Quotables

“Having only other senators to kiss on New Year’s Eve? The only thing that might be worse would be opening each other’s stockings on Christmas Eve.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., commenting on the Senate’s long year-end to-do list.

“Inflation is affecting every single ingredient, every single item we use. Flour, cheese, tomatoes, gloves, paper goods, paper plates, napkins. Everything.”

Oren Halali, co-founder of 2 Bros. Pizza in New York City, explaining to the New York Post why his $1 slices of pizza are now $1.50.

“It was something like a wish that was never fulfilled, that always stuck in the back of my head.”

Manfred Steiner, who earned his Ph.D. in physics at age 89 after a successful career in medicine.

“The crowd was squishing me so much that I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I started screaming for help. … I felt so scared, like I was going to die.”

Concertgoer Emily Munguia who attended Houston’s Astroworld Festival on Nov. 5, where 10 people died and many more were injured during a crowd surge.

“America doesn’t care anymore. They’ve moved on, so we are not able to get money, and we can’t do anything without money.”

The co-founder of Task Force Argo, a private volunteer group evacuating Afghan allies out of Afghanistan. She commented on the lack of funds to pay for safe houses for allies.