New York City is on a pace to end the year with 317 murders. Except for 2017 and ’18 (292 and 289 murders respectively), it would be the lowest total since the 314 in 1957.

It's been a while but I've served on two Manhattan juries: a federal civil case and a state drug case. Both times I was hugely impressed by how seriously all jurors took their responsibility. I see no reason to expect any less in the Trump case.

A woman who had been picked as a juror in the Trump case was excused today. She told the judge she was worried about her identity becoming public.
In other words, her concern is the same as that of a juror in the trial of a mob boss.

Don’t know if “Adelaide’s Lament” from “Guys and Dolls” would fly these days. But it’s a great number.

If you’d asked me which Jewish MLB pitcher had the most career wins, I’d have said Sandy Koufax. Turns out it was Ken Holtzman, who’s died at 78. He won 174 games, 9 more than Koufax (who had a shorter career and was incomparable at his peak).
nytimes.com/2024/04/16/spo…

Why would anyone care what a football player says on this subject, especially a wacky football player.

'Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it.'--Herzog

I’ve said this before but glancing just now at “Singin’ in the Rain” on TCM reminds me that Cyd Charisse had the greatest legs in, well, the history of legs.

April 15th reminder that Trump still refuses to make his tax returns public politi.co/3MSxZtc via POLITICO

Better yet:
🎼
Don’t know why
There’s no sun up in the sky
Stormy Daniels
Since that gal and I
Ain’t together
Keeps arraigning all the time

A song for Trump:
Don’t know why
There’s no sun up in the sky
Stormy Daniels

“Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?” hasn’t made it to any list of all-time great movie quotes, none that I’ve seen anyway. But it’s a wonderful quote.

Worth reading:
twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrum…

Caught the end of “The Natural,” just on TV. It’s well done. But I wonder if Bernard Malamud was bothered by the reversal of his novel, which has Roy Hobbs striking out, not hitting a pennant-winning homer. Or did he shrug and pocket the Hollywood money?

My youngest grandchild is more articulate than this man, and he is only 13 months old.

Mike Johnson reminds me of student government types in college who no one could stand.

This version of my Eleanor Coppola obituary allows online comments:
nytimes.com/2024/04/12/mov…

Eleanor Coppola, documentary filmmaker, artist and wife of Francis Ford Coppola, has died at 87. An early work was on the making of her husband's 'Apocalypse Now,' which took so long to make, some called it 'Apocalypse Never.'
My The New York Times obit of her:
nytimes.com/2024/04/12/mov…