Overview

• In Minnesota, Vance Boelter was arrested after allegedly shooting State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounding another lawmaker and spouse while planning attacks on 70 additional targets.
• The US Capitol Police reported a second consecutive annual increase in threat assessment cases, reflecting a broader rise in threats against lawmakers from both political extremes.
• Researchers link heightened attacks to polarized politics and amplified disinformation on social media, which experts say fuel anger and dehumanization.
• Political violence expert Robert Pape and others are urging President Trump and other leaders to issue bipartisan condemnations of violence to restore a more civil public discourse.
• Concerns over similar patterns in the UK have led to a £3.3 million security package for MPs after a series of threats and past fatal attacks on British lawmakers.