2AM ET 08/19/2025 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update — 2AM ET, August 19, 2025

Overview

This Fox News hourly update presents the latest developments in international diplomacy concerning Ukraine and Russia, U.S. political controversies over voting and redistricting, new requirements for teachers in Oklahoma, as well as cultural and entertainment news. The episode emphasizes the high stakes in global peace efforts and ongoing partisan clashes on the domestic front.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. and International Diplomacy on Ukraine

• President Trump’s Mediation Attempt
  • After meetings with President Zelensky and European leaders, President Trump arranged a call with Russia’s President Putin to set up direct talks between Ukraine and Russia ([00:03]).
  • Trump emphasizes U.S. security guarantees should peace be achieved:

    “The US, we're going to work with Ukraine. We're going to work with everybody. And we're going to make sure that if there's peace, the peace is going to stay long term.”
    — President Trump ([00:23])

  • Trump acknowledges potential for territorial exchanges:

    “To discuss the possible exchanges of territory taken into consideration the current line of contact.”
    — President Trump ([00:34])

  • European leaders push for an "immediate ceasefire" amid ongoing Russian attacks ([00:41], [00:48]).
  • Kremenchuk attack underscores continued hostilities; Ukrainian officials doubt Putin’s commitment to peace ([00:48]).

2. U.S. Political Controversies: Redistricting & Voting Laws

• Texas and California Redistricting

  • Texas Democrats, having returned after stalling GOP-led redistricting, are under police monitoring ([01:10]).
  • The Texas legislature may pass a new congressional map this week; Democrats plan immediate legal challenges.
  • California Democrats are advancing their own congressional map, potentially adding five new Democratic districts if voters approve ([01:10]–[01:29]).
  • Quote:

    “The Texas legislature could pass the new congressional map as soon as this week. And House Democrats say they plan to challenge that map in court immediately.”
    — Garrett Heney, FOX News Austin ([01:10])

• Oklahoma Teacher Applicant Policy

  • New exam required for out-of-state teacher applicants, designed to “guard against radical leftist ideology.” Critics deride it as a “MAGA loyalty test” ([01:29]).

3. Election Policy Debate: Mail-in Voting

• Trump Moves to Ban Mail-In Ballots
  • Via Truth Social, Trump vows an executive order to ban mail-in ballots before midterms:

    “Elections can never be honest with it. ... [I will bring] honesty back into the process.”
    — President Trump, paraphrased by Jessica Rosenthal ([02:36])

  • Trump claims most countries bar mail-in voting; highlights state's administrative role in vote counting but acknowledges Congress’s legal authority ([02:36]).
  • Context: Mail-in voting comprised about 30% of ballots in the last presidential election, down from its pandemic peak ([02:36]).

4. International Crime

• Norwegian Royal Indictment
  • Marius Borghoby, son of Norway’s crown princess, indicted on multiple charges including rape; faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted ([03:18]).

5. Entertainment News

• ‘Lord of the Rings’ Film Franchise
  • Sir Ian McKellen teases casting secrets at a fan event; did not reveal if he’ll return as Gandalf in “The Hunt for Gollum” ([03:38]–[04:01]).

    “There's a character in the movie called Frod, and there's another character called Gandalf.”
    — Sir Ian McKellen ([03:49])

  • Elijah Wood, who played Frodo, was also present; the film is set for December 2027 ([04:01]).

6. Lottery News

• Powerball Jackpot
  • No winner in the latest Powerball drawing; next jackpot rises to $643 million, the largest this year ([04:18]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Peace in Ukraine:

  “We're going to make sure that if there's peace, the peace is going to stay long term.”
  — President Trump ([00:23])

• On Election Integrity:

  “Elections can never be honest with [mail-in voting]... I will sign an executive order meant to bring honesty back into the process.”
  — President Trump (paraphrased by Jessica Rosenthal, [02:36])

• On Education Policy in Oklahoma:

  “Applicants for teacher jobs coming from the blue states of California and New York [must] pass an exam he says will guard against radical leftist ideology. Critics, though, call it a MAGA loyalty test.”
  — Carmen Roberts ([01:29])

• On Lord of the Rings Film:

  “There's a character in the movie called Frod, and there's another character called Gandalf.”
  — Sir Ian McKellen ([03:49])

