Sean Hecht
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seanbhecht.bsky.social
Sean Hecht
@seanbhecht.bsky.social
8.6K followers 1.3K following 720 posts
Personal account, opinions my own. Angeleno by birth and by choice. Managing attorney at a major environmental law NGO. Former UCLA law prof/climate institute co-director.
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seanbhecht.bsky.social
How it started, how it’s going
Text from NYT article: Estimating the size of a gathering is an inexact science. There are techniques and best attempts that may approach accuracy, but determining how many people are attending an open event is difficult. And, typically that is not the focus of our reporting. We cover the action, the people, the mood and, yes, the scope. But rather than counting heads, we encourage reporters to describe what they see: "Marchers filled 15 blocks," "jammed the streets" and "packed so tightly at times that they could barely move." Our photo and video teams add a visual layer that lets readers see for themselves. Text from NYT article: What the White House had initially planned as a celebration of the country's 250th birthday and of the might of the Marines became half of a revealing split-screen: As the likely heir of Mr. Trump's political movement showcased the power of the military over the objections of a state governor, thousands of people across the country protested a president they accused of using his power like a king. [“thousands” highlighted in the post]
October 19, 2025 at 1:51 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Family Circus comic panel with the mom standing and staring at a piece of paper, and Billy standing below her and talking. Caption: “To forget one’s purpose is the commonest form of stupidity on Bluesky.” The phrase “on Bluesky” in the caption is offset slightly as if it were added as a separate edit.
May 27, 2025 at 3:06 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
One day away from an Originalist law professor doing whatever the hell this is
Sydney Sweeney
May 24, 2025 at 12:53 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Absence of evidence in that essay is telling. It’s also completely ahistorical. I suspect there isn’t any historical example he could point to to support his point.
Text from essay: Ironically, the identity politics that has come to define much of progressive thought these days has facilitated this autocratic sleight of hand by neglecting, or even undermining, the national community. Progressives have tended to promote the rights of interest groups, particularly people who are seen to have historically suffered discrimination and persecution. The impulse to defend the downtrodden is admirable, but the way it has been carried out comes at a cost. If progressive politics can be reduced to the promotion of a collection of disfavored interest groups, it is easier for the autocrat to carve out selected groups for demonization. Autocrats simply portray their priority interest groups as the ones that progressives are neglecting-typically, members of a country's working-class ethnic majority-and claim that the demonized groups are the cause of the priority group's malaise. In the United States, white working class men were especially sympathetic to Trump's appeal, although they were far from the only ones.
May 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Maybe I’m missing something. But it seems really, really unlikely the old Spring Street federal courthouse in LA currently houses the HQ of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of CA. (BTW selling federal properties like this one is really outrageous!) www.latimes.com/business/sto...
LA Times headline & byline: Landmark Los Angeles federal courthouse slated for quick sale by agency BY ROGER VINCENT | STAFF WRITER MAY 19, 2025 | 3:43 PM LA Times webpage text: “Occupants of the older Spring Street building include the National Labor Relations Board, Small Business Administration and the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of California, the GSA said. The former federal courtrooms are occupied by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.”
May 20, 2025 at 12:56 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
I mean, it’s possible it’s related to this transaction from last week too, right? apnews.com/article/trum...
Text from linked website: “The Trump family company struck a deal Wednesday to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar in a sign it has no plans to hold back from foreign dealmaking during a second Trump administration, despite the danger of a president shaping U.S. public policy for personal financial gain. The project, which features Trump-branded beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course to be built by a Saudi Arabian company, is the first foreign deal by the Trump Organization since Donald Trump took office and unlike any done in his first term. Back then, he forswore foreign deals in an extraordinary press conference surrounded by stacks of legal documents as he pledged to avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest.”
May 11, 2025 at 2:12 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
This just happened last week. So, probably this. apnews.com/article/trum...
Text from linked website: “The Trump family company struck a deal Wednesday to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar in a sign it has no plans to hold back from foreign dealmaking during a second Trump administration, despite the danger of a president shaping U.S. public policy for personal financial gain. The project, which features Trump-branded beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course to be built by a Saudi Arabian company, is the first foreign deal by the Trump Organization since Donald Trump took office and unlike any done in his first term. Back then, he forswore foreign deals in an extraordinary press conference surrounded by stacks of legal documents as he pledged to avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest.”
May 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
This seems non-standard
Text: CNN Politics “CNN previously reported that Hamilton was given a lie detector test just days after taking part in a meeting with top DHS officials for a policy discussion on the future of FEMA and how to potentially dismantle the agency. That closed-door meeting was reported by CNN and other media outlets. At least a dozen other FEMA officials have also been polygraphed by DHS in recent weeks, primarily for alleged media leaks.”
