Bessma Momani

@bmomani.bsky.social

3.1K followers 980 following 330 posts

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

Videos

Political science 34%

Economics 31%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 2h

“Social media platforms with infinite scrolling, auto-play and algorithmic feeds will be required to display warning labels about their potential harm to young users’ mental health under a new law, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.”

New York to require social media platforms to display mental health warnings

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Social media platforms with infinite scrolling, auto-play and algorithmic feeds will be required to display warning labels about their potential harm to young users’ mental health ...

www.yahoo.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Bessma Momani

Josh Busby @busbyj2.bsky.social · 2h

Delighted to have consulted on this story. The Trump administration recognizes importance of batteries for drones & AI but is biased against EVs which is biggest source of demand for batteries. Can the US have a vibrant battery sector w/o robust production of EVs? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/c...

The Pentagon and A.I. Giants Have a Weakness. Both Need China’s Batteries, Badly.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 4h

Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were both the sons of Italian parents. Back in that time, the racist Stephen Millers of the time didn't regard Italians as Anglo-Saxon enough to be welcome as immigrants to the United States.

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Bessma Momani

Mark Little @marklittle.bsky.social · 10h

“The massacres in El Fasher are among the most predicted slaughters in the history of atrocities … we should recognize it as a collective failure of civilization.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/o...

Opinion | This Is What the Murder of a Whole City Looks Like

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 18h

Gen Z is unleashing a wave of protests that have already toppled multiple governments. These countries face a heightened risk of civil unrest in 2026. bloom.bg/3MTsEEf

📷: Anadolu/Anadolu

Reposted by Tom Clark, John Horgan, Steve Peers , and 8 more Tom Clark, John Horgan, Steve Peers, Laurent Pech, Robert C. Richards, Michael Zimmer, Adrian Daub, Bessma Momani, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, Kate Starbird, Aurélien Mondon

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 19h

I did not understand this: one of the five Europeans the US has barred from traveling to the United States...is a permanent resident who lives with his family in the US.

Now he is worried about being arrested and deported for the crime of monitoring online hate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...

Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 21h

"any criticism of the election can lead to a minimum sentence of three years in prison, and even the death penalty"

Another reminder that elections are not the same thing as democracy
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

‘Not for the people’: Myanmar junta prepares for elections designed to legitimise grip on power

Elections will be first since military seized power in 2021, but analysts say vote is far from a step toward democracy

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Martin Tomko, Alessandro Nai , and 4 more Steven Heydemann, Martin Tomko, Alessandro Nai, Bessma Momani, Ann Bartow, Greg Linden, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 1d

President Trump’s spiteful defamation suit against the Pulitzer Prize Board may backfire, as the latter is now demanding Trump’s psychological records, prescription medication records, and tax returns in the discovery process. trib.al/LUCScTR

Reposted by Bessma Momani

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 1d

In February, Britain’s Labour government cut international development spending. MPs, aid experts and officials have told us that the scale of the cuts is on a par with the U.S. under Trump.

But barely anyone made a noise.

🔗 politi.co/3MGSf2R

Reposted by Bessma Momani

WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · 1d

According to British intelligence, Russia’s losses since the beginning of the war have exceeded 400,000 killed and wounded.
x.com/DefenceHQ/st...

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d

Beautiful

Reposted by Bessma Momani

ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 1d

in seriousness I did some rough arithmetic some years back to figure this out. it’s a political question but the money is mostly already there theweek.com/articles/792...

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Jacob T. Levy, Bessma Momani

post malone ergo propter malone @proptermalone.bsky.social · 2d

low stakes posting today reminds me that 1) Facebook is for talking to people you know IRL but don’t like and 2) microblogging sites are for talking to people you don’t know but do like.

we forget these things at our peril

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Eric Goldman, Gernot Wagner , and 7 more Anna O. Law, Eric Goldman, Gernot Wagner, Robert C. Richards, David R. Miller, Aaron Sojourner, Bessma Momani, Mark Rice, Manisha Sinha, Andrew Perchard

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 2d

So I have the cover story in next month's TNR.

I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.

They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.

Trump’s Immigration Nightmare: It Is Happening Here

With astonishing speed, the administration has toppled the most cherished pillars of a free society. And the experts agree: It’s all going to get much, much worse.

newrepublic.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 3d

One of the most startling statistics from OpenRouter’s State of AI report is that there is more usage of Open Source models like DeepSeek and LLaMa for AI girlfriends than for programming.

