* “There will always be change. And I think you want to see change. I want to also see different ideas.”–President Donald Trump.
* “Our country learned about trade the hard way when the 1929 recession worsened into the Great Depression. Politicians tried to help workers with protectionism like the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930. Our trading partners retaliated, global trade decreased, the Depression was lengthened and everyone lost. The lesson: Trade wars have no winners.”–Alan Green, economics department chairman at Stetson University.
* “When it comes to Mr. Mueller, he is following the evidence where it takes him, and I think it’s very important he be allowed to do his job without interference, and there are many Republicans who share my view.”–Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
* “Public life on the whole has remained surprisingly calm. A significant factor in keeping the peace has surely been anticipatory catharsis: The widespread expectations of a big Democratic wave in the coming midterm elections are containing and channeling that indignation, helping to maintain order.”–Charlie Savage, author of “Power Wars: The Relentless Rise of Presidential Authority and Secrecy.”
* “(Trump’s) poorly briefed, malleable, crass and dishonest, and all he cares about is how he comes across in the press. Which makes it damn-near impossible for any self-respecting conservative to understand him, anticipate his positions or trust him on policy.”–Florida-based, Republican consultant Rick Wilson.
* “The upset in Pennsylvania wasn’t just a harbinger of likely Democratic gains to come. It also showed the bankruptcy of all the political strategies Republicans have used to distract voters from an unpopular agenda.”–Paul Krugman, New York Times.
* “Trump should be primaried in 2020.”–Former Florida Congressman David Jolly.
* We have witnessed abuse, harassment, troll armies, manipulation through bots and human-coordination, misinformation campaigns and increasingly divisive echo chambers. We aren’t proud of how people have taken advantage of our service or our inability to address it fast enough.”–Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey.
* “Not since Albert Einstein has a scientist so captured the public imagination and endeared himself to tens of millions of people around the world.”–Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, on the passing of physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking.
* “He doesn’t know anything about state government or the issues facing the people of Florida. He can’t talk about that. He has to talk about Mueller and Deep State conspiracies and the Wall and hitting all the usual right-wing, populist trigger phrases.”–Florida GOP strategist Mac Stipanovich on why Republican Congressman–and Florida gubernatorial candidate–Ron DeSantis has to rely on Fox News appearances to close the gap with Adam Putnam.
* “Hey, Tom, this is Denney Pate with FIGG bridge engineers. Calling to, uh, share with you some information about the FIU pedestrian bridge and some cracking that’s been observed on the north end of the span, the pylon end of that span we moved this weekend.”
* “We have learned an awful lot from our delivery pilot. The concept of saving time is just as important as saving money.”–Tom Ward, Walmart’s vice president of digital operations, after using Tampa Bay as one of its test areas for grocery delivery.
* “We came out very well. Certainly an improvement over last year.”–Brandon Wagner, head of legislative affairs for Hillsborough County, on how Gov. Scott’s veto pen impacted county priorities. Hillsborough’s top (veto-surviving) priority was $5 million for Big Bend Road.
* “When the day’s done, we’re a Tampa Bay area company, and maybe a derivative of that is we’re a St. Pete company.”–Jabil CEO Mark Mondello, on the electronics manufacturer’s plans to invest an estimated $67 million expanding its corporate headquarters in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg.