* “The distribution of risks around Brexit outcomes is widening.”–Goldman Sachs, in a report that places the odds that Brexit will be delayed at 50-50.
* “We never really had a trade deal with China, and now we’re going to have a great trade deal with China if it all works out.”–President Donald Trump.
* “(By) radiating authority.”–The way a female politician earns credibility, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
* “Some U.S. allies and partners are seeking greater independence from Washington in response to their perception of changing U.S. policies on security and trade.”–Excerpt from the “Worldwide Threat Assessment” report from U.S. intelligence agencies.
* “Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!”–Donald Trump.
* “The risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding is already higher than at any point since the end of the Cold War, and this decision only makes it worse.”–Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, on Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would be pulling out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia.
* “For the first time, you have an opposition leader (Juan Guaidó) who is clearly signaling to the armed forces and to law enforcement that he wants to keep them on the side of the angels and with the good guys.”–William Brownfield, former American ambassador to Venezuela.
* “Reading about the indictment of Donald Trump’s longtime pal Roger Stone, you can’t help thinking that we’ve got a president whose circle of associates closely resembles the guys Tony Soprano used to hang around with outside the pork shop in New Jersey.”–Gail Collins, New York Times.
* “Despite Trump’s claims, the main challenge for coal is not regulation. It’s technology. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in particular, has made natural gas a much cheaper alternative.”–Catherine Rampell, Washington Post.
* “(Government shutdowns) hurt federal employees and their families, disrupt critical government services and increase the cost to taxpayers. This shutdown confirmed what we already knew about shutdowns. Let’s do something about it now while the pain and inefficiency of this moment is fresh on our minds.”–Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman, who has re-introduced legislation to prevent government shutdowns.
* “The moment when we reach a compromise on the (border security) vocabulary is the moment when we will reach a compromise on the policy.”–Jeh Johnson, former homeland security secretary under President Barack Obama.
* “It will be interesting to see how primary voters wrestle with these questions: Is America too racist and sexist right now to elect a black woman? Or would nominating a black woman in fact be the perfect rebuttal to Trump?”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “(Howard Schultz’s) immediate problem is the Democratic Party. … Democrats will never forget … what Ralph Nader’s Green Party candidacy in 2000 did to Al Gore. … They feel they are this close to taking out Mr. Trump. They are not going to let another independent get in their way.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.
* “Grateful patient programs.”–Wealth screenings by nonprofit hospitals to gauge which patients are most likely to be the source of large donations.
* “A sunny place for shady people.”–How Roger Stone characterized Florida.
* “In a twisted way, the Florida dateline might have blunted the shock of last week’s (Sebring bank murders) crime. We live in a notorious firing range, the Gunshine State, where the rush of blood-splattered headlines seldom lets us catch our breath.”–Carl Hiaasen, Tribune Content Agency.
* “Nothing is ever settled if it’s science, because people are always questioning science. If you look at the history of human learning, for a long time the official worldview was that the world was flat.”–State Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala.
* “A study of a book of creation by its creator is absolutely essential. … In the world there is one book that is the ultimate authority on mankind. That is the Holy Bible. I think it should be studied in our schools.”–State Rep. Brad Drake, R-Fort Walton Beach, the co-sponsor of a bill that would require high schools to offer an elective course on the Bible and religion.
* “We want to be nimble. We want to be responsive to how the economy changes.”–Gov. Ron DeSantis, in advocating for better workforce and technical training programs during an appearance at Tampa Bay Tech.
* “Though skeptical, I’m willing to wipe the slate clean and judge him on his environmental record going forward. Florida is in desperate need of a new environmental hero. I’d be thrilled if DeSantis turned out to be one.”–Former Republican state legislator Paula Dockery.
* “I believe it’s a good idea. We need access to our rural communities. We need to improve access so prosperity can return there.”–Florida Senate leader Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, in announcing that one of his top priorities is pushing legislation to extend the (lightly traveled) Suncoast Parkway to the Georgia state line.
* “The story of Tampa is really quite remarkable but not surprising. You had the vision to take the waterfront and do something with it. You have a live-work-play that’s the envy of other cities.”–Mitchell Roschelle, co-author of the 2019 “Emerging Trends in Real Estate Report.”
* “The greatest feeling in the world is winning (a Super Bowl). The absolute worst feeling in the world is when the confetti is coming down on them, and you’ve got to walk through it.”–New Bucs head coach Bruce Arians.