12PM ET 08/29/2025 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – 12PM ET (August 29, 2025)

Host: Lisa Brady, FOX News Podcasts

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Overview

This episode delivers concise coverage of major U.S. and international news stories, focusing on legal, political, and geopolitical developments. Key topics include the legal fight over the firing of Federal Reserve Board governor Lisa Cook, changes to Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, a significant White House budget maneuver, escalating U.S.-China-Taiwan tensions, Russia’s reaction to U.S. military activity in Japan, the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and financial market updates.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Legal Challenge Over Federal Reserve Firing

[00:02–01:24]

• Story: Lisa Cook, former Federal Reserve Board governor, challenges her dismissal by the president in federal court.

• Arguments:

  • Abby Lowell (Cook’s attorney): Highlights the ambiguity around the legal definition of “cause” for firing a Fed governor.
  • Lisa Brady: Outlines the administration’s stance that the president has authority to dismiss Cook and Cook’s request for an emergency injunction to retain her position during litigation.
  • Core legal claim: The allegations against Cook, originating from a social media post by federal housing director Bill Pulte about mortgage fraud, are argued by her lawyer as insufficient grounds for removal.

  "He said essentially it's really hard to come up with an 11 page definition of what cause is, but it's much easier to say in one sentence what it is not."
  —Abby Lowell, [00:18]

  "He's asking the court to agree that a post by Bill Pulte... and allegations coming from him about mortgage fraud... is not adequate to establish cause."
  —Abby Lowell, [00:30]

2. Secret Service Protection Revoked for Kamala Harris

[01:24–01:52]

• Situation: President Trump revokes Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, earlier extended by President Biden.
• Background: Standard protocol grants former vice presidents protection for only six months post-tenure; Harris’s was set to run longer.
• Implication: Highlights shifting approaches to security for former officials in a politically charged climate.

3. White House Cancels $5 Billion in Foreign Aid

[01:24–01:52]

• Action: The White House uses a rarely invoked “pocket rescission,” canceling almost $5 billion in foreign aid.

• Legal Mechanism: President may withhold such funds for up to 45 days while Congress considers; with fewer than 45 days left in the fiscal year, the money effectively disappears.

• Political Fallout: Democrats warn this complicates efforts for a bipartisan deal to prevent a government shutdown.

  "A so-called pocket rescission essentially ensures the funding is canceled. Democrats warn... rescissions will make it much harder to reach a bipartisan spending deal needed to prevent a government shutdown on October 1st."
  —Fox News Correspondent, [01:41]

4. U.S. Senators Visit Taiwan, Draws Chinese Rebuke

[02:14–02:55]

• Event: Senators Roger Wicker (Mississippi) and Deb Fischer (Nebraska) meet Taiwanese leaders in Taipei.

• China’s Response: Beijing sharply criticizes the visit, reiterating its claim that Taiwan is not independent.

• Context: China sees U.S. engagement as intervention in its internal affairs; Taiwan asserts its self-governing status and Western alliances.

  "The visit... is drawing a sharp rebuke from the People's Republic of China, which continues to claim the island is not independent from it..."
  —Eben Brown, [02:28]

5. Russia Protests U.S. Missile Deployment in Japan

[02:55–03:16]

• Details: U.S. temporarily stations an intermediate-range missile in Japan for joint exercises.
• Moscow’s Statement: Russian Foreign Ministry calls this deployment destabilizing and accuses Washington of building up forward-deployed capabilities.

6. Hurricane Katrina 20th Anniversary

[03:16–03:59]

• Commemoration: The episode marks 20 years since the catastrophic hurricane struck New Orleans.

• Impact:

  • 1,400 deaths, $125 billion in damages.
  • Massive flooding and humanitarian crisis spotlighted by the condition in the Superdome.
  • Reflections by residents on dire conditions during the aftermath.

  "The vast majority of New Orleans, Louisiana, is underwater."
  —Jimmy Phela, [03:35]

  "You know, it's really bad. You know, I mean, they got a disease in there. They got dead bodies, the bathrooms. We haven't used it since like Tuesday."
  —Local Resident, [03:44]

• Observances: Memorial events planned across affected regions.

