Who Said That
Jessica Mackler, president of EMILY’s List, on how Democratic women like Arizona congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza are helping reshape the party’s working-class appeal. As Democrats chart a course out of the wilderness following steep 2024 losses, the party is turning to candidates from blue-collar backgrounds to win back voters frustrated by rising costs and a political class they see as out of touch. Mendoza and other Democratic female candidates are building campaigns around economic populism rooted in humble origin stories and blue-collar lives. (Roll Call)
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. In a Newsweek opinion piece, Wilson argued that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland has become a “workplace disaster waiting to happen,” citing unsafe conditions he observed during an October visit with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Donald Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski. A federal appeals court ruled on Monday that the Trump administration could legally deploy National Guard troops to the city, after a previous judge had blocked the move. In a statement Monday, Wilson said the city would “use every lawful tool to prevent this overreach.” (Newsweek)
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate for New York City mayor, during the first general election debate. Asked whether he had ever purchased cannabis from a legal dispensary, Sliwa said he had used medical marijuana after being shot in a 1992 taxi ambush. The remark came during one of the debate’s few light moments amid fierce exchanges between Sliwa, Democrat Zohran Mamdani and independent Andrew Cuomo over the Israel-Hamas war, public safety and their ties to President Trump. (New York Times)
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker reported $1.4 million in gambling winnings from a trip to Las Vegas last year, according to tax summaries released by his campaign. Pritzker, a billionaire whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain and who reported taxable income of $10.7 million for 2024, said he won the money when he was on vacation with his wife and some friends, adding that he was “incredibly lucky.” (Washington Post)
Sarah Zajic, an occupational therapist at Omaha’s Remington Heights senior community, on the unexpected rise of a Taylor Swift fan club among residents. It began when 95-year-old Frank Uryasz became a Swiftie after hearing “Timeless (Taylor’s Version)” during therapy — a song that reminded him of his late wife. Soon, residents were decorating walkers and dancing to “Shake It Off” during group sessions, creating what Zajic calls a rare and joyful sense of connection among the community’s seniors. (Washington Post)
Rhonda Smith, a resident of Lyerly, Georgia. Smith was expressing her support for U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who continues to maintain strong loyalty among her northwest Ga. constituents despite recent clashes with GOP leadership. Greene has remained a dominant political force in her district. In 2024, she ran unopposed in the primary and secured 64 percent in the general election after district boundaries shifted. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Grant Beeber, a 21-year-old Indiana University intern at financial services firm TIAA, on the company’s luxury new Frisco, Texas, offices. It’s part of a wider push by major employers to lure workers back onsite with amenity-rich campuses. Over the past decade, more than 700 companies have expanded in the Dallas-Fort Worth region — nearly 200 establishing new headquarters — and many are investing heavily in on-site perks that rival Silicon Valley’s. (The Dallas Daily News)
Rev. Rodney Hudson. The pastor of Ames Memorial Church in Sandtown-Winchester and Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Harlem Park explained why he openly carries a firearm during church services. After being mugged in his church parking lot and attacked while giving a eulogy, Hudson said he now employs an armed guard for all church activities. “It’s sad to say — we all believe in God as our protector,” he said, “but the other harsh reality is that there are so many people who have absolutely no respect for God and the church nowadays.” (Baltimore Sun)
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor of New Jersey. Ciattarelli, who faces Democrat Mikie Sherrill in the November election, says that while he gets a warm reception from prospective voters when he promises to lower property taxes and fix NJ Transit, there’s one topic that “brings down the house every single time” — his pledge to rescind the state’s five-year-old ban on grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses handing out single-use plastic and paper bags. (New Jersey Monitor)
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. The Republican governor and chair of the National Governors Association broke ranks with his party Thursday, criticizing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Illinois without consent. Stitt said the move undermines federalism and sets a dangerous precedent. “We believe in the federalist system — that’s states’ rights,” he said, warning that such deployments could easily be turned against Republican-led states under a different administration. (New York Times)
The Boston organizers of the upcoming “No Kings” protest, set for Oct. 18, 2025, on Boston Common. The event, headlined by Mayor Michelle Wu, is part of a nationwide day of action opposing what organizers call the Trump administration’s “authoritarian abuses.” Boston’s demonstration comes a month after the city was sued by the administration over its sanctuary policies. (Boston Herald)
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The governor blasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after Abbott approved President Donald Trump’s request to deploy 400 Texas National Guard soldiers to other states. Pritzker said the troops were not welcome in Illinois and accused Abbott of overstepping his authority. A spokesman for Abbott fired back, arguing that if “liberal governments in Illinois and Chicago were protecting people and property and upholding law and order, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” (The Dallas Daily News)
Roger Brown, Paradise, Calif., resident. Nearly seven years after the Camp Fire destroyed most of Paradise, the town is rebuilding — but not returning to what it once was. Younger families have moved in, drawn by affordable land and the promise of a fresh start, while many retirees and low-income residents have not returned. Of the more than 10,000 homes lost, just 30 percent have been rebuilt, reshaping Paradise’s identity in the process. For survivors like Brown, recovery has been both hopeful and heartbreaking — proof that rebuilding a town is not the same as restoring it. (Los Angeles Times)
