Opinions to go Online

* “Give us another couple of years to continue to work on the amazing things that we’ve been doing for the past two years.”—Vice President JD Vance. Say what? Sounds like a hoax.

* “I don’t want to cause any problems, but I’d love to see it united.”—Non-problematic President Trump on a reunion of the Republic of Ireland with the UK’s Northern Ireland.

* “They blew the hell out of Bahrain.”—That was acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, in reference to Iranian missile damage to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

* “I’m insulted by the notion that my vote could be bought for $5K.”—Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

* “If Michael loses, I’m not sending it (FEMA money)…No, I’m only kidding.”—That was Trump on a campaign stop in Gastonia, N.C. for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, referencing federal help for parts of Western North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene. The blatantly begged question: But when is he not kidding? A $5K “Trump Dividend” if the GOP retains majorities in the House and Senate? Still expecting Mexico to pay for his wall?

* “Mr. (Kash) Patel is the least qualified and most partisan FBI director in our nation’s history.”—Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

* FBI Director Patel defended his department’s decision to remove beastiality as an automatic disqualification for FBI employment. No, you can’t make this up.

* “Donald Trump has been the worst president this country has ever had…This is a moment of unparalleled national humiliation, of weakness.”—Republican Steve Schmidt, who was John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign manager.

* “I think he’s gone.”—Former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb, when asked if Trump is still mentally capable of serving as president.

* A recent White House post on social response: “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes.” No, the Founding Fathers weren’t that prescient.

* “In too many areas, (the U.S.) wanted dependency, not a true economic partnership.”—Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

* “We had the best integrated North American economy going. And now we don’t.”—Barry Appleton, co-director of New York Law School’s Center for International Law.

* “There’s no hiding from hot spots around the world.”—Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, on raising the Fed’s benchmark interest rate (a quarter point) for the first time since 2023.

* “The McCarthyism of the 1950s morphed into a nativist, America Firster politics that transformed the modern Republican Party into a party of resentments against the old establishment, against multi-culturalism, globalization and liberal culture.”—Kai Bird, author of “American Scoundrel.”

* “The future is not written because only the people can write it.”—Adolfo Suarez, the first democratically-elected prime minister of Spain following the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

* “An ancient establishment…sleepwalks into a technological revolution while the president dismantles precautions and calls us fools for worrying. A capable president would demand legislation from Congress and lead the world toward an AI treaty.”—Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

* “It’s a good thing I was born a girl; otherwise, I’d be a drag queen.”—Dolly Parton.

* “America is much more than a place on the map; it’s an idea.”—Robert Dole, in his farewell Senate speech in 1996.

* “Democracy is a system in which parties lose elections.”—NYU political scientist Adam Przeworski.

* “He should be called the Speaker of the White House.”—Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Az, in reference to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

* “Modern tourism…transformed travelers into passive consumers of painless adventure.”—William Leach, author of “Country of Exiles.”

* “Misogynists who worship hypermasculinity, conspiracy nuts seeking clicks for profits, and religious bigots who won’t differentiate between Muslim terrorists and Muslim American patriots…are diminishing the Republican Party.”—Republican strategist Karl Rove.

* “How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman’s body and sexualizing women’s sport is still a thing.”—Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus of Australia, as part of a backlash from females over a nude advertising campaign for sports predictions markets featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney.

* “We are neither going to one extreme, i.e. banning AI, nor are we going to the other extreme, which is just unfettered access.”—Florida Education Commissioner Henry Mack, in underscoring that AI should enhance learning, not replace it.

* “You can fool all of the people all of the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough.”—Joseph E. Levine, American film producer.

* “The civil rights paradigm created in the 1960s is unraveling under the pressure of demographic change and political realignment.” James Loeffler, Johns Hopkins history professor and author of “Exceptional Hatred: Antisemitism and the Fight Over Free Speech in Modern America.”

* “We’re hopeful Brightline can work through its (bankruptcy) challenges and that, ultimately, we’ll see that Tampa (Orlando) connection become a reality.”—Joshua Casio, spokesperson for the city of Tampa’s Infrastructure and Mobility Department.

* “Doing nothing is also a decision. I believe the greatest risk is failing to act.”—Tampa City Council Chairman Alan Clendenin, after CC narrowly approved a controversial $100.4 million flood relief project in South Tampa.

* “This will be a connector to our university, to our stadium and to our community.”–USF President Moez Limayem, at the groundbreaking of the mixed-use Fletcher District development officially named Uptown Landing USF.

Florida State Rep. Angie Nixon is the Democratic Socialist nominee for the U.S. Senate. Arguably, her chances against the Ron DeSantis-anointed incumbent, Ashley Moody–in a state with 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats–are not as good as those of her defeated primary opponent, Alex Vindman, would have been. The military veteran with foreign-policy bonafides appealed to independents, had a national profile and raised a ton of money. But real Democratic voters, not pundit speculation, polls, fund-raising numbers and campaign stops in The Villages and Puerto Rico, ultimately determine nominees.

