12AM ET 10/16/2025 Newscast

Summary

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FOX News Hourly Update - 12AM ET, October 16, 2025

Main Theme:
This episode covers the latest updates on the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, actions surrounding military pay and federal layoffs, developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the formation of a new public health collaboration by several Democratic governors. The tone is brisk and focused on breaking news.

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1. Government Shutdown Continues – No Reopening Plan

• Context
  • As of this episode, the U.S. enters Day 16 of a government shutdown due to Congress’s failure to pass a funding bill.
• Senate Developments
  • The Senate fails again to pass a temporary funding bill (00:02).
  • Democratic View:
    • Senator Chuck Schumer blames Republicans for refusing to negotiate and address the health care crisis:

      “Now over two weeks since Republicans shut the government down because they refused to negotiate and fix the health care crisis that they themselves created.” – Chuck Schumer (00:19)

  • Republican View:
    • Senate Majority Leader John Thune insists the House has already passed a resolution, and the Senate should simply approve it:

      “All they have to do, we pick it up, we vote on it today, we send it to the president. The president signs into law, the government reopens and then we can be happy to have all the conversations the Democrats want to have about other issues.” – John Thune (00:36)

• Sticking Points
  • Democrats demand an extension of Obamacare subsidies in any funding bill (00:47).
• Military Pay Concerns
  • President Trump directs the Pentagon and White House budget office to ensure military members are paid during the shutdown by reallocating unspent funds:

    “A lapse in pay for active duty military personnel presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness.” – Jared Halpern, FOX (01:00)

  • Coast Guard members will also continue to be paid, per Secretary Kristi Noem.
• Federal Worker Layoff Block
  • A federal judge blocks Trump administration efforts to lay off federal workers during the shutdown, an attempt by the White House to pressure Democrats (01:39).

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2. Israel-Hamas Conflict and Hostage Remains

• Hostage Remains
  • Hamas returns two more bodies to Israel, claiming these are the last hostages they could locate (03:12).
• Israeli Response
  • Israel threatens to reduce the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza unless Hamas expedites handing over hostages’ remains:

    “They’re digging... the Israelis threatened to cut in half the number of humanitarian aid trucks traveling into Gaza from Egypt unless Hamas accelerates the release of dead hostages.” – Jennifer Griffin (03:26)

• US & International Response
  • Admiral Brad Cooper urges Hamas to disarm and stop violence against civilians, noting that no Arab nations have agreed to send security forces into Gaza. Canada, Pakistan, and some Asian countries are considering it, pending UN approval.

    “We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza...” – Admiral Brad Cooper (03:34)

• Conditions for Disarmament
  • Hamas says it will only disarm if steps toward Palestinian statehood are taken.

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3. Public Health Collaboration by Democratic Governors

• Formation of Collaborative Alliance
  • Several Democratic-led states and Guam form a public health and safety information alliance, calling it nonpartisan but with bipartisan advisory input (04:28).
  • New York Governor Kathy Hochul stresses goals of countering “Trump administration’s misguided attacks on science.”
• Federal Response
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes most governors involved had imposed Covid-related mandates.

    “Governors who imposed Covid mask mandates and school closures are behind this effort.” – FOX News reporting (04:50)

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Government Funding:
  “All they have to do, we pick it up, we vote on it today, we send it to the president. The president signs into law, the government reopens…” – John Thune (00:36)
• On Military Pay During Shutdown:
  “A lapse in pay for active duty military personnel presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness.” – Jared Halpern (01:00)
• On Israeli Hostage Remains:
  “It’s a gruesome process. I almost hate to talk about it…” – Jennifer Griffin (03:26)
• On Science & Public Health:
  “It hopes to guard against what she called the Trump administration’s, quote, misguided attacks on science.” – Quoting Governor Kathy Hochul via Grinnell Scott (04:36)

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5. Important Timestamps

• 00:02 – Government shutdown update and political blame game.
• 00:47 – Trump administration orders military pay protection.
• 01:39 – Judge blocks layoffs of federal workers.
• 03:12 – Hamas returns more hostage remains; Israeli response.
• 03:26 – Jennifer Griffin details the Gaza situation.
• 04:28 – Announcement of multi-state public health alliance.