May 9, 2025 at 1:45 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
This is actually my favorite mid-2024 CharGPT result. (GPT4o!) There was absolutely no discussion of black pepper in the oral argument for this case. (I went back and listened.) 100% very, very, very specific hallucinations.
Text ChatGPT > Which US Supreme Court decision involved the use of black pepper on salads served in restaurants? The U.S. Supreme Court case involving black pepper on salads is United States v. Correll, 389 U.S. 299 (1967). This case revolved around the interpretation of tax law, particularly regarding the deduction of meal expenses by traveling salesmen. The issue of black pepper came up during oral arguments, where Justice Potter Stewart asked a hypothetical question about whether adding black pepper to a salad would make it a "substantial" meal, relevant to the tax deduction discussion. Though the case wasn't fundamentally about black pepper or salads, the discussion during the oral arguments is a famous example of the sometimes peculiar details that can arise in legal interpretations.
April 28, 2025 at 5:25 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Text: ChatGPT > Which federal environmental statute has been interpreted to outlaw serving certain shapes of pasta at Italian restaurants? The federal environmental statute you're referring to is the "Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water Act" which has been interpreted to outlaw serving certain shapes of pasta due to concerns about environmental impact, particularly in the context of waste management and pollution. This interpretation, while not directly addressing pasta shapes, is an example of how regulations can sometimes lead to unexpected and specific applications. Text: ChatGPT > …now regulations can sometimes lead to unexpected and specific applications. Can you provide a citation to support this? It appears there might be a misunderstanding or confusion about the interpretation of the Clean Water Act or any federal environmental statute regarding pasta shapes. To my knowledge, there is no federal environmental statute that specifically addresses or outlaws certain shapes of pasta at Italian restaurants. If this is a reference to a real regulation or a legal case, it would be helpful to have more context or details. In general, environmental statutes like the Clean Water Act focus on pollution control and water quality rather than specific food items or shapes.
April 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Text: ChatGPT > Which US Supreme Court involved the question of whether the word "strawberry" has two "r"s or three "," s in it? The case you're referring to is Strawbridge v. Curtiss (1828). It dealt with the question of how the word "strawberry" should be spelled, which in turn affected the interpretation of legal documents. The court ultimately decided that the standard spelling of "strawberry" is with two "r"s.
April 27, 2025 at 11:52 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
“Please illustrate, with a photorealistic style, a baseball game where all the players are former U.S. presidents”
An AI generated image of a baseball field, as seen from behind home plate. Near home plate, but not in the batter’s box, there’s a man in a baseball uniform set up to bat. A bearded man in a top hat and black formal wear, sitting in a wheelchair, is in the right-hand batter’s box. He has no baseball gear and his hands are on his knees. Right behind him is Abraham Lincoln, wearing tan formal wear and a top hat and striding purposefully across the field. Meanwhile, a man who looks a bit like George Washington is set up to bat, in an unlikely location near the pitcher’s mound, wearing what appears to be a hybrid of formal wear and a baseball jersey. Several other men are lined up as if they were infielders, quite close to each other across the field behind the pitchers mound, as if waiting for a batted ball to come to them. There is a crowd in the stadium seats and the grandstands are decorated with red, white, and blue bunting. Men who appear to be giants, based on the image’s perspective, are standing atop the roof of the stands on both the first base side and behind the outfield, perhaps watching the game.
April 27, 2025 at 11:50 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
I just realized I had this figured out in Week 2, in the group chat. 😕
Screenshot of iMessage chat, date stamp: Fri, Jan 31 at 9:48 PM Blue boxes on right side of screen: “I don't think so. Guys, what's going on in the federal government right now is really unimaginable. Like this is Mao-level destruction of institutions. Except executed with 21st century tools”
April 9, 2025 at 4:06 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Thanks. Here are some facts. states.guttmacher.org/policies/
Map from Guttmacher Institute of the U.S. by state, showing level of legal protection for abortion. CA, OR, WA, NY & other northeastern states, MI, IL, MN, CO, NM are “protective” or better. All states in 2 most restrictive categories are GOP-led.
March 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
This is the actual pinnacle
Comment thread on recipe website: MOIRA ROSE-VALANTINE posted: 4 months ago hi x this didn't work me me and my husband are non gmo gluten free vegans and cannot use egg so I substituted this for massed banana and it just would not set I followed all of the instructions so I think it may be my oven unfortunately that cannot maintain temp and in the end it was really runny and tasted quite bitter so not sure what happened but I won't be trying this again im sorry what a waste. REPLY SARAH AUTHOR posted: 4 months ago Hi Moira, an extreme substitution like using mashed banana in place of egg for an egg custard tart is not always going to work. I'm sorry that it felt like a waste of time, but sometimes one just has to acknowledge that a banana isn't an egg, you know?
