Dorna Mohaghegh
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dmohaghegh.bsky.social
Dorna Mohaghegh
@dmohaghegh.bsky.social
310 followers 670 following 89 posts
PhD Candidate @ Berkeley Law • Epistemic rights, free expression, and AI/tech policy • Fellow, Kavli Center for Ethics, Science & the Public • Former IP lawyer, Frankfurt Kurnit and Willkie Farr 🎓 NYU Law & Penn

Daughter of immigrants, raised in WV
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
notalegalrecord.net
DC Public Library with a friendly reminder 📚
DC Public Library No Library Wrapped from us — we don't track what you read. DCPL protects your privacy.
December 6, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
alondra.bsky.social
On January 1, Illinois begins to regulate employer use of AI, making it a civil rights violation to use AI tools that result in discrimination based on protected characteristics in hiring, promotion, discipline, termination, or other employment terms and requiring notice of AI use. #AIBillofRights
chicagoblacksky.bsky.social Chicago Black Sky @chicagoblacksky.bsky.social · 4d
Illinois becomes one of the few states to regulate employer use of AI. House Bill 3773 amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to make it a civil rights violation for employers to use AI tools that result in discrimination based on race, gender, age, or disability.
www.mystateline.com/news/local-n...
www.mystateline.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
chromatowski.bsky.social
If you’re not already familiar w/ @boltsmag.org, it does terrific journalism at the local level across the U.S. The quality is wonderful and the stories are critical—putting Bolts in your timeline will make you so much more informed. Highly recommend.

And rn following can help fund their work!
taniel.bsky.social Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 23h
I'm not exaggerating when I say following @boltsmag.org rn will unlock money for our journalism.

A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.

If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
December 6, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
taniel.bsky.social
I'm not exaggerating when I say following @boltsmag.org rn will unlock money for our journalism.

A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.

If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
December 6, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
willoremus.com
Don't despair, though! Talking to an AI chatbot is just one of countless dumb ways that voters could make their decisions. Thanks to @sivav.bsky.social & @whitneyphillips.bsky.social for their thoughtful commentary and a splash of cold water. wapo.st/49RSstP
“We shouldn’t be surprised that people who have been trained to trust search engines for 25 years are going to take seriously the statements they encounter through an AI chatbot,” said Siva Vaidhyanathan, a professor of media studies at the University of Virginia who was not involved in the studies. “There is some cultural authority imbued upon these things, although I think it’s unfortunate and misguided. We all turn to these for the quick answer.” But the findings of such studies shouldn’t be cause for panic, Vaidhyanathan added. Chatbots are unlikely to be a primary factor in most people’s voting decisions. And even if a campaign could build a persuasive political chatbot, it would face the challenge of getting large numbers of voters to use it. “There’s no reason to believe that chatbots can swing elections anywhere in the world,” he said, adding that he was more concerned that biases embedded in widely used commercial chatbots could have “long-term distorting effects” on users’ understanding of the world. Tech giants probably wouldn’t instruct their chatbots to advocate for a candidate, Vaidhyanathan said, but they could hypothetically program them to present a positive view of the company’s own products. Whitney Phillips, a professor of information politics at the University of Oregon who also wasn’t involved in the studies, said the new findings suggest AI could be useful in campaigns as a way to patiently and politely address individual voters’ questions and concerns on a mass scale. But she added, “Research conditions aren’t real-life conditions. … You have to get people in front of the bots and keep them engaged in order for the persuasion to happen.” AI has “enormous potential to change the face of political persuasion,” Phillips added. “Political AI might also prove to be pretty annoying, which could undercut that potential.”
December 4, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
willoremus.com
A voter who leaned Harris said they worried Trump wasn't trustworthy.

A chatbot validated their concern, then addressed it with examples of Trump following through on promises and Harris flip-flopping.

Then it said Trump's economy boomed—without mentioning the crash.

