Bessma Momani
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bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani
@bmomani.bsky.social
3.2K followers 1K following 350 posts

Professor at the University of Waterloo and Senior Fellow at CIGI, interested in International Affairs and Geopolitics of Technology.

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Political science 34%
Economics 31%
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bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · Dec 30
My latest op-ed in Globe and Mail on AI race between China and US. Trump’s war on talent in universities and international scholars may kill what pwas US has had www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: In the roiling cold war for AI supremacy, the U.S. has let China back in the race
Decisions by the Trump White House – particularly ones dissuading the world’s top AI talent from going to America – have allowed China to assert itself
www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

wsj.com
The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 20h
Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin criticized the Trump administration’s interference into the day-to-day business of American companies and raised concerns about self-serving decisions made by government officials. on.wsj.com/4qUD1GK
Ken Griffin Says CEOs Find Trump’s Interference ‘Distasteful’
The billionaire Citadel founder hinted he could run for political office or work in government in the future.
on.wsj.com

Reposted by Michelle Everson, Bessma Momani

chadbourn.bsky.social
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 20h
Hungary opposition Peter Magyar: “There are 68 days until the elections. We are leading Fidesz (Orban) by a huge margin. But because of that, the remaining just over two months will be incredibly difficult and important. Fidesz will attack, incite, and threaten by any means necessary. But…game on!”
N TISZA 50 40 30 53% 37% 20 10 FIDESZ TISZA 21 RESEARCH CENTER SURVEY 2026. FEBRUARY, DECIDED VOTERS

Reposted by Bessma Momani

dropsitenews.com
Drop Site @dropsitenews.com · 20h
⭕️ Murtaza Hussain breaks down why the current US–Iran talks are stacked against any real diplomatic breakthrough.

He outlines 3 major US demands Iran considers red lines: limits on its nuclear program, curbs on support for regional allies, & restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities...
Drop Site @DropSiteNews ⭕️ Murtaza Hussain breaks down why the current U.S.–Iran talks are stacked against any real diplomatic breakthrough. He outlines three major U.S. demands Iran considers red lines: limits on its nuclear program, curbs on support for regional allies, and restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, particularly missile range. Hussain argues these demands are “extremely onerous,” noting that even under far better conditions a decade ago, Washington struggled to secure limits on the nuclear file alone. He describes the current approach as a form of gunboat diplomacy, with the U.S. flooding the region with aircraft, fleets, and missile defenses to pressure Tehran “almost literally with a gun to their head.” While the expanded format of talks including regional states could help delay war, Hussain warns the military buildup is steadily degrading Iran’s leverage. “If you ignore what they’re saying and look at what the U.S. is doing,” he says, “they’re really preparing for a confrontation regardless of diplomacy.” @MazMHussain | @DropSiteNews

Reposted by David H. Kaye, James Grimmelmann, Rebecca Tushnet , and 4 more

daphnek.bsky.social
Daphne Keller @daphnek.bsky.social · 22h
The @nytimes.com coverage of France's Grok investigation casts it as part of a conflict between U.S. & European speech rules. That's true only if you buy Elon's version.

This is a case about CSAM and NCII. Those are crimes in France, and crimes in the U.S. There's no transatlantic divide here. 1/

Reposted by Edgar Morgenroth, Bessma Momani, Karen O’Leary

bradheath.bsky.social
Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 1d
Elon Musk’s flagship artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, continues to generate sexualized images of people when users explicitly warn that the subjects do not consent.

In 17 tests, Grok generated images after being told they would be used to degrade the person.

www.reuters.com/business/des...

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d
Wow

Reposted by Bessma Momani

techpolicypress.bsky.social
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 1d
The 2025 Department of Homeland Security AI use case inventory, released last week, details over 200 applications across DHS component agencies, including CBP and ICE. DHS is rapidly deploying these tools in US cities, while engaging in violence and defying court orders. buff.ly/e2ek6Ko
DHS AI Surveillance Arsenal Grows as Agency Defies Courts
A Department of Homeland Security AI inventory contains details on new tools used by ICE and border patrol agents in Trump's deportation campaign.
buff.ly

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Christina Pagel

us.theconversation.com
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d
The Trump administration is trying to rescind a 2009 EPA finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health. But a federal judge already found the administration violated federal law in handpicking researchers to support its case. buff.ly/h6j4Txe
Trump’s climate policy rollback plan relies on EPA rescinding its 2009 endangerment finding – but will courts allow it?
A federal judge dealt one blow to the effort when he found the administration had violated the law in handpicking a panel to question climate science.
theconversation.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

gijn.org
Global Investigative Journalism Network @gijn.org · 1d
Journalists have used local reporting, open source analysis, and forensic reconstruction to verify events happening on the ground in Gaza, allowing them to challenge official narratives and preserve evidence for future accountability.

