Axios AM

October 19, 2025
Good Sunday morning. Smart Brevityβ’ count: 1,566 words ... 6 mins. Thanks to Erica Pandey for orchestrating. Edited by Donica Phifer.
1 big thing: U.S. scrambles to save Gaza deal

Israel conducted airstrikes in Gaza today after Hamas militants fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli soldiers, the Israeli Defense Forces said.
- Why it matters: The clashes were the most serious escalation since the ceasefire began. The Trump administration is trying to prevent further incidents that could lead to the collapse of the agreement, Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report.
"We knew this was brewing. And the longer these guys are allowed to attack each other, the more they're going to attack each other," a senior Trump administration official told Axios.
Driving the news: The IDF said the incident happened on Sunday morning local time when Hamas militants came out of a tunnel in the Rafah area, which is still mostly controlled by the Israeli military, and launched an anti-tank missile at an IDF vehicle.
- In response to the incident, the IDF conducted around 20 air strikes against Hamas targets in the Rafah area and in other parts of Gaza.
- Hamas' military wing denied any involvement in the incident in Rafah, and emphasized that it is fully committed to the ceasefire.
π Behind the scenes: Israel notified the Trump administration in advance of the strikes through the U.S. command center that oversees the ceasefire, U.S. and Israeli officials said.
- "Nobody wants to go back to full-scale war. The Israelis want to show Hamas there are consequences, without ruining the peace agreement," a U.S. official said.
The big picture: The agreement to end the war in Gaza is a major diplomatic achievement for President Trump. The administration feels the situation is so tenuous that only strong oversight will keep the fragile peace.
- "The next 30 days are going to be critical," a U.S. official said. "We are now in charge of what's going on in Gaza when it comes to the implementation of the deal. We are going to be calling the shots."
π What to watch: Vice President Vance, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to arrive in Israel this week to push for the implementation of the next phase in the agreement. Witkoff and Kushner will focus on:
- Stabilizing the ceasefire to transition to the next phase of the deal.
- Continuing the return of the bodies of deceased hostages.
- Regulating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza,
- Establishing an international stabilization force that'll deploy in Gaza and help maintain security.
- Working on plans for the construction of the "New Rafah" as a model for a Gaza not under Hamas rule.
2. π« AI resisters
Resistance to AI is bubbling up among some workers, students, coders and creatives, Axios' Erica Pandey reports.
- Some are placing new value on work that's untouched by AI.
Why it matters: The pace at which AI takes off depends in part on its users β and there's a cohort that's just saying no.
- Some AI resisters worry about its carbon footprint. Others take pride in human-made work and don't trust AI's output. Plenty just don't want to become overly reliant on it.
π "I think it's important I do this myself" was the top reason college students in the class of 2026 gave for avoiding AI in brainstorming, writing, and research, according to a new report from Handshake, a career network.
- 49% of Gen Z-ers surveyed by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation are worried AI will corrode their ability to think critically. 41% say generative AI tools make them anxious.
In Silicon Valley, some programmers are revolting against using AI to write code. "Partly that's because the AI coding tools have some obvious technical limitations β sometimes producing error-ridden code," The Information's Rocket Drew reports. And "partly it's because human coders worry any sort of adoption of the tools will hasten their own obsolescence."
- Some artists, actors, writers and other creatives are expressing similar discontent. When Semafor's Ben Smith asked author and chef Alison Roman if she uses AI for recipes, she said: "It's the antithesis of my vibe."
π‘ Reality check: Many of the same skeptics are also users. More than one-third of college-aged adults regularly use ChatGPT, according to OpenAI. Nearly all have at least tried it.
- 40% of U.S. workers say they've used AI at work a few times a year or more, Gallup found.
3. πͺ§ "No Kings" sweeps U.S.

