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

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.

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.”

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…”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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…”

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.”

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.”

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

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.