My story: wapo.st/49RSstP
December 4, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
willoremus.com
Researchers tested several ways to train the AI chatbots to persuade people. The most effective tactic turned out not to be pyschological manipulation, but simply addressing voters' concerns one-by-one by presenting a ton of factual claims.

Troublingly, that worked even when the claims were false.
Screenshot of text: The most effective strategy, the Science study found, was simply to present a large number of factual claims about the candidate intended to address voters’ concerns about their track record and policy stances. That worked much better than sophisticated campaign tactics such as moral reframing, which tries to present ideas in terms crafted to appeal to a voter’s biases, or deep canvassing, which emphasizes empathetic listening to voters’ concerns. “The more info you give people, the more they change their minds,” Rand said. The catch is that the tactic seemed to work regardless of whether the claims were true or false. Though the bots were instructed to stick to the facts, some strayed into misleading claims anyway, Rand said.
December 4, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
sfchronicle.com
The alert for a 5.9 magnitude Nevada earthquake was a false alarm, and the report was deleted from the U.S.G.S. quake list shortly thereafter.
S.F. phones buzz with false alarm for major earthquake in Nevada
The alert for a 5.9 magnitude Nevada earthquake was a false alarm, and the report was deleted from the U.S.G.S. quake list shortly thereafter.
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
ali-alkhatib.com
h/t @robertfreundlaw.bsky.social

holy shit, an accurate legal critique of LLMs. LLMs don't reason because they're just stitching together plausible-looking sentences indifferent to the content
What happens when ChatGPT cites to a real case but misstates what the case stands for? That doesn't fly for Judge Behm in Michigan. The court says that while a litigant could make the same error based on faulty reasoning, LLMs can't, because they can't reason. And while a litigant might get away with similar overstatements because they could, perhaps, reason their way to showing how a case's stated holding might extend to novel situations, an LLM does not reason in the way a litigant must. To put it in a slightly different way, LLMs do not perform the metacognitive processes that are necessary to comply with Rule 11. When an LLM overstates a holding of a case, it is just piecing together a plausible-looking sentence
December 3, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
In addition, 500,000 people from those 19 countries who got green cards during the Biden admin, plus tens of thousands who got asylum/refugee status, as well as many others who received other benefits, now have to worry about potentially being called back in for a “re-review” (whatever that means).
December 3, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
NEW: The official USCIS guidance on this pause is out. Until further notice from the USCIS Director, all immigration benefits (including citizenship) are indefinitely suspended for nationals of 19 countries, as are all affirmative asylum applications from nationals of any country.
Page 1 of memo. Sorry, too much text to fit in alt text! Here is the most relevant excerpt, which excludes footnotes. December 2, 2025 Policy Memorandum SUBJECT: Hold and Review of all Pending Asylum Applications and all USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from High-Risk Countries' Purpose Effective immediately, this memorandum directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) personnel to: 1. Paces of thallen cous of nationiny, pengylum compreviseling of Removal), 2. Place a hold on pending benefit requests for aliens from countries listed in Presidential Proclamation (PP) 10949, Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,? pending a comprehensive review, regardless of entry date*; and 3. Conduct a comprehensive re-review of approved benefit requests for aliens from countries listed in PP 10949 who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021.5 This memorandum mandates that all aliens meeting these criteria undergo a thorough re-review process, including a potential interview® and, if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all national security and public safety threats along with any other related grounds of inadmissibility or ineligibility. An individualized, case-by-case review and assessment will be done of all relevant information and facts. USCIS will also conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant policies, Page 2. I’m excluding the larger background section on this page because it won’t fit in alt text and it’s mostly nativist garbage. … procedures, and operational guidance for compliance, accuracy, and needed improvements during this time. This guidance outlines the adjudicative hold, procedural requirements, and processes for the re-review, interview, or re-interview of affected aliens. USCIS personnel are instructed to prioritize national security and public safety concerns and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations during the adjudication process. All findings must be documented in accordance with established protocols to support any subsequent determinations or actions. Page 3: Guidance … USCIS will conduct a thorough review on a case-by-case basis to assess benefit eligibility including whether: 1. The alien is listed in the Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) as a Known or Suspected Terrorist (KST) under Tier 1 or Tier 2 classifications or is included in Tier 3 or Tier 4 of the TSDS with significant derogatory information related to the alien. 2. The alien is connected to prior, current, or planned involvement in, or association with, an activity, individual, or organization described in sections 212(a)(3)(A), (B), or (F), or 237(a)(4)(A) or (B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). 3. The alien is linked to prior, current, or planned involvement in, or association with, an activity, individual, or organization that may pose a risk of serious harm or danger to the community, including criminal conduct described in INA 101(a)(43), 212(a)(1)(A)(iii), 212(a)(2), 237(a)(2), or 237(a)(4)(A)(ii). 4. The alien is unable to establish their identity as outlined in PP 10949."' This process ensures that USCIS exercises its full authority to protect national security and public safety while adhering to the provisions of the INA and applicable laws. USCIS has considered that this direction may result in delay to the adjudication of some pending applications and has weighed that consequence against the urgent need for the agency to ensure that applicants are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. Ultimately, USCIS has determined that the burden of processing delays that will fall on some applicants is necessary and appropriate in this instance, when weighed against the agency's obligation to protect and preserve national security. Within 90 days of issuance of this memorandum, USCIS will prioritize a list for review, interview, re-interview, and referral to ICE and other law enforcement agencies as appropriate, and, in consultation with the [two other offices] issue operational guidance. Page 4: “This policy memorandum is intended solely for the guidance of USCIS personnel in the performance of their official duties, but it does not remove their discretion in making adjudicatory decisions. It may not be relied upon to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable under law or by any individual or other party in removal proceedings, in litigation with the United States, or in any other form or manner.”
December 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
A really nice figure of population and partisan malapportionment in national legislatures around the world

