GOVERNMENT

The typo in question concerned property rights.

Error in Judgment: The 100-Year-Old Supreme Court Typo That May Have Altered Judicial Decisions

The typo in a 1928 opinion may have inadvertently influenced an unknown number of decisions to follow.

There’s a lot people get wrong about the Central Intelligence Agency.

7 Misconceptions About the CIA

Yes, you can have a Facebook page and still join the CIA.

A mass of shipping containers at the port of Shenzen, China.

How Do Tariffs Work?

Tariffs are a means for one country to wrangle better trade terms with another country and to protect domestic manufacturing. Unfortunately, they don’t always deliver.

A person holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony on the ship ‘Wavertree’ in New York City. The 20 candidates were from 17 countries and 5 of the candidates were current or former members of the U.S. military.

Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?

Could you pass the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship test? Applicants must answer six of 10 questions correctly—and it’s harder than it sounds.

Do You Know the Presidential Line of Succession?

The transfer of power passes through a lot of people. Can you put them in order?

The spelling is a bit peculiar at times, too.

21 Things You May Not Know About the U.S. Constitution

How well do you really know the U.S. Constitution? Discover things you might not have realized about this influential document, like its dictator-friendly loophole.

The gray wolf is an endangered species in most of the U.S.

The 10 Best States for Wildlife Protection

Where does your state rank when it comes to wildlife conservation?

Baltimore, Maryland had a brief stint as capital.

9 Places That Have Served as the Capital of the United States

Washington, D.C., hasn't always been the political center of the United States.

Rosa Parks is fingerprinted by a Montgomery, Alabama, police officer after being arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.

11 Peaceful Protests and Their Historic Results

Civil disobedience and nonviolent protests have moved mountains. Here are just a few examples of when people took back power.

American officials exchanged Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for the American U-2 spyplane pilot Francis Gary Powers in the 1962 “Bridge of Spies” transfer.

How a Nickel and a Paperboy Brought Down a Cold War Spy

Soviet spy Rudolf Abel might have never been caught were it not for a Russian turncoat and a newspaper delivery boy who thought he’d been stiffed.

The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the Cold War from 1961 to 1989.

11 Chilling Facts About the Cold War

The U.S. and USSR employed spies, quelled internal dissent, made allies abroad, and stockpiled nuclear weapons in this proxy war.

The Equal Rights Amendment is the best-known Constitutional amendment that is not yet part of the Constitution.

6 Constitutional Amendments That Just Missed the Cut

Since 1789, Congress has sent 33 constitutional amendments to the states for ratification. Here’s the scoop on the six amendments that didn't make the grade.

How NASA Helped Solve a Murder

The space agency helped out on a landmark criminal case in 1990.

A map of the 63 National Parks in the U.S.

1 Fact About All 63 U.S. National Parks

From Acadia to Zion, the U.S. has some pretty majestic national parks. Here’s one fun fact about every single one—plus a map so you can see where they all are.

2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin had a concession speech written up for election night—but wasn’t allowed to deliver it.

12 Historical Speeches Nobody Ever Heard

For every speech, there are a bunch of versions that ended up on the writers' room floor. Here are 12 speeches that were written but, for a variety of reasons, never delivered.

It was about modernization—and also politics.

Why the Letters Q, W, and X Were Once Illegal in Türkiye

Sometimes the letter of the law has tough things to say about, well, letters.

There‘s a FasTrak toll scam running rampant.

What to Know About the New FasTrak Scam Targeting Drivers

Received a text about unpaid tolls? You may be the target of a new phishing scam.

Scotland Has “No Intention” of Banning Cats, First Minister Confirms

The Scottish government won’t be rounding up people’s pets any time soon.

We can confirm this suit is pretty ugly.

Where Did the Phrase ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’ Come From?

We cannot confirm nor deny we have an explanation.

Need an iPhone With TikTok Access? They’re Being Listed for Thousands on eBay

Those with TikTok withdrawal can get their fix. For a price.

15 Impressive Facts About the Panama Canal

Often called one of the seven modern wonders of the world, the Panama Canal splits the continents of North and South America and launched a new era in global commerce when it opened in 1914.

The National Archives Is Looking for Volunteers With a “Superpower”: Reading Cursive

The agency needs help deciphering the flowing penmanship of the past.

Why Is It Called a “Manila” Envelope?

There’s a surprising connection between the capital of the Philippines and mailing important documents.

Watch Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “The Other America” Speech

The MLK quote “a riot is the language of the unheard” came from his 1967 speech on the two Americas.