Fox News Hourly Update – 2AM ET, July 21, 2025

On the latest episode of the Fox News Hourly Update, host Debra Valentine and her team delve into a range of pressing national and international issues. From political controversies and international conflicts to significant incidents impacting national security, the broadcast provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape. Below is a detailed summary of the key topics discussed, enriched with notable quotes and proper attributions.

1. The Resurgence of the Russia Hoax

Debra Valentine opens the segment by highlighting Tulsi Gabbard’s renewed accusations against former Obama administration officials regarding the alleged falsification of evidence connecting President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign to Russia.

• [00:03] Debra Valentine: “The Russia hoax resurfaces. I’m Debra Valentine.”

Madeleine Rivera expands on Gabbard’s claims, referencing declassified documents that suggest intelligence officials originally indicated that Russia lacked both the intent and capability to influence the 2016 election via cyber means. She details a pivotal December 9, 2016, meeting among Obama-era intelligence officials where, post-discussion, an email from former DNI James Clapper’s executive assistant allegedly directed intelligence leaders to revise their assessment of Russia’s election influence tactics.

• [00:19] Madeleine Rivera: “DNI Tulsi Gabbard says these declassified documents show intelligence officials consistently stated that Russia is probably not trying nor have the capability to influence the election by using cyber means.”

However, Democrats counter Gabbard’s assertions by arguing that she conflates hacking with broader influence operations. They reference the bipartisan 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report, which maintained that Russia favored Trump in its influence efforts during the election cycle.

• [00:19] Madeleine Rivera: “Democrats say Gabbard is conflating hacking and influencing. They say intelligence, including a bipartisan 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report, have reaffirmed Russia had a favorite in its influence operations, President Trump.”

Valentine notes that while Gabbard has not named specific officials, she believes there is sufficient evidence to pursue prosecutions.

• [01:02] Debra Valentine: “Gabbard didn’t name specific officials but said there was enough evidence to prosecute.”

2. Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Amid Escalating Conflict

Transitioning to international affairs, Stephanie Bennett reports on the ongoing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which have now entered their third round following two prior discussions in Turkey.

• [01:13] Madeleine Rivera: “While Ukraine and Russia have already held two rounds of talks in Turkey in recent months, now the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin is ready to move toward a peace settlement.”

Despite Putin’s readiness, Bennett underscores that Moscow’s primary objective remains the achievement of its strategic goals. Concurrently, Russia's Defense Ministry reports significant military activity, including the downing of 142 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 27 striking a high-rise apartment block in Moscow. The offensive is intensifying, with Russia launching over 300 drones and 30 missiles across 10 regions.

• [01:13] Madeleine Rivera: “But Moscow's main objective is to achieve its goals. It comes as Russia's Defense Ministry says they downed 142 Ukrainian drones overnight.”

3. President Trump’s Second Term Milestones and Legislative Agenda

Celebrating six months into his second term, President Donald Trump reflects on legislative achievements and outlines forthcoming initiatives. Lucas Tomlinson reports from the White House, highlighting Trump’s focus on areas such as cryptocurrency regulation and fiscal responsibility.

• [03:08] Debra Valentine: “President Trump celebrating his first six months of his second term in the White House.”

Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania praises Trump’s legislative successes, including measures on crypto and significant reductions in government spending. He attributes Trump’s rising popularity within the Republican Party and the MAGA movement to these accomplishments, especially in light of controversies like the Jeffrey Epstein investigations.

• [03:17] Dave McCormick: “President Trump looking at the scoreboard and posting on Truth Social. My poll numbers with the Republican Party and MAGA have gone up significantly since the Jeffrey Epstein hoax was exposed by the radical left Democrats and just plain trouble bankers.”

Additionally, Trump is poised to issue several executive orders focused on artificial intelligence, aiming to ensure the United States remains competitive with China in this critical technological frontier. He is scheduled to address this topic in a speech on Wednesday.

• [03:17] Dave McCormick: “...gearing up for this week, making a number of executive orders on artificial intelligence, something the president wants to keep pace with with China.”

4. Incident Involving Illegal Migrant and Border Patrol in New York City

Shifting to domestic security concerns, CB Cotton reports a serious incident in New York City involving an illegal migrant and an off-duty Border Patrol agent. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirms that one of the suspects apprehended is a previously deported individual who was released at the border during the Biden administration.

• [04:11] CB Cotton: “DHS tells Fox one of the suspects now in custody is a previously deported illegal migrant caught and released at the border under the Biden administration.”

The suspect, Miguel Francisco Mora Muniz, a Dominican national, had been apprehended at the Arizona border in March 2023 and subsequently released despite having an active criminal warrant in Massachusetts for kidnapping and a prior felony arrest. The incident occurred at Fort Washington Park, where the off-duty agent was shot in the face and arm but remains in stable condition. A second suspect remains at large.

• [04:11] CB Cotton: “...he has an active criminal warrant in Massachusetts for kidnapping and prior felony arrest. Officers responded to the scene at Fort Washington park and they found the off duty Border Patrol agent shot in the face and arm, the agent's report [is] in stable condition. A second suspect [is] at large.”

5. Alaska Airlines IT Outage Causes Ground Stop

In transportation news, Alaska Air Group Inc. has requested a ground stop for all its mainline aircraft due to a significant IT outage. The company attributes the halt in operations to technical difficulties impacting their systems.

• [04:47] Debra Valentine: “Alaska Airlines has requested a ground stop for all of its mainline aircraft. Alaska Air Group Inc. says an IT outage is to blame for the ground stoppage.”

Conclusion

The episode of Fox News Hourly Update provides a thorough analysis of both national and international issues shaping the current geopolitical and domestic landscape. From political controversies involving former administration officials to ongoing conflicts and security incidents, the broadcast ensures listeners are well-informed on critical developments.

Note: Advertisements and promotional segments, such as those for NetSuite by Oracle, were omitted from this summary to focus solely on the news content.