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Timeline & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | Speaker/Details | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------| | 00:03 | Trump arranges Ukraine–Russia peace talks | Carmen Roberts | | 00:23 | Security guarantees for Ukraine | President Trump | | 00:34 | Need to discuss territory exchanges | President Trump | | 00:41 | Ceasefire demand from EU leaders | Jared Halpern | | 00:48 | Kremenchuk attack; skepticism of Russian intentions | Carmen Roberts | | 01:10 | Texas redistricting, Dems monitored | Garrett Heney | | 01:29 | Oklahoma's teacher exam policy | Carmen Roberts | | 02:36 | Trump’s push to ban mail-in ballots | Jessica Rosenthal | | 03:18 | Norway royal family scandal | Carmen Roberts | | 03:38 | McKellen teases new Lord of the Rings casting | Tanya J. | | 04:18 | Powerball jackpot update | Carmen Roberts |

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Tone

• Urgent and factual with brief analysis and direct quotes from officials
• Reflects FOX’s current-affairs focus with concise updates and national political framing
• Occasional lighter moments (entertainment news, lottery) for contrast

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Transcript

[Carmen Roberts]

Working on a third meeting. I'm Carmen Roberts, Fox News. After meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House Monday, President Trump says he called Russian President Putin to arrange a face to face meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents.

[Jared Halpern]

A peace agreement the president says will include security guarantees for Ukraine, backed by.

[President Trump]

The US we're going to work with Ukraine. We're going to work with everybody. And we're going to make sure that if there's peace, the peace is going to stay long term.

[Jared Halpern]

But President Trump adds, we also need.

[President Trump]

To discuss the possible exchanges of territory taken into consideration the current line of contact.

[Jared Halpern]

European leaders are pushing for an immediate cease fire in Ukraine. At the White House, Jared Halpern, FOX News.

[Carmen Roberts]

Meantime, Russia keeps up its attacks on Ukraine. Overnight, it attacked the city of Kremenchuk. The mayor says that tens of explosions prove Putin does not want peace. Texas Democrats who left the state to stall a vote on the GOP redistricting maps are back in the state but are being monitored by police to make sure they don't leave again when the state House holds another special session for a vote.

[Garrett Heney]

The Texas legislature could pass the new congressional map as soon as this week. And House Democrats say they plan to challenge that map in court immediately. This week, California Democrats are expected to pass their own new congressional map that would create five new Democratic districts if voters approve the map in November.

[Carmen Roberts]

Fox's Garrett Heney in Austin, Texas. Oklahoma's top education official says the state will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from the blue states of California and New York to pass an exam he says will guard against radical leftist ideology. Critics, though, call it a MAGA loyalty test. As stocks ended mix, The Dow lost 34 points, Dow futures down 69. At this hour, America's listening. The Fox NEWS.

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[Carmen Roberts]

President Trump says he wants to ban mail in voting before next year's midterm elections.

[Jessica Rosenthal]

In a truth social post, President Trump blasted mail in voting, insisting elections can never be honest with it. He notes most other countries do not allow mail in voting. And so ahead of midterms next year, he says he will sign an executive order meant to bring honesty back into the process. As he put it, the president also writes the states are merely an agent for counting and tabulating votes. However, the Constitution does give states the right to administer elections in the manner of their choosing, though Congress can change voting regulations through law. In the last presidential election, a little over 30% of ballots were cast by mail. That is a decline from a high of 43% in 2020 during the pandemic. Jessica Rosenthal, Fox News Prosecutors in Norway.

[Carmen Roberts]

Indict the eldest son of the country's crown princess on multiple charges, including rape. 28 year old Marius Borghoby faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. A star of the fantasy film trilogy Lord of the Rings stirs questions about casting for the film's next film in the franchise.

[Tanya J.]

Sir Ian McKellen is getting a lot of attention for his comments during a Lord of the Rings panel at a UK fan event. He referred to casting secrets about the upcoming film the Hunt for Gollum.

[President Trump]

There's a character in the movie called Frod, and there's another character called Gandalf.

[Tanya J.]

He did not explicitly say who would be playing the roles, but McKellen played the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films and Elijah Wood, who was also on the panel, played Frodo. The Hunt for Gollum is set for a December 2027 release. Tanya J.

[Carmen Roberts]

Powers, Fox News and the Powerball jackpot surges to the largest amount this year.

[Powerball Announcer]

No.

[Carmen Roberts]

1 one Monday's night's drawing. So the drawing on Wednesday is worth an estimated 643 million. Carmen Roberts, this is Listen to the.

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