2PM ET 09/09/2025 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update — 2PM ET 09/09/2025 Newscast

Main Theme

This episode delivers a concise summary of breaking national and international news, focusing on a high-profile Israeli strike in Qatar, developments in legal cases related to protests and domestic terrorism, consumer and business updates, and brief tech and financial news. It is hosted by Lisa Brady, with on-the-ground reporting from FOX correspondents.

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Key News Highlights and Discussions

1. Israeli Strike on Hamas Leaders in Qatar

• [00:02] Lisa Brady reports on President Trump's response to an Israeli strike in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders, an incident he described as “unfortunate.”
• [00:11] The White House, via spokesperson Caroline Levitt, reaffirms Qatar’s status as a “strong ally and friend.” Levitt acknowledges that while the elimination of Hamas is a worthy goal, “the unilateral attack did not advance peace in the region.”
• [00:19] The U.S. followed diplomatic protocol:
  • President Trump’s Mideast envoy alerted Qatari officials about the attack in advance.
  • Trump subsequently spoke to both the Israeli Prime Minister, who reportedly expressed a desire for peace, and the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar. Trump assured Qatari leadership “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
• [00:50] Hamas claims five lower-ranking members were killed, with top leaders surviving.

Notable Quotes:

• “The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States and feels very badly about the location of this attack.”
  — White House Spokesperson, Caroline Levitt [00:11]
• “He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
  — White House Spokesperson, Caroline Levitt [00:39]

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2. Georgia Protesters RICO Case Dismissed

• [00:59] Lisa Brady reports that a high-profile “Cop City” protest conspiracy case in Georgia is being thrown out by a Fulton County judge.
  • 61 defendants faced racketeering charges for alleged efforts to stop the construction of a police and firefighter training facility.
  • The judge claims the State’s Attorney General needed the Governor’s permission to pursue the case, which was not obtained.
  • The fate of related domestic terrorism charges remains undecided as of this broadcast.

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3. Cracker Barrel’s Response to Customer Backlash

• [01:34] Correspondent Jenny Costola shares that Cracker Barrel will suspend all restaurant remodels following backlash on social media, which also caused the chain to revert to its old logo.
  • Only 4 out of 660 locations had been renovated before the suspension.
  • Additional cost-saving measures around food preparation have been scrapped.

Notable Quote:

• “You’ve shared your voices…If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry.”
  — Jenny Costola quoting Cracker Barrel’s post on X [01:34]

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4. Trump Assassination Attempt: Jury Selection Continues

• [02:16] Lisa Brady introduces coverage of the ongoing federal trial for Ryan Wesley Ruth, accused in the attempted assassination of President Trump at his West Palm Beach property.
• [02:22] Reporter Eben Brown (from Miami) notes:
  • Jury selection continues; Ruth is defending himself in court.
  • Prosecutors request that Ruth not use apologetic language (“I’m sorry”) to prospective jurors, wary of sympathy ploys.
  • Notable moment: A potential juror states she can’t assume Ruth’s innocence, openly declaring “I am MAGA.”

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5. Nashville Electric Grid Attack Case Plea

• [03:01] Lisa Brady reports on Skyler Philippe, a Tennessee man who pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on the Nashville electric grid, motivated by white supremacist ideology.
• [03:07] Chris Foster explains:
  • Philippe, 24, believed he was about to destroy a substation using a drone with explosives supplied by undercover FBI agents.
  • Initially, he considered a mass shooting at a YMCA but switched to targeting the grid for greater impact toward a “whites only state.”
  • Charges: Attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and to destroy an energy facility.

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6. Tech & Business Briefs

• [03:40] Lisa Brady:
  • Apple confirms new AirPods will feature live translation and heart rate sensing.
  • Launch of the new iPhone 17 and new Apple Watches announced.
  • Stock market rises (Dow up 212 points), attributed to a downward revision in recent U.S. jobs numbers and expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• International Diplomacy:
  “He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
  — White House Spokesperson Caroline Levitt [00:39]

• Jury Selection Drama:
  “One woman stood up to say she wouldn’t be able to see Ruth as innocent, using the phrase ‘I am MAGA.’”
  — Eben Brown [02:22]

• Corporate Responsiveness:
  “You’ve shared your voices… If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry.”
  — Jenny Costola quoting Cracker Barrel’s announcement [01:34]

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Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:02–00:50: Israeli strike in Qatar, White House & Hamas responses
• 00:59–01:34: Georgia protester RICO case dismissed
• 01:34–01:48: Cracker Barrel suspends restaurant remodels
• 02:16–03:01: Jury selection in Trump assassination attempt trial
• 03:01–03:40: Nashville grid attack guilty plea and white supremacist plot
• 03:40–04:13: Apple product announcement, market news

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For Listeners Who Missed This Episode:

This update covers essential international, legal, consumer, criminal, and business news in a brisk, straightforward style, with a focus on White House diplomacy, legal system checks and balances, high-profile criminal cases, corporate responsiveness, and major technology announcements. Each story is reported with factual clarity and the customary FOX News tone of urgency and national scope.