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Summary for New Listeners:
This episode offers a fast-paced update on federal gridlock keeping the U.S. government shuttered, the administration’s scramble to protect military pay, judicial intervention on federal layoffs, and a tense standoff between Israel and Hamas over hostages. It wraps with U.S. state-level moves to counter disinformation and protect public health messaging.

Fans of crisp, fact-packed news updates will find a cross-section of national and international developments, with direct quotes and minimal editorializing, true to the Fox News hourly update style.

Transcript

[A]

Still no plan in place to reopen the government. I'm Sue Guzman, Fox News. We are heading into Day Number 16 of the government shutdown. The Senate again failing a vote Wednesday to pass a temporary funding bill to reopen it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is blaming Republicans.

[B]

Now over two weeks since Republicans shut the government down because they refused to negotiate and fix the health care crisis that they themselves created.

[A]

House Republicans have already passed a continuing resolution. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says it should have been an easy fix.

[C]

All they have to do, we pick it up, we vote on it today, we send it to the president. The president signs into law, the government reopens and then we can be happy to have all the conversations the Democrats want to have about other issues.

[A]

Democrats are demanding an extension of Obamacare subsidies be included in any funding bill. President Trump directing the Pentagon and White House budget office to ensure military members paid. Fox's Jared Halpern A lapse in pay.

[D]

For active duty military personnel presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness. President Trump says ordering in a national security memo for the Pentagon and the White House Budget office to use unspent funds to pay service members. The order says funds used for military pay and allowances during the government shutdown should be those that are determined to have a reasonable and logical relationship to pay for military personnel. The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Kristi Noem has indicated Coast Guard members will also be paid during the shutdown. At the White House, Jared Halpern, FOX.

[A]

News Meanwhile, a federal judge is blocking the Trump administration from laying off federal workers during the government shutdown. These layoffs have been part of an effort by President Trump to try to exert more pressure on Democrats to reopen the U.S. government. America is listening to Fox News.

[E]

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[E]

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[A]

The terror group Hamas returning two more bodies to Israel on Wednesday, saying that was all the hostages it can find. Israel's already vowed to reduce the flow of aid into Gaza to try to force Hamas's hand, as we hear from Fox's Jennifer Griffin.

[G]

It's a gruesome process. I almost hate to talk about it so. But they're digging the Israelis threat threatened to cut in half the number of humanitarian aid trucks traveling into Gaza from Egypt unless Hamas accelerates the release of dead hostages. The head of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, still in Israel, urged Hamas to disarm. We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza without an international security force in place, armed Hamas fighters are filling the vacuum. Sources in the region tell Fox News none of the Arab countries has agreed to send security forces into Gaza. Canada, Pakistan and several Asian countries are considering, but they will need a mandate from the UN Security Council.

[A]

Of the four sets of remains sent to Israel earlier, only three were determined to be of Israelis. Hamas says it will not disarm unless it sees an effort to make a pathway to Palestinian statehood. Some US Governors are banding together to create a collaborative group to inform citizens of public health and safety, and here's Fox's Grinnell Scott.

[B]

The collaborative alliance is made up of several states in one US Territory, Guam, all with Democratic governors. But they're calling their information hub nonpartisan. They say they want it to be a source for information on threats, emergency preparedness and public health with bipartisan advisers help. New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted about it on X, saying it hopes to guard against what she called the Trump administration's, quote, misguided attacks on science. A spokesman for the U.S. department of Health and Human Services said govern who imposed Covid mask mandates and school closures are behind this effort. Gernall Scott, FOX News I'm Sue Gossman.

[A]

This is FOX News.

[H]

It's Will Kane. 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.