wuerzburg Train Attack: ISIS Flag Found in Teen Attacker's Room
Investigators found a hand-painted ISIS flag in the room of the 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who wounded four in an ax and knife attack on a train in Germany, an official said Tuesday. Read more in NEWS.
5. Ex-Wife of France Truck Attacker Is 'Shocked'
The ex-wife of the truck driver who was killed by French police after mowing down Bastille Day revelers only found out that the father of her three children was the attacker when questioned at a police station, her lawyer said. "She was shocked because she realized she used to live with a man who was a criminal, and that she had three kids ... with a criminal," said Jean-Yves Garino of his client Hajer. Read more in NEWS.
6. Will Russia be Banned From Rio Olympics?
More than 400 Russian Olympic athletes will learn Tuesday whether they are banned from the Rio Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee ruling on their fate comes after a report into doping detailed what one U.S. official called "a mind-blowing level of corruption." Read more in SPORTS.
7. Child Killed, 4 Injured After Car Plows Into House
A woman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after she crashed into a South Los Angeles home Sunday, leaving a 7-year-old girl dead and three children critically hurt. Read more at NBC Los Angeles.
Nightly Spotlight: Tom Brokaw Provides Perspective on Past Political Conventions
Lester Holt is joined by NBC’s Tom Brokaw in Cleveland as the 2016 Republican National Convention kicks off.