* “Congress should be aware that if this diplomatic solution fails, then the risks and likelihood that this ends up being at some point a military confrontation is heightened–and Congress will have to own that as well.”–President Barack Obama, in warning Congress not to slap fresh sanctions on Iran.
* “What needs to happen is that the Muslim elites who are representative of the broader Muslim population in all its diversity must speak out. We cannot have an opposition between the Islamized part of the population and mainstream society.”–Olivier Roy, political Islam expert at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
* “What we are seeing here is a terrorist outbidding, where ISIS and al Qaeda are under pressure to outdo each other.”–Shadi Hamid, author and fellow at the Brookings Institution.
* “In the security services, it’s been known for a while that it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. Paris was the moment it happened.”–Magnus Ranstorp, Swedish National Defense College .
* “It’s a testament to the brittleness and fragility of ideologies like the thuggish cult of North Korea and the more homicidally literalist sects of Islam that they respond to art most Westerners regard as silly and trivial: dumb comedies, crude cartoons.”–Cartoonist and author Tim Kreider.
* “We’re seeing a significant acceleration in the past few decades. It’s concerning for cities along the U.S. East Coast.”–Harvard geophysical researcher Carling Hay, on the faster pace of sea level rise from melting ice sheets and shrinking glaciers triggered by man-made global warming.
* “It’s time for the Obama Administration to loosen the hold that Wall Street banks have over economic policy making. Enough is enough. Sure, big banks are important, but running this economy for American families is a lot more important.”–Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
* “Keep in mind, 2016 could be a do-or-die moment for our party.”–Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.
* “He would be a wonderful president. But there’s just something that the public doesn’t like.”–Former Florida House Speaker Allan Bense on Mitt Romney.
* “When you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small, but he is going to ask you what you did for the poor.”–Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich.
* “I support the right of people to believe what they do and say what they wish–in their pews, homes and hearts. But outside of those places? You must put up with me, just as I put up with you.”–Frank Bruni, New York Times.
* “This is art; this is a movie; this is a film. I’m not a historian. I’m not a documentarian.”–“Selma” director Ava DuVernay.
* “We need to start talking about it as a cancer vaccine, instead of a vaccine for sexually transmitted disease.”–Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, on a new approach to HPV, a common, cancer-causing virus that is sexually transmitted.
* “The manner in which it was handled was not known to me and was not at all how it should have been handled.”–Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, on how Gov. Rick Scott handled the ouster of FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey.
* “I know that my constituents will not support rail or a sales tax. You’re unlikely to get them to walk away from their cars.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White.
* “They’re talking about how this actually could reset the dynamic of higher education in this country. It’s a recognition that community colleges are steppingstones to an improved quality of life. … It could be a game changer.”–Ken Atwater, president of Hillsborough Community College, reacting to President Barack Obama’s proposal to make two years of community college tuition-free.
* “My preference is to promote from within. I think it sends the right signal to the troops that there is upward mobility and if you do a great job, there are opportunities for you.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, on choosing a successor to retiring Police Chief Jane Castor.
* “We need some new blood on council.”–Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern.
* “You have to get into the playoffs to get to the World Series, and we were solidly in the playoffs this time around.”–Rick Homans, CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp., on Tampa being a finalist for the Mercedes-Benz U.S. headquarters’ relocation that ultimately went to Atlanta.
* “Anything that makes travel to Cuba easier benefits us.”–TIA CEO Joe Lopano.
* “We’ve done our homework. We know the spending power that exists in the LGBT community. They like to travel; they like unique experiences. “–Visit Tampa Bay President and CEO Santiago Corrada, on the strategy of launching a series of national print and digital ads aimed directly at same-sex couples looking to marry.
* “What should be a concern … is that for too many teachers, the evaluation process feels demeaning or unfair, even with teachers who fare really well in this evaluation process.”–Hillsborough County teachers union president Jean Clements.
* “Bring on the expectations.”–New Cubs manager Joe Maddon at a welcoming reception in Chicago.