Fox News Hourly Update – 2PM ET, October 1, 2025

Main Theme

This episode centers on the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, the political standoff in the Senate over spending bills, and the ensuing ripple effects on federal projects, agencies, and state politics. Additional segments focus on political appointments, rail infrastructure funding controversy, and a Republican gubernatorial bid in Massachusetts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown: Senate Deadlock

• Senate Fails to Pass Spending Bills

  • Lisa Brady reports the Republican short-term spending bill failed:
    "[On this vote, The A's are 55 and the nays are 45. That was a Republican short term spending bill falling five votes short of the 60 needed to end a government shutdown.]" (00:02)
  • A Democratic proposal is also not expected to succeed.

• Administration Response

  • Surprise appearance by Vice President J.D. Vance at a White House briefing emphasizes the Trump administration's priorities:

    • Commitment to lowering healthcare costs
    • Willingness to negotiate post-shutdown, but government must reopen first
    • Warns of potential layoffs with prolonged shutdown

    "You don't have policy disagreements that serve as the basis for a government Shutdown."
    — Vice President J.D. Vance (00:18)

    "And I think that the Democrats, if they're so worried about the effect this is having on the American people and they should be, what they should do is reopen the government, not complain about how we respond to the fact that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have shut down the government."
    — Vice President J.D. Vance (00:40)

  • Partisan Blame Game

    • Democrats label it a “Republican shutdown”, and accuse Republicans of lying about Democrat positions on healthcare for illegal immigrants.
    • J.D. Vance counters:

      "The reason that we are here today, Democrats, is we are fighting in D.C. to cancel the cuts, lower the costs and save health care."
      — Vice President J.D. Vance (01:01)

2. Policy Disputes: Healthcare for Immigrants

• Contested Claims
  • Democrats denounce the Republican assertion that they support taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants, calling it misinformation.
  • Congressman Ted Lieu, referenced by Lisa Brady, highlights differences over policy changes stemming from the Biden administration's approach to immigration status and healthcare.

3. Bureau of Labor Statistics Leadership Change

• Nomination Withdrawal

  • President Trump withdraws E.J. Antoni’s nomination amid controversy:

    • Antoni, a conservative economist, raised concerns about agency independence.
    • The prior director was ousted over allegations of manipulated unemployment data.

    "[Antoni] was nominated by President Trump following the ouster of the previous director who the president accused of manipulating data following a large revision in the unemployment report."
    — Jared Halpern (01:26)

4. Rail Funding Controversy: The Hudson River Project

• Federal Funding Delay

  • Trump administration withholds $18 billion for a critical new tunnel between NY and NJ.
  • White House Budget Director Russell Vogt cites “unconstitutional DEI principles” as grounds for the delay.

    "The money being based on unconstitutional DEI principles led to the funding hold up."
    — Russell Vogt (02:35)

• State Response

  • NY Governor Kathy Hochul criticizes the administration:

    "They've decided to put their own interpret of proper culture ahead of our needs, the needs of a nation."
    — Governor Kathy Hochul (02:58)

  • Associated Press notes transportation workers tied to the project are furloughed amid the shutdown.

  • Vice President Vance responds, denying that Democrat-led states are being unfairly targeted and stating the aim is to keep essential services running.

5. Massachusetts Governor’s Race: Mike Minogue Enters

• Republican Candidacy Announcement

  • Mike Minogue, former Army officer and CEO of Abiomed (medical tech), announces intention to run.

    • Cites his military and business experience.
    • Launches campaign against Massachusetts' one-party (Democratic) dominance.

    "Our current one party system isn't working. What we need is a new kind of public servant. I'm Mike Minogue. I've spent my life run towards problems and fixing them all."
    — Mike Minogue (03:54)

  • Democratic Governors Association frames Minogue as a "MAGA mega donor" aligned with Trump's agenda.

6. Quick Updates

• Stock Market

  • "Right now, stocks are higher. The Dow is up 42. The S&P also in record territory." (04:19)

• Promotion for Fox True Crime Podcast

  • Retired FBI Agent Stacey Perkins to discuss the bureau’s innocent immigration initiative and cases involving child predators. (04:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• J.D. Vance on Shutdown Politics:
  "You don't have policy disagreements that serve as the basis for a government Shutdown." (00:18)

• J.D. Vance vs. Democrats on Blame:
  "...what they should do is reopen the government, not complain about how we respond to the fact that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have shut down the government." (00:40)

• Mike Minogue on His Candidacy:
  "Our current one party system isn't working. What we need is a new kind of public servant. I'm Mike Minogue. I've spent my life run towards problems and fixing them all." (03:54)

• Governor Kathy Hochul on Rail Funding Hold:
  "They've decided to put their own interpret of proper culture ahead of our needs, the needs of a nation." (02:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02 – Senate fails to pass spending bill, overview of shutdown
• 00:18–01:09 – Vice President Vance and Democratic counterpoints on the shutdown and healthcare
• 01:26–01:46 – Withdrawal of Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee
• 02:30–03:12 – Northeast corridor rail project funding controversy and DEI debate
• 03:41–04:06 – Mike Minogue enters MA governor's race
• 04:19 – Stock market update

This summary covers all news content from the 2PM ET FOX News Hourly Update as of October 1, 2025, providing a clear picture of the day's top political and economic headlines, inter-party disputes, and notable policy developments.