2AM ET 07/12/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – 2AM ET 07/12/2026 Newscast

Host: Debra Valentine (FOX News Podcasts)
Air Date: July 12, 2026
Episode Theme:
A fast-paced briefing on breaking national and international headlines, featuring major military events, financial policy updates, local crime reports, political maneuvering in Florida, and a controversial shooting incident involving federal agents.

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1. Heightened Tensions in the Middle East

[00:03 – 00:47]

• US Airstrikes on Iran:
  • Debra Valentine reports on U.S. airstrikes against Iran following the Revolutionary Guard’s move to close the Strait of Hormuz.
• NATO Diplomacy & Israeli Operations:
  • Lucas Tomlinson highlights that Iranian revenge actions were thwarted around the same time President Trump participated in a NATO summit in Turkey, a country bordering Iran.
  • Hezbollah Plot Foiled:
    • Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Galani Division intercepted Hezbollah operatives moving anti-tank missiles in southern Lebanon’s buffer zone.
    • Operational Precision: "They waited until the terrorists were all inside and leveled the building. The IDF said secondary explosions were seen afterwards."
      – Lucas Tomlinson [00:35]
    • Context: The IDF response comes after prior Hezbollah attacks killed four Israeli soldiers.

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2. Federal Reserve Leadership and Policy Shift

[00:47 – 01:29]

• New Fed Chair’s First Congressional Testimony:
  • Jeff Marasso previews Kevin Warsh’s upcoming testimony to House and Senate committees, marking his first public address as the Federal Reserve chairman.
  • Presidential Influence:
    • President Trump selected Warsh to replace Jerome Powell (referred to as “Too Late Powell”) for hesitating to lower interest rates.
  • Market Hints:
    • "Warsh has signaled that he's more friendly to rate reductions." – Jeff Marasso [01:16]

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3. Public Safety: St. Clair Festival Shooting

[01:29 – 01:43]

• Incident Overview:
  • Debra Valentine reports two fatalities and four injuries from gunfire at the St. Clair festival.
  • Law Enforcement Response:
    • Deputy Police Chief Frank Burrito and the mayor condemn the recklessness, highlighting public endangerment.
    • Quote: "Just the brazen, despicable quality of this exchange here. The amount of danger to the members of the public, as the mayor commented, is just so unacceptable." – Anonymous official [01:35]

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4. Sports Update: World Cup Semifinals

[01:43 – 01:48]

• Upcoming Matches:
  • Argentina vs. England (Wednesday)
  • Spain vs. France (Tuesday)
  • Final on Sunday, July 19th
• [Quick mention by Debra Valentine]

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5. Florida’s Gubernatorial Race & Tech Policy

[02:53 – 03:46]

• Byron Donalds' Policy Focus:
  • Jessica Rosenthal reports on Congressman Byron Donalds, the leading Republican candidate to succeed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
• Stance on AI Data Centers and Utility Costs:
  • “What we have to do is make sure that we protect our resources, protect ratepayers when it comes to their utility bills. We're going to do that, but find a way to still build out the meaningful computing power...”
    – Byron Donalds [03:12]
• Property Tax Amendment:
  • Donalds signals support for a constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes; promises comprehensive review if it fails.
    • “...come up with recommendations for fully repealing homestead property taxes.”
      – Byron Donalds [03:29]
• Political Continuity:
  • Donalds pledges to cement DeSantis’ successes while preparing for Florida’s emerging challenges.

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6. Houston Shooting: Immigration & Law Enforcement

[03:46 – 04:49]

• Shooting Incident:
  • Max Gordon details a fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, by ICE in Houston.
  • Conflicting Accounts:
    • DHS states Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle; passengers dispute this.
    • No body cameras worn by agents at the time.
    • “Authorities say the man...was not the intended target, but he was stopped because his van resembled a vehicle associated with their suspect and they were near the address.”
      – Max Gordon [04:07]
• Legal Challenges:
  • The attorney for three undocumented migrants present disputes the DHS version of events.

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7. Notable Quotes

• Lucas Tomlinson [00:35]:
  “They waited until the terrorists were all inside and leveled the building. The IDF said secondary explosions were seen afterwards.”
• Jeff Marasso [01:16]:
  "Warsh has signaled that he's more friendly to rate reductions."
• Anonymous Official [01:35]:
  "Just the brazen, despicable quality of this exchange here. The amount of danger to the members of the public, as the mayor commented, is just so unacceptable."
• Byron Donalds [03:12]:
  “What we have to do is make sure that we protect our resources, protect ratepayers...but find a way to still build out the meaningful computing power...”
• Byron Donalds [03:29]:
  "...come up with recommendations for fully repealing homestead property taxes."
• Max Gordon [04:07]:
  “Authorities say the man...was not the intended target, but he was stopped because his van resembled a vehicle associated with their suspect and they were near the address.”

