2AM ET 06/25/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – 2AM ET 06/25/2026

Host: Ted Lindner
Date: June 25, 2026
Podcast: Fox News Hourly Update

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Overview

This episode brings listeners up to speed on the day's top U.S. and international news, with a heavy focus on diplomatic moves involving President Trump, developments in U.S. defense and military policy, ongoing legal battles over voter information, and a major natural disaster in Venezuela.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Optimism on U.S.-Iran Peace and Diplomacy (00:03–00:47)

• President Trump signals hope for a peace deal with Iran, particularly surrounding maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and creating a deconfliction framework regarding the Israel-Hezbollah front.
  • Quote: “Iran is being very nice. They're agreeing to everything that I want and they have to. Otherwise we just go back and do what we have to do.” – Donald Trump (00:18)
• Despite public sparring between the White House and Tehran on nuclear inspection timelines, progress is being touted.
• President Trump holds a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, expressing disappointment with several NATO allies, notably the UK, Germany, France, and especially Spain.
  • Quote: “We were disappointed with the UK we were disappointed with Germany and France. We're disappointed with most of Spain is a horror show.” – Donald Trump (00:39)
• Rutte responds, downplaying issues as “isolated incidents,” and highlights the scale of U.S. air activity in Europe prior to the Iran ceasefire.

2. U.S. Senate GOP Strategy & Tensions (00:47–01:38)

• Trump’s strategy session with Senate Republicans underscores a push for party unity, tempered by the acknowledgment of intra-party tensions.
  • Quote: “I think we had a really great meeting and we're very proud of the party. We like our leader. We like everybody really in the room. I don't like a few people, but that's okay. I think you know who they are.” – Donald Trump (01:14)
• The President is encouraging Senate Republicans to drop the filibuster and pass new voter ID laws.
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s response: Firm opposition to the GOP’s SAVE Act, particularly equating proposed reforms as trading housing cost relief for voting rights.
  • Quote: “The SAVE act is not going to pass the Senate or the House. We're not going to trade lower costs for housing for taking away our voting rights. That's a trade no one would make.” – Chuck Schumer (01:42)

3. Military Immunization Policy Change (02:32–03:20)

• Mandatory flu shots are reinstated for all U.S. military recruits at boot camp due to a major flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base (over 300 trainees affected).
  • The optional policy, enacted by Secretary Pete Hegseth in April, led to under 40% uptake among new recruits.
  • The Army and Navy seek to extend the mandate for specific overseas-deploying groups.

4. Voter Information Legal Battle (03:20–04:02)

• The DOJ loses an appeal to access personal information on Michigan’s registered voters—data sought includes birthdates, driver’s licenses, and partial Social Security numbers.
  • The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court upholds a prior ruling, asserting such information isn’t covered under the federal statutes cited.
  • The move mirrors wider judicial resistance—eight states’ courts have blocked similar DOJ requests.
  • Contextual note: The DOJ claims the info is for compliance with federal election laws, while state attorneys argue it’s about checking non-citizen voters.

5. Major Earthquakes in Venezuela (04:02–04:28)

• Two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela late Wednesday: a 7.1 magnitude quake west of Meron, immediately followed by a 7.5 magnitude event.
• U.S. Geological Survey reports and initial statements raise fears of potentially high fatalities.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Iran and negotiations:
  “Iran is being very nice. They're agreeing to everything that I want and they have to. Otherwise we just go back and do what we have to do.”
  — Donald Trump (00:18)
• On NATO relations:
  “We were disappointed with the UK we were disappointed with Germany and France. We're disappointed with most of Spain is a horror show.”
  — Donald Trump (00:39)
• On Republican party unity:
  “I think we had a really great meeting and we're very proud of the party. … I don't like a few people, but that's okay. I think you know who they are.”
  — Donald Trump (01:14)
• On voting rights and legislation:
  “The SAVE act is not going to pass the Senate or the House. We're not going to trade lower costs for housing for taking away our voting rights. That's a trade no one would make.”
  — Chuck Schumer (01:42)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Iran peace deal optimism and NATO criticism: 00:03–00:47
• Senate GOP strategy session and party dynamics: 01:08–01:38
• Schumer on voting legislation: 01:42–01:54
• Mandatory military flu shot policy reinstated: 02:32–03:20
• Justice Department voter info legal defeat: 03:20–04:02
• Venezuela earthquakes: 04:02–04:28

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains Fox News' brisk, tightly focused tone, giving listeners concise, forward-looking coverage of politics, military affairs, legal developments, and urgent global news. Direct presidential sound bites and pointed partisan contrasts add immediacy, reflecting both the House style and the high stakes of the stories discussed.

