4PM ET 06/24/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update: 4PM ET – June 24, 2026

Main Theme:
This episode delivers a concise overview of the day’s top political headlines, including President Trump’s push for new election laws, ongoing negotiations in Congress, developments involving Iran, a federal ruling on election reform, a major drone contraband case, and updates on the U.S. Postal Service’s budget crisis.

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1. Presidential Priorities & Senate GOP Strategy

Timestamps: 00:03–01:17

• President Trump pushes Republican senators:
  After a closed-door strategy lunch with Republican Senate leaders, President Trump highlights a sense of party unity while acknowledging some internal differences.

  • Quote:

    "We had a really great meeting and we're very proud of the party. We like our leader. We like everybody really in the room. I don't like a few people, but that's okay. I think you know who they are."
    — President Donald Trump (00:17)

• Endorsing primary challengers & legislative priorities:
  The President has endorsed certain primary challengers over incumbent GOP senators and urged Senate leadership to:

  • Eliminate the filibuster
  • Enact new voter ID legislation
  • Pass the Save America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote and ban most mail-in ballots, among other provisions

• Congressional resistance:
  Senate Majority Leader John Thune states there aren’t enough votes for these measures.

• Political trade-off over housing bill:
  President Trump signals he won’t sign a widely supported housing bill unless election reforms are passed first.
  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer firmly rejects this idea.

  • Quote:

    "We're not going to trade lower costs for housing for taking away our voting rights. That's a trade no one would make."
    — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (01:04)

• House Speaker’s hope:
  Despite the tension, Speaker Mike Johnson remains hopeful that the President will ultimately sign the housing bill.

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2. U.S. Foreign Policy & Iran

Timestamps: 01:22–01:44

• State of Iran relations:
  President Trump states things are “going very well” with Iran ahead of a White House meeting with the head of NATO.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio:
  Rubio underscores that Iran must live up to its commitments and describes U.S. options, including reversing sanctions, while meeting with Middle Eastern allies.
  • Quote:

    "They don't live up to those commitments. The president has a lot of options at his disposal, including. I'm not saying he's going to do it, I'm saying including reversing these sanctions."
    — Secretary of State Marco Rubio (01:32)

• Allies’ concerns:
  Some allies in the Middle East express concern over possibly easing sanctions on Iran.

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3. Financial Markets Update

Timestamps: 01:49–01:52, 03:59–04:08

• Oil & stock market shifts:
  • U.S. oil prices dip below $70 a barrel.
  • The Dow closes up by 182–184 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq finish in the red after early gains.

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4. Election Reform: Legal Block

Timestamps: 02:15–02:20

• Federal judge blocks executive order:
  A Boston federal judge permanently blocks President Trump’s executive order on election reform, citing violations of the separation of powers.

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5. Nationwide Prison Drone Smuggling Indictments

Timestamps: 02:20–03:17

• Major federal charges announced:
  Twelve people are charged for allegedly using high-payload drones to deliver illegal items into prisons across 8 states, with at least 38 drops at 10 prisons over two years.
  • Quote:

    "Twelve people are facing prison time for allegedly using six high payload drones to drop contraband behind prison walls over two years."
    — U.S. Attorney Will Keys (02:38)

• Types of contraband:
  Includes drugs (methamphetamine, K2, Suboxone, marijuana), cell phones, weapons, escape tools, and tobacco.
  • Quote:

    "Drugs like methamphetamine, K2, Suboxone and marijuana and the contraband included cell phones, weapons and escape tools and tobacco."
    — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (02:56)

• Ongoing investigation:
  Additional indictments possible, potentially including inmates.

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6. U.S. Postal Service Budget Crisis

Timestamps: 03:17–03:59

• USPS financial stability extended:
  Postmaster General David Steiner reports that previously projected mail delivery funding would run out by February, but is now extended until 2031–2034 due to savings and operational changes.
• Key financial maneuvers:
  • Suspension of pension contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System
  • Restricting non-essential spending
  • Deliveries for DHL
  • Postage hike: First class stamps rising from $0.78 to $0.82 on July 12
• Request to Congress:
  Steiner asks for:
  • Increased borrowing limit
  • Reform of retirement plans
  • Review of the legally mandated six-day delivery schedule
  • Quote:

    "[S]uspending payments to the Federal Employees Retirement System pension plan. Non essential spending's also been restricted and there's a deal to complete deliveries for shipping company DHL and first class stamps are going up from 78 to 82 cents on July 12th."
    — U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner (03:22)

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7. Notable Quotes

• President Trump on party unity:
  (See above, 00:17)
• Sen. Chuck Schumer on voting rights vs. housing costs:
  (See above, 01:04)
• Sec. Marco Rubio on Iran’s commitments:
  (See above, 01:32)
• U.S. Atty. Will Keys on prison drone drops:
  (See above, 02:38)

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8. Memorable Moments & Tone

• The President’s candid response to party unity (“I don't like a few people, but that’s okay. I think you know who they are.” — 00:17) gives the coverage a direct and conversational feel.
• The episode covers substantial ground, rapidly jumping between national politics, international diplomacy, law enforcement actions, and public service challenges, reflecting the fast-moving and fact-focused tone signature to FOX News updates.

