Axios PM

October 12, 2023
👋 Happy Thursday! Today's PM — edited by Noah Bressner — is 473 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for the copy edit.
1 big thing — Axios BFD: Deepfakes at "staggering" scale

CBS has sifted through over 1,000 videos of the Israel-Hamas war — and only 10% are usable, president and CEO of CBS News Wendy McMahon told Axios' Sara Fischer at our BFD dealmaker conference.
- Why it matters: The Hamas attack in Israel shows how deepfakes and misinformation will flow into newsrooms "at a level of sophistication that will be staggering," McMahon said onstage in New York today.
Zoom in: She said broadcasters must figure out new guardrails and bolster protocols to protect their credibility and viewers.
- It was McMahon's first public interview since taking the helm of CBS News in August.
⏱️ Axios BFD Scoop: President Biden will be interviewed by Scott Pelley today for Sunday's edition of "60 Minutes," which will focus on the Israel-Gaza crisis.
- CBS journalists — including Norah O'Donnell and Lesley Stahl — are reporting on the ground, McMahon said.
👀 Other key BFD moments: Cava's jab at Sweetgreen ... OnlyFans' goal ... "Rumblings" of a new Boston sports team.
2. 💃 Taylor Swift's movie twist
Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Taylor Swift's moment on the big screen is here and bringing her sold-out concert tour to movie theaters nationwide, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.
- Bonus: Singing, dancing and selfies are encouraged.
Why it matters: Swift's tour has already fueled its own economy. Now the concert film is expected to give theaters a big boost.
- The movie is debuting tonight across the country — a day earlier than originally planned. Swift cited "unprecedented demand."
- It generated more than $100 million in global presales, AMC said last week.
🔎 Zoom in: AMC, which is distributing the film, wants "dancing and singing throughout this concert film."
- "Take selfies and group photos," AMC says — just don't record the screen.

🔮 More concert films. Beyoncé's new movie is scheduled to hit theaters in December.
3. Catch me up


- 💰CPI rose 3.7% from a year earlier, a tick higher than analysts expected. The numbers indicate that bringing inflation down will not be as rapid or smooth as it appeared over the summer, Axios Macro author Neil Irwin writes.
- ⚖️ Federal prosecutors charged embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) with acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes.
- 🇮🇷 The Biden administration is assuring congressional Democrats that Iran will not be able to access a $6 billion account in Qatar, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.
4. 🎃 1 fun thing: World record pumpkin

A 2,749-pound gourd called "Michael Jordan" broke the world record for the heaviest pumpkin ever.
- The Anoka, Minnesota-grown squash could make at least 687 pies.
Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher, transported his pumpkin over 2,000 miles to the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California.
📬 Thanks for reading. Please invite your friends to join.
Sign up for Axios PM

Get Mike Allen’s afternoon take on the most important news of the day
