Opinions to go Online

* “Once again, some potentate sadly caught up in anachronistic claims of nationalistic interest, is provoking and fomenting conflicts.”–Pope Francis.

* “There needs to be accountability. … We can’t normalize this. This is the reality of what’s going on every single day as long as Russia’s brutality against Ukraine continues.”–U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

* “Brutality against civilians we haven’t seen in Europe for decades.”–NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

* “Clear evidence of war crimes.”–French President Emmanuel Macron.

* “From the Kremlin to Mar-a-Lago to the Academy Awards, there are few things more unpredictable—or dangerous—than a man who feels pressed to vindicate his manhood.”–Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald.

* “Let reverence of the law become the political religion of the nation.”–Abraham Lincoln.

* “‘Don’t say gay’ sends a hateful message to our most vulnerable youth who simply need our support.”–State Rep. Carlos Smith, Florida’s first openly gay Latino legislator.

* “One of the most important ways to cut costs for American families is through reining in the high cost of prescription drugs, especially the high cost of insulin.”–Congresswoman Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, who voted for the passage of the Affordable Insulin Now Act that guarantees that those Americans with diabetes don’t pay more than $35 per month for their insulin.

* “I think our strength and unity is because we are a metropolitan university, and we have greater opportunities than many of our brother and sister universities across the state.”–USF President Rhea Law.

* “Everybody has their day to be vindicated. I’m waiting for that day to happen.”–Tampa City Council member Orlando Gudes, who stepped down as council chairman—but remains a council board member. Gudes left his chairman’s role after a city finding that he had created a hostile work environment for a former aide.

* “Libraries build community, and our library staff builds unique connections with the people we serve. … Even as many of us were isolating at home, residents continued to turn to other community’s library resources in record numbers for education, entertainment and important information.”–Andrew Breidenbaugh, library services director of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative.

* “We’re thrilled NuMedTechs has chosen to establish its U.S. operations in Tampa and conduct life-saving research and development here.”—Tampa Bay Economic Development Council chairman James Nozar. NuMedTechs, with roots in Canada, is basing its first research office in downtown Tampa.

* “It’s been a whirlwind of emotion.”–Buccaneers’ co-owner Joel Glazer, reflecting on the Bucs’ chaotic off season.

Three takeaways from Gov. Ron DeSantis signing of the financial literacy bill that requires high school students to take a half-credit course covering a range of fundamentals, from savings accounts to credit scores. First, it’s necessary. Second, it has, thankfully, nothing to do with race, gender, politicized speech or pandemic mandates. So unlike Tallahassee. If schools are to meet their charge of preparing students for life after schooling, this was a pivotal, long overdue step.

And third, don’t stop here if we want the best-prepared high school graduates. Make civics classes relevant about democratic staples such as voting rights and responsibilities and prep them on the double-edged sword that is modern media: How it’s used to inform and abused to manipulate.

* President Joe Biden in Poland: “America’s ability to meet its role in other parts of the world rests upon a united Europe.” He didn’t have to add something even more obvious: America’s role also rests upon not having another Trumpian iteration of an “America First” president.

* “I am confident Judge Jackson is supremely qualified and has the disposition necessary to serve as our nation’s newest Supreme Court justice.”–West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a key, sometimes problematic, Democratic vote.

* White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tested positive—for the second time—for COVID.

* Last month’s jobs reports showed U.S. employers added 678,000 jobs. This month’s report is also expected to be strong.

* President Biden announced that the U.S. will welcome up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.

* Word from ideological score-keepers is that the Supreme Court’s swing justice is now Brett Kavanaugh.

* China has declared a citywide lockdown of its largest city, Shanghai, which has a population of 26 million.

* To date, Florida has seen nearly 6 million COVID infections and 73,000 deaths. As for the latter, it is the 16^th highest per-capita death rate in the U.S.

* The (highly contagious) omicron BA.2 variant is now the dominant strain in parts of Europe and Asia. That’s a major heads-up for the U.S. But Florida, ironically, could be spared the worst of the next wave because so many Floridians—too often unfettered by mask and social distancing mandates—have already contracted the virus.

*Florida positivity rate: 2.3 percent. Hillsborough positivity rate: 3.0 percent.

* “If the corporate press nationally isn’t attacking me, then I’m probably not doing my job.”–Gov. Ron DeSantis.

* “Floridians overwhelmingly support cannabis legalization. … It’s now time to legalize adult-use cannabis in Florida.”–State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.

