government

Illustration composite by Mental Floss. Egg carton: iStock

Who decides when our food is unsafe, and what happens next?

You may not be able to spend it, but that ripped bill isn't worthless.

Being a TSA agent means plenty of job stress.

Cats are a nightmare and that block of cheese in your luggage can look remarkably like a bomb. Learn more about life as a TSA agent.

Including the epic "Star Wars" quote battle of 2015.

House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and Donald Trump arrive for a meeting with the House Republican conference.

Both the House and the Senate have their own Sergeant at Arms, and their visibility is highest during the State of the Union address. But what do they do the other 364 days of the year?

The tiny yellow dots help law enforcement track counterfeiters.

The 25th Amendment has been in the news a lot lately. But what led to its establishment in the first place?

They have ways of keeping tabs on you, and one of them is probably in your desk drawer right now.

Helping you clean up small messes since 1981, among other things.

The games were revealed at this year's SXSW.

Officials think the spooky attraction would be good for tourism.

Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009.

From drunk vice presidents to poisoned pigeons, anything can happen on Inauguration Day—and often does.

Should members of Parliament talk about flatulence? It’s controversial.

Every four years, people talk about the oddness of the Electoral College, often leading to questions of whether it can change or reverse the results of an election.

While it would be a political crisis if the Electoral College completely disregarded the will of the people, it’s not impossible.

Take a look back at some of the most successful third parties in American history.

Politicians have done some unusual stuff during a filibuster, from giving cooking lessons to reading the phone book and beyond.

What they found shocked even the government.

Is "All the News That's Fit to Print" false advertising?

A super-important piece of your identity is about as durable as toilet paper.

The 66-year-old government official uses his Christmas-y credentials to advocate for children.

Babies in Canada have to learn to walk the old-fashioned way.

One hundred years ago today, the 19th Amendment—extending the right to vote to women—was passed by the Senate and sent to the states for ratification. On August 18, 1920, American women finally secured that right. Calling the victory hard-won would be a t

The Anatomy of a Food Recall

The Tiny Government Office That Will Replace Your Ripped, Burned, and Chewed-Up Cash

14 Secrets of TSA Agents

6 Things Americans Should Know About Net Neutrality

What Does the Sergeant at Arms Do?

There’s an Invisible Tracking Code Embedded in the Documents You Print

What Was the Original Reason for the 25th Amendment?

14 Secrets of Secret Service Agents

10 Everyday Innovations That Came From NASA Research

The CIA Uses Board Games as Training Tools

Indonesian City Considers Erecting a Giant Statue of a Vampiric Ghost

35 Fascinating Facts About Presidential Inaugurations Past

Canada’s Parliament Debates the Use of the Word Fart

Can the Electoral College Reverse the Results of an Election?

What Happens if the Electoral College Ties?

8 Political Parties You Might Remember From History Class

5 Weird Things Done During Filibusters

The Burglars Who Broke Into the FBI

When a Congressman Asked the FTC to Fact Check The New York Times' Slogan

A Man Named 'Santa Claus' Was Elected to City Council in North Pole, Alaska

The 10 Current Scent Trademarks Currently Recognized by the U.S. Patent Office

10 Things Banned in Other Countries, but Legal in the U.S.

19 Facts About the 19th Amendment