3AM ET 12/25/2025 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update – 3AM ET 12/25/2025 Newscast

Host: Debra Valentine (FOX News)
Air Date: December 25, 2025
Episode Theme:
This special Christmas broadcast provides listeners with major updates from the Vatican, breaking national news, U.S. military and political developments, extreme weather in California, and a record Powerball jackpot — all wrapped up in a concise news format.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christmas Celebrations at the Vatican and in New York

• Pope Leo XIV’s First Midnight Mass (00:02-00:33)
  • Pope Leo XIV delivered his inaugural Christmas midnight mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
  • Chanley Painter: “In his homily, he urged kindness to strangers and the poor. And earlier in the week, he called for global peace on Christmas Day.” (00:17)
  • Earlier in the day, he greeted crowds via jumbo screens in St. Peter’s Square.
  • Pope Leo is scheduled for another mass on Christmas Day, a tradition last held in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.
• Retiring New York Cardinal’s Final Christmas Eve Mass (00:33-00:53)
  • Retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcomes thousands at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
    • Cardinal Dolan: “A blessed Christmas, everybody. You are at home for Christmas here in America's parish church, St. Patrick's Cathedral. We're grateful for your company this evening.” (00:41)
  • Pope Leo XIV recently named Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois as Dolan’s successor.

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2. Shooting Involving ICE Agents in Maryland

• Incident Details and Updates (00:53-01:53)
  • A confrontation with ICE in Glen Burnie, Maryland left two undocumented immigrants hospitalized.
    • Jeff Abel: “An ICE agent had fired at the driver of this van after the driver had attempted to run him over… The driver of the van as Tiego Alexandre Sousa Martins from Portugal… The passenger is... Solomon Antonio Soriano Esquivel, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.” (01:10-01:34)
    • The suspects were positively identified when the confrontation turned violent, resulting in several ICE vehicles hit and the officer discharging his weapon.
    • Both suspects were injured; only one by gunfire.

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3. Presidential Election in Honduras

• Trump-Backed Victory (02:31-03:08)
  • After weeks of counting, Nasri Asfara wins the Honduran presidential election.
    • Jared Halpern: “The conservative candidate was endorsed by President Trump in a closely contested race that served as a rebuke to the current leftist government.” (02:43)
    • Jared Halpern: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration looks forward to working with Asfara to advance prosperity and security in our hemisphere…” (02:51)
    • The conservative win comes on the heels of a similar shift in Chile.

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4. U.S. Military “Warrior Dividend”

• President Trump’s Christmas Eve Call to Troops (03:08-03:27)
  • President Trump contacts military members from Mar-a-Lago, discussing the new “warrior dividend”.
    • Cardinal Dolan (possible audio confusion with Trump’s quote): “Which he announced last week was 1775. And I said, you know, if you had $1, it's 1776. And everyone said, well, we never thought of it, but that $1 was pretty cool.” (03:15)
    • 1.5 million service members eligible; funded through extra military housing allowance provisions passed earlier in the year.

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5. Southern California Flood Emergency

• Severe Weather and State of Emergency (03:27-04:05)
  • Torrential rain leads to mudslides, washed out roads, power outages, and a state of emergency in several counties.
    • William Lajeunesse: “They've closed major canyons connecting the valley to the LA Basin and the beach cities because of mud and rock slides… Major flooding… roads flooded, streets down, power lines and trees.” (03:42)
  • The Santa Monica Mountains and San Gabriel watershed particularly hard-hit.

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6. Powerball Jackpot Winner

• Record Lottery Payout on Christmas Eve (04:05-04:26)
  • The winning ticket for the $1.82 billion Powerball jackpot was sold in Arkansas.
    • Debra Valentine: “The winning numbers: 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59. The Powerball is 19.” (04:17)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pope Leo XIV (via Chanley Painter): “In his homily, he urged kindness to strangers and the poor.” (00:17)
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan: “A blessed Christmas, everybody. You are at home for Christmas here in America's parish church, St. Patrick's Cathedral…” (00:41)
• Jared Halpern (on Asfara’s win): “The conservative candidate was endorsed by President Trump in a closely contested race that served as a rebuke to the current leftist government.” (02:43)
• William Lajeunesse: “They've closed major canyons connecting the valley to the LA Basin and the beach cities because of mud and rock slides.” (03:42)

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Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |---------|-------------------------------------------| | 00:02 | Opening, Christmas at Vatican & NY | | 00:53 | ICE Shooting, Maryland | | 02:31 | Honduras Presidential Election | | 03:08 | President Trump’s Christmas Call to Troops| | 03:27 | California Flood Emergency | | 04:05 | Powerball Jackpot Winner |

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The episode highlights a blend of global religious observance, U.S. immigration enforcement, Latin American political shifts, military benefits, extreme weather, and festive fortune—an eventful Christmas hour on Fox News.

