* “Finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when.”–NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen, on astronomers’ discovery of seven Earth-size planets orbiting a single star less than 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.
* “If countries are going to have nukes, we’re going to be at the top of the pack.”–President Donald Trump.
* “I urge President Trump to tone down his bullying rhetoric, tweets and policies that I believe are inflaming mean-spirited elements and causing prejudiced people to act out.”–U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa.
* “A growing economy is compatible with creeping authoritarianism, of course, as Trump’s most alarmist critics are fond of pointing out. But is it compatible with outrageous presidential incompetence?”–Ross Douthat, New York Times.
* “(Trump) is our first post-rational president.”–Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal.
* “Spin is the bitcoin of Washington. But Trump is in another dimension. He has distorted the truth for so long, he now seems routinely untethered from reality.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
* “Do we want a situation where the only source of information is the government? I mean, really? Somehow I don’t think that’s what the founders intended.”–Bob Schieffer of CBS.
* “I don’t view you (media) guys as the enemy. I expect adversarial questions. And you rarely disappoint me. And I think it’s part of what makes America function.”–Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
* “Just because there’s an ‘R’ in the White House, an ‘R’ in the House and an ‘R’ in the Senate doesn’t mean they’re from the same alphabet.”–Douglas Duncan, the chief economist at Fannie Mae.
* “It’s like NASCAR. They’re just waiting for the car wreck.”–Congressman Mark Sanford, R-Va., describing a recent town hall gathering.
* “The joke around Washington is that the Republicans are going to repeal Obamacare–and they’ll replace it with the Affordable Care Act.”–Former Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott.
* “Baby come back.”–SpaceX owner Elon Musk, in celebrating the precise return and upright landing at Cape Canaveral of the 15-story booster from the Falcon 9 rocket that carried supplies to the space station.
* “Why don’t they just abolish local government?”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, responding to a proposed bill in the Florida House that would prohibit cities, counties and other arms of local government from passing any regulations on businesses unless they have been given specific permission from the state Legislature.
* “It puts us at such a disadvantage as a city, as a region and as a state economically.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, on the ramifications of underfunded transit systems.