Learn how:
gijn.org
Documenting Gaza: How Journalists Can Collect Evidence Even When Denied Access
twp.ai

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Karen O’Leary

drericding.bsky.social
Eric Feigl-Ding @drericding.bsky.social · 1d
5) ICE also begins warehouse buying spree to convert into immigration detention facilities.

Gift 🎁🔗

www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Reposted by Bessma Momani

carceralabolition.bsky.social
Carceral Abolition @carceralabolition.bsky.social · 1d
Portugal’s conservatives back left-wing candidate to avoid a far-right president

Center-right leaders are taking pains to publicly reject the ultranationalist contender ahead of the country’s Feb. 8 vote.
www.politico.eu/article/port...
Portugal’s conservatives back left-wing candidate to avoid a far-right president
Center-right leaders are taking pains to publicly reject the ultranationalist contender ahead of the country’s Feb. 8 vote.
www.politico.eu

Reposted by Rebecca Tushnet, Alan Richardson, Caroline T. Schroeder , and 7 more

robertkelchen.com
Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 1d
The Trump administration is no longer trying to get cash from Harvard as it seeks a settlement. At this point, the White House seems happy to get a signature on anything they can call a compact.
Trump Drops Demand for Cash From Harvard After Stiff Resistance
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Paul M. Schwartz, Caroline T. Schroeder , and 2 more

techpolicypress.bsky.social
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 1d
In his forthcoming book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You, George Washington University Law School professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson explores how sensor-driven technologies, social media monitoring, and artificial intelligence can be weaponized against democratic values and personal freedoms.
How to Apply the 'Tyrant Test' to Technology
George Washington University Law School professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson is the author of the forthcoming book Your Data Will Be Used Against You.
buff.ly

Reposted by Bessma Momani

shashj.bsky.social
Shashank Joshi @shashj.bsky.social · 1d
The president who has believes that Italian military satellites were used to hack voting machines in a joint CIA-Chinese operation has sent his intelligence chief to look for evidence of voter fraud. What could go wrong? www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...

Reposted by Bessma Momani

markkersten.bsky.social
Mark Kersten @markkersten.bsky.social · 1d
"The world is looking to Canada for reassurance that a stable, thriving multiracial democracy is not only possible but desirable. This is the message Carney left out of his speech - and it is one our prime minister must urgently convey." - www.thestar.com/opinion/cont... @rondeibert.bsky.social
What Mark Carney didn’t say in Davos is what the world needed to hear most
Democracies everywhere are looking to Canada for reassurance that a stable multicultural society is not only possible but desirable.
www.thestar.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

bloomberg.com
Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 1d
Iran is moving closer to starting negotiations with the US over its nuclear program after President Donald Trump threatened the Islamic Republic with military action if it failed to engage with diplomatic efforts
Iran Offers Nuclear Talks After Trump Threatens Force
Get caught up
bloom.bg

Reposted by Bessma Momani

gijn.org
Global Investigative Journalism Network @gijn.org · 2d
Elections under attack. Shadow aircraft fleets. National parks carved up for cash crops.

In 2025, investigative journalists across sub-Saharan Africa kept digging, long after stories were meant to disappear.
gijn.org
Elections Under Attack, Shadow Aircraft Fleet, National Park Land Grabs: 2025’s Best Investigative Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa
twp.ai

