* “What we are returning to is great-power politics.”–Derek Shearer, former American ambassador to Finland, on an apparent shift in the post-World War II global political structure.
* “(Putin’s) biggest vulnerability is his diplomatic loneliness. He has nothing close to the web of alliances and partnerships that have anchored the United States and its partners. … Putin knows that the longer he is denied foreign direct investment, the further behind his economy will fall.”–William J. Burns, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former American ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008.
* “The risks of escalation are clear. Threats to the U.S.-China relationship are the most dangerous for global growth.”–Adam Slater, global economist at Oxford Economics.
* “China is the problem. Blame China, not Trump.”–White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow.
* “Brazil is very interesting as a case study, in the sense that the corruption is not in the politics. The corruption IS the politics.”–Brazilian director and screenwriter Jose Padilha.
* “Must pass tough laws and build the WALL. Democrats allow open borders, drugs and crime!”–President Donald Trump.
* “If one were to draft a script chronicling fascism’s resurrection, the abdication of America’s moral leadership would make a credible first scene.”–Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state (1997-2001) and author of “Fascism: A Warning.”
* “We’re already going there to deliver mail and bills and advertising, so the marginal cost of delivering an extra package is not high.”–Jim Sauber, chief of staff for the National Association of Letter Carriers, in refuting Trump’s claim about the Post Office “losing a fortune” in working with Amazon. In 2017, package delivery accounted for the Post Office’s largest revenue increase.
* “Mr. Pruitt’s goal is simple: No studies, no data, no rules.”–Former E.P.A. Administrator Gina McCarthy, in reference to the current E.P.A. administrator, Scott Pruitt.
* “Congress must hold ourselves to a higher standard and regain the trust of the American people.”–Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers, the GOP campaign chief.
* “Intractable.” How Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, characterized Congress on the issue of effectively dealing with gun violence.
* “Eighty percent of white evangelicals would vote against Jesus Christ himself if he ran as a Democrat.”–Amy Sullivan, co-host of the podcast Impolite Company.
* “Less than a handful of political leaders in this country have more knowledge and experience than Hillary Clinton. This should be obvious. The need for continuing contributions should be obvious. It’s both astonishing and appalling that it should even be questioned.”–Laurence Lewis, Daily Kos.
* “Since World War II, there is in fact little evidence that military spending provides the Keynesian function of stimulating the economy. Key economic thinkers, including Adam Smith, have long viewed military expenditures as an impediment to economic progress because they are merely outlays for goods and services and not investments.”–William Felice, professor of political science at Eckerd College.
* “In a time of crisis, the peoples of the world must rush to get to know each other.”–Cuban revolutionary icon José Martí.
* “The signal fact of Mr. Zuckerberg is that he is supremely gifted in one area–monetizing technical expertise by marrying it to a canny sense of human weakness. Beyond that, what a shallow and banal figure.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.
* “Hyperloop produces its own energy by using solar, wind, kinetic energy or, depending on the climate, even geothermal energy. So the operational costs are very, very low. … There’s no rail line, no metro line, in the whole world that’s profitable.”–Dick Ahlborn, co-founder and CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, which is pursuing the concept of traveling in tubes at the speed of sound.
* “It is too early to tell if the Democratic wave in 2018 will be a surge or a tsunami, but one thing is clear: It will be too strong for Rick Scott to overcome.”–Statement from the Democratic group American Bridge 21st Century.
* “Here in the 21st century, we know how to produce things in our economy without dumping chemicals into our rivers. And for those facilities that won’t change on their own, we need robust enforcement of our clean water laws, including tough penalties so that it doesn’t pay to pollute.”–Jennifer Rubiello, director of Environmental Florida.
* “If you let businesses and families make the right decisions and not have government confiscate it, state revenues will be just fine.”–Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, who emphasizes that he has signed a “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” to oppose and veto any effort to raise taxes in Florida.
* “From draining Florida’s public school funding–driving our state to the bottom of the country in per-pupil funding–to refusing the high-speed rail funding that would have improved transportation along the I-4 corridor, Rick Scott has done nothing but put himself ahead of what’s best for Floridians.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.
* “I’m fed up. Something has to change, and it begins by electing individuals who are not scared of or beholden to the NRA but who will do what is right for our children, students, teachers and communities.”–Florida House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa.
* “The activist options for teachers and education staff professionals are somewhat limited. Walking off the job or reporting to work late is not an appropriate action, and it comes with harsh consequences.”–From a statement by the Florida Education Association.
* “If it feels like we’re getting busy around here, that’s because we really are.”–Chris Minner, TIA’s executive vice president of marketing and communications, in noting that in February the airport saw a 12.5 percent increase in passengers compared to the same month last year, the largest monthly increase in more than a decade. Spirit and Frontier airlines were the biggest drivers of the growth.
* “So much is first building awareness and building excitement about it. Ultimately, we’ve got to get to every Little League. We’ve got to get to every neighborhood association. It’s not just a downtown thing or a business community thing.”–Mike Griffin, vice chairman of Tampa Bay Rays 2020, chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and senior managing director of the Tampa office of Savills Studley Occupier Services, an international real estate solutions firm.