5AM ET 12/25/2025 Newscast

Summary

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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]

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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

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Tone and Style

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

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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.

Transcript

[Debra Valentine]

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

[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 Paul II in 1994.

[Debra Valentine]

At St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcoming thousands to his final Christmas Eve Mass.

[Cardinal Timothy 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.

[Debra Valentine]

Pope Leo xiv, named Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois is 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 Glen Burnie 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.

[Unknown Audience Member]

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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 with Nasri Asfura 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 for to advance prosperity and security in our hemisphere. As for his win 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 his Mar a Lago estate, highlighting to the troops their warrior dividend, which he announced last week.

[Cardinal Timothy Dolan]

It was 1,775. And I said, you know, if you had $1 in 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 from the one big beautiful bill this summer. Several inches of rain in Southern California through Friday. More from fox's William lajeuness.

[William Lajeunesse]

On the west, 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 watershed, major flooding over there not far from where the Eaton fire was also closed. Roads flooded, streets downed 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 $1.8 billion jackpot Christmas Eve was sold in Arkansas. The winning numbers, 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59. The Powerball is 19. I'm Debra Valentine. This is FOX News.

[Ainsley Earhart]

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.