3AM ET 12/02/2025 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update — 3AM ET 12/02/2025 Newscast

Host: Ted Lindner, FOX News Podcasts
Air Date: December 2, 2025
Theme: Key national headlines, focusing on a controversial military strike order, a major Minnesota fraud scandal, and new developments in U.S. immigration policy following a violent incident involving an Afghan immigrant.

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Episode Overview

This newscast brings listeners up to date on several major breaking news stories:

• Controversy around a U.S. military strike order against alleged drug traffickers.
• Bipartisan responses and investigations into military conduct.
• A massive fraud scandal in Minnesota with alleged ties to the Somali community and terror financing.
• The Trump administration's new immigration pause after a West Virginia shooting involving an Afghan national, sparking debate about refugee vetting.

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Key Story Summaries & Insights

1. Controversy Over Military Strike Order

Timestamps: [00:03]–[01:00]

• Washington Post Report: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered a second strike to "kill them all" against survivors of an initial attack on a drug smuggling vessel.
• Possible War Crime: Killing survivors at sea is described as a war crime; Admiral Frank M. Bradley (Navy SEAL) led the operation, and there is scrutiny over whether the follow-up strike was specifically at Hegseth’s direction.
• Official Reactions:
  • Denial from Hegseth via a spokesperson:

    “Pete said he did not want them. He didn't even know what people were talking about. So we'll look at, we'll look into it. But no, I wouldn't have wanted that. Not a second strike.”
    — Chris Ruffo, [00:39]

  • Lawmakers from both parties send letters to the Pentagon demanding a full account.
• Congressional Review:
  • Bipartisan support for a formal review of “U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean.”
    — Ted Lindner, [01:00]

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2. Minnesota State Fraud Scandal & Somali Community Allegations

Timestamps: [01:00]–[01:49]

• Scope of Scandal: Billions missing under Democratic Governor Tim Walz, affecting state-run programs like Housing Stabilization Services.
• Allegations: Claims that much of the missing money benefited the Somali community in Minnesota, specifically funding the terror group Al Shabaab.
• Methods of Fraud:
  • “Multiple billions of dollars that have been stolen by Somali migrants, predominantly in Minneapolis. They were doing things like faking autism diagnoses, faking autism treatment plans, opening up fraudulent autism centers.”
    — Chris Ruffo, [01:34]
• Legal Actions: Eight individuals have been charged with wire fraud; the Treasury Department is investigating.

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3. Immigration Policy Shift After West Virginia Shooting

Timestamps: [02:32]–[04:29]

• Incident: Afghan national allegedly shot two servicemembers deployed to D.C.; Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died, Sergeant Andrew Wolf remains in serious condition but is showing signs of improvement.
• Immigration Response:
  • President Trump pauses all immigration from "third world countries" following the attack.
  • Emphasis on “crime crackdown” and strict new limits on asylum and visas for Afghan citizens.
• Background on the Suspect:
  • The suspect arrived under a Biden-era plan for Afghans who supported the U.S. war effort.
  • Mental health: “The alleged shooter had become so unwell he shut himself in a darkened room for days and would have manic episodes... took spontaneous cross country road trips without telling his family.”
    — (Paraphrased from Matt Finn’s report, [02:52])
• Concerns on Vetting Process:
  • ICE and state Homeland Security officials voice doubt about vetting Afghan refugees:

    “If we're going to try to find those documents, which they really don't exist, you're going to take them from the Taliban. You're going to make Taliban's going to give us the intelligence information we need to vet these people. It's ridiculous.”
    — Chris Ruffo, [04:02]

  • Noted that the suspect had fought alongside U.S. forces and trained with the CIA, but was allegedly radicalized after coming to the U.S.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Military Strike Orders:

  “Killing survivors at sea is a war crime.”
  — Jennifer Griffin, [00:18]

• On Fraud Methods:

  “Faking autism diagnoses, faking autism treatment plans, opening up fraudulent autism centers.”
  — Chris Ruffo, [01:34]

• On Refugee Vetting:

  “You're going to make Taliban's going to give us the intelligence information we need to vet these people. It's ridiculous.”
  — Chris Ruffo, [04:02]

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Segment Timestamps for Reference

• 00:03: Lead story introduction and military strike allegations
• 01:00: Minnesota state fraud scandal
• 02:32: Immigration ban and West Virginia shooting update
• 04:29: End of newscast content

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Tone & Language

• The segment maintains a news-centric, urgent, and sometimes accusatory tone—especially around suspected government mismanagement and national security threats.
• Language is direct, sometimes charged, reflecting the network's style and subject gravity.

