It varies from country to country, but generally speaking governments only own the passport when its valid. Once its cancelled or expires, ownership passes to whoever is currently in possession of it.

Vintage passports are a reasonably common collectors item, and it appears as though this particular passport has been sold several times prior to this - all without objection from the Egyptian government or Sadat's family.

Yes. A transformer blew at the city's main water plant, which was replaced within a few hours. No one probably would have noticed or cared about the boil water advisory, which is an EPA mandated thing, but for the fact that so many people on the internet are desperate to show how their political party is good and the other party is evil.

Which is particularly idiotic in this case because Houston has been run by democrats for at least 7 years and this is an entirely local issue.