Fox News Hourly Update

Episode: 2PM ET 10/20/2025 Newscast

Date: October 20, 2025
Host: Lisa Brady (FOX News Podcasts)

Episode Overview

This FOX News Hourly Update delivers a brisk roundup of top U.S. and global stories for the early afternoon of October 20, 2025. Major themes include ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations, the government shutdown’s impact on air travel and Congress, a significant verdict in a New York prison case, and technology hiccups affecting Amazon Web Services. The tone is urgent and informative, with quick transitions between political, crime, tech, and economic stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-China Trade Talks Intensify

• President Trump’s Optimism:

  • Despite new tariff threats, President Trump projects confidence about an impending trade agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping, coinciding with a major Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea next week.
  • Quote:

    "I think we're going to end up having a fantastic deal with China. It's going to be a great trade deal. It's going to be fantastic for both countries and it's going to be fantastic for the entire world."
    — President Donald Trump [00:16]

• Tariff Threats & Critical Minerals:

  • Trump threatens a 100% tariff on Chinese goods if China doesn’t back down from proposed export limits on critical minerals.
  • To reduce reliance on China, he signs a minerals partnership with Australia’s Prime Minister at the White House. [00:26–00:44]

2. Government Shutdown Stalemate

• Pressure on Senate Republicans:

  • Senate Republicans face party pressure to negotiate an end to the ongoing government shutdown, with lunch at the White House planned for the next day.
  • Some, like Congressman Chip Roy, push Majority Leader John Thune to end the Senate filibuster to pass a stopgap bill. [01:02–01:10]
  • Quote:

    "Republicans have multiple times failed to reach the 60 vote threshold to break the filibuster on a stopgap measure to reopen the government with Democrats pushing for health care provisions to be included."
    — Fox News Reporter [01:13]

• House Democrats’ Position:

  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries underscores prioritizing reopening the government and supporting federal civil servants.
  • He warns of a looming healthcare crisis as insurance tax credits are due to expire.
  • Republicans argue that policy disputes, including those over healthcare, should be debated after the government reopens. [01:31–01:38]
  • Quote:

    "So our position at the moment, you know, remains—we want to reopen the government. We support our hard working federal civil servants."
    — Hakeem Jeffries [01:31]

3. Major Crime Verdict in New York State Prisons

• First Murder Conviction of a Prison Guard:
  • Former guard David Kingsley is convicted of murder in the beating death of inmate Robert Brooks, marking the first such conviction in a case involving 13 guards. Kingsley faces up to life in prison. [02:30–02:33]
  • The attack happened while Brooks was handcuffed and newly transferred; he died the next day.
  • Details:
    • Two guards acquitted
    • Six pleaded guilty with sentences up to 22 years
    • Three others plan to plead guilty
    • A prison nurse fired; another retired
    • Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for an earlier assault [02:33–03:15]
  • Quote:

    "David Kingsley is the first of 13 guards in the case to be convicted of murder for Robert Brooks death."
    — Crime Reporter [02:33]

4. Amazon AWS Outage Impacts Millions

• Widespread Digital Disruptions:
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) suffers a major outage, affecting online services like Snapchat, Alexa, and Ring.
  • Amazon blames issues with its Domain Name System, which translates web addresses into IP addresses. [03:15–03:35]

5. Government Shutdown Causes Air Travel Delays

• Air Traffic Control Staffing Crisis:
  • The ongoing shutdown leads to severe FAA staffing shortages at busy airports, causing broader delays: Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Newark, Phoenix, and Las Vegas most affected.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reveals significant impacts:
    • Quote:

      "I think what you might see is more disruptions in travel as more of them look to say, how do I, how do I bridge the gap between the truck that's not coming and putting food on my table? And we've heard they're taking Uber jobs. They're doing DoorDash."
      — Transportation Worker [03:49]

    • Historically, 53% of all flight delays are due to staffing, up from 5% before the shutdown.
    • The FAA was already 3,500 controllers short pre-shutdown; many now work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. [03:35–04:17]

6. Wall Street Soars Amid Turmoil

• Strong Dow Rally:
  • Despite uncertainty in Washington, the Dow Jones surges 550 points, suggesting positive investor sentiment. [04:17–04:28]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "I think we're going to end up having a fantastic deal with China. It's going to be a great trade deal. It's going to be fantastic for both countries and it's going to be fantastic for the entire world."
  — President Donald Trump [00:16]

• "So our position at the moment, you know, remains—we want to reopen the government. We support our hard working federal civil servants."
  — Hakeem Jeffries [01:31]

• "David Kingsley is the first of 13 guards in the case to be convicted of murder for Robert Brooks death."
  — Crime Reporter [02:33]

• "I think what you might see is more disruptions in travel as more of them look to say, how do I, how do I bridge the gap between the truck that's not coming and putting food on my table? And we've heard they're taking Uber jobs. They're doing DoorDash."
  — Transportation Worker [03:49]

Important Timestamps

• 00:02–00:44 — U.S.-China trade developments; President Trump’s statements; minerals partnership with Australia
• 01:02–01:38 — Government shutdown updates, Senate/House positions, and healthcare funding impasse
• 02:30–03:15 — New York prison guard murder conviction and breakdown of case
• 03:15–03:35 — AWS outage and tech disruption summary
• 03:35–04:17 — Air travel delays and FAA staffing crisis explained
• 04:17–04:28 — Wall Street rally

Memorable Moments

• President Trump repeating “fantastic” and “great” when describing expected trade deal with China
• Detailed description of the first murder conviction among New York’s correctional officers, highlighting systemic issues in state prisons
• Testimonies about FAA staff turning to gig jobs amid prolonged shutdown
• Summary data on how the shutdown has drastically amplified air traffic delays

This rapid-fire newscast provides a clear snapshot of national priorities and challenges on October 20, 2025, conveying both presidential perspectives and the impact of political stalemates on daily American life.