6AM ET 05/17/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – 6AM ET, May 17, 2026

Episode Overview

This edition of the Fox News Hourly Update delivers the latest headlines, focusing on major political developments in Louisiana, sports highlights from the Preakness Stakes, labor action affecting a major rail service, significant international diplomacy news, and an entertainment preview ahead of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

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Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Louisiana GOP Senate Primary Shakeup

[00:02–00:57]

• Summary:

  • Republican Congresswoman Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming, both backed by Donald Trump, secured the most votes and advanced to a runoff for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Louisiana.
  • Incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy, who faced GOP backlash for voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment, finished third, marking the end of his re-election campaign.
  • The runoff between Letlow and Fleming is scheduled for June 27.

• Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • "Trump backed Congresswoman Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming got the most votes and will face off in the runoff on June 27. Incumbent Bill Cassidy finished third, ending his bid for re election." — Shanley Painter [00:19]
  • "Trump attacked Cassidy on Truth Social, calling him a disloyal disaster." — Shanley Painter [00:45]

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2. 2026 Preakness Stakes Recap

[00:57–01:42]

• Summary:

  • The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes saw notable absences, including Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who skipped the race for recovery (the third Derby winner in five years to miss the Preakness).
  • In an exciting home stretch, Napoleon Solo, ridden by Paco Lopez, held off Iron Honor to win at 7-to-1 odds.

• Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • "The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes had a little bit less juice thanks to Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, skipping the race after its trainer said the horse needed more time to recover..." — Greg Thompson [01:09]
  • "Napoleon Solo still there. Iron Honor on the outside cannot get him. Napoleon Solo and Paco Lopez have won..." — Chris DiMeo (race call) [01:31]
  • "Napoleon Solo gets it done at 7 to 1 odds. We now wait to see what the Belmont Stakes will look like in three weeks." — Greg Thompson [01:42]

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3. Long Island Rail Road Strike Paralyzes Region

[02:40–03:11]

• Summary:

  • North America's largest commuter rail system, the Long Island Rail Road, shut down early Saturday due to a strike involving five unions.
  • Negotiations have been ongoing for months, but there are currently no new talks scheduled.

• Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • "The Long Island Railroad ended operations early Saturday morning as five unions representing half its workforce walked off the job. Both sides have been negotiating contracts for months no new talks have been scheduled." — Chris DiMeo [02:40]

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4. Putin to Visit China After Trump

[03:11–03:37]

• Summary:

  • The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping for two days (May 19–20), immediately following President Trump's own state visit to China.
  • The timing coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. Key international and regional issues are expected to be discussed.

• Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • "The Kremlin announcing the trip less than 24 hours after President Trump finished his own state visit to China..." — Chris DiMeo [03:12]
  • "The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations as well as key international and regional issues." — Chris DiMeo [03:31]

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5. 61st Academy of Country Music Awards Preview

[03:37–04:16]

• Summary:

  • The 61st ACM Awards, hosted by Shania Twain in Las Vegas, is poised to be a prominent night for women in country music.
  • Megan Maroney leads nominations with nine, followed by Miranda Lambert (eight), and Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson (seven each). Maroney and Wilson compete for Entertainer of the Year against top male artists.
  • The event is set to stream live, with a star-studded lineup of presenters including Keith Urban and Michael Bublé.

• Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • "The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards is being hosted by Shania Twain and it could be a big night for women and country..." — Tanya J. Powers [03:37]
  • "Maroney and Wilson are up for Entertainer of the Year along with Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen." — Tanya J. Powers [03:51]

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6. High-Profile Deportation by Venezuela

[04:16–04:37]

• Summary:

  • Venezuela's government deported a close ally of Nicolás Maduro to face U.S. judicial proceedings. This comes less than three years after the individual was pardoned by former President Biden as part of a prisoner swap.

• Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • "Venezuela's government says it's deported a close ally of Nicolas Maduro to face judicial proceed in the U.S. it comes less than three years after former President Biden pardoned him in a prisoner exchange." — Chris DiMeo [04:16]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "Trump attacked Cassidy on Truth Social, calling him a disloyal disaster." — Shanley Painter [00:45]
• "Napoleon Solo and Paco Lopez have won..." — Chris DiMeo (race call) [01:31]
• "The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards is being hosted by Shania Twain and it could be a big night for women and country." — Tanya J. Powers [03:37]

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Timeline of Important Segments

• Louisiana GOP Senate Primary: [00:02–00:57]
• 2026 Preakness Stakes: [00:57–01:42]
• Long Island Rail Road Strike & International News: [02:40–03:37]
• ACM Awards Preview: [03:37–04:16]
• Venezuela Deportation Story: [04:16–04:37]

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Note: Ads, show intros, and outros were omitted to focus solely on content.
For more updates, tune in to Fox News Radio hourly.

Transcript

[Chris DiMeo]

A Trump backed candidate is Triumphant. I'm Chris DiMeo, Fox News. Louisiana Republican Congresswoman Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming advanced to a runoff election for the GOP's nomination for U.S. senate in November. They defeated incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy.

[Shanley Painter]

Trump backed Congresswoman Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming got the most votes and will face off in the runoff on June 27. Incumbent Bill Cassidy finished third, ending his bid for re election. Under Louisiana's election rules, only the top two candidates advanced to the runoff. The result marks a major political defeat for Cassidy. He faced backlash from many Republicans after voting to convict President Trump in his second impeachment trial following the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. He also broke with President Trump on key issues. Trump attacked Cassidy on Truth Social, calling him a disloyal disaster.

[Chris DiMeo]

That's Fox's Shanley Painter reporting. Well, the second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown was held Yesterday in Maryland. Fox's Greg Thompson has the winner of the 2026 Preakness Stakes.

[Greg Thompson]

The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes had a little bit less juice thanks to Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, skipping the race after its trainer said the horse needed more time to recover, making it three times in the last five years that the Kentucky Derby winner has punted on the chance to win the Triple Crown. So with the field cleared out, the home stretch saw Napoleon Solo trying to hold off Iron Honor.

[Chris DiMeo]

These two to the final furlough. Napoleon Solo still there. Iron Honor on the outside cannot get him. Napoleon Solo and Paco Lopez have won

[Greg Thompson]

the Preakness on NBC Sports in Peacock. Napoleon Solo gets it done at 7 to 1 odds. We now wait to see what the Belmont Stakes will look like in three weeks. Greg Thompson, Fox News America is listening to Fox News.

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[Chris DiMeo]

North America's largest commuter rail system is shutting down after union workers went on strike. The Long Island Railroad ended operations early Saturday morning as five unions representing half its workforce walked off the job. Both sides have been negotiating contracts for months no new talks have been scheduled. Meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two day visit to Beijing next week. The Kremlin announcing the trip less than 24 hours after President Trump finished his own state visit to China, saying in a statement that Putin's trip, planned for May 19th and 20th, had already been scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino Russian Treaty of Friendship. The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations as well as key international and regional issues. The Academy of Country Music Awards are being handed out tonight in Las Vegas. Fox's Tanya J. Powers has more.

[Tanya J. Powers]

The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards is being hosted by Shania Twain and it could be a big night for women and country. Megan Maroney leads with nine nominations, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight, and Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson each received seven. Maroney and Wilson are up for Entertainer of the Year along with Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen. Presenters include Keith Urban, Ashley McBride, Michael Buble and Lauren Elena. The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Brand Garden arena, streaming live on Prime Video. Tanya J.

[Chris DiMeo]

Powers, FOX News Venezuela's government says it's deported a close ally of Nicolas Maduro to face judicial proceed in the U.S. it comes less than three years after former President Biden pardoned him in a prisoner exchange. I'm Chris Di Mao. This is Fox News.

[Tanya J. Powers]

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe [e-mail].