I’m sure selection bias plays a part but it seems the loneliness epidemic and AI is an under-explored subject.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Rebecca Williams, Lindsay M. Tedds , and 2 more Lesley A. Hall, Rebecca Williams, Lindsay M. Tedds, Carlos Nunes Silva, Bessma Momani

Dr Dan Shugar 🇨🇦 @watershedlab.bsky.social · 3d

🚨Extremely short notice: Looking for prospective PhD or postdoc w/ geological engineering or modelling experience, w/ interests in mountain geohazards for project focused on landslide-triggered tsunamis in subarctic w/ me & @geocron.bsky.social 🧵 🧪⚒️ Pls share!

nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...

Launch of new Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards

As announced in Budget 2025 -

nserc-crsng.canada.ca

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 4 more Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Joseph Schafer, Bessma Momani, Ann Bartow, David Darmofal

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Gord Little @gord.games · 4d

In Canada, the 60 Minutes clip about CECOT that Bari Weiss canned was broadcast. @jasonparis.bsky.social‬ captured it. Enjoy. Bluesky only allows 3 minute videos max. I hope this works. 1/5.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller , and 3 more Brendan Nyhan, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller, Bessma Momani, Bob Hudson, Anders Sundnes Løvlie

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 4d

Trump says he’s appointing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as “special envoy” to Greenland.

Landry has previously expressed support for Trump’s plan to invade Greenland.

Trump: I am pleased to announce that I am appointing the GREAT Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as the United States Special Envoy to Greenland.
Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country's Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.
Congratulations Jeff!
4 ReTruths 18 Likes
12/21/25, 6:21 PM

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Deb Chachra @debcha.bsky.social · 4d

The work that scholars and researchers actually do is the work that people *think* AI is doing. You read all sorts of things. You make connections. You notice where the holes are — what *hasn’t* been observed, questioned, investigated. You synthesize it into something that has never existed before.

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 5d

ByteDance’s agreement to sell TikTok puts app’s algorithm in the spotlight – a social media expert explains how the ‘For You’ page works and what’s to come buff.ly/JjOckYg

ByteDance’s agreement to sell TikTok puts app’s algorithm in the spotlight – a social media expert explains how the ‘For You’ page works and what’s to come

With a change of ownership in the works, TikTok’s algorithm – the secret sauce of its success – is going to be reset for US users. What differences users will see is unclear, but changes are coming.

theconversation.com

Reposted by David Kaufman, Martin Tomko, Gerald Friedman , and 2 more David Kaufman, Martin Tomko, Gerald Friedman, Bessma Momani, Nelson Flores

Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 5d

"Babies in the randomized, controlled trial will or will not receive the vaccine at birth...

"It is a breach of scientific ethics to withhold an intervention that has been proven safe and effective."

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

US plan for $1.6m hepatitis B vaccine study in Africa called ‘highly unethical’

Experts decry ‘neocolonialist’ Guinea-Bissau study after Trump administration changed advice for US babies

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 7d

Indian H-1B visa holders who traveled back to India this month to renew their American work permits are now stranded after their appointments were abruptly canceled and rescheduled for months later, according to immigration lawyers.

H-1B workers flew to India to renew U.S. visas. Now they’re stuck.

H-1B holders who returned to India this month to renew their visas had consular appointments canceled, stranding them far from their homes and jobs, lawyers said.

www.washingtonpost.com

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 7d

😂

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 7d

Wow. Thank you for sharing that. Young academics are so hard on themselves not finding a position but these odds are crazy, even with a solid and remarkable record. Be kind to yourselves, people!

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 7d

The world’s biggest Earth science conference had a shocking backdrop this year, with the Trump administration announcing that it plans to close an iconic climate research lab. Suffice to say, that changed the tone of the gathering.

Five Takeaways From the World’s Biggest Earth Science Meeting

bloom.bg

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 7d

The Trump administration has moved to appeal a federal judge’s ruling in favor of Harvard University on research funding, signaling that its high-profile fight with the university continues.

Trump administration appeals ruling in Harvard research funding case

A district judge’s ruling had restored funding to the university.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Bessma Momani, Alfie Kohn , and 1 more Richard S.J. Tol, Bessma Momani, Alfie Kohn, Manisha Sinha

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 7d

The 6 richest men in the world are all Trump allies.

They control your algorithms and data on X, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads, and YouTube.

Just in case you’re wondering why more isn’t done to stop right-wing bots and misinformation on social media.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Mark D. White, Robert C. Richards , and 3 more Anna O. Law, Mark D. White, Robert C. Richards, Julia Lynch, Bessma Momani, Oliver Nachtwey

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 7d

New School “administrators have started to implement a plan to close, overhaul or merge about 30 academic programs or majors; pause nearly all admissions to doctoral programs; and offer buyouts or early retirement to what professors say is about 40 percent of the full-time faculty.”