Victory in November, key to the Dems reclaiming the Senate, will now depend on pragmatic catalysts and enlightened self-interest.

Nixon, the three-term Jacksonville activist, was spot on about the bottom line. “We can argue all day about people’s labels,” she pointed out. “These elections … are about people’s needs.”

Moreover, Vindman seems determined to help the overall cause and not pout over an upset. To date, his coffers have coughed up $400,000 to help Nixon and other Democratic candidates running in competitive and federal races in Florida. Another $250,000 in Vindman money was sent to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. More is expected.

“Voters across the country, especially here in Florida, know that nothing is more important than flipping the U.S. Senate,” underscored Vindman. “The only way to cut costs for working families, root out corruption in D.C. and finally hold the Trump Administration accountable is to deliver a Democratic majority this November.”

Now the onus will be on all Floridians. Do your homework. Play down labels. Play up enlightened self-interest.

 

The bottom line for baseball in Tampa Bay hasn’t changed. In an asymmetrical market, sans meaningful mass transit and long-embedded corporate headquarters, the one variable–location–had to be spot on. Since the get-go, St. Petersburg wasn’t. Plans for a modern stadium in the market hub of Tampa Bay address that. No, it was never a zero-sum deal. Subsidized help for the wealthy never looks good. Then factor in community-benefits commitments, infrastructure subplots, land-use code changes, a DeSantis connection and transparency. However it happened, go Tampa Bay Rays in Tampa.

Dems won’t want to say it–let alone root for it–for obvious reasons, but some stubborn GOP racism could be downright helpful in tamping down the Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial vote. Schadenfreude never looks good; karma sounds a lot better.

* Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen has acknowledged that he’s “kicking the tires” on a potential 2028 presidential run. In addition, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is “more inclined than not” to make another White House bid.

* The host for the 2028 Democratic presidential convention will be one three cities: Boston, Denver or Philadelphia. (The GOP convention will be in Houston.)

* The recent G-20 Financial summit was held in western North Carolina’s progressive, bucolic enclave of Asheville. Optics ranged from the historic Omni Grove Park Inn to Blue Ridge aesthetics to “People Over Profits” banner drops on local overpasses and bridges.

* Random, spot-on bumper stickers: Care More, Judge Less / Grow Food, Not Landfills.

* Political karma T-shirt: “Obama 2028: Since Rules Don’t Exist Anymore.”

* Love at first—and—follow-up sights: More than half of engaged or married Americans ages 45 and younger have signed pre-nup agreements.

* Fun activism: Read a banned book.

* Beer is now cheaper than gas. Drink. Don’t Drive.

* Easily confused: The Borowitz Report and Truth Social, satire and farce.

* For the pun of it: Enamored of dogs: Pawstruck.

* “I didn’t change my mind; the deal changed.”—Tampa City Council member Bill Carlson, a former skeptic, on his crucial ‘yes’ vote on the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal.

* “An albatross.”—How Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Westal, a “no” vote, characterized the Rays stadium deal in Tampa.

* “I firmly stand behind this (Rays stadium) agreement. (It) protects Tampa taxpayers, while keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay, and it gives us a destination that will bring jobs and investment to this region for decades.”—Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

* The only Tampa Bay public school ranked in the state’s top 50, according to U.S. News & World Report, is Plant High School. It came in at 41.

 

* Census estimates that Florida could reach 32 electoral votes by the 2030s. It held 25 electoral votes in the 1990s and grew to 30 following the 2020 census.

* Recent polls show David Jolly is on the right side of surging dissatisfaction with building data centers in Florida.

* Doubling down: In choosing Bryan Avila as a running mate, Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds chose the only House sponsor of the “Stop Woke” bill.

 

 

* “I’m working for Stars and Stripes. Not for the Pentagon, not for the Administration, not for any policymaker. I’m here to cover the military community.”—That was journalist Lara Korte, a Stars and Stripes reporter who has been reporting from the Middle East on the Iran conflict, who was recently fired, along with two colleagues, for “insubordination.” Stars and Stripes is the military newspaper that has served American troops since the Civil War.

* Meta notably agreed to an $18 billion deal to add stronger child safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms. It’s part of a legal settlement over teen social media addiction. Next up: Tik Tok and You Tube. BTW, Meta revenues for 2025 exceeded $200 billion.

* Trump’s special envoy to Belarus, John Coale, is married to Greta Van Susteren, a former Fox News presenter now at Newsmax TV.

* As a result of “Purposeful inaccuracy, (Kristin Welker of ‘Meet the Press’) will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment.”—Demander-in-Chief Trump, on Welker’s reference to the “mixed results” of Trump-endorsed primary candidates.

* The four unchanging, key principles of the Society of Professional Journalists (founded in 1909): 1) Seek Trut