2AM ET 07/17/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – 2AM ET 07/17/2026

Host: Sue Guzman (with reports from Gernall Scott, Jennifer Griffin, Lucas Tomlinson, and others)
Date: July 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

This hourly Fox News radio update highlights the national address by President Trump focusing on election integrity and foreign interference, the ongoing U.S. military offensive targeting Iran, severe weather emergencies in Texas, widespread air quality alerts due to Canadian wildfires, a White House scandal over betting, and a public health warning tied to a stomach illness outbreak.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s National Address: Election Integrity & Alleged Foreign Interference

• Theme: President Trump addressed the nation, emphasizing his administration's commitment to election security and highlighting threats he claims are posed by foreign actors, specifically China.
• Details:
  • President Trump claimed that the People’s Republic of China was responsible for "the largest compromise of election data in history."
  • Newly declassified documents, according to Trump, prove a coordinated Chinese effort to interfere in recent and past U.S. elections, including attempts in 2020 to benefit Joe Biden.
• Notable Coverage:
  • "Election integrity has been a focus of President Trump's second term." – Gernall Scott [00:17]
  • "The People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history." – Unnamed Correspondent [00:29]
  • "He's released once classified documents he says proves it was a coordinated effort by China on many fronts." – Gernall Scott [00:37]

2. U.S. Expands Military Strikes Against Iran

• Theme: Heightened military action by the U.S. targets vital infrastructure in Iran, focusing on pressure near the Strait of Hormuz.
• Details:
  • U.S. military strikes targeted roads and bridges around the port city Bandar Abbas.
  • Ongoing airstrikes, now for over a week since July 7, including repeated sorties by stealth F-35s, carrier-based F-18s, and enforcement of a blockade.
  • Recent attacks involved the destruction of an oil tanker suspected of violating the blockade.
• Notable Coverage:
  • "CENTCOM says it's the fifth straight night of airstrikes, really, they've been going on for more than a week, going back to July 7, when President Trump made the decision to ramp up this conflict." – Lucas Tomlinson [01:18]
  • "We're seeing F35 stealth fighter jets being launched from bases in the region." – Lucas Tomlinson [01:28]
  • "That oil tanker getting its stack shot off by those Hellfire missiles, likely from a drone." – Lucas Tomlinson [01:42]

3. Severe Flash Flooding in Texas

• Theme: Deadly weather in Texas prompts extensive rescue operations.
• Details:
  • Multiple fatalities as individuals are swept away during flash floods—one in an RV, another while driving.
  • Over a thousand emergency crew members, even from Oklahoma, conducting rescues.
• Notable Coverage:
  • "Flash flooding in Texas claiming more lives." – Sue Guzman [02:32]
  • "Over a thousand emergency crew members have responded... and have rescued dozens of people from high waters." – Sue Guzman [02:51]

4. Air Quality Crisis Across Northeast and Great Lakes

• Theme: Widespread hazardous air caused by ongoing Canadian wildfires.
• Details:
  • Poor air quality advisories cover cities like New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Minneapolis.
  • Officials urge residents to stay indoors due to unsafe air.
• Notable Coverage:
  • "Dangerously poor air quality stretching across much of the Northeast and southern Canada thanks to those wildfires raging north of the border." – Unnamed Air Quality Reporter [03:05]
  • "Air quality readings surged to levels so dangerous that one public health expert said nobody should be outside." – Unnamed Air Quality Reporter [03:33]

5. White House Betting Scandal

• Theme: A close staffer of President Trump is under investigation for using insider knowledge to make illegal bets.
• Details:
  • Kevin Cork, Trump’s teleprompter operator, is on unpaid leave after reportedly using advance knowledge of speeches to profit in online prediction markets.
  • Winnings allegedly exceeded $100,000.
• Notable Coverage:
  • "Kevin Cork, President Trump's teleprompter operator, is on unpaid leave following reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president's speeches." – Sue Guzman [03:39]

6. Major Stomach Bug Outbreak Linked to Taco Bell

• Theme: Food safety alert as a cyclosporiasis outbreak is traced in part to Taco Bell’s iceberg lettuce.
• Details:
  • Taco Bell voluntarily removes iceberg lettuce from many restaurants after health officials link it to outbreaks causing "explosive diarrhea".
  • Michigan noted as the state with most reported cases.
  • Over 3,700 cases nationwide as of the latest report.
• Notable Coverage:
  • "Taco Bell... has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove iceberg lettuce from dozens of its restaurants that could be linked to a major stomach bug outbreak." – Sue Guzman [03:49]
  • "Cyclospora infections have caused explosive diarrhea across. Michigan has seen the most cases of cyclosporiasis of any state in the U.S. so far." – Sue Guzman [03:53]

