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

Host: Lisa Brady, FOX News Podcasts

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.

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.

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]

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

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.