Fox News Hourly Update | 1AM ET, December 24, 2025

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This newscast from Fox News covers breaking national headlines, including a catastrophic nursing home explosion in Pennsylvania, the fatal shooting of a Delaware State Trooper, former Senator Ben Sasse's cancer diagnosis, hotly contested legislation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and recent Supreme Court and National Guard developments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nursing Home Explosion in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

• Incident: Emergency crews responded to a large explosion at a nursing home facility that led to a building collapse.
  • “We believe preliminarily that it was a gas leak that led to that. The explosion was really quite catastrophic. We know that at this time there are at least two fatalities. We know that there are some number of individuals still missing.” – Gov. Josh Shapiro [00:14]
• Eyewitness Account: Residents described devastation and prayed for victims.
  • “The dining hall, the admissions part to the hospital is going. All the windows are blowing out. I'm just praying for everybody at the nursing home.” – Eyewitness [00:35]

2. Delaware State Trooper Killed in Line of Duty

• Incident: A trooper was shot and killed at a DMV office near Wilmington during an overtime shift.
  • “The suspect approached the trooper who was working an overtime assignment sitting at the reception desk and shot him.” – Corporal Rashawn Rich [00:57]
• Heroism: Despite being shot, the trooper saved a coworker.
  • “After being shot, the trooper pushed a DMV employee out of harm's way and the suspect shot the trooper again.” – Corporal Rashawn Rich [01:09]
• Aftermath: Both the trooper and the suspect died; motive not yet known. The trooper praised as a hero who saved lives. [01:17-01:25]

3. Senator Ben Sasse Diagnosed with Cancer

• Ben Sasse announced on social media that he has advanced pancreatic cancer, diagnosed in the previous week.
  • Background: Sasse, 53, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, re-elected in 2020. [01:33]

4. Justice Department Denies Epstein Letter

• Clarification: A widely circulated letter claiming to be written by Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar is declared a fake by the DOJ. [01:33]

5. Midterm Elections and "Big, Beautiful Bill" Debate

• Republican Strategy: Republicans aim to maintain their majority by passing notable legislation, with focus on a controversial “big beautiful bill.”
  • “Unless you think there's some kind of award for being dumb, it's just foolish for us not to pass another big, beautiful bill to address the cost of housing and health care.” – Sen. John Kennedy [02:47]
• Intra-party Concerns: Some GOP members, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, objected to provisions restricting state regulation of AI. [02:58]
• Democratic Criticism: Democrats attacked the bill for Medicaid spending cuts. [02:58]

6. Supreme Court Blocks National Guard Deployment in Chicago

• Court Ruling: The Supreme Court temporarily blocks the Trump administration’s effort to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago.
  • Conservative Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch dissented.
  • The administration sought to use the Guard for crime and immigration enforcement; ruling is not final. [02:58]

7. National Guard Deployment in Louisiana

• Louisiana’s Response: 350 National Guard troops to be sent to New Orleans over the New Year, with gratitude expressed to President Trump and Secretary of War Hetseath.
  • “He is fulfilling his commitment. Him and Secretary of War Hetseath are sending the National Guard back into Louisiana into New Orleans. They will be there for New Year's Eve and they're going to be there for a deployment through February, which we desperately need.” – Gov. Jeff Landry [03:58]
• Border Patrol: Already active in New Orleans to address illegal immigration. [04:14]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gov. Josh Shapiro on PA explosion:
  “We believe preliminarily that it was a gas leak that led to that. The explosion was really quite catastrophic.” [00:14]
• Eyewitness on devastation:
  “I'm just praying for everybody at the nursing home.” [00:35]
• Corporal Rashawn Rich on trooper’s heroism:
  “After being shot, the trooper pushed a DMV employee out of harm's way and the suspect shot the trooper again.” [01:09]
• Sen. John Kennedy on GOP legislative strategy:
  “Unless you think there's some kind of award for being dumb, it's just foolish for us not to pass another big, beautiful bill…” [02:47]
• Gov. Jeff Landry on National Guard deployment:
  “They will be there for New Year's Eve and they're going to be there for a deployment through February, which we desperately need.” [03:58]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Nursing home explosion & eyewitness: [00:03] – [00:43]
• Delaware trooper tragedy: [00:50] – [01:25]
• Ben Sasse cancer diagnosis: [01:33]
• Epstein letter clarification: [01:33]
• Republican “big beautiful bill” & midterms: [02:32] – [02:58]
• Supreme Court on National Guard/Chicago: [02:58]
• National Guard in Louisiana: [03:58] – [04:14]

This summary captures all major news stories and insights from the Fox News Hourly Update at 1AM ET on December 24, 2025, presenting a clear and engaging synopsis for those who missed the broadcast.