Fox News Hourly Update – 3PM ET 11/20/2025 Newscast

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

Episode Overview

This hourly update delivers a fast-paced summary of the biggest national news stories as of November 20, 2025. Core topics include White House reactions to congressional calls directed at military personnel, a federal crackdown on state-issued commercial driver’s licenses, new drilling plans off coastal states, a major CDC website change on vaccine safety and autism, high-level White House meetings regarding Ukraine, and a memorial service for former Vice President Dick Cheney. The newscast is marked by urgent tone, key quotes from government figures, and a focus on factual updates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. White House Reacts to Congressional Democrats’ Video ([00:03]–[00:39])

• Background: Several Democratic members of Congress with military/intelligence background released a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders—without citing specific examples.
• White House Response: Lisa Brady relays President’s description of this as “seditious behavior.”
• Spokeswoman Statement:
  • Caroline Levitt ([00:23]):

    “Our military rests on the chain of command. And if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed. It can lead to chaos. And that's what these members of Congress who swore an oath to abide by the Constitution are essentially encouraging.”

• Key Detail: The White House does not seek execution for these members, though online rhetoric mentioned sedition being punishable by death.
  • Notable for the clarification that political disagreement is not fueling a call for extreme punishment.

2. Pennsylvania Faces Millions in Federal Funding Loss over Commercial Driver’s Licenses ([00:54]–[01:30])

• DOT Investigation: Federal regulators revealed Pennsylvania issued “non-domicile” commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to applicants without verified legal status.
• Secretary’s Response:
  • Sean Duffy ([00:54]):

    “The violations came to light after an ICE arrest of a suspected terrorist who reportedly received a CDL from Pennsylvania. The DOT is ordering the state to revoke the illegally issued licenses and fix what it calls serious failures in this CDL program.”

• State's Defense: Governor of Pennsylvania claims Homeland Security failed to properly maintain the immigration status database used for license checks.

3. Trump Administration Opens New Offshore Oil Drilling ([01:30]–[02:00])

• Policy Announcement:
  • New five-year plan includes six lease sales off California and over twenty off Alaska.
  • Also proposes drilling off Florida coast—the first such action in decades.
• Implication: Marks a substantial energy policy shift and likely to generate environmental and political debate.

4. CDC Website Rewrites Vaccine-Autism Statements ([02:17]–[03:06])

• Controversial Change:
  • CDC reworded its statement on its vaccine safety site, now saying “vaccines not being a cause for autism is not evidence based,” which challenges long-standing conclusions.
• Influence of Leadership:
  • Change aligns with prior comments from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. ([02:24]):

    “The rewording goes further to say prior studies which support a link between vaccines and autism had been disregarded by health authorities… caught many off guard at the CDC, which had been in line with food and Drug Administration promotion of no autism link in its approved vaccines.”

• Next Steps: Health and Human Services launching a comprehensive assessment of autism’s causes. The White House emphasizes ongoing updates “to reflect evidence based science.”

5. Ukraine Peace Talks – White House Update ([03:06]–[03:30])

• Recent Activity: The Trump administration reportedly engaged in “good conversations” with Ukrainian and other officials about ending the war in Ukraine.
• Notable Development: White House confirms recent meetings involving senior administration and Ukrainian officials; details remain limited.

6. Nation Mourns Former Vice President Dick Cheney ([03:30]–[03:52])

• Memorial at National Cathedral: All living former vice presidents attended.
• Eulogy by George W. Bush ([03:44]):

  “Dick was funny and easygoing in a style that his public image never caught up with, though we can all agree one your standard issue politician.”

• Background: Cheney, who died at 84, served from 2001–2009 and was father to former Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

7. Stock Market Update ([04:06])

• Wall Street:
  • Dow down 174 points at close.

Notable Quotes and Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:23 | Caroline Levitt | “Our military rests on the chain of command. And if that chain of command is broken...chaos.” | | 00:54 | Sean Duffy | “The violations came to light after an ICE arrest of a suspected terrorist...serious failures.” | | 02:24 | Robert Kennedy Jr.| “The CDC site...now says the statement of vaccines not being a cause for autism is not evidence based.” | | 03:44 | George W. Bush | “Dick was funny and easygoing in a style that his public image never caught up with...” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• White House on Congress & Military Orders: [00:03] – [00:39]
• Pennsylvania CDL Stand-off: [00:54] – [01:30]
• New Offshore Oil Drilling: [01:30] – [02:00]
• CDC Alters Vaccine & Autism Language: [02:17] – [03:06]
• Ukraine Peace Talks: [03:06] – [03:30]
• Dick Cheney Memorial: [03:30] – [03:52]
• Wall Street Update: [04:06]

The episode provides quick, factual news on key political, policy, public health, and international affairs, delivered in FOX's signature direct and urgent style.