Odette Yousef & Miles Parks at NPR:
As Election Day nears, the recent attack on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in their San Francisco home is increasing concerns over political violence around the midterms. Those concerns were further emphasized by the release of an internal bulletin within federal agencies — on the same day as the Pelosi attack — warning of a heightened threat from domestic violent extremists in the coming weeks. While troubling indicators — such as growing support for political violence, a rise in threats against elected officials and election workers, and the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol — have clearly signaled the path of the country’s political environment over the past two years, many see the current election cycle as a crucial test of how much those factors will affect the practice of democracy in the United States.