POLITICS

Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

14 of the Best Books on the Vietnam War

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

Westsylvania is just one state that never made the cut.

12 Proposed U.S. States That Didn't Make the Cut

The road to our 50 states is littered with wannabe territories that couldn't wait to be admitted to the union, but never quite got there. Here are 12 states that could have been.

20 of the Strangest Maps Ever Created

Odd cartographic creations like ‘Fool’s Cap Map of the World,’ ‘Leo Belgicus,’ and ‘The Porcineograph’ make the classic Mercator Projection look outright dull.

Senators can be expelled, but it doesn’t happen often.

Can You Expel a Sitting Senator?

Once you’ve been voted into the Senate, it’s difficult to get you out.

8 Gripping Facts About the Vietnam War Draft

Dive into the history of the draft during the Vietnam War, including its origins, how long it lasted, and how some young Boomers successfully managed to dodge it.

Why America Obsesses Over the President’s First 100 Days in Office

Would you want to be compared to the man who legalized beer in his first 100 days in office?

This Interactive Map Shows You Where Your Food Comes From

If you’re wondering how tariffs might affect your grocery bill, use this interactive to trace the origins of your food.

10 Questions About the Vietnam War, Answered

The Vietnam War was a highly controversial conflict. We break down some of the most common questions about the war, from why the U.S. entered the conflict to who ultimately won.

Abbie Hoffman was a controversial and influential figure.

10 Revolutionary Facts About Abbie Hoffman

Abbot “Abbie” Howard Hoffman was a bombastic and theatrical figure who often used absurd media stunts to get his points across.

Senator Joseph McCarthy (center) and Roy Cohn (right) during the Army-McCarthy Hearings in June 1954.

10 Suspicious Facts about McCarthyism

McCarthyism advertised itself as a response to national security threats created by the Cold War, including Soviet espionage. But the movement was bigger than Senator Joseph McCarthy.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House.

The U.S.-Canada Border Runs Directly Through This Library

The library’s official entrance is on the U.S. side of the building, but new changes will have Canadians enter from their side of the border.

The ACLU regularly argues cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

9 Fundamental Facts About the ACLU

The group was founded during World War I to defend Americans’ First Amendment freedoms. Over the years, that mission has taken some unexpected turns.

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 border between these two countries is a little odd in places.

Over the Borderline: The Little Bit of Minnesota That Could Have Gone Canadian

An old map error led to some strange—and at times contentious—geography.

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.

How Did Latin America Get Its Name?

Latin isn’t widely spoken in Latin America, so why is it called that?

Why Did ‘The Ukraine’ Become Just ‘Ukraine’?

Until a few decades ago, Ukraine was almost always referred to as 'the Ukraine'. Then people started dropping the definite article, and now you almost never see it. Here's why.

The names of all three of these folks have gotten the adjective treatment.

11 People Whose Names Became Adjectives

From David Lynch to Queen Elizabeth I, these folks achieved a type of lexical immortality when their names became adjectives.

It was not the first time someone has sued a deity.

The Politician Who Sued God

In the world of politics, nobody is safe from a well-executed smear campaign.

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.

The burnout is real—but so are these solutions.

7 Ways To Follow the News Without Experiencing Media Burnout

Has the news cycle got you stressed? Here are some crucial tips for how to balance your mental health while still staying top of current events.

When Vladimir Putin (Allegedly) Stole Patriots Owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl Ring

In 2005, Patriots chief Robert Kraft's diplomacy mission to Russia turned into an international incident after Vladimir Putin pocketed his priceless Super Bowl ring.

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.