Reposted by Bessma Momani

matthewfacciani.bsky.social
Matthew Facciani @matthewfacciani.bsky.social · 2d
People get trapped in separate digital worlds due to psychology and platform design.
Change the incentives and platform architecture, and support constructive cross-group interaction — and healthier online environments become possible.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/misg...
How Can We Break Echo Chambers at Scale?
Why political conversations feel impossible, how psychology and platform design shape what we believe, and what can be done about it.
www.psychologytoday.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani, David Murakami Wood, Greg Linden

justinhendrix.bsky.social
Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 2d
WaPo reports xAI deliberately loosened Grok's guardrails to boost popularity, sparking internal alarm. Employees had to pledge to work with "profane content." Even more disturbing, employees were listening to lurid audio conversations Tesla drivers had with Grok. Musk prioritized growth over safety.
Inside Musk’s bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator
Under pressure to boost its popularity, Elon Musk’s xAI loosened guardrails and relaxed controls on sexual content, setting off internal concern.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d
A Canadian company said on Friday that it would no longer sell a warehouse in Virginia to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which had planned to use the site as an ICE processing facility.
Canadian Company Cancels Sale of Virginia Warehouse to ICE
Jim Pattison Developments said the sale of an industrial building, which was planned to become an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility, would not go forward.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Bessma Momani

eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 2d
From license-plate readers to drones and cell-site simulators, ICE relies on a growing web of surveillance.

Here’s how hackers are shining a light on it—and why that matters. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
How Hackers Are Fighting Back Against ICE
A few enterprising hackers have started projects to do counter surveillance against ICE, and hopefully protect their communities through clever use of technology.
www.eff.org

Reposted by Bessma Momani

juliettekayyem.bsky.social
Juliette Kayyem @juliettekayyem.bsky.social · 3d
“They are using the term terrorist to basically define any group of people who criticize them." I spoke to @cnn.com about the Trump Administration's use of "terror."

www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/p...
Analysis: Trump 2.0 sees terrorism all over the place | CNN Politics
The Trump administration is living in a state of perpetual terror, both foreign and domestic.
www.cnn.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

donmoyn.bsky.social
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 3d
The erosion of democracy in the US is clear even if you don't use intl comparisons. From the Century Foundation:
"In the first year of Trump 2.0, the United States went from being a passing if imperfect democracy to behaving like an authoritarian state."
donmoynihan.substack.com/publish/post...
century fund score of democracy, showing a drop from 79 to 57.

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 4d
And who wouldn’t want a fridge talking to you about weight management. It can say “there’s nothing new here since the last time you checked”…options are endless!

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 4d
Anticipating wider diffusion?

Reposted by Bessma Momani

pgourevitch.bsky.social
Philip Gourevitch @pgourevitch.bsky.social · 4d
At its headquarters in Geneva, signs warning of the situation have been put up everywhere. In an almost desperate attempt to save cash, the escalators are regularly turned off and the heating turned down.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
UN risks 'imminent financial collapse', secretary general warns
António Guterres says the international body could run out of money by July due to members' unpaid fees.
www.bbc.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

devex.com
Devex @devex.com · 4d
As traditional foreign assistance tumbles, 2026 will be a year of hard questions — and profound reckoning — for the global development community.
The old aid model is dead. Now comes the fight over what replaces it
The old aid model is dead. Now comes the fight over what replaces it
www.devex.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

stephaniecarvin.bsky.social
Stephanie Carvin @stephaniecarvin.bsky.social · 4d
There’s a lot that’s awful in the world right now. Tonight, I’m thinking of my hometown of Oshawa, which is losing 1200 GM jobs being transferred to the US as a result of Trump’s assault on Canada’s auto manufacturing. It’s so unnecessary and destructive. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
As GM Oshawa layoffs begin, workers leave the plant and enter an uncertain job market | CBC News
Friday marks the last day of work for up to 1,200 autoworkers, as GM cuts one of three shifts at its Oshawa plant. Some workers say they are looking out of province to find employment in the face of O...
www.cbc.ca

Reposted by Bessma Momani

msjamshidi.bsky.social
Maryam Jamshidi @msjamshidi.bsky.social · 4d
If the US bombs Iran on Sunday - as some speculate - it'll likely have been chosen partly 4 its symbolism. It was on Feb 1, 1979 that Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran, after 14 yrs in exile, leading to the official fall of the Shah's govt. Sunday is the 47th anniversary of that date.

Reposted by Tom Clark, Lesley Bartlett, Bessma Momani , and 1 more

haleaziz.bsky.social
Hamed Aleaziz @haleaziz.bsky.social · 4d
Scoop: Federal agents were told this week that they have broader power to arrest people without a warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo reviewed by The New York Times.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...
ICE Expands Power of Agents to Arrest People Without Warrants
www.nytimes.com