“The people have spoken, and we’re ready for a new direction.”

Circuit Judge David Stras, regarding a decadeslong court assumption that Section 2 of the landmark civil rights law is privately enforceable. Stras was one of three judges of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who upheld a lower court’s ruling that only the head of the Justice Department can bring Section 2 lawsuits and dismissed an Arkansas redistricting case that argued that the state’s House map dilutes the voting power of Black people. (NPR — Nov. 20, 2023)

Jacqueline De León, a senior staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund, regarding the predicted 5 million Native and Alaska Native-identifying voters for 2024 elections. (NPR — Nov. 20, 2023)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, regarding the reopening date of I-10, the major Los Angeles freeway that was closed last Saturday due to an arson fire that burned about 100 support columns. Originally it was estimated that the interstate would be closed for between three and five weeks, causing major traffic challenges for the estimated 300,000 vehicles that use that stretch of freeway daily. There were more than 250 people working around the clock to make the highway repairs. (Associated Press — Nov. 17, 2023)

New Hampshire Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, speaking at the NewDEAL conference, referring to the complexities with finances and permitting in completing clean energy projects. (NewDEAL Leaders Conference — Nov. 16, 2023)