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8. Key Timestamps

• [00:03] – Iran Strike and Mideast Tensions
• [00:54] – Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s First Testimony
• [01:29] – St. Clair Festival Shooting
• [01:43] – World Cup Semifinals
• [02:53] – Florida Gubernatorial Race & AI Data Centers
• [03:46] – Houston ICE Shooting Controversy

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Summary:
This tightly packed newscast offers a snapshot of global conflict escalation, major domestic policy decisions, rising public safety concerns, emerging political landscapes, and controversial law enforcement actions, with rapid updates and direct quotes from reporters, officials, and political figures.

Transcript

[Debra Valentine]

More strikes. I'm Debra Valentine, Fox News. New US Air strikes on Iran after Tehran's Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guard declared the Strait of Hormuz closed.

[Lucas Tomlinson]

It appears that act of revenge by Iran was foiled when President Trump attended that NATO summit in Turkey, a country that borders Iran. With the ceasefire over earlier today, Israeli forces stopped the plot of their own. Troops from the IDF's Galani Division spotted Hezbollah fighters bringing anti tank missiles into a building inside the southern Lebanon buff zone. The IDF watched the terrorists bring these rounds into the building. They waited until the terrorists were all inside and leveled the building. The IDF said secondary explosions were seen afterwards. Recall last month Hezbollah fired similar anti tank rounds at an Israeli Merkava tank, killing all four soldiers inside.

[Debra Valentine]

Fox's Lucas Tomlinson reporting from Tel Aviv. The new Federal Reserve chairman is set to testify before Congress this week.

[Jeff Marasso]

It'll be Kevin Warsh's first Capitol Hill testimony Tuesday as the new Fed chair expecting to talk monetary policy before the House Financial Services Committee. The US Central bank chief required by law to testify before Congress twice a year in February and July, also expected to appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday. Warsh was tapped by President Trump to replace former Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who the president dubbed as Too Late Powell for refusing to lower interest rates. Warsh has signaled that he's more friendly to rate reductions. Jeff Marasso, Fox News, Toronto.

[Debra Valentine]

Police say two people were killed, four hurt, Saturday night when gunfire erupted during the St. Clair festival.

[Unknown Narrator/Reporter]

Just the brazen, despicable quality of this exchange here. The amount of danger to the members of the public, as the mayor commented, is just so unacceptable.

[Debra Valentine]

Deputy Police Chief Frank Burrito, no suspects in custody in the World cup semifinals. Argentina takes on England Wednesday. Spain plays France Tuesday, the winner said to the final on Sunday, July 19th. America's listening to Fox News.

[Unknown Narrator/Reporter]

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[Debra Valentine]

the apparent frontrunner in the Republican race to replace Florida's soon to be former governor says he has plans when it comes property taxes, data centers and keeping Florida free. Fox's Jessica Rosenthal has more on AI data centers.

[Jessica Rosenthal]

Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, running to be governor of Florida, says there has to be a balance.

[Byron Donalds]

What we have to do is make sure that we protect our resources, protect ratepayers when it comes to their utility bills. We're going to do that, but find a way to still build out the meaningful computing power that we're going to

[Jessica Rosenthal]

need on the state's constitutional amendment to dramatically reduce property taxes, he told the Fox News rundown podcast. He's for it and if it doesn't

[Byron Donalds]

pass, we are going to do a top to bottom analysis of all taxes and fees in the state of Florida and come up with recommendations for fully repealing homestead property taxes.

[Jessica Rosenthal]

Donald says as governor he would plan to cement the winds of Governor Ron DeSantis while preparing for the state's future. Jessica Rosenthal, Fox News.

[Debra Valentine]

A migrant reportedly in the United States illegally was fatally shot by a federal law enforcement officer in Houston, Texas. Fox's Max Gordon reports from Los Angeles.

[Max Gordon]

The DHS inspector general and Houston prosecutors are running separate probes of the fatal shooting that took place last Tuesday. Sources tell Fox News that the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras at the time. Authorities say the man who was shot and killed, Lorenzo Salgado Arujo, a Mexican national living in the US Illegally, was not the intended target, but he was stopped because his van resembled a vehicle associated with their suspect and they were near the address. DHS says the situation turned deadly when Arujo rammed an ICE vehicle, leading an agent to shoot in self defense. But according to reports, passengers inside the van with Araujo dispute that he used the vehicle to try to hit officers. Arujo was struck by gunfire and taken to a local hospital where he died.

[Debra Valentine]

There were three other undocumented migrants with Araujo. Their attorney is disputing the Department of Homeland Security's account of the fatal event. I'm Debra Valentine. This is Fox News.

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