50 Comments

Ohmygoodnessgracioussourgummieworms. THIS IS FANTASTIC. I was reading so fast.... it was so exciting and then, this happened, and then, that happened. Better than being there. The drawings are awesome (as always), and the reporting superlative. Wow. Now, I'm going to go back and read it again, and savor it. Thanks so much, Liza.

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I agree totally Allia. I often go back and reread and rewatch through the drawings.

Thanks so much Liza.

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Thank you, Claudia!

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Thank you, Allia! I am riveted by this and have no idea how it will turn out.

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I would be, too. Thank God we have your take on it. As I mentioned, it's almost as good as....and perhaps even better than....being their in person because your view is so spot-on.

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I enjoyed this. 💯 Thank you for humanizing this Liza.

My favorite word of this entire day was “Sure”.

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Thank you, Patris. Me to re “Sure”.

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Thank you for being there. Watching tv - reports on- air, the correspondents seemed to get confused as the defense tried to make some/any case - your visual sympathies are here!

Line is true. This is SO very very helpful to me to see, SEE! Through your eyes.,

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Tha k you Ramella. I very much appreciate you saying that, keeps me going.

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I believe I am already a paid subscriber - hope to watch your work next week. I found myself doing a line drawing waiting around Bunch of people on a trip I took recently! Backpacks and hairstyles !!

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Great job today as usual. You are a jewel.

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Thank you.

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Thanks, Liza! Your reporting on the proceedings and drawings had me feeling as if I was in the room with you. Grateful !

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Thank you Joyce!

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As always, your reporting is the most like being there. Thanks for getting up so early!!

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Thank you for your dedicated line standing. Your personal observations, both written and drawn, lend a touch of presence to this serious trial.

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Thank you, Terry.

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Fascinating.

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Thank you, Liza. I love the combo of this article - like an ice cream sundae made out of your drawings and your live reporting. Meaning you’ve put together so many pieces and your narration puts us all in the moment with just the right ingredients and information. I love your drawings!

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Thank you, Anne. I am so glad!

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Wow, Liza! You have gone above and beyond with your interesting comments and terrific drawings! This was so helpful and so much better than the talking heads on TV who are trying to out-talk each other. Thanks SOOOOO much!!!!

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Thank you very much, Sandy! Your encouragement means a lot and keeps me going!

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Liza, thanks so much. Your drawings today were superb.

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Thank you!

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You invested much time in the drawings and court descriptions today. Great work and we do appreciate it.

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Thank you!

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Thank you so much.

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Liza, your narration and illustrations of today's proceedings made me smile broadly. You are indeed the fly on the wall I wish I could be. Thank you for being there and sharing your experience with us - like I said, you made me smile. And you made me laugh at Todd Blanches first question - that will never be reported on the news!

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Thanks, Vicki! But you probably noticed- it was reported! He made a big mistake opening with that!

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I read the live updates on the NYT website today but you wrote about personal details the reporters did not cover. Thank you for going to the trial.

I scribbled another poem from what I read today. Your drawings tell so much more of the story.

Grace Under Fire: A Fiery Tale of Betrayal

In the land of court and claim,

where truths twist and lies proclaim,

Michael D. Cohen stood, his name

etched in light, stark against the frame

of his once lord, Donald J. Trump,

whose shadow loomed like a looming slump.

This day was more than legal fray—

a broken man's operatic play,

a bid for grace, once lost, now sought,

through the tangle of the truths he wrought.

Cohen, the loyal turned spectral guide,

leading us through betrayal’s tide.

Morning’s Aria

The dawn bore tension, thick and grim,

as Cohen swore the oath on whim.

His words, once sold to the highest bid,

now peeled the layers of the sordid grid.

Each revelation, a sharp, turned knife,

cutting free his former life.

The Defense, a Harsh Refrain

Todd Blanche rose with morning's light,

a clear intent to fight the fight.

He painted Cohen, a man embittered,

a flame of loyalty long since withered.

He probed the past, Cohen’s fall from grace,

seeking vengeance in this legal space.

Counterpoints in Afternoon’s Decline

By afternoon, the air was tight,

Cohen's resolve burning ever bright.

He spoke of silence bought and sold,

of shadowed deeds, bold and cold.

The defense, cunning, sought to fray

the timeline’s thread, Cohen's dismay.

Blanche, sharp as winter’s bone,

questioned gains Cohen’s words had sown.

Was truth his aim, or just new fame?

Cohen’s retort—a quiet claim,

his composure a shield, his armor tight,

against the slings of fortune’s spite.

Evening’s Loom and Strategy’s Weave

As twilight touched the courtroom’s face,

a change was sensed within the place.

The defense, once bold, now uncertain,

behind their whispers, the final curtain.

Cohen's story, firm and stark,

held the room from light till dark.

Epilogue: The Theater of Law

As echoes of the day’s discourse

left minds to wander, hearts to course,

Cohen, from loyal hound to lone nightingale,

sang a tale of loyalty’s frail.

In this courtly stage of human flaws,

he sought redemption, not applause.

The saga of sins, a script still writing,

with the nation as its unblinking sighting.

Each act unfurls with tragic weight,

where personal stakes claim legal fate.

In the dance of deceit and remedial song,

Cohen seeks a place to belong.

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I enjoyed reading that and the meter helped keep the mounting story through its timing.

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Thank you, Gloria!

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Bravo!! Love, love, love the reporting and accompanying pictures—thanks for the inside look.

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Thank you!

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