I bet you don’t want to read one more thing about politics. (See the end of this message for how I manage to shut out politics when necessary.)

But there are still things we all need to know as a consequential election nears. Our job is to give you the facts that help you cut through the confusion, yelling and handwringing that characterize much current election coverage – and to provide those facts without making you feel like you’re taking medicine.

This week, we’ve had two stories that will help you understand the risk of election violence. One scholar examines the connection between hate speech and violence; another looks at the precursors of election violence around the world and whether they exist in the U.S.

Senate leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky up for reelection this year, has forged a lasting legacy with his successful campaign to fill federal courts, including the Supreme Court, with conservative judges. Al Cross, a journalist and academic who has covered McConnell for 40-plus years, writes in his profile of the powerful lawmaker that it’s McConnell’s “calculated audacity” that has enabled him to rise to power and remake the federal judiciary.

So, my trick for escaping politics? Making preserves. Last weekend, it was turning 20 pounds of tomatoes into tomato jam – here’s the link for the recipe, but leave out the cloves. Too strong, and they drown out the rest of the ingredients – kind of like what happened in a recent debate. The election’s more than a month away, and I still have another 30 pounds of tomatoes to go. That should keep me sane.

Naomi Schalit

Senior Editor, Politics + Society

Both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump have been accused of using hate speech. AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi

When politicians use hate speech, political violence increases

James Piazza, Pennsylvania State University

My research shows that when politicians use hate speech, it's not just empty rhetoric or political theater: Domestic terrorism increases, in the US and in other countries.

A man carrying a club is seen as the Proud Boys, a right-wing pro-Trump group, gather with their allies in a rally against left-wing Antifa in Portland, Oregon, Sept. 26, 2020. John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Election violence in November? Here’s what the research says

Ore Koren, Indiana University

Are the conditions ripe in the US for violence before, during or after the presidential election?