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For Listeners

This update covers pressing national stories with broad implications—military conduct and potential war crimes, large-scale state government fraud, tightening of U.S. immigration policy, and ongoing concerns about terrorism and refugee vetting. The recurring theme is heightened scrutiny of government decisions and the security impacts on the U.S. homeland.

Transcript

[Ted Lindner]

The Trump administration responds. I'm Ted Lindner, Fox News, responding to questions about the Washington Post report that says Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued an order to kill alleged drug traffickers who survived an initial strike on their boat. Fox's Jennifer Griffin with more.

[Jennifer Griffin]

A second strike, the Post reported, was carried out on Secretary Pete Hegseth's initial order to, quote, kill them all. Killing survivors at sea is a war crime. Admiral Frank M. Bradley is the Navy SEAL who was the joint special operations commander in charge of the strike. At issue is whether the follow on strike happened at Hegseth's direction.

[Chris Ruffo]

Pete said he did not want them. He didn't even know what people were talking about. So we'll look at, we'll look into it. But no, I wouldn't have wanted that. Not a second strike.

[Jennifer Griffin]

Both Republican and Democratic House and Senate armed services leaders sent bipartisan letters to the Pentagon demanding a full accounting of the Sept. 2 strike.

[Ted Lindner]

Lawmakers from both parties announced support for congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean. In Minnesota's state government is facing a massive fraud scandal under Democrat governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. Billions of dollars missing, including millions for programs like the Housing Stabilization Services, part of the state's Department of Human Services. Many blaming the Somali community, alleging a lot of the money was sent to fund Somali terror group Al Shabaab because and out in Institute senior fellow Chris Ruffo on Fox's Jesse Waters primetime claims the damage is worse than what's being reported.

[Chris Ruffo]

Multiple billions of dollars that have been stolen by Somali migrants, predominantly in Minneapolis. They were doing things like faking autism diagnoses, faking autism treatment plans, opening up fraudulent autism centers.

[Ted Lindner]

Eight people were charged last week with wire fraud. The Treasury Department is investigating the situation. America's listening to Fox.

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[Ted Lindner]

President Trump paused all immigration from third world countries after an Afghan national allegedly shot two West Virginia National Guard members last Wednesday as they were deployed to D.C. amid the White House's crime crackdown. The surviving national guard member shot last week is showing signs of improvement. New details are surfacing about his alleged killer. Fox's Matt Finn with the details.

[Chris Ruffo]

20 year old army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom tragically died from her wounds. The other victim, 24 year old Air Force Sergeant Andrew Wolf, is in serious condition. But West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey said Wolf gave a thumbs up in response to a question and was able to wiggle his toes. Emails reviewed by the AP reveal the alleged shooter had become so unwell he shut himself in a darkened room for days and would have manic episodes. The alleged shooter also spent weeks isolating and took spontaneous cross country road trips without telling his family.

[Ted Lindner]

And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Sunday in NBC that the suspect was radicalized after he moved to the U.S. the Trump administration said it was pausing asylum requests and the issuance of visas for people from Afghanistan. And the Afghani suspect allowed into the US Under a Biden era plan allowing Afghans who assisted in the war effort to obtain special visas. But tens of thousands of Afghanis who many who President Trump says were not vetted entered under the plan. Borders are TOM holman, STATE Homeland Security and needs stricter vetting requirements. And then we can't rely on Afghan citizen background records from Afghanistan's government.

[Chris Ruffo]

If we're going to try to find those documents, which they really don't exist, you're going to take them from the Taliban. You're going to make Taliban's going to give us the intelligence information we need to vet these people. It's ridiculous.

[Ted Lindner]

The suspect reportedly trained with the CIA and fought alongside American forces in the war on terror in Afghanistan that began after the September 11 attacks. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claims that he was radicalized after entering the U.S. i'm Ted Lindner. This is FOX News.

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