* “French Jews should no longer be afraid of being Jewish, and French Muslims should no longer be ashamed of being Muslims.”–French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, in announcing governmental programs and policies that will combat “racism and anti-Semiticism.”
* “I read all the speeches of the pope, his commentaries, and if the pope continues this way, I will go back to praying and go back to the church, and I’m not joking.”–Cuban President Raul Castro, after his private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis.
* “The FBI has got a pretty good program to monitor public social media.”–Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
* “On this issue, on trade, I actually think some of my dearest friends are wrong. They’re just wrong.”–President Barack Obama, defending his position in favor of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.
* “I’m always cautious about the federal government’s role in establishing curriculum standards. The federal government always ends up turning a carrot into a stick, right?”–Sen. Marco Rubio, at a presidential campaign appearance in Nashua, N.H.
* “Whatever the need, the affliction, or the injustice, there is no more powerful or liberating influence on this Earth than the Christian conscience in action.”–Jeb Bush, in his commencement address at Liberty University.
* “I think there was a great deal we missed before the (2008 financial) crisis. I think we are better positioned now and have better tools.”–Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen.
* “Only the Supreme Court will be able to bring harmony to these polar opposite views of the program and the law.”–Surveillance attorney Michael Sussman, on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that the NSA’s collection of Americans’ phone records violates the Patriot Act.
* “I will continue to speak in defense of freedom until the day I die. It’s just that simple. It’s not even a choice. It’s a calling.”–Pamela Geller, explaining that she has no regrets about organizing the Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, that ended in gunfire.
* “It was clear to a number of people looking at this situation that the community’s rather frayed trust–to use an understatement–was even worse and has, in effect, been severed in terms of the relationship with the police department.”–Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in announcing a wide-ranging investigation into Baltimore’s police.
* “Inequality is a matter not so much of capitalism in the 20th century as of democracy in the 20th century.”–Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economist and author of “The Great Divide.”
* “The things that were worth working on this year will be worth working on next year. All of these good pieces of legislation will be back until they pass.”–NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer.
* “The low-income families in our state haven’t been waiting on the federal government, Gov. Scott, they’ve been waiting on you.”–State Senate Democratic leader Arthenia Joyner.
* “For anyone to say the federal government created LIP, like the governor did, and then to say you have to give us money to keep it going, is just wrong. That’s the problem with this governor; he doesn’t have a historical clue about this state. It’s laughable.”–Republican Mike Fasano, Pasco County Tax Collector and former state legislator.
* “If I were governor, I’d be out there talking about it (sea-level rise) every day. … Unless you’re going to build a sea wall around South Florida, what’s the plan?”–Eric Buermann, former general counsel to the Republican Party of Florida and former water district governing board member.
* “I’m disappointed with how the session ended. The taxpayers expect us to do a job, and they didn’t get their money’s worth.”–Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island.
* Be Santa Claus when you can.”–Advice from Jimmy Buffett, who was awarded an honorary doctorate in music from the University of Miami.
* “This project is on-time and on-budget.”–TIA CEO Joe Lopano, on the status of the airport’s $943 million expansion and upgrade by 2017.
* “The days of us marketing our respective cities at the expense of someone else are over–over.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, at the annual International Town Hall in St. Petersburg.
* “The degree of unawareness about the ferry industry is rampant in the U.S. When people understand how much fun it is, it’s going to be a huge industry and Tampa will be in the middle of it.”–United Caribbean chairman and CEO Bruce Nierenberg, who hopes to launch service from Tampa to Cuba and Mexico.
* “What we need to do is get away from that ‘stop snitching’ culture and get back to a community of responsibility.”–Interim Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward.
* “If the (standardized) tests inform instruction and promote student learning, and if they help us realize our vision of preparing students for life, we will keep them in place. If not, we will eliminate them and clear more valuable classroom time for teachers and students.”–Jeff Eakins, acting superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools.
* “If we’re asking others to be mindful of carbon emissions, we should be leading the way and be mindful of our own impact on climate change.”–Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione.
* “This league is too good to just go out and win hockey games on skill.”–Steven Stamkos.