Transcript

[Debra Valentine]

Christmas 2025. I'm Debra Valentine. FOX News. Pope Leo XIV held his first Christmas midnight mass at St. Peter's Basilica. Fox's Chanley Painter.

[Chanley Painter]

Earlier in the day, he greeted crowds watching the service on jumbo screens in St. Peter's Square. In his homily, he urged kindness to strangers and the poor. And earlier in the week, he called for global peace on Christmas Day. Pope Leo will celebrate another Mass on Christmas Day, a tradition last held by Pope John II in 1994.

[Debra Valentine]

At St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcoming thousands.

[Cardinal Timothy Dolan]

To his final Christmas Eve Mass, a blessed Christmas, everybody. You are at home for Christmas here in America's parish church, St. Patrick's Cathedral. We're grateful for your company this evening.

[Debra Valentine]

Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois as Cardinal Dolan's successor. Last week. A confrontation with ICE agents in Maryland results in gunfire and lands two illegal immigrants in the hospital. As Fox 45, Baltimore's Jeff Abel reports from Glen Burnie, Maryland.

[Jeff Abel]

Cruz pulled a white van out of the Glenburnie Woods. Investigators say an ICE agent had fired at the driver of this van after the driver had attempted to run him over. Investigators identify the driver of the van as Tiego Alexandre Sousa Martins from Portugal who had been living illegally in the US for the past 17 years. His passenger is identified as Solomon Antonio Soriano Esquivel, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Investigators say agent had positively identified both men, but when agents attempted to question them, the driver slammed into several ICE vehicles and attempted to run over the agents. The driver was injured when the officer fired at the vehicle. The passenger was also injured but wasn't hit by the gunfire.

[Debra Valentine]

Jeff abel, FOX NEWS America's listening to FOX News.

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[Debra Valentine]

President Donald Trump's preferred candidate is declared the winner in the presidential election in Honduras. Fox's Jared Halpern has more from Washington.

[Jared Halpern]

A weeks long vote count ended with Nasri Asfara winning the presidential election in Honduras. The conservative candidate was endorsed by President Trump in a closely contested race that served as a rebuke to the current leftist government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration looks forward to working with as fora to advance prosperity and security in our hemisphere as far as when comes weeks after Chile elected a right wing challenger as president. In Washington, Jared Halpern, Fox News.

[Debra Valentine]

On Christmas Eve, President Trump called members of the military from Mar a Lago, highlighting to the troops their warrior dividend.

[Cardinal Timothy Dolan]

Which he announced last week was1775. And I said, you know, if you had $1, it's 1776. And everyone said, well, we never thought of it, but that $1 was pretty cool.

[Debra Valentine]

1 1/2 million service members are eligible for the dividend. It was paid out from the military's housing allowance, which received extra funding from the one big beautiful bill this past summer. Several inches of rain in Southern California through Friday. More from fox's William lajeunesse.

[William Lajeunesse]

On the west side, of course, the Santa Monica Mountains. They've closed major canyons connecting the valley to the LA Basin and the beach cities because of mud and rock slides. And then on the east side, the San Gabriel water shed. Major flooding over there not far from where the Eaton fire was also closed. Roads flooded, streets down, power lines and trees.

[Debra Valentine]

California's governor has declared a state of emergency for several counties due to the torrential rainfall. The top tier winning ticket for Powerball's $1.82 billion jackpot on Christmas Eve was sold in Arkansas. The winning numbers, 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59. The Powerball is 19. I'm Debra Valentine.

[Ainsley Earhart]

This is, this is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of.

[Podcast Narrator]

Jesus, a listening experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.