Quotables

“I assure you that Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin aren’t worried about the vaccines.”

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on reports that the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for the military will lead to the barring from service of tens of thousands of guardsmen and reservists.

“It’s just not American to try and intimidate others by these kinds of acts of vandalism and theft, and it’s not going to intimidate us. It’s going to motivate us.”

Joseph Fred Naumann, Roman Catholic archbishop of Kansas City, Kan., after vandals spray-painted obscenities and pro-abortion slogans on Ascension Catholic School in Overland Park, Kan., and threw red paint on a statue of the Virgin Mary. Kansans will vote Aug. 2 on an amendment to repeal a state Supreme Court ruling that created a right to abortion in Kansas. Ascension supports the amendment.

“I believe there were many things he left unfinished as a politician. But he planted many seeds and I’m sure they will sprout.”

Akie Abe, widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated by a gunman on July 8. About 1,000 mourners, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, attended the former prime minister’s funeral.

“I don’t mind being a martyr for democracy and human rights.”

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Koo Sze-yiu before being sentenced to nine months in prison on attempted sedition charges, despite his stage 4 colon cancer.

“We have not been able to harvest our crops, and we are currently here starving.”

Hannatu Ahmadu on the food crisis in northwest Nigeria as violence escalates against farming communities and exacerbates chronic poverty. Ahmadu currently lives in the Munya displacement camp with her four children.