“The time is right for me to begin a new chapter and turn the reins over to someone else.”

Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, regarding his avowal to not enforce an emergency order from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to temporarily suspend the right to carry firearms in public in and around the city of Albuquerque. The firearms suspension was issued as an emergency public health order and Lujan Grisham told reporters that she expected legal challenges and that the state police would handle enforcement. (Associated Press — Sept. 11, 2023)

Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, the group which spearheaded the effort to make Lake Worth Beach, Fla., the state’s first safe haven city for LGBTQ people and their families. The city commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a resolution that reiterates the city’s commitment to “protecting human rights for all individuals.” (The Hill — Sept. 7, 2023)

Sheila Dixon, a former Baltimore mayor who resigned from the role as part of a 2010 plea agreement in a corruption case, regarding her announcement that she will be running, again, for the city’s 2024 mayoral race. In December 2009, Dixon was found guilty of embezzlement for misusing gift cards that had been donated to City Hall for charity, spending them at Target and Best Buy to purchase things for her family and staff instead of using them to serve the poor. (Associated Press — Sept. 7, 2023)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, regarding the fact that last month was the hottest August ever recorded by far with modern equipment and it was the second hottest month ever measured, behind only July 2023. The world’s oceans were nearly 69.8 degrees Fahrenheit and have set high temperature marks for three consecutive months. So far, this year is the second hottest year on record, behind 2016. (NPR — Sept. 6, 2023)