I'm sure there's stuff going on. I'm not interested enough to go find out what it is. Apathy is taking over. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I like UConn (-3) and Under (129) tonight. Rush to take the other side.

Open Thread.

The Obama 2012 campaign began today with the release of this video he sent out to supporters. The message: It's up to us.

One guy in the video says: "I don't agree with Obama on everything, but I respect him and I trust him."

My view: Go Obama. I'm not taking any chances that our Supreme Court justices, our Attorney General and our top prosecutors will be chosen by a Republican. And if Republicans continue to gain seats in Congress, we need a Democrat in the White House even more. He needs an early start to claim his ground. I'm just glad there are no primaries for the Dems this time to make us take our eye off the prize. And he's right: It's up to us.

The Oklahoman has an article today highlighting elderly non-violent defendants in drug cases who are sentenced to terms that, due to their age, amount to a life sentence. Often, these seniors' offense is selling their own lawfully obtained precription pills.

Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control spokesman Mark Woodward said the argument is sometimes made that selling prescriptions becomes the only way for the elderly to supplement Social Security benefits and make money.

Check out these photographic exhibitions of aging and ill prisoners: Tim Gruber's Served Out – Aging and Dying Behind Bars and Grace Before Dying [More...].

Yesterday it was 84 degrees in Denver. Today, it's snowing.

I-70 is closed in both directions at the tunnel.

I-70 CLOSED in both directions from Silverthorne to Idaho Springs (MM 205-241) and from Vail Pass to Copper Mounain (MM 180-195) due to adverse conditions and multiple accidents. No estimated time for reopen. Reported Time: April 3rd, 2011 at 1:14 PM

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I've been writing for over a year about what I call the DEA's African Vacations. Shorter version: DEA agents go to Africa, set up an elaborate sting, whereby cocaine from South America is flown to Ghana or elsewhere in Africa, so that it can be transported to Europe, its final destination. Even though the cocaine isn't headed to the U.S., the feds in the U.S. indict the participants, have them arrested/kidnapped in Africa and fly them to the U.S. to stand trial on charges ranging from conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, to conspiracy to distribute or import drugs.

If the Government is successful in the prosecutions, we will bear not only the cost of the overseas investigation, the cost of prosecution (and in many cases, the cost of defending those charged), and the cost of pre-trial detention, but also the cost of incarceration of those convicted for the next 10 or 20 years. [More...]

Charlie Sheen's opening night of his media tour in Detroit was an unmitigated disaster. Boos, catcalls, people shouting for refunds and walking out.

This reviewer says fans were angered and stunned.

Charlie was a dud.

What did people expect from a man whose grasp on reality diminishes daily? Lucidity?

As for Sheen's post-show comments, this about says it all: "It's OK, this has been an experiment," he said. As for the next shows: "We've got it under control."[More...]

The Guardian has a new investigative report on Wachovia Bank's laundering of billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels. The information comes from the federal criminal prosecution of Wachovia in Florida that was settled in 2010, and background from a British whistle-blower.

As the violence spread, billions of dollars of cartel cash began to seep into the global financial system. But a special investigation by the Observer reveals how the increasingly frantic warnings of one London whistleblower were ignored

The Government charged Wachovia with failing to maintain an effective money laundering program. Wachovia entered a one year deferred prosecution agreement with the Government in March, 2010. It forfeited $110 million and paid a $50 million fine. You can read the agreement here. No individuals were charged. [More...]

CNN reports that President Obama will announce his bid for a second term as President as early as Monday. His first fund-raiser will be April 14 in Chicago.

Fund-raising for Obama's re-election is likely to shatter all previous records:

The president is making his campaign official slightly earlier than is typical for an incumbent so he can get a jump on fund-raising in a season that's likely to shatter all records. Obama’s team has been asking campaign bundlers to raise $350,000 each, no easy task since campaign finance laws limit gifts to $2,500 per donor. Two sources tell CNN the campaign team hopes that in total their bundlers will raise $500 million, leaving the campaign to raise another $500 million and amass a record-breaking $1 billion war chest.

Obama raised $745 million for the 2008 election.

CNN says Dems are worried about the amount of money Karl Rove and the Hunt brothers are likely to raise for the eventual Republican nominee. And Donald Trump told ABC News that he's willing to spend $600 million of his own money if he decides to run.

There's college basketball today and tonight. I'm taking Kentucky (-2) and VCU (+3).

Open Thread.

It's opening day for the Colorado Rockies. They are playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's a beautiful, sunny 70 degree day here. Go Rockies!

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Via Law Prof Doug Berman at Sentencing Law and Policy: Judge Jack Weinstein has written another scathing indictment of our drug sentencing laws and policy in a multi-defendant crack cocaine case.

The case is United States v. Bannister, No. 10-CR-0053 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 24, 2011), and the 125 page opinion is available here. Some quotes below:[ More...]

NYTimes:

The United States economy showed signs of kicking into gear in March, as the Labor Department reported Friday that it added 216,000 jobs and knocked the unemployment rate down another jot, to 8.8 percent.