It’s April 15th, and New Yorkers are really seeing their tax dollars at work. If I was a resident of NY, I might enclose a tip with my tax payments this year. As Judge Juan Merchan advised potential jurors today, “The name of this case is the People of the State of New York vs Donald Trump.” The hush money case marks the first (but likely not the last) time a former president has gone on trial for criminal charges. You can follow the highlights basically anywhere, but here are links to CNN and NBC. It seems that, at a certain point, facing yet another 34 felony counts can get a little boring, because early reports have suggested that Trump’s eyes have been closed and he even appeared to fall asleep during the early proceedings. Honestly, I’d like to do the same. Please take this reminder from a news addict: You are not required to watch and listen to every breathless second of coverage of what will be a lengthy trial. Your jury duty doesn’t officially begin until November 5, 2024.

+ For Americans, it’s a momentous day marking the first time a president has faced a criminal trial. For Trump, it’s just another day which means another grift. Trump Media shares plunge more than 15% after company files to issue additional DJT stock. (Nothing like committing potential financial crimes while on trial for financial crimes.)