Fox News Hourly Update – 5AM ET 12/25/2025 Newscast

Host: Debra Valentine
Date: December 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a concise, early-morning roundup of major Christmas Day headlines from the U.S. and overseas, spotlighting worldwide Christmas celebrations, significant political developments in Honduras, a dramatic ICE confrontation in Maryland, severe weather on the West Coast, and a major Powerball jackpot win. The tone is brisk, factual, and oriented toward updating listeners with pertinent overnight news.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Global and U.S. Christmas Celebrations

• Pope Leo XIV’s First Christmas Mass

  • [00:02] Debra Valentine introduces worldwide Christmas observances, focusing on Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Christmas midnight mass at St. Peter's Basilica.
  • [00:14] Chanley Painter reports that earlier in the day, Pope Leo greeted crowds via jumbo screens and emphasized kindness to strangers and the poor in his homily.

    “In his homily, he urged kindness to strangers and the poor. And earlier in the week, he called for global peace on Christmas Day.” — Chanley Painter [00:18]

  • Pope Leo is reviving the tradition of celebrating another mass on Christmas Day, last seen under Pope John Paul II in 1994.

• Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s Final Christmas Mass

  • [00:34] At St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, retiring Cardinal Dolan welcomes thousands to his last 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.” — Cardinal Timothy Dolan [00:41]

  • [00:53] Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois as Dolan’s successor.

2. Law Enforcement Incident in Maryland

• [00:53] Debra Valentine brings in Fox 45 Baltimore’s Jeff Abel for details on a confrontation with ICE agents in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
  • [01:11] Jeff Abel explains that ICE agents fired on a white van after the driver—Tiego Alexandre Sousa Martins, a 17-year illegal U.S. resident from Portugal—attempted to run them over.

    “An ICE agent had fired at the driver of this van after the driver had attempted to run him over.” — Jeff Abel [01:15]

  • The van's passenger, Solomon Antonio Soriano Esquivel, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was also hurt but not by gunfire.

3. Honduras Presidential Election Results

• [02:29] President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Nasri Asfura, wins the Honduran presidency after a protracted vote count.
  • [02:37] Jared Halpern from Washington covers the U.S. reaction:

    “The conservative candidate was endorsed by President Trump in a closely contested race that served as a rebuke to the current leftist government.” — Jared Halpern [02:41]

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio expresses eagerness to work with Asfura, noting regional shifts to conservative leaders, such as Chile’s recent election.

4. President Trump’s Christmas Eve Military Call and “Warrior Dividend”

• [03:07] President Trump calls members of the armed forces from Mar-a-Lago, highlighting the recently announced “warrior dividend.”
  • [03:15] Cardinal Dolan shares a historical anecdote, likely from the service:

    “It was 1,775. And I said, you know, if you had $1 in 1776... that $1 was pretty cool.” — Cardinal Timothy Dolan [03:15]

  • [03:26] 1.5 million service members are eligible for the dividend, drawn from increased military housing allowance funding through the “one big beautiful bill” passed in summer 2025.

5. California Weather Emergency

• [03:41] William Lajeunesse reports massive rainfall in Southern California, causing canyon closures, mudslides, flooding, and downed power lines.
  • [04:04] California’s Governor declares a state of emergency for affected counties.

6. Powerball Jackpot Winner

• [04:04] The $1.8 billion Powerball winning ticket was sold in Arkansas.
  • Winning Numbers: 4, 25, 31, 52, 59. Powerball: 19.

Memorable Quotes

• “A blessed Christmas, everybody. You are at home for Christmas here in America’s parish church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”
  Cardinal Timothy Dolan [00:41]

• “In his homily, he urged kindness to strangers and the poor. And earlier in the week, he called for global peace on Christmas Day.”
  Chanley Painter [00:18]

• “The conservative candidate was endorsed by President Trump in a closely contested race that served as a rebuke to the current leftist government.”
  Jared Halpern [02:41]

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [00:14] — Pope Leo XIV’s First Christmas Mass and message
• [00:41] — Cardinal Dolan’s Farewell & Legacy at St. Patrick’s
• [01:11] — Report on ICE agent confrontation in Maryland
• [02:37] — Report on Honduras election outcome
• [03:07] — President Trump’s military call and “warrior dividend”
• [03:41] — Southern California weather emergency
• [04:04] — Powerball $1.8B jackpot announcement

Tone and Style

• Direct, brisk, and fact-centered delivery, typical of news radio.
• Short, clear statements from correspondents with authentic attributions and language.

Summary Takeaway

This Fox News Hourly Update summarizes key Christmas Day events, from spiritual messages and political shifts to weather crises and lottery drama. Brimming with rapid-fire information, the episode keeps listeners well-informed as they start their Christmas morning.