Fox News Hourly Update – 6AM ET | July 3, 2025

Host: Fox News Radio
Release Date: July 3, 2025

1. House Budget Bill Nears Final Vote

Dave Anthony opened the newscast by highlighting the impending final vote on the House's significant budget bill:

"[00:02] ... President Trump is at the helm now. It's a new day. Congressman Steve Scalise as Republicans get ready to pass the president's big beautiful budget bill that'll make the soon to expire 2017 tax cuts permanent with exemptions for tip and overtime income."

The bill aims to solidify the 2017 tax cuts, enhance border security funding, and implement spending cuts across various programs, including Medicaid. Notably, the bill proposes attaching work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, a move criticized by Democrats for potentially stripping healthcare and food assistance from millions.

Catherine Clark voiced strong opposition to the legislation:

"[00:35] With this big ugly bill, Republicans are on the verge of moving that dream further out of touch of making people sicker and poorer."

Clark, speaking shortly before the anticipated vote, emphasized concerns over the bill's impact on the national debt:

"[00:45] Congresswoman Catherine Clark a short time ago on the House floor ahead of the possible vote this hour, they also warned the bill balloons the national debt."

Chad Pergam provided further insight into the Republican strategy and internal deliberations:

"[00:54] They've been looking for, you know, guarantees of other pieces of legislation that they could not fit into this bill... One of the biggest differences between the House bill and the Senate bill was the fact that in the original House bill, they were able to bar Medicaid benefits from going to illegal immigrants."

However, Dave Anthony reported that the Senate has removed the provision targeting Medicaid benefits for illegal immigrants, indicating the House is prepared to move forward:

"[01:20] ... that provision was taken out in the Senate version that the House is ready to approve."

2. Criminal Justice Updates

The newscast transitioned to significant criminal justice news involving high-profile figures:

Dave Anthony reported on Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal situation:

"[01:41] Sean Diddy Combs remains in jail in New York City after a federal judge refused to release him awaiting sentencing on prostitution relation related charges after the rapper and music producer was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering."

Combs' attorney, Mark Agnifolo, commended the jury's thoroughness:

"[01:41] They listened to every word and they got the situation right or certainly right enough."

In another notable case, Dave Anthony covered the confession of Brian Kohberger:

"[01:48] ... the man accused of murdering four college students admits he did it."

Catherine Clark highlighted the gravity of the plea:

"[01:50] Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty."

Kohberger's plea deal is set to result in a life sentence instead of the death penalty:

"[01:51] Yes. Brian Kohberger will be sentenced in three weeks to life in prison. The plea deal lets Kohberger escape the death penalty."

3. Pentagon Assessment: Iran and Ukraine

Dave Anthony updated listeners on recent Pentagon evaluations concerning international military actions:

"[03:04] Fox news a new assessment from the Pentagon on the U.S. airstrikes that hit Iran's nuclear facilities helping Israel's attacks. Those facilities were obliterated, as President Trump maintains. As for Iran's nuclear program itself feared to be building weapons, it's been degraded by one or two years."

The discourse then shifted to the U.S. decision to pause weapons shipments to Ukraine amid ongoing tensions with Russia:

"[03:04] ... more information on the decision to pause weapons shipments to Ukraine, which had been going there to help battle Russia's invasion."

Catherine Clark elaborated on the Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell's rationale:

"[03:31] Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the decision was part of a capability review... 'the aid given to Ukraine has reduced American stockpiles too far. We can't give weapons to everybody all around the world. We have to look out for, you know, America and defending our homeland and our troops around the world.'"

Parnell also assured the public of the military's readiness:

"[03:31] ... 'our military has everything that it needs to conduct any mission anywhere, anytime, all around the world.'"

4. Economic Indicators and Job Market

As Independence Day approached, attention turned to the upcoming monthly jobs report. Dave Anthony set the stage:

"[04:16] Fourth of July is tomorrow, we'll get the monthly jobs report that typically comes out on Fridays."

Hillary Bars shared economists' expectations:

"[04:21] This morning, economists are expecting that US employers added 110,000 new jobs during the month, which is slightly less than May's gain of 139,000. The unemployment rate is forecast to tick higher at 4.3%, the highest level since October of 2021."

Bars also noted investor concerns regarding the impact of tariffs on hiring:

"[04:21] ... investors will be watching for any signs that tariffs are starting to weigh more heavily on hiring."

Dave Anthony provided a brief market update:

"[04:47] ... the stock market could react to the numbers. For now, futures have been rising slightly the day after The Dow dropped 10 points. But the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ both rose and again both closed at new record highs."

Conclusion

The Fox News Hourly Update on July 3, 2025, covered a range of pivotal topics, including the House's push to pass a contentious budget bill, significant criminal justice developments involving high-profile individuals, critical Pentagon assessments on international military actions, and insightful economic forecasts ahead of the highly anticipated jobs report. The program provided listeners with comprehensive coverage, enriched by direct quotes and expert analysis, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of the day's most pressing issues.