from Beramendi, Boix, Guinjoan, and Rogers (yassified by The Economist) priceschool.usc.edu/wp-content/u...
December 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
hsanderson.bsky.social
I guess this means it's official!! I am beyond thrilled to be joining Minnesota Law as an associate professor next year.

Now taking recommendations for your favorite winter gear!

law.umn.edu/news/2025-12...
Screenshot of Minnesota Law website announcement
December 1, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
charles.littlegreenfootballs.com
i’m not crying you’re crying

xkcd: Fifteen Years

Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
THREAD: Judge Ellis is the first federal judge to review extensive body cam video of DHS's actions in Chicago. She finds that DHS *repeatedly* misled the public and made claims that were disproven by agents' own videos.

I'll go through some of the most egregious ones here.
II. Credibility The Court next addresses the credibility of the parties’ evidence and witnesses. After reviewing all the evidence submitted to the Court and listening to the testimony elicited at the preliminary injunction hearing, during depositions, and in other court proceedings, the Court finds Defendants’ evidence simply not credible. [FN 6] Plaintiffs submitted a mountain of evidence, providing the Court with over eighty declarations, numerous videos and articles, and other evidence. Defendants did not rebut anything that Plaintiffs set forth in their declarations or testimony, even with BWC footage. [FN 6] In another case considering some of the same evidence presented to this Court, another court in this district also found that the perceptions of certain of Defendants’ declarants, such as Hott and Parra, were not reliable. See Illinois v. Trump, No. 25-cv-12174, 2025 WL 2886645, at *5 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 10, 2025) (noting a “troubling trend of Defendants’ declarants equating protests with riots and a lack of appreciation for the wide spectrum that exists between citizens who are observing, questioning, and criticizing their government, and those who are obstructing, assaulting, or doing violence”), motion to stay denied in part, 155 F.4th 929 (7th Cir. 2025).
November 20, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
justinhendrix.bsky.social
A @publiccitizen.bsky.social report by @rickclaypool.bsky.social details more than $1 billion in spending by Big Tech firms to secure political advantages www.citizen.org/article/robo...
Big Tech executives and investors spent at least $764.5 million during the 2024 election cycle and over the course of 2025 so far. (See Table 2) Nearly three-quarters of this sum (74%) favored Republicans; nearly half was given by Elon Musk (46%). Corporations categorized by OpenSecrets.org as electronics businesses, including Apple, Nvidia, and OpenAI, collectively spent $226 million lobbying the federal government during the first three quarters of 2025. Internet businesses, including Meta, Amazon, and Google parent Alphabet, spent $88 million. (See Table 3) The combined $314 million in lobbying spending by technology sector corporations is surpassed only by the pharmaceutical industry, which spent $341 million. Big Tech corporations collectively gave $21.6 million to pay for Trump’s inauguration. (See Table 4) Palantir and ByteDance investor Jeffrey Yass each are reportedly giving $2.5 million to pay for Trump’s replacement of the East Wing of the White House with a “Golden Ballroom,” and Google is giving $22 million to the project to settle a lawsuit Trump filed over his suspension from YouTube after the January 6 riots. ALL of the largest Big Tech companies have cozied up to Trump by helping pay for his garish ballroom(See Table 4) Taken together, this means Big Tech has so far spent more than $1.1 billion to distort federal policy to prioritize the industry’s profits over protecting the public. (See Table 1)
November 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
joshmccrain.bsky.social
new paper by Sean Westwood:

