Fox News Hourly Update: 5PM ET 02/20/2026 Newscast

Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Elisa Brady, FOX News Podcasts
Length: ~4 minutes
Overview:
This concise Fox News newscast reports on dramatic White House moves after a Supreme Court decision curtails presidential tariff powers, an ongoing criminal investigation in Las Vegas, major environmental rollbacks, transportation safety reforms, NASA’s next moon mission, and market gains—delivering a whirlwind of the day's top stories and key policy pivots.

1. Supreme Court Ruling on Presidential Tariffs

Main Theme:
A Supreme Court decision rules against the president’s emergency tariff powers, prompting a direct response from President Trump and quick policy redirection from the administration.

Key Discussion Points:

• President Trump’s Reaction (00:13–00:44):

  • Publicly condemns the Supreme Court ruling as “disappointing and defective.”

    "Justices who sided with the majority ought to be ashamed." — President Trump (00:13)

  • Harsh criticism of the justices:

    "They're just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and the radical left Democrats." — President Trump (00:21)

  • Vows to push forward with tariffs using alternative legal authorities, and announces a temporary 10% global tariff on all imports.

    "There will no longer be any doubt and the income coming in and the protection of our companies and country will actually increase because of this decision." — President Trump (00:34)

• Political Responses (00:51–01:22):

  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:
    • Calls the decision “a crushing defeat for a wannabe king.”
  • Governor Gavin Newsom (CA):
    • Demands immediate refunds of unlawful tariffs.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Besant:
    • Labels the ruling “a loss for the American people,” citing the loss of ‘instantaneous leverage’ for the president, but asserts that revenue won’t decline following the administration’s shift to alternative measures.

2. Economic Growth and Shutdown Aftermath

• Economy Slowing:
  • Treasury Secretary Besant notes US economic growth slowed to 1.4% in Q4 (01:22).
• Shutdown Blame Game (01:22–01:33):
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy:

    "What's concerning for me is the Democrats willingness to crash the economy to make a ridiculous point. So it was this longest shutdown in history that caused the fourth quarter to crash." — Sean Duffy (01:22)

  • Despite Q4 setbacks, administration still targets growth above 3% for the year.

3. Las Vegas Incident Investigated as Terrorism

Incident Recap (01:33–02:00):

• Las Vegas police confirm a car-ramming incident at a Boulder City power substation is treated as a possible terror attack.
• Key Details:
  • Driver was from New York and died during the crash.
  • Called himself a terrorist in a message to his mother.
  • Police uncovered extremist materials in his hotel room.
• Marked as a significant domestic terrorism story.

4. Environmental Regulation Rollbacks

Coal Plant Regulations (02:15–02:59):

• EPA Action: Rolling back air pollution standards for coal plants “to boost energy production.”
• Ainslie Earhart:
  • Frames the move as tied to the needs of expanding data centers for AI.
• Public Health Reaction:
  • Strong opposition from health groups, citing harm to vulnerable communities.
• Regulatory Background:
  • Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (2012; updated under Biden) had survived a court challenge, but Trump-era emergency energy declaration aimed at keeping older coal plants open.
• Context:
  • The Supreme Court had declined to block these rules, despite a challenge from Republican states and industry.

5. Trucking Safety Initiatives

Transportation Policy (03:03–03:13):

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy:
  • Announces a campaign for safer trucking, focused on English-only commercial driving tests nationally.

    "The debate really is do you want well trained, well qualified drivers behind the wheel of a big rig driving on American roads? It's very simple." — Sean Duffy (03:03)

6. NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Update

Mission Status (03:26–03:43):

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy:
  • NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule fully passed a rehearsal test fill.
• NASA’s Laurie Glaze:

  "We were able to fully tank the SLS rocket within the planned timeline." — Laurie Glaze (03:39)

• Setback and New Schedule:
  • Previous rehearsal revealed leaks, causing a month’s delay.
  • New launch date: March 6. This Artemis II mission aims to send four crew members to the moon’s farthest point yet.

7. Wall Street Update

Market Closing Report (04:04):

• Dow: +230 points
• S&P: +47 points
• Nasdaq: +203 points
  • All indices higher for the week.

Notable Quotes

• President Trump (on the Court ruling):

  “Justices who sided with the majority ought to be ashamed.” (00:13)
  “They're just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and the radical left Democrats.” (00:21)
  “There will no longer be any doubt and the income coming in and the protection of our companies and country will actually increase because of this decision.” (00:34)

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:

  "...a crushing defeat for a wannabe king." (00:51)

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (on the shutdown):

  “What's concerning for me is the Democrats willingness to crash the economy to make a ridiculous point." (01:22)

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (on truck safety):

  "The debate really is do you want well trained, well qualified drivers behind the wheel of a big rig... It's very simple." (03:03)

• NASA’s Laurie Glaze (on Artemis rehearsal):

  "We were able to fully tank the SLS rocket within the planned timeline." (03:39)

Memorable Moments and Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | |--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:13 | Trump calls Supreme Court ruling "disappointing and defective" | | 00:21 | Trump: "They're just being fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and the radical left" | | 00:44 | Trump announces a temporary 10% global tariff | | 01:22 | Sec. Duffy blames Democrats for economic downturn after shutdown | | 01:33 | Las Vegas car ramming incident labeled as possible terrorism | | 02:19 | EPA rolling back coal plant regulations | | 03:03 | Trucking safety initiative: English-only commercial driving tests | | 03:39 | NASA Artemis II rehearsal passes; new March 6 launch goal | | 04:04 | Stock markets closing higher for the week |

This summary covers all key events, major quotes, and newsworthy policy moves in the 5PM Fox News Hourly Update, February 20, 2026, for listeners interested in the day's political, economic, and scientific developments.