12AM ET 10/04/2025 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update: 12AM ET 10/04/2025 – Episode Summary

Date: October 4, 2025
Host: Debra Valentine (with reporting by Kristen Goodwin, Kevin Cork, Chad Pergram, and Lisa Brady)
Podcast: Fox News Hourly Update
Theme: Top U.S. and global news stories—focus on Middle East hostage negotiations, high-profile sentencing, a government shutdown, and a major lawsuit dismissal.

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delivers rapid-fire reports on critical overnight news events, providing updates on Middle East peace talks, U.S. legal developments, ongoing Congressional impasse over government funding, and a major court ruling on funding for Hamas. The tone is urgent and informative, touching on high-stakes international diplomacy, domestic justice, and political gridlock.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hostage Release Deal in the Middle East

(00:03 – 00:36)

• President Trump: Optimistic announcement regarding Hamas agreeing to free all remaining hostages in Gaza.

• Accompanied by a White House video posted to Truth Social where Trump presses for fair treatment in negotiations.

• Trump credits “tremendous help” from unified international parties, insists the parties are close to peace.

• Kristen Goodwin: Outlines the conditions: Hamas will release the hostages if “field conditions” for the exchange are met, expressing willingness to negotiate via mediators.

• Trump stresses urgency in stopping the bombing to ensure hostages’ safe release.

  “We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East. And we're very close to achieving that.”
  — President Trump [00:25]

  “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly.”
  — Summarized by Kristen Goodwin [00:36]

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2. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Prison

(00:56 – 01:39)

• Kevin Cork: Reports from Manhattan federal court.
• Judge Aaron Subramanian sentences Sean Diddy Combs to 50 months (over four years) in prison for transporting women for sex marathons and prostitution.
• Judge expresses concern about possible recidivism:

  “The court is not assured that if released, these crimes would not be committed again.” — Judge Aaron Subramanian [01:02]

• Prosecutors sought 11 years; defense requested 14 months. Actual sentence: just over four years, $500,000 cash fine, and five years supervised release.
• Combs apologized to victims, mother, and children—calls his actions “disgusting.”
• Brief mention: Nicholas Rosky, attempted assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, receives 8 years despite prosecutors wanting 30.

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3. Government Shutdown Continues

(02:31 – 03:26)

• Chad Pergram: Live from Capitol Hill.

• Senate Democrats block Republican House spending bill, making government shutdown likely to continue through the weekend and possibly into next week.

• A procedural vote (“test vote to break a filibuster”) fails; 54 yeas, 43 nays, 60 needed to proceed.

• Notable crossovers mentioned: Angus King (I-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and John Fetterman (D-PA) support the bill but acknowledge stalemate.

• Democrats demand extension for expiring Obamacare tax credits.

  “The government is going to remain closed over the weekend and probably at least into early next week. In fact, it seems as though both sides are hardening their positions.”
  — Chad Pergram [02:41]

• Debra Valentine: Notes key Democratic demand for Obamacare tax credit extension.

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4. Hamas Funding Lawsuit Dismissed

(03:26 – 04:15)

• Lisa Brady: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit from families of October 7 attack victims against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

• Plaintiffs accused UNRWA of funneling over $1 billion to Hamas, aiding terrorism and weapons storage in schools/medical centers.

• Judge upholds UN immunity; calls by UNRWA lawyers that claims were “absurd.”

• Background: Several nations, including U.S., cut off UNRWA funding after Israel alleged staff’s involvement in attacks.

  “Lawyers for UNRWA called the claims absurd, also arguing immunity from the lawsuit as part of the UN. And a federal judge in New York agreed, dismissing it.”
  — Lisa Brady [04:07]

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5. President Trump Reverses NY Security Funding Cuts

(04:15 – 04:28)

