Americans have a growing tendency to fight against their political opponents instead of persuading them to change their position, and The 21st was joined by an author who has a new book on the subject to talk about it.

Many feel that in their slice of America, they are not free to say whatever they want about politics. Yet, while the blue-city Republican and the red-state Democrat might feel isolated, they are not alone. We were joined by a University of Illinois professor who studied one such group of political outliers to talk about what she found. 

On this special Labor Day encore episode, we talked about one of the largest earthquakes recorded in the US that happened in the Midwest in 1811. So how likely are earthquakes in the Midwest today? Plus, conspiracy theories have been part of our politics for a long time. These days, belief in those theories are part of why our country is so divided. We learned how that happened. Also, what’s the difference between feeling stressed and experiencing burnout? And, how can understanding that difference help challenge stigma around mental health?