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 Shibley Telhami, Bessma Momani

fritschner.bsky.social
Aaron Fritschner @fritschner.bsky.social · 15h
PASSED: the House just passed the resolution to end Trump's tariffs on Canada.

Not many crosses from Republicans, a lot of vulnerable incumbents took a dumb vote here to stick with Trump and GOP leadership. Goes to the Senate, which is likely to pass it.

Will share the vote sheet when I have it!

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d
Easy peasy….🤣
nytimes.com The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d
Elon Musk told employees at xAI, his artificial intelligence company, on Tuesday that the company needed a factory on the moon to build A.I. satellites and a massive catapult to launch them into space.
Elon Musk Wants to Build an A.I. Satellite Factory on the Moon
In a meeting with employees at his company xAI, Mr. Musk revealed a vision for a facility that includes a giant catapult to launch his satellites into space.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Will Jennings, Jonathan Wolff, Amir Attaran , and 4 more

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d
Elon Musk told employees at xAI, his artificial intelligence company, on Tuesday that the company needed a factory on the moon to build A.I. satellites and a massive catapult to launch them into space.
Elon Musk Wants to Build an A.I. Satellite Factory on the Moon
In a meeting with employees at his company xAI, Mr. Musk revealed a vision for a facility that includes a giant catapult to launch his satellites into space.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Richard McElreath, Mel Bartley, John R. Hutchinson , and 12 more

eddwilson.bsky.social
Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 1d
"Switzerland’s military has terminated its contract with Palantir… following a security audit… concluded that U.S. intelligence agencies could potentially access sensitive Swiss defense data… significant reputational warning for the data analytics firm"

www.newscase.com/palantirs-sw...

#R4Today
Palantir's Swiss Exit Highlights Global Data Sovereignty Challenge | NewsCase
Switzerland's military has terminated its contract with Palantir Technologies Inc. following a security audit. The review concluded that U.S. intelligence ag
www.newscase.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

vaspanagiotopoulos.com
Vas Panagiotopoulos @vaspanagiotopoulos.com · 1d
ZeroDayRAT is a new commercial mobile #spyware toolkit – first observed on 2 February – that enables full remote access to Android and iOS devices, with features including live camera feeds, key logging, bank and crypto theft and more.

www.securityweek.com/new-zerodayr...
New 'ZeroDayRAT' Spyware Kit Enables Total Compromise of iOS, Android Devices
ZeroDayRAT mobile spyware provides full remote access to Android and iOS with live camera feeds, key logging, bank and crypto theft and more.
www.securityweek.com

Reposted by Devon Greyson, Bessma Momani

us.theconversation.com
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d
Foreign tourism to the U.S. fell 5.4% in 2025 while the rest of the world saw a 4% increase.

Canadian visits dropped nearly 30%. buff.ly/MSynHSJ
Will a ‘Trump slump’ continue to hit US tourism in 2026 − and even keep World Cup fans away?
Talk of boycotts have added to fears among the US tourism industry that foreign tourists will continue to stay away.
buff.ly

Reposted by Scott A. Imberman, Bessma Momani, Simon Lester

alexpanetta.bsky.social
Alex Panetta @alexpanetta.bsky.social · 1d
Aaand there you go: Trump’s sudden about-face on the most important Canada-US border crossing came after meeting with the billionaire family that owns the rival bridge. Nice scoop, confirming suspicions of everyone who has followed this file and is familiar with Trump www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/w...
Bridge Owner Lobbied Administration Before Trump Blasted Competing Span to Canada
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by David H. Kaye, Bessma Momani, Daxton R. Stewart

rmac.bsky.social
Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 1d
In 2022, a group of SpaceX employees wrote an open letter asking the co to distance itself from Elon Musk's online behavior. They were fired and the NLRB opened an investigation.

Then Musk funded Trump's election win. Now, the Trump NLRB has dismissed the case.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/b...
Top Labor Regulator Dismisses Charges Against SpaceX
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

kevinrothrock.me
Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 1d
Telegram founder Pavel Durov acknowledges Russia's accelerated, escalated censorship of Telegram. A noteworthy statement, given that he's recently focused more on criticizing Western regulators.