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Transcript

[Fox News Anchor]

Presidential priorities.

[Lisa Brady]

Lisa Brady, FOX News.

[Fox News Anchor]

The president pressing Senate Republicans to get the job done.

[Fox News Correspondent]

Holding a strategy session, President Trump emerged

[Fox News Reporter]

from a closed door lunch with top Senate Republican leaders suggesting a unified front.

[President Donald Trump]

I think we had a really great meeting and we're very proud of the party. We like our leader. We like everybody really in the room. I don't like a few people, but that's okay. I think you know who they are.

[Fox News Reporter]

The president has endorsed some primary challengers over incumbent Republican senators and is pushing GOP leaders in the Senate to eliminate the filibuster and pass new voter ID legislation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says there are not the votes to do that or to pass the Save America Act.

[Fox News Anchor]

Fox's Jared Halpern at the White House. That bill calls for proof of citizenship to vote. But the president also wants to ban

[Fox News Correspondent]

most mail in ballots and include unrelated provisions. And earlier today he posted that needs to pass before he'll sign a housing bill that Congress approved with overwhelming support.

[Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer]

We're not going to trade lower costs for housing for taking away our voting rights. That's a trade no one would make.

[Fox News Anchor]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after the president canceled a signing ceremony for the housing bill.

[Fox News Correspondent]

House Speaker Mike Johnson still offering hope

[Fox News Anchor]

the president will sign it. President Trump says things are going very

[Fox News Correspondent]

well with Iran ahead of a White House meeting now underway with the head of NATO.

[Fox News Anchor]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it's

[Fox News Correspondent]

up to Iran to live up to its commitments.

[Secretary of State Marco Rubio]

They don't live up to those commitments. The president has a lot of options at his disposal, including. I'm not saying he's going to do it, I'm saying including reversing these sanctions.

[Fox News Anchor]

Rubio is meeting with allies in the

[Fox News Correspondent]

Middle east, some of them reportedly concerned

[Fox News Anchor]

about easing sanctions on Iran. US oil prices dipping under $70 a

[Fox News Correspondent]

barrel in a pre conflict range and

[Lisa Brady]

The Dow up 184 points at the Bell. America is listening to FOX News.

[Fox News Advertiser]

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[Fox News Reporter]

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[Fox News Advertiser]

Please drink responsibly.

[Fox News Anchor]

While President Trump pushes Congress to pass a voting bill, an executive order on

[Fox News Correspondent]

election reform is blocked by a federal judge in Boston, in effect making permanent the judge's earlier preliminary injunction ruling the order violates the separation of powers. Multiple people accused of using drones to drop illegal items into prisons are facing federal charges in newly unsealed indictments.

[U.S. Attorney Will Keys]

Twelve people are facing prison time for allegedly using six high payload drones to drop contraband behind prison walls over two years. At least 38 drops happened at 10 prisons in eight states. The U.S. attorney for Georgia's middle District, Will Keys, discussed the range of illegal

[Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer]

items Drugs like methamphetamine, K2, Suboxone and marijuana and the contraband included cell phones, weapons and escape tools and tobacco.

[U.S. Attorney Will Keys]

The accused are charged with operating unregistered drones. While these 12 are in federal custody, Keys indicated there could be more indictments, including inmates.

[Fox News Anchor]

Fox's Granal Scott another plea for help from the post office to Congress.

[U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner]

US Postmaster General David Steiner testified in March. Operating funds to deliver the mail might run out by next February, he tells a Senate committee. Now. Current projections have the cash crisis coming sometime between 2031 and 2034, with operations floated by billions in savings from suspending payments to the Federal Employees Retirement System pension plan. Non essential spending's also been restricted and there's a deal to complete deliveries for shipping company DHL and first class stamps are going up from 78 to 82 cents on July 12th. Steiner's asking Congress to raise the Postal Service's borrowing limit, reform retirement plans and consider whether legally mandated six day mail deliveries to all addresses is sustainable. Chris Foster, FOX News.

[Lisa Brady]

Recapping stocks, the Dow up 182 points

[Fox News Anchor]

as oil prices slide, but the S

[Fox News Correspondent]

and P and the Nasdaq finish in the red after early gains.

[Lisa Brady]

And Lisa Brady, this is FOX News.