Transcript

[Lisa Brady]

An unfortunate incident. Lisa Brady, FOX News. That's part of President Trump's reaction to an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar.

[White House Spokesperson]

The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States and feels very badly about the location of this attack.

[Lisa Brady]

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt calls eliminating Hamas a worthy goal, but says the unilateral attack did not advance peace in the region. She's also confirming that after notice about the attack, President Trump told his Mideast envoy to inform the Qataris and after the attack spoke to the Israeli prime minister who the White House says told the president he wants to make peace.

[White House Spokesperson]

The president also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their support and friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.

[Lisa Brady]

Hamas says five lower ranking members were killed in the strike, but that top leaders survived the attack in Doha. Just getting word a landmark case against protesters in Georgia will be tossed out. A full Bolton county judge says he doesn't think the Republican state attorney general had the authority to secure racketeering indictments against the 61 defendants accused of a years long conspiracy to stop construction of a police and firefighter training facility. Critics called cop city. The judge says the governor's permission was needed to pursue the RICO case. A deputy attorney general disagrees. No decision yet from the judge on letting domestic terrorism charges stand. Cracker Barrel is rolling back another recent change suspending all restaurant remodels after the social media backlash that also led to.

[Jenny Costola]

Bringing back the old logo the restaurant chain posted on X. You've shared your voices. In recent weeks, only four locations out of 660 restaurants have been renovated. If your restaurant hasn't been remodeled, you don't need to worry.

[Lisa Brady]

It won't be Fox's Jenny Costola, the New York Post reporting cost saving food prep changes have also been scrapped. America is listening to Fox News.

[Bret Baier / Jason Chaffetz]

Listen to the all new Bret Baier podcast featuring Common Ground in depth talks with lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle along with all your Bret Bear favorites like his All Star panel and much more. Available [e-mail] or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lisa Brady]

The effort to pick a jury continues for the man charged in the second Trump assassination attempt in Florida.

[Eben Brown]

Day two of jury selection is underway at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, where defendant Ryan Wesley Ruth, accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump last September at the Trump West Palm Beach Golf Course, is defending himself. Prosecutors have asked the to instruct Ruth not to use words like I'm sorry when speaking to prospective jurors, accusing him of using the chance to generate sympathy. And as some of the potential jury members have asked for excuses based on hardships, one woman stood up to say she wouldn't be able to see Ruth as innocent, using the phrase I am maga. In Miami, Eben Brown, FOX News.

[Lisa Brady]

A Tennessee man accused of planning to attack the electric grid in Nashville pleads guilty.

[Chris Foster]

Skyler Philippe of Columbia, Tennessee, 24 years old, was arrested in November believing he was about to destroy a power substation in Nashville with an explosives carrying drone his lookouts. Two people he'd told about the plan and his white supremacist ideology that he'd also ordered explosives from were undercover FBI agents. Prosecutors say he'd earlier told a confidential FBI source he planned to commit a mass shooting at a ymca, deciding later that wasn't radical enough to contribute to a movement leading to a whites only state. Phillippe pleads guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and and attempting to destroy an energy facility.

[Lisa Brady]

Fox's Chris Foster Philippe will be sentenced by a federal judge. Apple just confirming its new AirPods will have built in live translation also heart rate sensing they've also just unveiled the new iPhone 17. And the next Apple watches stocks turning higher after a big downward revision in Jobs numbers dating back to the end of last year, fueling more hope for a rate cut at next week's Fed meeting. Right now, the dow is up 212 points. Lisa Brady, FOX News.

[Bret Baier / Jason Chaffetz]

This is Jason Chaffetz from the Jason in the House podcast. Join me every Monday to dive deeper into the latest political headlines and chat with remarkable guests. Listen and follow now@fox newspodcast.com or wherever you download podcasts.