* “We’re not here to indoctrinate (students); we’re here to expand their learning.”–USF President Rhea Law.

* “We’re going to have a great night tonight, and for you people in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night.” That was Oscars host Wanda Sykes. We deserve better, even if DeSantis fans don’t.

* Thanks to a $10.6 million donation from USF alumni Arnie and Lauren Bellini, USF has another “transformational” addition: a new career center pragmatically designed to get thousands of students into the world of work sooner and better prepared. The 9,000-square-foot Bellini Talent Development Center’s purpose is to close the gap between academia and real-world employer needs and priorities. To that end, the Bellinis didn’t just write a big check. Arnie Bellini is a co-founder and former CEO of ConnectWise, the IT support firm. He knows USF isn’t short-changed on intellectual capital and values the role of internships and experiential learning as bridges to the business community. It’s called responsible capitalism—and this could become a national model.

* According to the commercial real estate firm JLL, 82 percent of the office space in the Tampa Bay market has been leased.

* Revitalized Channelside is hardly synonymous with greenery. Commercial and residential buildouts dominate. But this just in: Port Tampa Bay officials have agreed to sell land—a half acre for $3.8 million–to Tampa for a park. It sits just east of the $3.5 million Water Street Tampa development. “So much of the Channel District is high rises and concrete. Any time you can put in some softness and green space, that’s a plus,” pointed out Michelle Van Loan, Tampa’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) director. The live-work-stay-play market would agree.

* Hillsborough County: Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by approximately 62,000. Pinellas County: Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by approximately 3,000.

* Every time I drive by the construction fencing and signage for the (37-story) Pendry Tower on Ashley Drive by the Riverwalk, I can’t help feeling relieved that the signs aren’t for Trump Tower Tampa. Talk about a dodged bullet for Tampa’s brand.

* “We will fight for the right to be and remain Russia.”–Vladimir Putin, who still waxes nostalgic for Joe Stalin and the Soviet Union.

* Putin has claimed that the West is trying to “cancel” Russia for its vicious and tragic assault on Ukraine. Hardly happenstance that he used an all-too-familiar, divisive, American political trope to underscore his claims.

* President Biden believed Barack Obama wasn’t tough enough on Putin over Crimea in 2014. Then he saw Donald Trump as an unconscionable Putin enabler and admirer. Now he wants to reset the American perspective and geopolitical record and call out Putin for what he is: a “butcher,” a “war criminal” and, most notably, someone who “cannot remain in power.” While all non-autocrats would agree, most would also agree that you don’t actually say that, ad lib or not. It can be a de facto, even if only rhetorical, escalation. It was an expression of moral outrage. Call it an understandable but unhelpful diplomatic lapse. Just ask Antony Blinken.

* Putin, reportedly, is still planning to attend the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia later this year. Imagine the small talk.

* It’s beyond ironic that as the U.S. takes the international lead in combating the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine and its dismissal and disparagement of democratic values, our own democracy here at home remains embattled and vulnerable.

*Ukrainian officials have been soliciting donations internationally. So far it has taken in more than $60 million, a significant percentage of which is in cryptocurrency.

* Serbia has refused to join in the imposition of international sanctions against Russia and has referenced Western “hysteria” over the Russian invasion. And yet, Serbia still wants to be part of the EU. Good luck, Belgrade.

* Rocket Man update: North Korea just test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile.

* “(Gov. Ron DeSantis) has made media hostility central to his brand.”–Jonah Goldberg, The Dispatch.

* This week saw the launch of the CNN+ (streaming service) show, “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” Wallace, 74, had been with Fox News for 18 years. What, ultimately, prompted his departure? It kept getting worse with the political ascent of Trump. “I’m fine with opinion,” said Wallace, “conservative opinion, liberal opinion. But when people start to question the truth—Who won the 2020 election? Was Jan. 6 an insurrection?–I found that unsustainable.”

* Portuguese soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo (of Manchester United) is the most-followed Instagram user in the world.

* “Finally, Oscars Are A Smash Hit.” That was the New York Post headline referencing Will Smith’s smackdown of Chris Rock.

* The lottery: The chances of winning are approximately the same whether you play or not.

* One nice thing about egotists: They don’t talk about other people.

* Vet Office: “Be the person your dog thinks you are.”

*Bowling alley: “Please be quiet. We need to hear a pin drop.”