With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
klonick.bsky.social
Um so that is very bad. For many reasons, but perhaps the most obvious end-game of this new development is if you people are just reading AI summaries of original content, but that kills how we fund original content... eventually you won't have original content for AI summaries to draw on.

12/
November 18, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
zingherpolisci.bsky.social
Fireable offenses for Harvard president: bad faith allegations over half a footnote in something published two decades ago.
Non-fireable offenses for Harvard president: being good buddies with the most notorious child sex trafficker in the country.
bakerdphd.bsky.social Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 24d
Why hello there former US Treasury Secretary, president of Harvard, and director of the National Economic Council Larry Summers.

Sharing with alt so we can all bask in his hidden insights that we are NOT allowed to share.

And here's the source link:
oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
November 12, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
cwarzel.bsky.social
the decision to really just abandon moderation and let it rip suggests that this is what meta wants for its platform. this is the final, idealized form of the product
November 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
emilynussbaum.bsky.social
“I yipped about inclusion”
bakerdphd.bsky.social Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 24d
Why hello there former US Treasury Secretary, president of Harvard, and director of the National Economic Council Larry Summers.

Sharing with alt so we can all bask in his hidden insights that we are NOT allowed to share.

And here's the source link:
oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
November 12, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
bridgetdooling.bsky.social
NEWS! The ABA Admin Law Conference is FREE this year, in light of the shutdown. Great for admin law practitioners, academics, and students. It'll be Nov. 21 but you'll also be able to access recordings for 30 days afterwards.

6 FREE hours of CLE (approvals pending), including 3 ethics hours:
2025 Administrative Law Fall Conference
events.americanbar.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
donmoyn.bsky.social
Three German universities offering post-docs for researchers "who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure. "
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Early Career Rescue Fellowship
www.uni-konstanz.de
November 11, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
westvirginiawatch.com
Issues with outside vendors handling West Virginia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are the hold up to thousands of residents getting their food stamps amount, while some other states have already begun distributing benefits, reports @amelianews.bsky.social.
Partial SNAP benefits still delayed in WV because of tech issues, governor says • West Virginia Watch
Issues with outside vendors handling West Virginia's SNAP benefits are the hold up to thousands of residents getting their food stamps.
westvirginiawatch.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Reposted by Dorna Mohaghegh
design-law.bsky.social
I contacted my Representative. Have you contacted yours?
joshuajfriedman.com Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 26d
House Dems are holding a 3 p.m. call on whether to support the deal on the CR
Ally Mutnick @allymutnick Follow ... House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not answer a question on whether leadership would whip against Senate bill He said House Dems have a 3pm caucus call today where they will discuss 12:36 PM • Nov 10, 2025
November 10, 2025 at 6:10 PM