Axios PM

November 24, 2023
👋 Good Friday afternoon. Today's PM — edited by Noah Bressner — is 510 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Kathie Bozanich for the copy edit.
1 big thing: Hostages reach Israel

Hamas today freed the first group of hostages — including 13 Israeli women and children — who have been held in Gaza since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, Axios' Barak Ravid writes.
- 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino who worked in Israel were also freed, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said.
State of play: 39 Palestinian prisoners — 24 women, including some convicted of attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offenses like throwing stones — were released from Israeli custody.
- Israel is set to release 150 Palestinians over the four-day pause. Hamas agreed to free at least 50 women and children.
Zoom in: Most of the released Israeli hostages (listed below) are from Nir Oz — the kibbutz where one in every four residents was killed or abducted. They reached Israeli territory and underwent medical checks late Friday, Israeli officials said.
- Yaffa Adar, 85
- Daniel Aloni, 44
- Emilia Aloni, 6
- Aviv Katz-Asher, 2
- Raz Katz-Asher, 4
- Doron Katz-Asher, 34
- Hanna Katzir, 77
- Adina Moshe, 72
- Margalit Moses, 78
- Ruth Munder, 78
- Keren Munder, 54
- Ohad Munder, 9
- Hanna Peri, 79
2. đź’¸ Americans open wallets
Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
Americans set a new Thanksgiving online spending record and are on track to charge their way through Black Friday, Axios' Hope King and Kelly Tyko write from Adobe Analytics online sales data.
- Why it matters: The early numbers suggest the tradition of whipping out wallets after the turkey and cranberry sauce remains as strong as ever.
By the numbers: Consumers shelled out $5.6 billion online on Thanksgiving, Adobe Analytics reported this morning.
- That's a 5.5% jump over last year and nearly double what consumers spent on the holiday in 2017.
Go deeper: Black Friday's top discounts.
3. 🍗 Eat those leftovers!
American families generated more than half of all the food waste produced in the U.S. in 2021, according to data from the nonprofit ReFed.
- Why it matters: Food waste is a massive climate and economic problem, Axios' Alan Neuhauser, Katie Fehrenbacher, Kimberly Chin and Richard Collings write.
Tools to reduce waste could save businesses money, feed more people, conserve water and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
- The vast majority of that food is discarded because of confusion over expiration labels.
Keep reading (subscription) … This was first published in Axios Pro Retail and Axios Pro Climate. Start your free trial.
4. 🏓 New quest for quieter pickleball
Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Fearful that noise complaints are dampening the nation's zeal for pickleball, the sport's governing body has created a "quiet category" for new products and invited manufacturers to start innovating.
- Why it matters: Spats over the high decibel level of the nation's pervasive athletic preoccupation have gotten pickleball banned at city parks and homeowners' associations, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson writes.
What's happening: USA Pickleball has hired acoustic experts to design sound barriers for public courts.
- A new paddle called the OWL reduces decibel levels to under 80 from a "near-harmful" 85+.
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