Fox News Hourly Update – 3PM ET 12/31/2025

Host: John Saucier
Date: December 31, 2025

Overview

This episode delivers Fox News' final hourly update of 2025, focusing on a major government fraud scandal in Minnesota, ramped-up New Year’s Eve security measures in NYC, a high-profile NFL player’s legal trouble, a significant HUD payment error, and notable Congressional retirements and passings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Congressional Hearings on Minnesota Government Assistance Fraud

Timestamps: 00:02 – 00:48

• Congressional Response:
  The House Oversight Committee will hold hearings next week on major fraud in Minnesota’s government assistance programs.

  • Quote [00:15]:
    “Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist and enact stronger safeguards to prevent fraud in taxpayer funded programs as well as strong sanctions to hold offenders accountable.”
    — Rich Edson, quoting Chairman James Comer

• Key Invited Testifiers:

  • Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
  • Attorney General Keith Ellison
  • Minnesota state lawmakers who “sounded the alarm and were ignored by the governor,” according to Comer.

• Political Tensions:

  • Governor Walz asserts his administration has actively cracked down on fraud and referred cases to law enforcement.
  • The governor’s office accuses state Republicans of withholding fraud tips for political timing.

2. New Year’s Eve Celebrations & Security Measures

Timestamps: 00:48 – 01:54

• Global New Year Arrivals:

  • 2026 has begun in places like Auckland, Sydney, Beijing, Hong Kong, and more.
  • Memorable Moment: Description of fireworks at Auckland’s Sky Tower and other city celebrations.

• New York Security Precautions:

  • Heightened security at Times Square for the NYE celebration.

  • Quote [01:32]:
    “They’re going to add in thousands of police officers to screen at all of those access points. New this year, officers will patrol in the pen—so they’re going to be walking around in plain clothes and in uniform. The NYPD commissioner says it’s a tactic based on global terrorism trends.”
    — Alexis McAdams

  • Other Measures:

    • No alcohol permitted, bag checks enforced, large bags/backpacks not allowed.

3. NFL Player Charged with Domestic Assault

Timestamps: 02:00 – 02:25

• Incident Overview:
  • New England Patriots’ defense tackle Christian Barmore faces a domestic assault charge for an August 2025 incident.
  • The alleged victim initially told police she did not wish to move forward with charges.

4. HUD Error in Rental Assistance Payments

Timestamps: 02:25 – 03:18

• Scope of Error:

  • HUD Secretary Scott Turner claims $5.8 billion in rental assistance was sent out erroneously in 2024.

    • $77 million to 30,000 deceased tenants
    • $150 million to non-existent Social Security numbers

  • Quote [02:51]:
    “HUD will continue investigating the shocking results and will take appropriate action to hold bad actors accountable. Additionally, the department is advancing efforts made under President Trump’s first administration to strengthen program integrity and ensure taxpayer funded assistance serves the vulnerable communities it was intended for.”
    — Max Gordon, quoting Secretary Turner

• Contextual Note:

  • The administration has frequently cited mass fraud claims, though “many of those claims have not held up to further scrutiny.” — John Saucier [03:18]

5. Congressional Exits and Passings in 2025

Timestamps: 03:18 – 04:09

• High Profile Retirements:

  • Senator Mitch McConnell
  • Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
  • Elise Stefanik (last year in office: 2026, staying through end of term)

• Early Departures:

  • Former House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Greene
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene leaves office January 1, 2026

• Notable Deaths:

  • Representatives Sylvester Turner, Jerry Connolly, and Raul Grijalva

  • Quote [03:55]: “2025 also saw the passing of Democrats Sylvester Turner, Jerry Connolly and Raul Grijalva in Washington.”
    — Ryan Schmelz

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Congressional Oversight:
  “Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight of this heist…”
  — Chairman James Comer (via Rich Edson) [00:15]

• On NYE Security: “Officers will patrol in the pen… walking around in plain clothes and in uniform... a tactic based on global terrorism trends.”
  — Alexis McAdams [01:32]

• On HUD Payment Errors:
  “HUD will continue investigating the shocking results and will take appropriate action to hold bad actors accountable.”
  — Secretary Scott Turner (via Max Gordon) [02:51]

• On Congressional Transitions:
  “2025 also saw the passing of Democrats Sylvester Turner, Jerry Connolly and Raul Grijalva in Washington.”
  — Ryan Schmelz [03:55]

Segment Timestamps

• 00:02 — Minnesota assistance fraud scandal and upcoming congressional hearings
• 00:48 — New Year’s Eve global celebrations; NYC security measures
• 02:00 — Patriots’ Christian Barmore domestic assault charge
• 02:25 — HUD rental assistance payment errors and investigation
• 03:18 — Congressional retirements and deaths

This concludes the summary of Fox News’ 3PM ET Newscast for December 31, 2025, capturing the main news stories, the tone, and notable direct quotes for listeners who missed the original broadcast.