Sylvia Chi 齊思涵
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sylviachi.bsky.social
Sylvia Chi 齊思涵
@sylviachi.bsky.social
9.4K followers 1.4K following 3.3K posts
dog person. lawyer but not your lawyer. admin law enthusiast. i work on climate justice and public banking. she/they 🇺🇸🇹🇼

opinions are my own!
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sylviachi.bsky.social
White House claims the flag was "lowered into a special container."

Of course, only the pure of heart can *see* this special container. That's why it looks to us like it's just lying on the ground. people.com/donald-trump...
“This is fake news," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told PEOPLE in a statement. "The beautiful American flag on the White House South Lawn that was recently installed by President Trump never touched the ground. Due to the high winds on Sunday evening in the Washington, D.C. area, the flag was lowered into a special container out of an abundance of caution during the Marine One landing."
November 18, 2025 at 2:50 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
I can't believe the University of Washington Huskies' live mascot is a malamute! For the record, UConn's live mascot, Jonathan XV, is an actual husky.
A regal Siberian Husky posing for photos on a football field
November 16, 2025 at 2:03 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
This red-tailed hawk disemboweling a squirrel advises you to respect the Starbucks workers' picket line.
A red-tailed hawk standing on a grassy field with a dead squirrel in its clutches, looking accusingly at the camera.
November 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
They were arrested at the iconic location best known for and associated with the Free Speech Movement! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Sp...
Protesters walk under Sather Gate in 1964.
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
My flight scheduled for Monday was cancelled but it isn't showing up when I search for the flight number. Does this only count flights cancelled today?
Good news - we've rebooked your flight. Your new itinerary begins with UA2602 from Las Vegas to Los Angeles departing at 8:00am on Nov 10. If this new schedule works with your travel plans, you're all set - there's nothing else you need to do. Availability does change frequently - if your new flight doesn't work, you can get travel help without calling or standing in line by rebooking your flight to a different day, an earlier or later departure, or connect through a different city here: https://gofly.united.com/jPv70AoPab If your new flight is in a different cabin or you want to cancel your trip, you're eligible for a refund to your original form of payment. Visit united.com/refund to see your flight and refund options. If you don't travel on this flight or find a new flight within 5 days, we'll automatically cancel all remaining travel on your ticket and issue a refund to your original form of payment. If you reach your destination by other means but want to keep any further flights remaining on your ticket, please contact us.
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Seems possible! UVA's language is materially different from Cornell's and matches the language in the NYT better. They say they'll apply "Civil Rights Law internally according to" the Guidance "so long as that Guidance remains in force and to the extent consistent with relevant judicial decisions."
7. Both Parties affirm the importance of and their support for civil rights. UVA affirms its commitment to complying with federal civil rights law and agrees to apply Civil Rights Law internally according to the Department of Justice's "Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination" of July 29, 2025, so long as that Guidance remains in force and to the extent consistent with relevant judicial decisions.
November 7, 2025 at 9:46 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
They've already changed it a bit, without acknowledging the correction. Now it says Cornell would "use" the guidance, etc.
And Justice Department officials said the university would use the administration’s interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that ended explicit consideration of race in admissions to higher education as long as that guidance is “consistent with relevant judicial decisions.”
November 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
I was surprised when I read in the NYT that Cornell has "agreed to abide by the administration's interpretation" of Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard "as long as that guidance is 'consistent with relevant judicial decisions.'"

Turns out they didn't.
And Justice Department officials said the university agreed to abide by the administration’s interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that ended explicit consideration of race in admissions to higher education as long as that guidance is “consistent with relevant judicial decisions.” Attorney General Pam Bondi laid out in a memo in July how that ruling, along with federal civil rights law, should be applied to schools receiving federal funding.
November 7, 2025 at 9:23 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
What is NYC's version of the meat-shaped stone?
Wrong answers only.
As described by Wikipedia, "a piece of jasper carved into the shape of a piece of Dongpo pork, a Chinese way of cooking pork belly. After the retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan, it is in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan."
November 5, 2025 at 5:08 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
I can't find a gif or screenshot of it but there's another great scene that someone on Reddit transcribed: www.reddit.com/r/classicfil...
**Wabash**: *\[after the botched attempt to come in from the field\]* The question was, Mr. Higgins, is he qualified with a handgun? **Higgins**: No handgun, sir. M-1 rifle and carbine. Evidently, it was sheer luck. Or else-- **Atwood**: Or else what, Mr. Higgins? **Higgins**: This Condor isn't the man his file says he is. **Atwood**: Where did he learn evasive moves? **Higgins**: He reads. **Atwood**: What the hell does that mean? **Higgins**: It means, sir, that he reads everything.
November 3, 2025 at 3:22 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
I recently watched Three Days of the Condor for the first time and loved that Robert Redford's character's superpower was that he read books.
Screenshot from Three Days of the Condor (1975) showing Robert Redford in a phone booth holding a payphone and saying, "I'm not a field agent. I JUST READ BOOKS."
November 3, 2025 at 3:17 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
It's just a brief encounter!