March 1, 2025 at 5:35 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
NYT deeply failing to meet this moment. This is the top item in their The Morning newsletter to millions of subscribers. Everyone who understands government understands that Trump and Musk are crippling essential services & its ability to keep us all safe & healthy & secure—not “cutting red tape.”
NYT screenshot: “Democrats may not approve of Trump’s targets—foreign aid and consumer protection agencies—or the potential constitutional crisis he initiated when he tried to eliminate them. But some Democrats might envy the speed at which he cut through red tape. After all, liberal lawmakers have for years complained about bureaucracy that moved too slowly and rules that stifled their ambitions.”
February 17, 2025 at 4:14 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Doesn’t seem great tbh
Screenshot of census.gov website, blank except this text: “508 Daily Report • 508 Dashboard And a form field titled “Click inside to select a date”
January 31, 2025 at 11:32 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Someone edited it today to reflect this new development in his life
Excerpt from Wikipedia entry: “^ Personal life Heiberger's mother was a real estate broker and his father was a homebuilder. 191 He formerly lived in New York City with his wife and three children, but now he lives 18 blocks away from them. According to the new congestion relief zone, he will be hit with a $9.00 toll when he goes to visit them.”
January 6, 2025 at 12:48 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Not sure how making the already-unprofitable WaPo less profitable, and worse, will help democracy, or the state of our media, or will punish Jeff Bezos www.barrons.com/news/turbule...
Bluesky Post by George Conway @gtconway.bsky.social: If only I had another Washington Post subscription to cancel. January 3, 2025 at 7:47 PM
January 4, 2025 at 4:31 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
My quiet street in Los Angeles, just after midnight on NYE. The explosions have continued without a break, since just before 12. It’s much louder IRL, of course.
January 1, 2025 at 8:25 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
This is ChatGPT’s map of Los Angeles with the features mapped and labeled as they were during the era of Spanish colonization. (LOL)
Map, approximately, of the Los Angeles basin, as depicted by ChatGPT, with labels that include various redundancies and misspellings, including “EL PUBLO DE LOS ANGELES,” the phrase “LOS ANGELES” in multiple places, “OCEZNO PACIFICO,” and many place names that are not correct, not written in a recognizable alphabet, or misspelled. Also includes a street-type grid with some heavier lines that suggest freeways, within the urbanized part of Los Angeles—all not representing anything that exists or has ever existed. And it includes topographical features that are clearly incorrect as well, like suggestions of mountains in places where no mountains exist.
December 29, 2024 at 9:53 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Photo of Mamoun’s Falafel Restaurant, New Haven CT
December 5, 2024 at 8:05 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
(Also, the policies articulated in the Biden EO aren’t outside the mainstream, nor are they inconsistent with immigration law enforcement at the border, either in theory or in practice. They just reset by taking away the prior all-in focus on removal of “all” removable non-citizens.)
“Policy” section of January 2021 Biden EO on immigration: Section 1. Policy. Immigrants have helped strengthen America's families, communities, businesses and workforce, and economy, infusing the United States with creativity, energy, and ingenuity. The task of enforcing the immigration laws is complex and requires setting priorities to best serve the national interest. The policy of my Administration is to protect national and border security, address the humanitarian challenges at the southern border, and ensure public health and safety. We must also adhere to due process of law as we safeguard the dignity and well-being of all families and communities. My Administration will reset the policies and practices for enforcing civil immigration laws to align enforcement with these values and priorities. “Policy” section of Trump admin Jan 2017 EO on immigration enforcement: Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to: (a) Ensure the faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States, including the INA, against all removable aliens, consistent with Article Il, Section 3 of the United States Constitution and section 3331 of title 5, United States Code; (b) Make use of all available systems and resources to ensure the efficient and faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States; (c) Ensure that jurisdictions that fail to comply with applicable Federal law do not receive Federal funds, except as mandated by law; (d) Ensure that aliens ordered removed from the United States are promptly removed; and (e) Support victims, and the families of victims, of crimes committed by removable aliens.
December 2, 2024 at 7:58 PM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
Norm MacDonald Norm from Cheers
December 2, 2024 at 5:52 AM
seanbhecht.bsky.social
How can that be?!! The NYT had the 2 DOGE appointees listed with all the Cabinet nominees. They couldn’t possibly have missed such a crucial distinction! Or …
NYT screenshot with head shots of listed people: “TRACKING TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION PICKS › Marco Rubio Secretary of State nominee Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Pete Hegseth Secretary of Defense nominee Matt Gaetz Attorney General nominee Tulsi Gabbard Director of National Intelligence nominee Lee Zeldin E.P.A. administrator nominee Michael Waltz National Security Adviser John Ratcliffe Director of C.I.A. nominee Elise Stefanik U.N. ambassador nominee Thomas Homan Border security. Elon Musk Department of Government Efficiency Vivek Ramaswamy Department of Government Efficiency”
November 25, 2024 at 5:19 AM