2PM ET 05/18/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – 2PM ET 05/18/2026 Newscast

Overview

This episode delivers a concise roundup of major U.S. and international news stories, focusing on high-interest legal battles, emerging public health risks, and government action. Anchored by Elisa Brady and featuring multiple Fox News correspondents, the newscast highlights breaking developments on Elon Musk’s court loss versus OpenAI, a twist in the Alec Murdoch murder trial, a ruling in the murder case of a United Healthcare executive, a terrorism charge in Arkansas, and newly imposed Ebola travel restrictions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elon Musk vs. OpenAI Lawsuit Outcome

• [00:02] Breaking News: Elon Musk loses a lawsuit against OpenAI. The California jury finds in favor of OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, citing Musk's delayed legal action as the basis for dismissal.

  • Details: Musk accused Altman and OpenAI of abandoning the company’s original charitable mission for profit.
  • Key Insight: Jury’s decision rests not on the merits of Musk’s claim, but on the timing of the lawsuit.

  Notable Quote:

  • Elisa Brady: "A jury in California just siding with OpenAI in a court fight with Musk who accused CEO Sam Altman of straying from the initial charitable mission of the company when Musk was a co-founder and investor. The jury finding Altman not liable on a technicality that Musk waited too long to sue." (00:02)

• [00:23] Kelly Saberry elaborates on the trial’s core dispute.

  • Musk contends he was unaware OpenAI would transition to a for-profit model, while OpenAI asserts he knew and did not object.
  • Major focus during the trial: Meetings at Tesla headquarters where these changes were discussed, reportedly with Musk’s knowledge.

  Notable Quote:

  • Kelly Saberry: "They said that they showed him term sheets and he had no objections. So it's these details that are playing into when did these things happen and does he have the right to sue." (00:23)

2. Alec Murdoch Retrial & Jury Tampering Lawsuit

• [01:02] Defense attorneys for Alec Murdoch sue former court clerk Becky Hill for jury tampering after state murder convictions were thrown out.

  • South Carolina Supreme Court found Hill deprived Murdoch of his constitutional rights and a fair trial, necessitating a retrial.
  • Murdoch remains incarcerated for unrelated financial crimes; Hill faces no criminal charges, but admitted to exploiting her position for gain.

  Notable Quote:

  • Jim Griffin: "It has been adjudged as a matter of state law that she deprived Alec of his constitutional rights... we've got to do it all over again, which nobody wants to do." (01:22)

3. United Healthcare Executive Murder Case Ruling

• [02:17] The judge in Luigi Mangioni’s New York murder case (the accused killer of Brian Thompson, a United Healthcare executive) delivers a mixed ruling.
  • Evidence taken during a search at a McDonald’s is excluded from trial.
  • Evidence from a later police station search, including the alleged murder weapon, is permitted.
  • Mangioni also faces federal charges.

4. Arkansas Terrorism Charge Linked to Pandemic Threat

• [02:48] Eben Brown reports that Aaron Keith Bynum faces terrorism charges for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at Walmart, contingent on possible future public health lockdowns due to a new Hunter virus outbreak.

  • Threats reportedly made on a gaming platform and tipped off to authorities by another player.
  • Arrest underscores new challenges in monitoring online threats tied to evolving epidemic responses.

  Notable Quote:

  • Eben Brown: "Bynum's arrest stems from a threat made on an online gaming platform... promising to commit such an act should the country be put under lockdown orders again due to the ongoing outbreak of Hunter virus among cruise ship passengers." (02:48)

5. U.S. Ebola Travel Restrictions

• [03:23] New U.S. travel restrictions target individuals recently in Ebola-affected regions of Central and East Africa.

  • Travelers from DRC, South Sudan, or Uganda within the last 21 days face enhanced entry screening and may be denied entry without a U.S. passport.
  • The CDC orders are in effect for 30 days; risk to the general U.S. public is described as low.
  • Efforts intensify to trace and test potentially exposed individuals and maintain hospital readiness.

  Notable Quote:

  • Chris Foster: "Travelers arriving from Ebola affected areas are subject to enhanced screening and monitoring. Those without a US Passport may be turned away if they've been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the last 21 days." (03:29)

• [03:56] Reports of ongoing attempts to repatriate Americans exposed to Ebola, including a medical missionary confirmed infected in Congo.

