Fox News Hourly Update – July 1, 2025, 2PM ET Newscast

Host: Lisa Brady
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Duration: Approximately 4 minutes

Senate Approves President Trump's Tax Cuts and Spending Plan

The afternoon newscast opens with Lisa Brady announcing that the U.S. Senate has successfully passed President Trump's tax cut and spending plan. The legislation secured approval through a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Vance after three Republican senators—Thom Tillis, Rand Paul, and Susan Collins—voted against it. These dissenting senators voiced concerns over the national debt and proposed Medicaid cuts, with Susan Collins warning that over 11 million Americans could lose their health insurance (00:02).

Rand Paul responded to the estimates, stating, "I'm saying it's going to be a very much smaller number than that. And that number will be waste, fraud and abuse. And if you look, they took a much more liberal stance on the Medicaid situation than they could have" (00:24). He criticized the administration's approach, emphasizing the potential for reduced waste and fraud.

House Republicans Express Hesitation on Final Passage

Lisa Brady reported that President Trump believes final passage of the bill in the House may be less contentious than in the Senate. However, not all House Republicans are on board. Andy Harris, Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, remarked, "Bottom line is this is not ready for prime time" (00:42), indicating reservations about the bill's readiness. Harris further asserted, "We support the president's agenda. The president's agenda was not to raise the deficit by three quarters of a trillion dollars over the next 10 years" (00:47), emphasizing the need for negotiations between the House and Senate.

As a result, Harris suggested that the final vote on the bill could be postponed to next week instead of proceeding as initially planned (00:45). On the opposition side, Democrats have labeled the bill a betrayal, arguing that it would harm American families.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Criticizes the Legislation

Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, strongly opposed the bill, rejecting the White House's claims that it would stimulate the economy by extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts. He stated, "Any worker in clean energy industry who loses their job does not think it's beautiful. Any mom who can't feed her kid on $5 a day doesn't think it's beautiful" (01:05), highlighting the negative impact on vulnerable populations and clean energy workers.

High-Profile Criminal Case: Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty

Shifting focus to criminal justice, Lisa Brady reported that Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students to avoid the death penalty (01:15). Jonathan Hunt detailed, "Now if the deal goes through, he'll live the rest of his life behind bars" (01:32). The reactions from the victims' families are mixed; the family of Kaylee Goncalves expressed fury, while the family of Ethan Chapin pledged their continued support (01:32). Hunt added that the plea deal comes after a lengthy trial was scheduled to begin in August, with updates pending a new plea change hearing set for tomorrow in Boise (01:46).

New York City Democratic Primary Results and Mayoral Race

Lisa Brady provided an update on the New York City Democratic primary, revealing that Zoran Mamdani secured 56% of the vote after the third round of ranked-choice voting, surpassing the required majority against Andrew Cuomo, who received 44% (02:20). The results await official certification expected within two weeks.

Amid the political developments, Mamdani vowed to defy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if elected mayor, prompting President Trump to threaten pulling government funding and labeling Mamdani a communist (02:57). Gernall Scott of Fox News continues to monitor the unfolding situation (02:57).

Foreign Hacking Group Threatens Trump Campaign Data Release

In a significant security update, Jessica Rosenthal reported that a foreign hacking group operating under the name Robert in Communications has threatened to release 100 gigabytes of data allegedly stolen from the 2024 Trump campaign. The data purportedly includes information on high-profile individuals such as Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Roger Stone (03:11).

Last fall, federal prosecutors indicted three Iranians linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for hacking the Trump campaign. The latest threat aligns with President Trump's comments suggesting he might not ease sanctions on Iran, potentially escalating tensions. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed an ongoing investigation into the hacking group, while FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that protecting administration officials' communications remains a top priority (03:11 - 03:50).

Market Update

Lisa Brady concluded with a financial overview, noting that the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by 427 points and the S&P 500 is climbing back to record levels. However, the Nasdaq Composite is down by 108 points. Oil prices remain relatively stable, trading just above $65 per barrel (03:50).

Upcoming Programming and Promotions

The newscast wrapped up with promotional segments:

• Kennedy announced a special Fourth of July episode from Langan's in New York City, featuring guests like Rosanna Scotto, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Emily Compagno, and Jimmy Fala (01:59).

• An unknown host promoted the show "It's Will Taint Country," available live at noon Eastern Monday through Thursday on the Fox News website and YouTube channel, also encouraging listeners to follow the podcast on various platforms (04:13).

**Stay tuned to Fox News Radio for continuous updates and in-depth coverage of breaking news stories.