bsky.app/profile/the-...
An image showing Justice Kavanaugh, displaying his famous judicial temperament at his Senate confirmation hearing, with a speech bubble containing the following quote from his concurrence in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo: "f the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter." This is overlaid on top of a photo from October 25, 2025, of masked federal agents in military gear kneeling over a 67-year-old U.S. citizen in Old Irving Park, Chicago, shortly before tear-gassing the neighborhood in advance of a children's Halloween parade.
October 31, 2025 at 8:52 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Actually here's a better version!
An image showing Justice Kavanaugh, displaying his famous judicial temperament at his Senate confirmation hearing, with a speech bubble containing the following quote from his concurrence in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo: "f the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter."
October 31, 2025 at 8:38 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Here's a .png with transparent background you can use to overlay on other images of Kavanaugh stops.
An image showing Justice Kavanaugh, displaying his famous judicial temperament at his Senate confirmation hearing, with a speech bubble containing the following quote from his concurrence in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo: "f the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter."
October 31, 2025 at 8:35 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Justice Kavanaugh assures us this is all constitutional.
An image showing Justice Kavanaugh, displaying his famous judicial temperament at his Senate confirmation hearing, with a speech bubble containing the following quote from his concurrence in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo: "f the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter." This is overlaid on top of a photo from October 25, 2025, of masked federal agents in military gear kneeling over a 67-year-old U.S. citizen in Old Irving Park, Chicago, shortly before tear-gassing the neighborhood in advance of a children's Halloween parade.
October 31, 2025 at 8:28 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Coach Kav says nothing to see here.
An image showing Justice Kavanaugh, displaying his famous judicial temperament at his Senate confirmation hearing, with a speech bubble containing the following quote from his concurrence in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo: "f the person is a U. S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after the brief encounter." This is overlaid on top of a photo from October 31, 2025, of a masked federal agent in military gear shoving Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, in Albany Park, Chicago.
October 31, 2025 at 7:53 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Never forget
A screenshot of a New York Times opinion piece by Maureen Dowd, dated April 30, 2016, titled: "Donald the Dove, Hillary the Hawk." It is illustrated with two side by side photos of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
October 30, 2025 at 1:31 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
We always had one of these:
A Zojirushi Micom Super Boiler, a countertop hot water dispenser. This one is white, holds three liters, and has a floral design.
October 27, 2025 at 4:04 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Funny because LBNL just put out a report showing how residential retail rates are increasing faster than commercial or industrial. eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/defaul...
A slide titled "Residential customers have faced larger recent retail electricity price increases than have commercial and industrial customers." Text from the slide is below: Residential prices are higher and have risen faster than C&I prices—from 2019 to 2024 (in nominal terms): Residential prices up:3.5 cents/kWh –27% Commercial prices up:2.1 cents/kWh –19% Industrial prices up: 1.3 cents/kWh –19% Divergence likely due to various factors, which typically occur via state regulation: Cost to serve smaller customers is generally higher than cost to serve larger customers Desire by policymakers to support economic development that comes from C&I demand… …which is related to strength of advocacy from large C&I customers, inclusive of special rate deals Note: Sectoral price differences vary by state and utility (not shown here) Knowledge Gap: The relative contribution of the three possible drivers for different sectoral outcomes at the national and state level is unclear, as is the resulting degree of effective sectoral cross-subsidization. The slide is credited to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory & the Battle Group A slide titled "Residential customers have faced larger recent retail electricity price increases than have commercial and industrial customers." Text from the slide is below: Residential prices are higher and have risen faster than C&I prices—from 2019 to 2024 (in nominal terms): Residential prices up:3.5 cents/kWh –27% Commercial prices up:2.1 cents/kWh –19% Industrial prices up: 1.3 cents/kWh –19% Divergence likely due to various factors, which typically occur via state regulation: Cost to serve smaller customers is generally higher than cost to serve larger customers Desire by policymakers to support economic development that comes from C&I demand… …which is related to strength of advocacy from large C&I customers, inclusive of special rate deals Note: Sectoral price differences vary by state and utility (not shown here) Knowledge Gap: T…
October 25, 2025 at 8:03 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Once, my husband had this exchange with a DoorDasher, who had the chutzpah to correct us about our home address.

