Less than 24 hours after President Trump said some “great generals” told him they thought that yesterday’s massive explosion in Beirut was an “attack” involving “a bomb of some kind,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper seemed less than convinced by that explanation.

While the protests in downtown Portland have largely been peaceful, there have been violent offshoots in other parts of the city this week.

Repeat offender laws sent Fair Wayne Bryant to prison for life after trying to steal hedge clippers. Louisiana’s Supreme Court won't review the case.

He went toe-to-toe with the 300-pound predator, and it didn’t go very well

Former Vice President Joe Biden could be down to two contenders in his search for a running mate.A new report from Axios details how Biden confidants believe he has narrowed his list down to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice. While the report cautions that things could change, it notes that these confidants "would be surprised if he picks anyone else."As far as Harris goes, Axios writes that Biden's brain trust has "deep and trusting relationships" with those who are pushing for the California senator while touting her skills as a prosecutor. But on the other hand, according to the report, Rice is "getting a big bounce" from former President Barack Obama's alumni, who say that picking her would "guarantee the enthusiastic presence" of Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on the campaign trail.Other possible contenders include Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), who the report says is in third place behind Harris and Rice, as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). The Washington Post previously reported that Biden was expected to interview five or six finalists but that there was a sense that he still doesn't have "a clear favorite."Though Biden had previously said he intended to make his running mate pick in the first week of August, the announcement is no longer expected to come until next week, prior to the Democratic National Convention's start on Aug. 17. Read more at Axios. More stories from theweek.com New Lincoln Project ad crowns Jared Kushner 'Secretary of Failure' The Republican problem no one knows how to solve Pelosi doubts Republicans will pass generous coronavirus bill: 'Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn'

Schools began reopening several weeks ago. Dozens of students and staff have already tested positive for COVID-19.

Two dozen people in Hong Kong, including pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, have been charged with participating in an illegal assembly at a vigil on June 4 commemorating the crackdown on protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen square in 1989. It was the first time the vigil had been banned in semiautonomous Hong Kong, with police citing coronavirus restrictions on group gatherings in refusing permission for it to take place. The anniversary struck an especially sensitive nerve in the former British colony this year, falling just as China prepared to introduce national security legislation later that month in response to last year's often violent pro-democracy demonstrations.

Officials are pushing for a new yardstick to measure Berlin's contributions to NATO, suggesting the country could shoulder 10 percent of alliance requirements.

Upwards of 200 Minneapolis police officers have started the process to apply for permanent disability following the George Floyd riots; Mike Tobin reports.

Thanks to a marked shift among Republican voters since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, just 13 percent of Americans surveyed now say they are satisfied with “the way things are going in the United States.”

The drop in carbon pollution will only cool the planet a tiny bit. So how about this: Revive the economy and the Earth by pouring money into green tech.

A blast injury specialist explores the chemistry—and history—of explosions like the one captured in videos that swept across the world.

The pandemic has slashed demand for rides and boosted orders for UberEats. Neither segment is profitable.

A campaign called Operation Skeleton Key has stolen source code, software development kits, chip designs, and more.

It's supposed to be the perfect compromise between in-person and online education. It could end up as a public health nightmare.

An MIT team tackled the mystery of why something as soft as hair can erode a steel blade, hoping to figure out how to make shaving tools last longer.

With coronavirus infections rampant in parts of the nation, backlogs are preventing people from getting timely test results, hampering efforts to contain the virus.

The story of a guy who wouldn't let a few quintillion possible decryption keys stand between him and his cryptocurrency.

Alumni of the software giant’s Beijing research lab are now executives at Alibaba, Tencent, SenseTime—and TikTok parent ByteDance.

These noise-canceling headphones silence the world better than most, and the mics are now actually usable on phone calls.