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d
Shameful. Note these are funds to help countries that are experiencing a climate related disaster like floods ect, not to fund a project like say windmills.
bloomberg.com Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 1d
The US has stopped supporting climate-linked lending at the International Monetary Fund, casting “no” votes or abstentions on financing programs it had previously backed, after the Trump administration signaled a shift in priorities.
US Pulls Support at IMF for Climate Lending Bashed by Bessent
The US has stopped supporting climate-linked lending at the International Monetary Fund, casting “no” votes or abstentions on financing programs it had previously backed, after the Trump administration signaled a shift in priorities.
bloom.bg

Reposted by Bessma Momani

honestcanadian.bsky.social
Glen 🇨🇦 part owner of Canada* @honestcanadian.bsky.social · 1d
A good piece by Vass Bednar.
It is worth a read.
The screenshot is the first part.
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...

Reposted by Bessma Momani

dropsitenews.com
Drop Site @dropsitenews.com · 1d
⭕️ NEW: An Al Jazeera investigation finds that Israel has used U.S.-supplied thermal & thermobaric weapons in Gaza that burn at up to 3,500°C, leaving no remains of victims. Gaza’s Civil Defence documented 2,842 Palestinians who effectively “evaporated” since Oct 2023, identified through forensic...
⭕️ NEW: An Al Jazeera investigation finds that Israel has used U.S.-supplied thermal and thermobaric weapons in Gaza that burn at up to 3,500°C, leaving no remains of victims. Gaza’s Civil Defence documented 2,842 Palestinians who effectively “evaporated” since October 2023, identified through forensic cross-checking at strike sites where only blood spray or small tissue fragments were found. Experts link the disappearances to munitions such as MK-84 bombs and GBU-39 glide bombs, whose heat and pressure vaporize bodies. Legal experts say the use of indiscriminate weapons constitutes war crimes and implicates Israel’s Western suppliers, as killings continued despite provisional measures from the International Court of Justice and an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ghassan Abu Sitta @GhassanAbuSitt1 Al Jazeera investigation reveals how US-supplied thermal and thermobaric munitions burning at 3,500C have left no trace of nearly 3,000 Palestinians https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/2/10/israel-used-weapons-in-gaza-that-made-thousands-of-palestinians-evaporate

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

Reposted by Bessma Momani

washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 1d
Around 6 in 10 people surveyed said they expected their lives would be significantly better in the future than today. That is about nine percentage points lower than during the height of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a new poll.
Americans’ optimism for their future took a hit last year, poll finds
Around 60 percent said they expected their lives would be significantly better in the future, roughly nine percentage points lower than during the pandemic.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

bloomberg.com
Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 1d
The US has stopped supporting climate-linked lending at the International Monetary Fund, casting “no” votes or abstentions on financing programs it had previously backed, after the Trump administration signaled a shift in priorities.
US Pulls Support at IMF for Climate Lending Bashed by Bessent
The US has stopped supporting climate-linked lending at the International Monetary Fund, casting “no” votes or abstentions on financing programs it had previously backed, after the Trump administration signaled a shift in priorities.
bloom.bg

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 2d
The stupidity doesn’t end. “Trump is threatening to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a new border crossing between Canada and the United States, unless Ottawa meets a list of demands and gives Washington half ownership of the structure”

Reposted by Bessma Momani

robin-j-brooks.bsky.social
Robin Brooks @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social · 2d
Gold is back above $5,000. The rally in precious metals is reckless and crazy, but so is global fiscal policy. At some point over the past 20 years, policy makers who believe in keeping public debt stable stopped existing. Makes sense to buy safe havens...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/does-frida...

