Declarations

Wild Imaginings “Oh my Lord, I’ve got ducks swimming in pecan orchards. We never, in our wildest imaginations, thought there would be so much rain, or snow, in the pecan belt.” —Randy Hudson, a pecan grower in Ocilla, Ga. The …

Qualifying Life Event “This legislation will help expectant mothers get access to essential prenatal care and help build a stronger and healthier New York.” —New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a new law that expands health insurance access to pregnant …

Renewable Energy “This executive order empowers our state agencies to implement innovative solutions to reduce our state’s carbon footprint, address climate change, and make government more efficient.” —Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo on an executive order that commits the state …

Accountable Learning “A system of no accountability is certainly not going to learn from its mistakes, and it perpetuates a cycle of the same unethical and problematic leaders repeating harmful history.” —Jennifer Morlok, one of two former University of Oregon …

Crop Insurance Cuts “We cannot undermine a program that brings needed support to jobs and families in rural America and which has already seen $12 billion in cuts since 2008.” —U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., criticizing a two-year Congressional budget …

Sex Abuse Concerns “More concern is given to the pedophile abuser within the church than the innocent child who is sexually, physically and psychologically abused for life.” —A former student at Chaminade, a prep school in Creve Coeur, Mo., sponsored …

Haircut from Hail “It’s like a bad haircut. It will grow back.” —Daniel Trujillo, groundskeeper at Sonoma Ranch Golf Course, said the course was unplayable and six skylights in the restaurant were broken after an October hail storm in New …

The Donkey Got Out “People could have gotten out of there … my donkey was smart enough to get out of there.” —Michael Ballard, speaking of the fire that destroyed his Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, S.D., said his bar …

Hiring Miss Cleo “Miss Cleo does have quite the folk hero cast to her, and it was an interesting choice by General Mills to bring her back to promote cereal. But it shows their disregard for the intellectual property rights …

Crop Insurance “The lack of insurance for malt barley is preventing farmers from planting this crucial crop.” —U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., during his Aug. 20 speech at the Empire Farmstead Brewery in Madison County, N.Y. Schumer called on the …