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• Legal intrigue: Musk’s high-profile case dismissed on a technicality rather than substantive claims injects a note of procedural drama.
• Justice system scrutiny: The Murdoch case focuses on the fragility of trial integrity and the practical difficulties of retrials.
• Public Safety & Fear: The Arkansas case highlights online radicalization and fear of emergent viral threats.
• Global Alert: Ebola travel restrictions and missionary infection report bring a global health crisis into sharp focus.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Elon Musk vs. OpenAI lawsuit summary: 00:02 – 01:02
• Alec Murdoch trial developments: 01:02 – 01:41
• United Healthcare executive murder case ruling: 02:17 – 02:48
• Arkansas Walmart terrorism threat: 02:48 – 03:23
• Ebola travel restrictions and CDC actions: 03:23 – 03:56

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Summary Flow

The episode swiftly details each story, reflecting FOX’s fast-paced, matter-of-fact style. Emphasis is placed on legal process, public accountability, and crisis response—balancing headline urgency with specific case details. The reporting remains restrained, prioritizing direct quotes and factual clarity over editorializing.

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Listeners seeking a rapid but thorough understanding of major U.S. and global news developments will find this update highly informative, with special attention given to legal precedent, public safety, and public health policy.

Transcript

[Elisa Brady]

This is a FOX News alert. Elon Musk loses in court. Elisa Brady, a jury in California just siding with OpenAI in a court fight with Musk who accused CEO Sam Altman of straying from the initial charitable mission of the company when Musk was a co founder and investor. The jury finding Altman not liable on a technicality that Musk waited too long to sue.

[Kelly Saberry]

So this all breaks down into what Musk said says he wasn't aware of the OpenAI says he did know. The whole point of this trial is that Musk says he did not know that OpenAI would go from a nonprofit to a for profit company. And we know in Altman's testimony, which was probably the biggest name to happen just last week, he talked about meetings that happened at Tesla's headquarters where Musk fully knew that they wanted to go for profit. They said that they showed him term sheets and he had no objections. So it's these details that are playing into when did these things happen and does he have the right to sue

[Elisa Brady]

Fox Business's Kelly Saberry Again, the jury just finding Musk no longer had that right. Also just in a defense team plays offense. Attorneys for former South Carolina attorney Alec Murdoch are now suing former court clerk Becky Hill, accusing her of tampering with the jury days after Murdoch's murder convictions and the killings of his wife and son were tossed out by the state

[Jim Griffin]

Supreme Court with the South Carolina Supreme Court ruling it has been adjudged as a matter of state law that she deprived Alec of his constitutional rights, deprived him of a right to a fair trial. And as a result, we've got to do it all over again, which nobody wants to do.

[Elisa Brady]

Defense attorney Jim Griffin also telling reporters Murdoch is grateful to no longer be a convicted murderer. The state does plan to retry him and he remains behind bars for financial crimes. Hill was never charged with jury tampering but admitted using her position for personal gain. America is listening. Listening to FOX News, I wrote a

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[Elisa Brady]

the accused killer of United Healthcare executive Brian Thompson gets a split decision from a judge in his New York murder case ruling that evidence taken from Luigi Mangioni's backpack during an initial search at a McDonald's restaurant Restaurant cannot be used as evidence. However, the judge will allow evidence seized during a later search at the police station, including a gun prosecutors say is the murder weapon. Mangioni also faces federal charges. An Arkansas man accused of threatening an attack over fears of another public health lockdown now faces prosecution.

[Eben Brown]

Sheriff's deputies in Marion County, Arkansas, say 20 year old Aaron Keith Bynum will face terrorism charges for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at a Walmart. Bynum's arrest stems from a threat made on an online gaming platform, purportedly by him promising to commit such an act should the country be put under lockdown orders again due to the ongoing outbreak of Hunter virus among cruise ship passengers. Another player on the game platform reported the threat to the FBI, which in turn alerted the Marion Sheriff's Office. Eben Brown, Fox News the US has

[Elisa Brady]

new travel restrictions in place for people who've been in countries most affected by an Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa.

[Chris Foster]

Travelers arriving from Ebola affected areas are subject to enhanced screening and monitoring. Those without a US Passport may be turned away if they've been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the last 21 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention orders effective immediately for the next 30 days. It says the immediate risk to the general American public is low, but that it'll be ramping up tracing testing and hospital readiness nationwide as a precaution and continue to send personnel to support outbreak containment operations in affected regions.

[Elisa Brady]

Fox's Chris Foster efforts are ongoing to bring home several Americans possibly exposed to the virus while working for a non profit in Congo, where a group tells Fox News NOW that one of its medical missionaries has tested positive for Ebola. Elisa Brady, FOX News.