• Debra Valentine: Reports Trump personally reversed $187 million in law enforcement and counterterrorism funding cuts in New York previously made under his administration.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East…” — President Trump [00:25]
• “The court is not assured that if released, these crimes would not be committed again.” — Judge Aaron Subramanian [01:02]
• “The government is going to remain closed over the weekend and probably at least into early next week ... both sides are hardening their positions.” — Chad Pergram [02:41]
• “Lawyers for UNRWA called the claims absurd … a federal judge in New York agreed, dismissing it.” — Lisa Brady [04:07]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:03–00:36: Middle East Hostage Deal; President Trump’s Remarks
• 00:56–01:39: Diddy Sentenced; Rosky Sentencing
• 02:31–03:26: Government Shutdown Stalemate; Capitol Hill Update
• 03:36–04:15: Hamas/UNRWA Lawsuit Dismissal
• 04:15–04:28: Trump’s Law Enforcement Funding Announcement

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This episode delivers breaking news updates with direct quotes and important political, legal, and international developments—in a brisk, matter-of-fact Fox News style. All major segments are covered with primary statements from key figures and succinct background.

Transcript

[Debra Valentine]

Hostages to be freed. I'm Debra Valentine, Fox News. President Trump believes Hamas is ready for lasting peace after the militant group agreed to release all remaining hostages in Gaza.

[Kristen Goodwin]

In a video from the White House shared to Truth Social, President Trump said everyone would be treated fairly in upcoming negotiations, adding he looked forward to having hostages released to their family members.

[President Trump]

We were given a tremendous amount of help. Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle east. And we're very close to achieving that.

[Kristen Goodwin]

Hamas agreeing to release all Israeli hostages as long as the field conditions for the exchange are met, adding it's open to negotiate peace through mediators. President Trump applauding the announcement, calling it a special day and posting israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly. And Kristen Goodwin, FOX News.

[Debra Valentine]

A judge sentencing Sean Diddy Combs to more than four years in prison. Fox's Kevin Cork has details.

[Kevin Cork]

The court is not assured that if released, these crimes would not be committed again. Those were the words of Judge Aaron Subramanian as he handed down a 50 month sentence for Sean Diddy Combs in Manhattan federal court today. Combs convicted of transporting women to take part in drug fueled sex marathons and prostitution. He faced a maximum of up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors asked for 11 years. Defense sought 14 months. And in the end he was hit with a little over four years behind bars, plus a $500,000 cash fine and five years of supervised release once he's out.

[Debra Valentine]

Combs apologized to his victims, his mother and his children during the sentencing, calling his actions disgusting. A judge is sentencing Nicholas Rosky, the person who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett KAVANAUGH, to just eight years in prison. Prosecutors wanted 30 years. America's listening to FOX News.

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[Debra Valentine]

The government shutdown is all but certain to continue right through the weekend after Senate Democrats once again blocked a Republican House funding bill. Fox's Chad Pergram reports from Capitol Hill.

[Chad Pergram]

The government is going to remain closed over the weekend and probably at least into early next week. In fact, it seems as though both sides are hardening their positions. This roll call vote, which is a procedural vote, a test vote to break a filibuster on the House approved interim spend bill, is failing. The vote is 54 yeas and 43 nays. The problem, though, is that they have a 60 vote threshold. There are three Democrats, three senators who caucus with the Democrats who supported this. You had Angus King, the independent from Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats for this, Catherine Cortez Masto, the Democrat from Nevada, and also John Fetterman, the Democrat from Pennsylvania who signaled before the vote that he didn't think that anything was going to be different. On this roll call vote, Democrats are.

[Debra Valentine]

Demanding an extension to expiring Obamacare tax credits. A lawsuit over suspected funding for Hamas is tossed out. Fox's Lisa Brady reports.

[Lisa Brady]

Nearly two years after the deadly October 7th attacks in Israel, some victims families lose a round in court. They sued the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees, accusing the aid group and current and former officials of providing more than a billion dollars in assistance to Hamas over a decade, helping to build terrorist infrastructure and also allowing weapons storage and deployment in the agency's schools and medical centers. Israel has accused staff members of being involved in the attacks, leading several countries, including the US to stop their funding of unrwa. Lawyers for UNRWA called the claims absurd, also arguing immunity from the lawsuit as part of the UN And a federal judge in New York agreed, dismissing it.

[Debra Valentine]

President Trump says he has personally reversed $187 million in funding cuts made by his administration for New York' law enforcement and counterterrorism operations. I'm Deborah Valentine. This is Fox.

[Will Tain]

It's Will Tain Country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through [e-mail] or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at foxnewspodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.