Author: Steve DiMatteo

How in the world did Hell, Michigan get a name like that? Let’s take a little etymological journey to find out. Look up any list of the strangest city names in the United States, and you’re sure to find Hell, Michigan somewhere on there. And for good reason; it’s hard not to do a double take when you see a town named after the place of eternal suffering. Though that’s exactly what living in America is like, depending on who you ask on any given day. While no one knows exactly how Hell, which is 20 miles northwest of Ann…

The news of a derailed train in East Palestine, Ohio – in which crews opted to burn the toxic chemicals in the overturned tanker cars to avoid a potentially catastrophic explosion – hasn’t been plastered all over the news (aside from maybe a reporter being arrested at a Mike DeWine news conference) like it should be, but that’s probably to be expected. After all, Norfolk Southern has billions of dollars at stake in its stock valuation, and certainly wants to avoid questions as to why it lobbied for so long on relaxed safety measures that no doubt helped contribute to…

The state of Iowa has introduced a bill in the legislature that would rewrite an existing law, dramatically lowering restrictions on the use of child labor. Though one could point to a labor shortage as part of the reason for the bill, this pro-business law no doubt just wants to take advantage of overall cheaper labor. What is most compelling – and terrifying – about the bill is that it ultimately redefines the types of jobs in which a child can work. In the current law, children under 18 can’t work in potentially dangerous jobs, such as: “…slaughterhouses, meatpacking or…

There are many myths about George Washington, the leader of the American military during the Revolutionary War, a Founding Father, and the first president of the United States. One of the most enduring stories about the truly mythological Washington – aside from the one about a young Washington cutting down that cherry tree (though certainly not to be confused with the cherry blossoms that are in D.C. today) – is that he had a mouth full of wooden teeth. As you can imagine, dental hygiene in the 18th century was nothing short of a nightmare. The entire field of dentistry…

The country has been captivated by the mysterious Chinese weather balloon – or spy balloon, depending on who you ask – floating over the United States, and many are wondering why the military doesn’t just shoot it down. There are, of course, people to consider, but back in 1945, the USS New York thought to do just that to a suspected Japanese balloon weapon. The crew of the New York spotted the silver balloon-looking sphere, and the captain ordered it to be shot down; after all, you could never be too sure, and these are open waters we’re talking about.…

Tensions are high right now between the United States and China, and the latest news won’t exactly do anything to calm things down. This week, a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted hovering over the western United States, primarily in Montana, which just so happens to be where one of the country’s three nuclear missile silo fields are located, at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The balloon – hovering at 60,000 feet and is roughly the size of two or three buses – is carrying sensors and other equipment, so it’s clearly here to gain intel on the United States… right?…

There are all sorts of lake monsters out there, and in Churubusco, Indiana, a small town of fewer than 2,000 people, it is the home of the “Beast of Busco,” an enormous snapping turtle cryptid that allegedly weighs nearly 500 pounds. Why Is Churubusco Called Turtle Town? In March of 1949, there was a sighting of a monstrous turtle in Churubusco by Gale Harris, who owned the lake (Fulk Lake) in which the car-sized turtle resided. The sightings dated back to the previous year by locals Ora Blue and Charlie Wilson, but it wasn’t until the next year that Harris…

You’ll be forgiven here if the answer is no, but did you know that February is Humpback Whale Awareness Month? You might be wondering why in the world there might be a Humpback Whale Awareness Month, but I assure you it’s real, and it’s designed to, you guessed it, help provide awareness to a mammal that is an integral part of our marine ecosystem. It was started in Hawaii in 2008 by then-governor Linda Lingle, who issued the proclamation as a way to celebrate these beautiful creatures and increase public interest for getting involved in their protection. Hawaii, a prime…

Pepsi is an iconic soft drink – it’s hard to beat the crisp taste of a brand-new Pepsi you just cracked open. But that has never stopped PepsiCo from simply resting on its laurels; the soda giant is always trying to find ways to increase sales and find new audiences while, of course, attempting to crush Coca-Cola in the process. That leads to plenty of innovation in the soda drink world, with millions of pop scientists working around the clock in secret underground bunkers, desperately trying to unlock the next great Pepsi flavor – or something like that. These Are…

For a few moments at least, Howard Dean had a little bit of momentum heading into the 2004 presidential primaries, thanks to some very promising early polling and his ability to raise the most money among Democratic candidates in the latter part of 2003. It also probably helped that Dean had been a candidate for what felt like an eternity to that point, effectively launching his campaign with an exploratory committee in 2002. But any hope the populist Vermont governor had of becoming the nominee vanished pretty quick, especially after the infamous “Dean scream” that may have truly tanked his…