7. Financial Market Update

[03:59–04:12]

• The Dow drops 163 points; S&P and NASDAQ also fall, marking a sell-off day post-record highs.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On legal ambiguity in firing cause:

  "It's really hard to come up with an 11 page definition of what cause is, but it's much easier to say in one sentence what it is not."
  —Abby Lowell, [00:18]

• On Hurricane Katrina aftermath:

  "The vast majority of New Orleans, Louisiana, is underwater."
  —Jimmy Phela, [03:35]
  "They got a disease in there. They got dead bodies, the bathrooms. We haven't used it since like Tuesday."
  —Local Resident, [03:44]

• On foreign aid cuts:

  "A so-called pocket rescission essentially ensures the funding is canceled. Democrats warn... this will make it much harder to reach a bipartisan spending deal needed to prevent a government shutdown on October 1st."
  —Fox News Correspondent, [01:41]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:02 – Lisa Cook legal challenge to Fed Board firing
• 01:24 – Kamala Harris Secret Service protection and foreign aid rescission
• 02:14 – U.S. Senators’ Taiwan visit, China’s reaction
• 02:55 – Russia protests U.S. missile deployment in Japan
• 03:16 – Hurricane Katrina 20th anniversary coverage
• 03:59 – Stock market update

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Tone and Style

Consistent with Fox News’ direct and urgent delivery, the reporting is brisk, brief, and focused on developments with significant political or international stakes.

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Transcript

[Lisa Brady]

The legal fight over a firing goes to court. Lisa Brady, FOX News. A federal judge in Washington hearing arguments in Lisa Cook's lawsuit after the president fired her as a Federal Reserve Board governor. The judge asking questions about cause attorney Abby Lowell is representing Cook.

[Abby Lowell]

He said essentially it's really hard to come up with an 11 page definition of what cause is, but it's much easier to say in one sentence what it is not. He's essentially encouraging the court to say don't feel pressured to establish what cause is for terminating a Fed governor in this case. But he's asking the court to agree that a post by Bill Pulte, the federal housing director, and allegations coming from him about mortgage fraud, he would say in this case is not adequate to establish cause.

[Lisa Brady]

FOX Businesses Lydia who at Federal Court in D.C. the White House says the president has the authority to fire Cook. She's seeking an emergency injunction which could let her remain on the job while the fight continues. On Monday, former Vice President Kamala Harris will lose her Secret Service protection. President Trump revoking it. Vice presidents typically get federal protection for just six months after leaving office. President Biden had signed off on extending protection for Harris into next summer. The White House budget office canceling nearly $5 billion in foreign aid tapping a rarely used presidential power, setting up another funding fight with Congress.

[Unknown Fox News Correspondent]

Federal law allows a president to send Congress requests to claw back funding and withhold that money for up to 45 days while lawmakers consider the proposal. But with fewer than 45 days left in the current federal fiscal year, a so called pocket rescission essentially ensures the funding is canceled. Democrats warn the White House rescissions will make it much harder to reach a bipartisan spending deal needed to prevent a government shutdown on October 1st.

[Lisa Brady]

Fox's Jared Halpern @ the White House. America is listening to FOX News.

[Jimmy Phela]

This is Jimmy Phela inviting you to join me for FOX Across America where we'll discuss every single one of the Democrats dumb ideas. Just kidding. It's only a three hour show. Listen live at noon Eastern or get the [e-mail].

[Lisa Brady]

Two U.S. senators are visiting Taiwan and Chinese officials say that's a signal to what they consider to be separatist forces on the island.

[Eben Brown]

Mississippi U.S. senator Roger Wicker and Nebraska U.S. senator Deb Fischer are in Taipei to meet with a number of leaders from the Taiwanese government. The visit, however, is drawing a sharp rebuke from the People's Republic of China, which continues to claim the island is not independent from it and and that the move undermines the PRC's sovereignty. Taiwan, which considers itself to be the remnant of the old pre communist Republic of China, has long been an ally of Western powers and faces renewed threats by mainland China to its independence. Eben Brown, Fox News.

[Lisa Brady]

Russia is taking issue as temporary deployment of a US Intermediate range missile during joint military exercises in Japan. The Russian Foreign Ministry calling that another destabilizing step, accusing Washington of building up capabilities for future deployment in various regions. Today marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf coast region.

[Unknown Hurricane Katrina Reporter]

Hurricane Katrina is blamed for the deaths of almost 1400 people and $125 billion in damage. It made landfall on August 29, 2005 near New Orleans as a Category 3 hurricane with a massive storm surge. President George W. Bush called it one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history.

[Jimmy Phela]

The vast majority of New Orleans, Louisiana, is underwater.

[Unknown Hurricane Katrina Reporter]

The Louisiana Superdome became a temporary shelter as well as a symbol for the challeng in the storm's aftermath.

[Local Resident]

You know, it's really bad. You know, I mean, they got a disease in there. They got dead bodies, the bathrooms. We haven't used it since like Tuesday.

[Unknown Hurricane Katrina Reporter]

Ceremonies are planned across New Orleans and South Mississippi to observe the anniversary. Tanya J. Powers, FOX News.

[Lisa Brady]

A sell off on Wall street right now. The Dow's down 163. The S& P also retreating from a record high. The NASDAQ's down 259. And Lisa Brady. This is Fox News.

[Bret Baier]

Listen to the all new Bret Baier podcast featur Common Ground in depth talks with lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle along with all your Brett Baer favorites like his All Star panel and much more. Available [e-mail] or wherever you get your podcasts.