Is The Justice Department Shying Away From Prosecuting Corporations?

Is The Justice Department Shying Away From Prosecuting Corporations?

"GROSS: So you think that having, say, investment banks settle for large fines is not an adequate punishment. Why not?"

"EISINGER: I don't think it deters crime. And I think it undermines the sense of equity and justice in this country. I think people see companies paying big checks and the individuals getting away with it. And I think it stokes an enormous amount of anger with the system and undermines the legitimacy of our justice system, especially because we have a justice system which excessively punishes the poor and people of color while allowing top corporate executives, powerful people, off. We talk about inequality in this country, but I argue that the greatest perquisite of being powerful and wealthy in this country is the ability to commit crimes with impunity."

July 13, 2017 8 AM Update

Foggy and humid as I make my way downtown on the express bus. You can somewhat see the outline of the sun but generally everything is damp. 68 degrees on our way up to 80 later with thunderstorms and rain showers some of which may be down pours. The clouds may burn off a bit later which could push us up to the seasonal norm but who knows.

It wasn’t a terrible walk down to the express bus. A bit humid but I at least didn’t need my rain coat which I through over my shoulder. It might be wetter later. Definitely looks like they are getting some wet weather out by Buffalo right now.

Made eggs up this morning which was a nice change from the waffles. I haven’t made up a lot of eggs lately because I’m not really crazy about them and it’s more work to clean up. That said, eggs are a much more hearty breakfast that keeps me full until lunch time or later.

The sun will set at 8:32 pm with dusk around 9:05 pm, which is 35 seconds earlier than yesterday. At sunset, look for a chance of mΒ thunderstorms, muggy and 74 degrees. The dew point will be 69 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 15 hours and one minute of daytime, an increase of one minute and 24 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low of 62 degrees at 4am. Typical for tonight. Maximum dew point of 70 at 6pm. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. In 2016, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 73 degrees. The record low of 49 occurred back in 1940.

On this day in 1977, the Great 1977 New York City Blackout begins, plunging New York into 24 hours of darkness, chaos, and crime. It really was a dark time in the city. It’s actually remarkable how reliable the grid is even though it’s heavily stressed on hot days like today.

Tonight I have to pack for camping,Β and maybe pick up a few groceries and supplies.Β Some models don’t look all the optimistic for the weekend forecast, but NOAA seems okay for the North Country. Friday night doesn’t look that great though. Alternatively, this could become another one-night Schoharie trip to Burnt Rossman and Mine Kill State Park. The weather almost looks nicer down there, and heck I could also check out the NYPA Classic Car Show while I’m out there.

New smartphone isΒ working pretty good. I just used a wired connection for the FM radio function with the Bluetooth adapter. Maybe they’re an app I can use but running a wire isn’t a big deal, especially because you have to have some kind of headphones for FM radio to work.Β Yesterday, I re-downloaded maps of all the places I like to hike and camp in the remote Adirondacks without cellphone reception.Β It should be interesting to see how much reception I get in practice with this new phone in the Adirondacks, compared to what the maps suggest.

Looking ahead, next Thursday is Ugly Truck Day when the sun will be setting at 8:27 pm with dusk at 9:00 pm. On that day in 2016, we had mostly sunny skies and temperatures between 81 and 53 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 83 degrees. We hit a record high of 97 back in 1991.