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Memorable Quotes

• "President Trump... refocused on maintaining the sanctity of America's elections and pointed a finger at whom he claims is trying to interfere." – Gernall Scott [00:22]
• "Officials are encouraging residents, including in New York City, to, you know, stay inside, be smart." – Unnamed Air Quality Reporter [03:08]
• "As of Wednesday, more than 3,700 cases reported across the U.S." – Sue Guzman [04:07]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Election Security & China Interference Claims: 00:03–00:54
• U.S. Military Strikes Against Iran: 00:54–01:53
• Flash Flood Fatalities in Texas: 02:32–02:51
• Air Quality Emergency Notice: 02:51–03:39
• White House Betting Scandal: 03:39–03:49
• Taco Bell Lettuce Recall & Outbreak: 03:49–04:07

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Tone:
The reporting is urgent, focused, and often dramatic, emphasizing breaking news and official statements, consistent with Fox News radio bulletins. There is a strong emphasis on government actions, public health warnings, and swift developments around unfolding events.

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Transcript

[Sue Guzman]

Claims of election interference. I'm Sue Guzman. Fox News. President Trump addressing the nation Thursday night. He addressed and focused on part on his concerns about election security. From the past several years, election integrity

[Gernall Scott]

has been a focus of President Trump's second term. In his national address, he refocused on maintaining the sanctity of America's elections and pointed a finger at whom he claims is trying to interfere.

[Unnamed Fox News Correspondent]

The People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history.

[Gernall Scott]

He's released once classified documents he says proves it was a coordinated effort by China on many fronts. The president also claimed China attempted to influence the 2020 election for former President Joe Biden. Gernall Scott, Fox News.

[Sue Guzman]

The United States expanding its attacks on Iran. Fox's Jennifer Griffin reports. The U.S. military now targeted roads and bridges based around Bandar Ab, a port city in the Central District with a key position near the Strait of Hormuz. Fox's Lucas Tomlinson is more from Tel Aviv.

[Lucas Tomlinson]

The indication from Central Command it appears that these strikes are ongoing. And this comes on top of the three waves of American airstrikes launched just yesterday. And while CENTCOM says it's the fifth straight night of airstrikes, really, they've been going on for more than a week, going back to July 7, when President Trump made the decision to ramp up this conflict and turn it back into a major military operations. We're seeing F35 stealth fighter jets being launched from bases in the region. We're also seeing fighter jets from the USS George H.W. bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln, F18s. You also have F35s aboard Lincoln. You also saw this blockade being enforced, that oil tanker getting its stack shot off by those Hellfire missiles, likely from a drone.

[Sue Guzman]

And the latest round of strikes has concluded. America's listening to FOX News.

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[Amazon Health AI User]

Why did I search the Internet for answers to my cold or problem? Now I'm stuck down a rabbit hole filled with images of alarmingly graphic source in various stages of ooze. I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that.

[Amazon Health AI Announcer]

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[Sue Guzman]

Flash flooding in Texas claiming more lives. Governor Greg Abbott, a mill near

[Lucas Tomlinson]

who

[Unnamed Emergency Reporter]

was swept away in an rv. Another is a female in New Valley who was swept away while driving on a road.

[Sue Guzman]

More than a thousand emergency crew members have responded, including some from Oklahoma, and have rescued dozens of people from high waters. Millions in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions facing dangerously unhealthy air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.

[Unnamed Air Quality Reporter]

In fact, it's gotten so bad, officials are encouraging residents, including in New York City, to, you know, stay inside, be smart. Dangerously poor air quality stretching across much of the Northeast and southern Canada thanks to those wildfires raging north of the border. Darkening skies. And we're talking about all the way from the Great Lakes, even out as far as New England and in a number of major cities. Today, we're talking about Chicago and Cleveland and Detroit and Minneapolis. Air quality readings surged to levels so dangerous that one public health expert said nobody should be outside.

[Sue Guzman]

Xbox's Kevin Cork, president Trump's teleprompter operator, is on unpaid leave following reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president's speeches on the online prediction market. Calci Gabriel Perez, accused of using his inside knowledge to win more than $100,000 betting on what the president would say in addresses such as the State of the Union and Taco Bell, says it has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove iceberg lettuce from dozens of its restaurants that could be linked to a major stomach bug outbreak. Cyclospora infections have caused explosive diarrhea across. Michigan has seen the most cases of cyclosporiasis of any state in the U.S. so far. As of Wednesday, more than 3,700 cases reported across the U.S. i'm Sue Guzman. This is FOX News.

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