* “We’re in trouble. I hope everyone understands that.”—John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy on climate change, in underscoring the need to intensify efforts to move away from fossil fuels this decade.
* “NATO has no plans to admit Ukraine anytime soon because doing so would commit the United States and Europe to Ukraine’s defense. And there’s no chance the United States and Europe will make that commitment if it could mean fighting Russian troops.”–Peter Beinart, professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York.
* “The Andrew formerly known as Prince.”–Monica Hesse, WaPo.
* “I did not anticipate that there would be such a stalwart effort to make sure that the most important thing was that President Biden didn’t get anything done.”–President Joe Biden.
* “In all likelihood, the most important day in the history of the Senate as an institution.”–Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s response to Democrats’ failed attempt at temporarily changing Senate rules to expedite passage of the voting rights bill that lacked any Republican support.
* “Democrats assume any concern with fraud or voter integrity is a ruse for disenfranchising voters. … Republicans fear that if everyone voted, the GOP would lose.”–Jonah Goldberg, The Dispatch.
* “Republicans stand for ending access to abortion. They stand for unfettered access to guns. And they stand for exploiting whatever random flotsam of the so-called culture war … can be inflated into an existential threat to stampede their easily stampede-able base to the polls.”–Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald.
* “What happens when (Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky) gets out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue is that it kindles the crazies out there, and I have threats upon my life, harassment of my family and my children with obscene phone calls because people are lying about me.”–Dr. Anthony Fauci.
* “Critical race theory is a prism for understanding why decades after the end of segregation, over a century and a half after the end of slavery, after genocide has occurred, why racial inequalities are so enduring.”–UCLA and Columbia law professor Kimberle Crenshaw, who developed critical race theory.
* “If a challenge as slow-moving and widely publicized as 5G can catch the FAA unprepared, it’s hard to be hopeful about smooth landings in other areas. And tech folks are already working on 6G.”–David Von Drehle, Washington Post.
* “To the extent that we got more heat, we got a lot more growth for it.”–Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, in noting that rising inflation has been accompanied by a robust rebound in economic output.
* “This map dilutes the power of minority voters.”–Ellen Freidin, president of Fair Districts Now, on Gov. Ron DeSantis’redistricting plan for congressional maps.
* “During this session, Florida lawmakers have the opportunity to lead on climate and the economy with common sense solutions. In March, we will know if they have risen to the challenge.”–Dawn Shirkeffs, Florida director of the Environmental Defense League.
* “The whole purpose and centerpiece of my campaign was inclusive progress, how we move forward as a city. In my view, equity is fundamental to that. We cannot be the best city if equity is not fundamental to that.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch.