* “We have become so used to (conflicts) that immense tragedies are now being passed over in silence; we risk not hearing the cry of pain and distress of so many of our brothers and sisters.”–Pope Francis.
* “On est chez nous!” (“This is our home.”)–That’s a chant from the crowd at a French rally for polarizing, far-right polemicist Eric Zemmour that launched his presidential campaign. Zemmour taps into widespread fears that French identity is being whittled away by immigration. The election is four months off.
* “We all want this (pandemic) to be over. But we’re still in it. We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready; we’ll get through this.”–President Joe Biden.
* “If you need something, say something.”–President Joe Biden, on a conference call with members of the National Governors Association.
* “Really an attack on black voters, and the black representatives are a visible outcome of that.”–Allison Riggs, co-executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, on the negative racial impact of gerrymandering.
* “We owe the men and women of the Department of Defense an environment free of extremist activities, and we owe our country a military that reflects the founding values of our democracy.”–Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, on the Defense Department’s updating of its screening process for new recruits to combat extremism.
* “We are going to discover incredible things that we never imagined.”– NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, on the implications of launching the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope to a destination 1 million miles away.
* “One of the most powerful things that parents can do is to start a conversation with their children about mental health, to let them know it’s OK if you struggle.”–U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
* “This was unexpected.”–United Airlines spokesperson Maddie King, on omicron’s impact on staffing.
* “You are seeing a governor and commissioner who increasingly are taking the decision-making authority away from the school boards, and polarizing the school boards.”–Florida Education Association president Andrew Spar.
* “This is a once-in-a-generation market that we’re in.”–Casey Babb, executive managing director at the Tampa office of Colliers International, on the 24 percent increase in Tampa Bay rents.