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Samantha Brennan

thestar.com
Toronto Star @thestar.com · 2d
Air Canada suspends flights to Cuba amid aviation fuel shortage
Air Canada suspends flights to Cuba amid aviation fuel shortage
Cuba has been facing a worsening energy crisis amid a U.S. blockade of oil to the Caribbean nation.
www.thestar.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

devex.com
Devex @devex.com · 2d
Opinion: Maternal deaths remain catastrophically high across the continent despite decades of mobile health interventions. Artificial intelligence offers personalized, predictive care — if designed with the right safeguards.
What will it take for AI to work for women’s health in Africa?
What will it take for AI to work for women’s health in Africa?
www.devex.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

alexboyd.bsky.social
Alex Boyd @alexboyd.bsky.social · 2d
Listening to Cross Country Checkup's very good conversation about Alberta separatism and it's striking to me how often COVID health measures or the convoy come up as a motivating factor for separatists. Post pandemic politics strike again. www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.
www.cbc.ca

Reposted by David S. Cohen, Bessma Momani

404media.co
404 Media @404media.co · 2d
“In an extreme case, two users sent very similar messages describing symptoms of a subarachnoid hemorrhage but were given opposite advice,” the study’s authors wrote. “One user was told to lie down in a dark room, and the other user was given the correct recommendation to seek emergency care.”
Chatbots Make Terrible Doctors, New Study Finds
Chatbots provided incorrect, conflicting medical advice, researchers found: “Despite all the hype, AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician.”
www.404media.co

Reposted by Bessma Momani

financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2d
Cuba has told international airlines that it will not be able to supply them with jet fuel from Tuesday. The measure, at the height of the tourist season, is expected to hit US, Spanish, Panamanian and Mexican airlines. ft.trib.al/fRmayws

Reposted by Bessma Momani

stratcomcentre.bsky.social
SPRAVDI - Stratcom Centre @stratcomcentre.bsky.social · 3d
French authorities have just taken down hundreds of Russian disinformation websites aimed at sowing division and installing far-right candidates in the coming elections.

Most of these sites were imitations of popular and trusted news outlets, populated with Ai content.

Reposted by Bessma Momani

justinhendrix.bsky.social
Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 3d
"Around a third of countries attending a military AI summit agreed on Thursday to a declaration on how to govern deployment of the technology in warfare, but military heavyweights China and the U.S. opted out." www.reuters.com/business/aer...
US, China opt out of joint declaration on AI use in military
Around a third of countries attending a military AI summit agreed on Thursday to a declaration on how to govern deployment of the technology in warfare, but military heavyweights China and the U.S. op...
www.reuters.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 3d
David E Rosenberg: Some 42% of Americans believe that US military aid to Israel “should be reduced or ended, more than those favoring an increase or keeping it at its current level, according to an Aug YouGov poll.” The trend line is very clear, and the hardline Israel supporters are dying out.
The End of U.S. Military Aid to Israel?
Once sacrosanct, the enormous aid package is now in doubt.
foreignpolicy.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

davidheniguk.bsky.social
David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 4d
I'm pretty sceptical of the excitability around India's trade deals with the EU and US. Plenty of tariff reduction, but as we should have learnt in the last ten years, there's a lot more to trade and economics. Formidable non-tariff barriers remain. www.ft.com/content/f2bb...
India embraces free(er) trade
Narendra Modi’s government pushes historic opening of traditionally insular economy
www.ft.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

economist.com
The Economist @economist.com · 4d
Political battles have long raged over money for renewable-energy research. But Donald Trump’s assault on science goes beyond funding
In America science-sceptics are now in charge
The Trump administration seems to want less clean energy and more preventable diseases
econ.st

Reposted by Bessma Momani

bmoens.bsky.social
Barbara Moens @bmoens.bsky.social · 4d
European countries are edging closer to broad social media bans for children, even as doubts persist over how to implement them and the risk of a new battle with US tech groups.

A deep dive with Leila Abboud & @NicFildes

www.ft.com/content/cf46...
Can Europe get kids off social media?
Move follows Australia’s decision to introduce age restrictions over child safety concerns
www.ft.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

us.theconversation.com
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 4d
Data centers use MASSIVE amounts of water

Just one Google data center in Iowa used 1 BILLION gallons of water in 2024 -- enough to supply all of Iowa's residential water use for 5 days. ⬇️

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Valentina De Marchi

washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 4d
The domino effect from the tech industry’s $700 billion AI spending spree is diverting resources and attention from other sectors of the economy, making finding an electrician or a reasonably priced smartphone increasingly difficult.
The AI boom is so huge it’s causing shortages everywhere else
The hundreds of billions of dollars being spent by tech companies on AI projects are diverting resources from other parts of the economy.
www.washingtonpost.com