Who’s down with TPP?; Fifty shades of debt; Jason Rezaian; Ronda Rousey

This is the October 13, 2015 edition of the quoted.news newsletter. Sign up here.

“I swear to God, if anyone calls me fat one more time in my life, I’m going to kill them” (14 shares). That’s from Ronda Rousey — U.F.C. undefeated fighter, olympic bronze medalist in judo, and actress from the Expendables 3 — quoted in her New York Times fashion profile. “People call me a whole lot of things, but above anything else, I’m a fighter” (1).

“The more extreme the economic inequality, the greater the threat to democracy” (52 shares) — Nobel Prize for Economics winner Angus Deaton in his book The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality.

“The only thing that has ever been clear about this case is Jason’s innocence” (22) — Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron regarding the recent guilty verdict that Iran announced against journalist Jason Rezaian, who was been in custody for over a year.

“This community has lost all hope in this prosecutor to be fair and impartial” (29) — Edward Little speaking about the the possibility of indicting the officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

“Potential global warming can only help lower exploration and development costs” (10 shares) — Exxon ice researcher Ken Croasdale back in 1992, three years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

From the New York Times: “Exxon chose the path of disinformation, denial and delay” (19 shares).

Are lot of articles are being published about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Guardian looked at what is reportedly a leaked version, and worry that signatory countries can stop legal proceedings, giving them “greater power to stop embarrassing information going public” (116 shares).

“Perhaps the biggest overall defeat for users is the extension of the copyright term to life plus 70 years” (47), writes the Electronic Frontier Foundation regarding the TPP. “There is nothing in here for users and innovators to support, and much for us to fear” (8).

Finally, Vice worries that “digital tinkerers could have their devices seized and destroyed by the authorities” (5 shares).

Only one summary today. It’s worth reading the full version.

The Color of Debt: How Collection Suits Squeeze Black Neighborhoods by Paul Kiel and Annie Waldman for ProPublica (1,247 tweets, 29 unique quotes.)

ProPublica investigated a shift in how debts are collected. “Companies now routinely use the courts to pursue millions of people over even small consumer debts” (2). The article focuses on the St. Louis suburb of Jennings, Missouri. “Between 2008 and 2012, there was more than one lawsuit for every four residents” (1), and debt collectors “have seized at least $34 million from residents of St. Louis’ mostly black neighborhoods” (2). Here, the average household income is $28,000. “A garnishment hits this kind of household budget like a bomb” (1). The law is in the favor of collectors, “the burden is usually on debtors to figure out if and how the laws protect their assets” (1). When a residence in a predominantly white neighborhood was sued, “the average balance was $3,466; in a black neighborhood, the average was $2,628” (1). This shows that when faced with financial pressure, “generations of discrimination have left black families with grossly fewer resources to draw on” (3).

Thanks for reading, please share.

“I swear to God, if anyone calls me fat one more time in my life, I’m going to kill them” (14 shares). That’s from Ronda Rousey — U.F.C. undefeated fighter, olympic bronze medalist in judo, and actress from the Expendables 3 — quoted in her New York Times fashion profile. “People call me a whole lot of things, but above anything else, I’m a fighter” (1).

“The more extreme the economic inequality, the greater the threat to democracy” (52 shares) — Nobel Prize for Economics winner Angus Deaton in his book The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality. “The only thing that has ever been clear about this case is Jason’s innocence” (22) — Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron regarding the recent guilty verdict that Iran announced against journalist Jason Rezaian, who was been in custody for over a year. “This community has lost all hope in this prosecutor to be fair and impartial” (29) — Edward Little speaking about the the possibility of indicting the officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice. “Potential global warming can only help lower exploration and development costs” (10 shares) — Exxon ice researcher Ken Croasdale back in 1992, three years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. From the New York Times: “Exxon chose the path of disinformation, denial and delay” (19 shares). Are lot of articles are being published about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Guardian looked at what is reportedly a leaked version, and worry that signatory countries can stop legal proceedings, giving them “greater power to stop embarrassing information going public” (116 shares). “Perhaps the biggest overall defeat for users is the extension of the copyright term to life plus 70 years” (47), writes the Electronic Frontier Foundation regarding the TPP. “There is nothing in here for users and innovators to support, and much for us to fear” (8). Finally, Vice worries that “digital tinkerers could have their devices seized and destroyed by the authorities” (5 shares). Only one summary today. It’s worth reading the full version. The Color of Debt: How Collection Suits Squeeze Black Neighborhoods by Paul Kiel and Annie Waldman for ProPublica (1,247 tweets, 29 unique quotes.) ProPublica investigated a shift in how debts are collected. “Companies now routinely use the courts to pursue millions of people over even small consumer debts” (2). The article focuses on the St. Louis suburb of Jennings, Missouri. “Between 2008 and 2012, there was more than one lawsuit for every four residents” (1), and debt collectors “have seized at least $34 million from residents of St. Louis’ mostly black neighborhoods” (2). Here, the average household income is $28,000. “A garnishment hits this kind of household budget like a bomb” (1). The law is in the favor of collectors, “the burden is usually on debtors to figure out if and how the laws protect their assets” (1). When a residence in a predominantly white neighborhood was sued, “the average balance was $3,466; in a black neighborhood, the average was $2,628” (1). This shows that when faced with financial pressure, “generations of discrimination have left black families with grossly fewer resources to draw on” (3). Thanks for reading, please share.

Originally published at tinyletter.com.