Israeli Plan To Take Control Of Gaza City Sparks Backlash

Written By Guest User

Plus: The Potential Harms Of AI & What We're Watching, Reading, and Eating This Weekend

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Good evening,

Before we get to the news, here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend in our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section:

What We’re Watching:

What We’re Reading:

What We’re Eating:

And special thank you to our summer interns, Ryan and Juliet, for all their help this summer. We can’t wait to see all that you accomplish!

Have a great one,
The Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Israeli Plan To Take Control Of Gaza City Sparks Backlash

Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to seize control of Gaza City by October 7. The plan is aimed at weakening Hamas, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, and returning the hostages. It comes as Hamas has withdrawn from ceasefire negotiations, as Israel faces growing international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

  • Israel already controls 75% of the Gaza Strip. The move could involve temporarily displacing around 1 million Palestinians — about half of Gaza's population, many of whom have been displaced numerous times throughout the 22-month war. The cabinet’s decision gives them less than two months to evacuate the area.

Critics, including Israel’s top general and several other senior security officials, warn that the plan endangers the lives of the roughly 20 Israeli hostages still believed to be alive after nearly two years of war. Hamas is also holding the remains of about 30 other hostages.

INSIDE THE PUSHBACK
One hostage’s father told the BBC that “Netanyahu prefers the hostages dead” so he can more easily “bomb everything” in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu has insisted this plan will help free the hostages, as well as Gazans from Hamas’s stronghold.

  • Israel last withdrew from Gaza in 2005, after a 38-year occupation, citing security concerns and the growing cost of protecting Israeli settlers and soldiers there.

On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany would suspend exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip “until further notice.” This marks an unprecedented break in policy from Israel’s closest ally in Europe, which supplies about 30% of Israel’s military imports — second to the U.S. The move is not expected to significantly affect Israel’s immediate military capabilities.

  • In response, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying: “Instead of supporting Israel's just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel.”

Polling of Israelis has repeatedly shown that a majority favor ending the war in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages, and as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens.

🚨 ONE THING WE ARE PREPARING FOR

AI Has The Potential To Give Dangerous Advice To Teens, Bypass Voiceprint Security

OpenAI unveiled the fifth generation of its popular chatbot Thursday, with promises that it will write and code better, hallucinate less, and give stronger health advice.

The new version, called GPT-5, arrives at a time in which people are becoming increasingly concerned about AI’s capabilities and our preparedness to tackle them. People voicing concern include safety watchdogs and, in some cases, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman himself.

AI CAN GIVE DANGEROUS ADVICE TO TEENS
ChatGPT gave researchers posing as teenagers dangerous advice about self-harm, eating disorders, suicide, and substance abuse, according to a study published Wednesday by the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

  • Researchers made fake accounts acting as vulnerable 13-year-olds, then screen-recorded conversations with ChatGPT’s free model.

    • While the chatbot initially warned against risky activity, researchers found that, within minutes, more than half of users would be able to bypass ChatGPT's safeguards and receive personalized advice on topics such as how to hide drug intoxication at school, how to restrict their diet, or how to generate a suicide note.

  • Simple manipulations, such as saying the advice was “for a friend” or “for a presentation,” were often enough to bypass the chatbot's safety controls.

WHY THIS MATTERS
More than 70% of American teens have turned to AI for companionship at least once, according to research published in July by the nonprofit Common Sense Media. The same group found that younger teens, ages 13 or 14, are more likely to trust a chatbot’s advice, while older teens, ages 15 to 17, are more skeptical.

  • After viewing the CCDH’s report, OpenAI said that it is continuing to refine how the chatbot can “identify and respond appropriately in sensitive situations.”

Reality Check: It is unclear how often these phenomena are occurring in real life among American teenagers, but the picture is clear: ChatGPT’s safety guardrails can be exploited within minutes.

AI COULD ALSO CAUSE A “FRAUD CRISIS”
Even ChatGPT’s creators are warning of its dangers. Speaking to a board of Wall Street executives two weeks ago, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that AI-generated voices could lead to mass fraud, especially if banks continue to use voice authentication.

  • Altman said AI tools can now mimic human voices almost perfectly using just a few short audio samples, making it easy to bypass voice-printing software.

    • Video technology is close behind, he added, which raises the risk of fraudulent FaceTime or video calls used to deceive people.

  • “AI has fully defeated most of the ways that people authenticate currently, other than passwords,” Altman said on a Federal Reserve panel in July.

U.S. lawmakers have been cautious about regulating AI, in part due to concerns about falling behind China in the race to lead in the technology, which is expected to reshape the global economy.

But, if AI starts messing up our lives, at least we have a new swear word to refer to it!

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⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Trump orders surge in federal law enforcement in DC (CNN)

  • DOJ opens investigation into New York AG's office that brought fraud case against Trump (NBC)

  • Parts of Los Angeles evacuated as Canyon Fire explodes to nearly 5,000 acres (FOX WEATHER)

  • Trump orders colleges to prove they don’t consider race in admissions (AP)

  • Trump officials avoid contempt proceedings for defying Venezuela flight ban (AXIOS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Ukrainian troops have little hope for peace as Trump's deadline for Russia arrives (AP) Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity buried in Kyiv (GUARDIAN)

  • Trump to host Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders ahead of peace pledge as White House eyes Nobel Peace Prize (FOX)

  • Haiti inaugurates new leadership as gangs threaten to overthrow the government (NPR)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • Auto insurance prices set to rise due to tariffs (MO NEWS)

  • Intel CEO responds to President Trump’s call for him to resign (CBS)

  • Gold futures hit all-time high as tariff uncertainty sparks turmoil (NEW YORK POST)

  • Deaths from “flesh-eating” bacteria are on the rise across the southeastern coasts of the U.S. (NBC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Kristi Noem responds to South Park’s crude parody of her in episode targeting I.C.E. (GUARDIAN)

  • Box Office: horror film ‘Weapons’ earns $5.7M in Previews, ‘Freakier Friday’ With $3.1M (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)

  • Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and former manager, dies at 48 (AP)

  • Another arrest is made in response to sex toys being thrown at WNBA games (FOX)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Instagram has finally caught up with Snapchat (about a decade late) by implementing its new location feature. Don’t worry though, your friends will only be able to track you down if you let them.

  • The feature, Instagram Map, is turned off by default, and nobody can see your live location unless you permit them.

  • Only people you follow back or a custom list of people you select can see your location if you choose, and you can turn it on/off at any time.

  • If you add a geolocation to an Instagram Stories, it will now appear on the Instagram Map. But unless you give it permission, it will not track your active location.

Guest User
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