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Transcript

[Ted Lindner]

Remaining optimistic. I'm Ted Lindner. Fox News President Trump signaling that optimism regarding a burgeoning peace deal with Iran, touting progress on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and a new deconfliction framework aimed at stabilizing the Israel Hezbollah front.

[Donald Trump]

Iran is being very nice. They're agreeing to everything that I want and they have to. Otherwise we just go back and do what we have to do.

[Ted Lindner]

The White House and Tehran continue to spar publicly over the timeline for resuming nuclear inspections. The president meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta on Wednesday at the White House. The president expressing his disappointment with the alliance.

[Donald Trump]

We were disappointed with the UK we were disappointed with Germany and France. We're disappointed with most of Spain is a horror show.

[Ted Lindner]

Ruda called these isolated incidents, saying four to 5,000 US planes taking off from European bases in the six weeks before the ceasefire in Iran. They the meeting comes ahead of next month's NATO summit in Turkey. President Trump on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a strategy session with Senate Republicans. Fox's Jared Halpern has more on that from the White House.

[Jared Halpern]

President Trump emerged from a closed door lunch with top Senate Republican leaders suggesting a unified front.

[Donald Trump]

I think we had a really great meeting and we're very proud of the party. We like our leader. We like everybody really in the room. I don't like a few people, but that's okay. I think you know who they are.

[Jared Halpern]

The president has endorsed some primary challengers over incumbent Republican senators and is pushing GOP leaders in the Senate to eliminate the filibuster and pass new voter ID legislation.

[Ted Lindner]

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer weighing in.

[Chuck Schumer]

The SAVE act is not going to pass the Senate or the House. We're not going to trade lower costs for housing for taking away our voting rights. That's a trade no one would make.

[Ted Lindner]

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[Donald Trump]

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[Ted Lindner]

the Pentagon restores mandatory flu shots for all recruits at boot camp. Fox's Deborah Valen time with more War

[Deborah Valentine]

Secretary Pete Hagseth made the shot optional for the military at the end of April. Now the Pentagon says that boot camps for all military services are once again requiring the flu vaccination. It comes amid a growing weeks long flu outbreak at the US Air Force's boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base that sickened over 300 people. Only 40% of the new trainees moving through the boot camp opted to received the shot once it became optional, according to a source who spoke to the Associated Press. Both army and Navy officials have said that they have also asked for permission to make the shot mandatory for certain broad groups that include troops deploying overseas. Deborah Valentine, Fox News The Justice Department

[Ted Lindner]

losing another round of legal fights over voter information.

[Lisa Brady]

A federal appeals court is denying the Trump administration access to personal information about registered voters in Michigan, including birth dates, driver's license numbers and partials Social Security numbers, ruling that's not covered under a law cited by the Justice Department. The 2 to 1 opinion by the 6th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals upholds the decision of a federal judge in Lansing. DOJ says the goal is to ensure compliance with federal election law. Attorneys from Michigan and other Democrat led states say the administration wants to share information with Homeland Security to search for non citizen voters. Judges in at least eight other states have also rejected access to information beyond what's publicly available. Lisa Brady, FOX News and two powerful

[Ted Lindner]

earthquakes rocking Venezuela on Wednesday night, both of them registering over 7 magnitude.1 was 7.1. The epicenter was west of the community of Meron. The USGS reporting that an even larger 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck just a minute later. Authorities fear that there may be a major number of fatalities. I'm Ted Lindner and this is Fox News.

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