There is no 926 on our street. We eventually found our food at 940.
A screenshot of a message exchange. At the top, it says: "Your Dasher dropped off your order." The messages say: [Husband:] "hi! I think you dropped this off at the wrong house. I don't recognize the picture, but I did see you were on our street in the app. our address is 936 [street name redacted]." [Dasher:] "Your address is 926."
October 25, 2025 at 12:53 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
This clear rejection of SCOTUS' unreasoned per curiam emergency docket decisions is very satisfying.
Defendants urge the Court not to follow Thakur, and instead construe two recent per curiam decisions from the Supreme Court as precedent requiring Washington’s claims to be filed in the Court of Federal Claims under the Tucker Act. The Court disagrees. Second, Defendants invoke Nat’l Insts. of Health v. Am. Pub. Health Ass’n (“NIH”), another per curiam Supreme Court opinion that stayed an injunction barring termination of various research-related grants. 145 S. Ct. 2658 (2025). In relevant part, the terse, two-paragraph decision states in full: “The Administrative Procedure Act’s ‘limited waiver of [sovereign] immunity’ does not provide the District Court with jurisdiction to adjudicate claims ‘based on’ the research-related grants or to order relief designed to enforce any “‘“obligation to pay money”’” pursuant to those grants.’” Id. (quoting California, 604 U.S. at 651). There is no reasoning in the decision to apply to the case before the Court, and no means of determining whether it has any application to the unique facts at issue in this case. Without any explication of the relevant facts and how they fit within the relevant legal framework, the per curiam decision does not support Defendants’ position.
October 23, 2025 at 9:53 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Trump says he's backing off the "surge" (federal occupation) in San Francisco because his "friends," including Mayor Laurie, Jensen Huang (Nvidia), and Marc Benioff (Salesforce) asked him "very nicely." oaklandside.org/2025/10/23/t...
Lurie confirmed, in a press release today, that he spoke with the president. Lurie also said he spoke to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who “reaffirmed” Trump’s decision to hit pause. “Late last night, I received a phone call from the President of the United States,” said Lurie. “I told him the same thing I told our residents: San Francisco is on the rise. Visitors are coming back, buildings are getting leased and purchased, and workers are coming back to the office.”
October 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
More spending public dollars contrary to how Congress directed (i.e., an Antideficiency Act violation).
In a letter reviewed by The New York Times, Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, the top Democrat overseeing its homeland security panel, asked Ms. Noem to “clarify the funding source.” Republicans included roughly $25 billion in new funding for the Coast Guard earlier this year in their marquee tax cut and domestic policy legislation, including about $2.3 billion for the “procurement and acquisition of rotary-wing aircraft.” Ms. Noem said this week that she was tapping some of those funds to ensure that members of the Coast Guard did not miss a paycheck during the shutdown.
October 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
sylviachi.bsky.social
Benioff's gratuitous appropriation of Hawaiian culture was a pretty big red flag about him all along.
“I want to put all of our political situations aside, all of our divisiveness, and just come together as one ohana right now,” he said from the stage, using the Hawaiian word for family. (Mr. Benioff has principally lived on the Big Island of Hawaii with his actual family for the past five years.)
October 17, 2025 at 5:12 AM
sylviachi.bsky.social
This is a good response! Because you know, kids (aged up to 40) make dumb jokes on the internet, as we learned from Couchfucker Vance.
“As I told CNN, I was fucking around on the internet at a time when I felt lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die,” Platner said. “I made dumb jokes and picked fights. But of course I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired shitposter.”
October 17, 2025 at 3:18 AM