Millions of people rallied across the country at 2,700+ "No Kings" protests against the Trump administration in all 50 states. Organizers said more than 7 million people turned out.
- The number of events far exceeded the 1,300 iterations of the national march against President Trump and Elon Musk this spring, and the 2,100 protests that were part of the first "No Kings" day in June, AP reports.
Crowds showed up in the biggest cities (New York and LA) as well as smaller ones β Billings, Mont., and Birmingham, Ala.
- "A rally in Atlanta that drew thousands at one point covered three city blocks. A protest in San Francisco poured across five. One rally in Chicago stretched over 22," the N.Y. Times reports.

Above: Attendees sign a banner representing the U.S. Constitution during a protest in D.C. yesterday.
Below: Protesters in Boston.

4. π¦ Turkey trouble
The nation's turkey flock has shrunk to its smallest size in 40 years, and a fall rebound in avian flu cases is adding fresh strain ahead of Thanksgiving, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.
- Wholesale turkey prices are now about 40% higher than last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The National Turkey Federation tells us that there'll be enough turkeys for Thanksgiving, although supply could tighten for fresh or specific-size birds if avian flu cases accelerate in the coming weeks.
5. π 7-minute Louvre heist

Masked robbers broke into the Louvre through a window while the Paris museum was open today, stealing "priceless" items of jewelry before escaping on motorbikes, the French government said.
- The thieves struck at 9:30 a.m. local time and entered the Galerie d'Apollon building, which is home to the French Crown Jewels, Reuters reports.
They used a basket lift to get through a window, smashed display cases and left with jewels β all in 7 minutes, AP reports. The French government didn't say exactly what had been taken.
- The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, said on X it would remain closed for the day for "exceptional reasons."
6. π³οΈ Gen Z warning signs for Dems
Nine months into President Trump's term, young people in a Pennsylvania focus group were apathetic about the midterm elections and didn't display much enthusiasm for the Democratic Party, Axios' Holly Otterbein reports.
- Why it matters: Young voters helped power Democratic victories in 2018 by turning out in historic numbers. In 2024, the bedrock constituency of the Democratic Party turned to the right β an erosion that Democrats must stop next year to win.
π³οΈ Many of the 18- to 25-year-olds in the focus group β in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, a swing zone that both parties pour huge sums of money into during election season β said they weren't paying attention to the congressional elections in 2026.
- "There's a huge wave of our generation who does not go out and vote in our local elections," said Margaret, a 23-year-old Democrat.
Between the lines: Several also said that they felt freedom of speech was constrained and expressed concerns about the state of democracy.
- TJ, a 22-year-old Republican, said people should be allowed to question the 2020 election. "I don't think it was stolen personally, but you should be allowed to ask that question," he argued. "It's your First Amendment right."
ποΈ David, a 22-year-old Democrat, said he "completely stopped paying attention" to social media because "it's either virtue signaling or it's intentionally inflammatory."
- Asked where he gets his news, he responded, "I don't."
7. ποΈ F1's AI edge

Formula One teams are tapping AI to convert terabytes of data into winning decisions.
- "The team that's going to be the most successful is the one that has the best AI strategy," Jonathan Wheatley, principal of the Swiss F1 team, Kick Sauber, told Axios' Maxwell Millington at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin.
π€ Zoom in: Every car contains 300 sensors, which generate over a million data points per second.
- AI supports human engineers who are constantly collecting data from the track. The information can guide technicians on anything from tire and engine performance to track measurements to assist with making precise turns.
Due to regulations, teams only have a short window to make changes and improve their position on the grid.
- AI helps find solutions in a fraction of the time human teams can do so.
πΊ Watch the Grand Prix at 3 p.m. ET today on ABC.
8. βΎ 1 for the road: Your likely World Series MVP

"Shohei Ohtani just played the greatest game in baseball history," Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post wrote after the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar hit three home runs and pitched six-plus scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night.
- Ohtani's legendary performance led the Dodgers to a National League title and punched their ticket to the World Series for the second year in a row.
The money quote: "We were part of tonight an iconic, maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game," Brewers Manager Pat Murphy said. "I don't think anybody can argue with that."
- How the Blue Crew does it: The champion Dodgers are dominating October again. There's more behind their success than money.
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