11AM ET 12/29/2025 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update – 11AM ET 12/29/2025 Newscast

Host: Dave Anthony (with reports from Claudia Cowan, Madeline Rivera, Ryan Schmells, and Ainsley Earhart)
Date: December 29, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode presents a rapid-fire summary of the most pressing national and international news headlines as of 11AM ET. Major topics covered include legal developments in the Charlie Kirk assassination case, updates on high-profile national security incidents, peace negotiations at the highest diplomatic level, developments in global conflict zones, foreign aid policy shifts, severe winter weather across the US, and market conditions.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Charlie Kirk Assassination Case: Legal Proceedings and Media Access

• Virtual Hearing for Tyler Robinson:

  • Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating conservative leader Charlie Kirk during a speech at Utah Valley University, will have a virtual hearing but will not appear via video from jail.
  • [00:03] Dave Anthony: “In about an hour, Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin has another hearing in Utah, a virtual one, this time for Tyler Robinson…”

• Media Access to Court Proceedings:

  • Judge Tony Graf is expected to decide if media organizations can challenge requests for closed hearings and coverage restrictions before the actual arraignment.
  • [00:26] Claudia Cowan: “Judge Tony Graf is expected to rule on whether a coalition of media organizations can challenge future requests for closed hearings and restricted coverage.”

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2. National Security & Political Violence Updates

• D.C. Pipe Bomb Plot – Confession:
  • Brian Cole Jr. confessed to planting pipe bombs near Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters on January 5, 2021; the bombs did not detonate. The confession is part of newly released Justice Department documents.
  • [00:36] Dave Anthony: “The man accused of attempting to attack the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters has confessed…”

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3. White House Diplomatic Efforts: Ukraine and Middle East Peace Initiatives

• Trump’s Diplomacy:

  • President Trump is engaged in consecutive peace talks, meeting Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and, next, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
  • [01:05] Claudia Cowan: “They’re expected to address Iran and Gaza, with the administration keen on heading to phase two of their Gaza peace plan…”

• Gaza Peace Plan Developments:

  • The US is pushing for an international security force in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
  • Iran’s president proclaims a “full fledged war with the U.S., Israel, and Europe,” accusing them of undermining Iranian stability.
  • [01:24] Dave Anthony: “Iran’s president, meantime, says they’re in a full fledged war with the U.S., Israel and Europe, saying they don’t want his country to be stable.”

• Ukraine Negotiation Challenges:

  • President Trump says progress is being made with Ukraine, but thorny issues such as territorial disputes persist.
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy states Ukrainians yearn for peace but overwhelmingly reject ceding territory.
  • [01:24] Dave Anthony (quoting Trump): “This is not a one day process deal. This very complicated stuff.”
  • [01:41] Dave Anthony (paraphrasing Zelenskyy): “87% support peace at the same time, 85% against to withdraw from east, you know, from the Donbass.”

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4. Asia-Pacific Tensions: Chinese Military Drills Near Taiwan

• Escalation in the Taiwan Strait:
  • China conducts army and navy drills around Taiwan, labeling them “a warning to separatists and foreign interference.”
  • Taiwan’s government describes China as “the biggest destroyer of peace” in the region.
  • [02:16] Dave Anthony: “China’s military playing war games near Taiwan…Taiwan calls China the biggest destroyer of peace.”

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5. US Foreign Aid Policy: New Humanitarian Fund Amid Budget Cuts

• Reduction in US Humanitarian Aid:
  • A new $2 billion US humanitarian “umbrella fund” is unveiled, a sharp reduction from prior commitments (as high as $17 billion) to the United Nations.
  • The Trump administration cautions UN agencies to “adapt, shrink, or die.”
  • Despite reductions, US remains the world’s largest humanitarian donor, though some nations criticize the cuts as short-sighted.
  • [02:45] Ryan Schmells: “…the Trump administration warning UN agen to adapt, shrink or die, with the State Department saying the agreement requires the UN to reduce bureaucratic overhead.”

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6. Severe Winter Weather: Midwest and Northeast Impacted

• Extreme Blizzard Conditions:

  • Blizzard conditions stretch from Iowa to Maine, with wind gusts up to 60 mph and sub-zero temperatures.
  • In Detroit, 11,000 customers without power; more outages and worsening travel conditions are expected.
  • [03:30] Ainsley Earhart: “With up to 60 mile per hour wind gusts and sub zero temps.”
  • [03:34] Dave Anthony: “…about 11,000 DTE customers without power. Outages are almost sure to increase throughout the day…”

• Hazardous Travel & Air Disruptions:

  • Ice and snow make for dangerous road conditions along the Northeast I-95 corridor.
  • Air travel also hampered, with over 500 flights canceled and nearly 3,000 delays.
  • [03:43] Ainsley Earhart: “…caution also urged on roads as parts of the Northeast also sink into a deep freeze…”

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7. Stock Market Update

• Downturn on Wall Street:
  • Both the Dow and Nasdaq are trending lower; Dow is down 220 points, Nasdaq down 161.
  • [03:58] Dave Anthony: “On Wall Street, stocks are falling. The Dow down 220 points. The Nasdaq's down 161.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [00:26] Claudia Cowan: “Judge Tony Graf is expected to rule on whether a coalition of media organizations can challenge future requests for closed hearings and restricted coverage.”
• [01:24] Dave Anthony (paraphrasing Trump): “This is not a one day process deal. This very complicated stuff.”
• [01:41] Dave Anthony (paraphrasing Zelenskyy): “87% support peace at the same time, 85% against to withdraw from east…from the Donbass.”
• [02:45] Ryan Schmells: “The Trump administration warning UN agen to adapt, shrink or die, with the State Department saying the agreement requires the UN to reduce bureaucratic overhead.”
• [03:30] Ainsley Earhart: “With up to 60 mile per hour wind gusts and sub zero temps.”

