View in browser   PRESENTED BY INSTAGRAM   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Dec 15, 2023 🥂 Happy Friday! Today's PM — edited by Noah Bressner — is 493 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Carlos Cunha for the copy edit. 🚨 Bulletin: Rudy Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million for spreading lies about two Georgia poll workers after the 2020 election. Go deeper.     1 big thing: Israel's hostage gut punch Israeli soldiers carry out a ground operation in Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighborhood last week. Photo: Moti Milrod/Haaretz via AP The IDF's mistaken killing of three Israeli hostages in Gaza today is already increasing domestic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a new deal to release the hostages still held by Hamas, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. The incident took place this morning in Shijaiyah — a Gaza City neighborhood where intense fighting is taking place, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The IDF said soldiers who were operating in the area mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat. As a result, the troops fired on them. Hagari said the IDF thinks the three hostages had either managed to escape or were abandoned by their Hamas captors during the fighting in the neighborhood. Hamas is still holding more than 130 hostages. Several family members publicly called on the Israeli government to present a new plan for a deal to secure their release after today's incident. Zoom in: The director of Israel's Mossad spy agency is expected to meet Qatar's prime minister in Europe this weekend to discuss restarting hostage negotiations, Barak first reported today. Keep reading.         2. 👑 Prince Harry's big win Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence at the trial this summer. Photo: Kim Cheung/AP Prince Harry was a victim of "habitual" and illegal phone hacking by a British newspaper chain for over a decade, a court in London ruled today. Why it matters: The victory was a major win in his long-running fight against the British media's pursuit of his private life. Top editors — including Piers Morgan — knew about "widespread" unlawful behavior at its newspapers, the judge said. Morgan denied the allegations. Go deeper.         A MESSAGE FROM INSTAGRAM More than 75% of parents want to approve the apps teens under 16 download     According to a new poll from Morning Consult, more than 75% of parents agree: Teens under 16 shouldn’t be able to download apps from app stores without parental permission.1 Instagram wants to work with Congress to pass federal legislation that gets it done. Learn more.     3. Catch me up Data: HUD. Chart: Axios Visuals (Excludes 2021 because of COVID-related disruptions to that year's count.) 🔎 U.S. homelessness reached its highest level on record this year, increasing 12% from 2022. HUD found that at the end of January, 653,104 people lacked a home. More from Axios' April Rubin. 🗳️ Nikki Haley committed to participating in a debate set to be hosted by CNN just days before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, Axios' Erin Doherty writes. 💰 The American economy is on track to pull off a "soft landing" and avoid a recession next year, according to new projections from the Congressional Budget Office. More from Axios' Courtenay Brown.         4. 🥇 Costco's hottest item Photo: Costco Costco shoppers are snapping up a surprising number of gold bars from the big box retailer, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes. The company sold more than $100 million worth of the precious metal last quarter, CFO Richard Galanti said. Why it matters: A single bar of gold is both expensive enough to be a store of real value and cheap enough that a large proportion of Costco's membership can afford it, Axios' Felix Salmon writes. The retailer sells 1 oz. gold bars for about $2,000 a pop on its website, with a limit of two per Costco membership. Keep reading.         A MESSAGE FROM INSTAGRAM New federal legislation will give parents a say in teen app downloads