Ohio state Rep. Josh Williams. His remarks came as Ohio’s new age-verification law for online pornography took effect Tuesday, requiring users to upload a state ID, provide personal information, or even submit to facial recognition before accessing adult sites. Companies that fail to comply face penalties. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Sen. Ashley Moody, a Florida Republican. Moody announced she would forgo her salary during the government shutdown, pledging to donate the money to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. Lawmakers in both chambers are facing scrutiny for continuing to collect pay while federal employees go without, despite a growing push for members of Congress to have their pay withheld or redirected during funding lapses. (Roll Call)
Patrick Gilmore. Gilmore, 25, described the surreal scene he witnessed in downtown Chicago when a cyclist taunted federal immigration agents near the Dearborn Street Bridge and then sped away as they gave chase. The moment, which Gilmore captured in real time, quickly went viral online, fueling debate about the heavy federal presence patrolling Chicago’s streets and riverfront. (Chicago Tribune)
Matt Jones, senior director of industry relations at the auto marketplace TrueCar, describing the rush of electric vehicle sales after federal tax credits worth up to $7,500 for new models and $4,000 for used ones were cut short under the GOP tax and spending package. With buyers needing a binding contract in place by Sept. 30, demand surged in recent weeks as shoppers scrambled to lock in the incentives. (NPR)
Colorado state Sen. Jeff Bridges. The Democratic chair of the Joint Budget Committee warned that federal tax cuts signed into law by President Donald Trump have made it harder for lawmakers to plug a nearly $1 billion budget gap heading into the next legislative session. Bridges said last year’s stopgap maneuvers won’t be enough this time as rising health-care costs and strict limits under the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights continue to squeeze the general fund. (The Denver Post)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. At a press conference in Raleigh, Stein urged lawmakers to approve additional Medicaid funding to prevent cuts that could affect the state’s more than 3 million enrollees. Without action, reductions set to begin Wednesday include a 3 percent across-the-board drop in provider payments, steeper cuts for some, and an end to coverage of drugs prescribed for weight loss. The changes are separate from reductions tied to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill. (Raleigh News & Observer)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom blasted President Donald Trump’s climate change denials during Climate Week in New York City, calling them “economic self-sabotage” and “an abomination.” In a conversation with former President Bill Clinton and later at a New York Times forum, he argued that dismantling clean-energy standards cedes momentum to China on electric vehicles and renewables. Newsom said thermometers “are not political,” urging Americans to confront the reality of climate change rather than accept Trump’s rollbacks. (Los Angeles Times)
Journalist Stephen Henderson, while moderating a discussion with former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan’s annual dinner. Henderson made the quip after Stabenow sidestepped an audience question about whether it’s time for a new political party. The exchange came amid growing intrigue over Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s independent bid for governor in 2026. (The Detroit News)
Terry Brunner, director of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. The federal Department of Transportation has been canceling grants for bike lanes and other projects not designed to move cars. The administration is reviewing a grant the city won back in 2022 for a downtown trail. Brunner said that due to federal workforce cuts, getting final approval from the feds has taken months so at least now the city is free to look for alternative funding sources. (Bloomberg News)
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette. At the ribbon cutting for the state-funded $6.4 million public shooting range — the largest skeet and trap facility in South Carolina — Evette framed the project as a way to reconnect young people with the outdoors. (South Carolina Daily Gazette)
Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III. Johnson said investigators determined that nude images seen on a TV in state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office during a July 24 Board of Education meeting came from an accidental display of the 1985 Jackie Chan movie The Protector. He confirmed that prosecutors would not pursue charges after reviewing the incident and showing clips from the film to board members who had reported the images. (Oklahoma Voice)
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Capito, an honorary co-chair of the first-ever Congressional Pickleball Match, recruited fellow lawmakers to join in a bipartisan game on the National Mall on Thursday. She helped launch a Senate pickleball caucus two years ago, seeing the sport as a way to build relationships around a shared pastime. The exhibition game was part of a larger pickleball weekend organized by Congressional Sports for Charity and the Trust for the National Mall. (Roll Call)
Jake Poinsett, education manager at the Trinity River Audubon Center. With Dallas preparing to build a $3 billion downtown convention center, conservation advocates are urging the city to use bird-friendly glass and lighting. Poinsett noted that millions of birds migrate through Texas each spring and fall and collisions with buildings can be deadly. Supporters say the added cost of bird-safe design could save thousands of birds’ lives and position Dallas as a national leader in protecting migratory birds. (The Dallas Morning News)
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. Ladapo made the remark in a podcast interview, reiterating his long-standing opposition to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. He suggested Florida could restrict access to the vaccines altogether. (Tampa Bay Times)
Dr. Pamela Trout of Winter Park, Fla. Trout says she asks parents who refuse to vaccinate their children to seek care elsewhere to protect newborns and medically vulnerable patients. Her policy comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo push to end vaccine mandates in public and private spaces, including doctors’ offices, which has alarmed pediatricians. (Orlando Sentinel)
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II. After receiving a bomb threat at his home, the Democrat thanked law enforcement for protecting his family and neighborhood. He linked the incident to the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and what he described as an escalating wave of political violence in Michigan and across the country, urging Americans not to let intimidation silence their voices. (The Detroit News)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris. In excerpts from her upcoming book, Harris called it “recklessness” that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden decided privately whether he should run for reelection at age 80. She said the stakes were too high to leave the choice to “an individual’s ego” or ambition. (Washington Post)