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:03] – Charlie Kirk case update
• [00:36] – D.C. pipe bomb confession
• [01:05] – Trump meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy; Iran tensions
• [02:16] – China-Taiwan military drills
• [02:45] – US humanitarian aid policy changes
• [03:24] – Blizzard and weather emergencies
• [03:58] – Market summary

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Summary

This Fox News Hourly Update delivers an efficient, high-density overview of legal, international, political, weather, and financial news at the close of 2025. The brief but information-rich segments offer listeners both the “what” and the underlying context: from court transparency in a politically charged assassination case, to global peace efforts and regional conflict dynamics, to the ripple effects of US policy shifts in foreign aid, and the gritty impact of severe winter weather on American lives and transportation. Always brisk in its reporting style, the episode balances gravitas with a sense of urgency, indicative of the busy news cycle at year’s end.

Transcript

[Dave Anthony]

Audio only. I'm Dave Anthony. FOX News. In about an hour, Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin has another hearing in Utah, a virtual one, this time for Tyler Robinson, who won't even have to appear via video from jail. With a big issue still unresolved ahead of his murder trial, long before Tyler.

[Claudia Cowan]

Robinson is even arraigned, the court is deciding how much the public will actually get to see in this case.

[Dave Anthony]

Fox's Claudia Cowan.

[Claudia Cowan]

Judge Tony Graf is expected to rule on whether a coalition of media organizations can challenge future requests for closed hearings and restricted coverage.

[Dave Anthony]

Robinson is charged with murder, accused of shooting Kirk while the conservative leader addressed students at Utah Valley University. The man accused of attempting to attack the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters has confessed. According to Justice Department documents made public, Brian Cole Jr. Is accused of planting the pipe bombs that never went off, found January 5, 2021 in Washington the night before the infamous Capitol riot. In two hours, President Trump will host another world leader for peace talks. The day after meeting with Ukraine's president, he'll sit down with Israel's Prime Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu.

[Claudia Cowan]

They're expected to address Iran and Gaza, with the administration keen on heading to phase two of their Gaza peace plan that includes the creation of an international security force and the disarmament of Hamas. Iran's president, meantime, says they're in a full fledged war with the U.S. israel and Europe, saying they don't want his country to be stable.

[Dave Anthony]

Fox's Madeline Rivera. As for the latest talks with Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Trump says they made progress. Really. We've made it over the last month. This is not a one day process deal. This very complicated stuff. He says there are thorny issues, including who gets what land being fought for. Zelensky tells Fox's Brett Baer the people of Ukraine want the war over but don't want to give territory away. 87% support peace at the same time, 85% against to withdraw from east you know, from the Donbass. That interview will be at 6pm Eastern on Fox's Special Report. America's listening to FOX News. This is Ainsley Earhart.

[Claudia Cowan]

Thank you for joining me for the.

[Dave Anthony]

52 episode podcast series the Life of Jesus, a listening experience that will provide.

[Ainsley Earhart]

Hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Dave Anthony]

While President Trump tries to keep the peace in Gaza, the day after trying to end the war in Ukraine again, another conflict simmers China's military playing war games near Taiwan. Army and navy drills around the island China considers its own territory, calling those drills a warning to separatists and foreign interference. Taiwan calls China the biggest destroyer of peace. After the Trump administration made big cutbacks at the U.S. agency for International Development, it has shrunk the amount of humanitarian aid being given around the world.

[Ryan Schmells]

The $2 billion pledge from the United States creates an umbrella fund for money to be sent out to different agencies for humanitarian aid. The number is significantly less in recent years, where the US has pledged up to 17 billion in some cases to the United Nations. The Trump administration warning UN agen to adapt, shrink or die, with the State Department saying the agreement requires the UN to reduce bureaucratic overhead. And the number still maintains the US Status as the world's largest humanitarian donor. Some nations have criticized the cuts from the US as short sighted. In Washington, Ryan Schmells, FOX News.

[Dave Anthony]

They're cleaning up from a blizzard from Iowa to Minnesota to Michigan with more snow forecast all the way to Maine.

[Ainsley Earhart]

With up to 60 mile per hour wind gusts and sub zero temps.

[Dave Anthony]

In Detroit, there's currently about 11,000 DTE customers without power. Outages are almost sure to increase throughout the day and into the evening as conditions evolve.

[Ainsley Earhart]

DTE Director Bill Hutchinson. Caution also urged on roads as parts of the Northeast also sink into a deep freeze, with significant ice along the I95 corridor and snow expected. Jeff Manasso, FOX News.

[Dave Anthony]

Air travel has also been affected, 561 flights canceled, almost 3,000 delayed. On Wall street, stocks are falling. The Dow down 220 points. The Nasdaq's down 161. I'm Dave Anthony and this is FOX News.