Fox News Hourly Update – 6AM ET, August 31, 2025

Overview

This episode of the Fox News Hourly Update, hosted by Angelo Bavaro, delivers concise coverage of major domestic and international news as of August 31, 2025. The main focuses are the federal appeals court ruling against President Trump's tariffs, Israel’s expanded assault on Gaza City, developments in a Powerball jackpot, the aftermath of a deadly church shooting in Minneapolis, Chicago’s new executive order on immigration, and the proposed renaming of the Department of Defense.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Federal Appeals Court Rules Trump Tariffs Illegal

• President Trump’s Tariffs: A federal appeals court declared the tariff policy—a central part of President Donald Trump’s trade agenda—illegal.
  • Tariffs will remain for now: The court delayed the enforcement of its ruling until October 14, 2025, to allow for a potential Supreme Court appeal.
    • [00:14] “President Trump's tariffs, they're going to remain in place for now. This ruling does not go into effect until October 14th.” — Alexandria Hoff
• Legal Reasoning: The panel concluded that presidential authority during a declared national emergency does not explicitly allow for imposing tariffs or taxes.
  • [00:22] “But none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax.”
• Presidential Response: Trump criticized the court’s decision, labeling it partisan and predicting an eventual legal victory.
  • [00:36] "A highly partisan appeals court incorrectly said that our tariffs should be removed. But they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the country. It would make us financially weak and we have to be strong." — Donald Trump (quoting narrator)
• Context: Trump sees tariffs as leverage to push other countries into renegotiating trade deals with the US.
  • [00:56] “President Trump is using tariffs to compel other nations to renegotiate trade deals with the US.” — Angelo Bavaro

2. Israel Expands Military Assault on Gaza City

• Escalation: Israel is intensifying its offensive against Hamas in Gaza City and will restrict humanitarian aid to the area.
  • [01:05] “Israel will soon restrict humanitarian aid going into parts of northern Gaza as it expands its new air and ground offensive against Hamas.” — Fox News Reporter
• Methods: Cessation of airdrops and a slowdown of aid trucks. The IDF is preparing a mass evacuation.
  • [01:13] “That means stopping airdrops and slowing aid trucks entering into Gaza City.”
• Objective: Gaza City is described as one of Hamas’s last strongholds and critical to defeating the group.
• Humanitarian Crisis: Anticipated famine declared by the world’s leading food crisis authority.
  • [01:29] “The world’s leading authority on food crisis recently declared famine in Gaza City.”

3. National News Briefs

• Powerball Jackpot Update
  • No grand prize winner on Saturday; the jackpot rises to approximately $1.1 billion.
  • [01:34] “No winner in Saturday's Powerball jackpot. The winnings now increased to about 1.1 billion bucks. The next drawing is set for Monday.” — Angelo Bavaro
  • Three winners for “Match 5 and Power Play,” each earning $2 million.

4. Remembrance After Deadly Church Shooting in Minneapolis

• Resuming Mass: Annunciation Catholic Church holds its first Mass after a fatal shooting on Wednesday.
  • [03:10] “It was a somber Saturday night at Annunciation Catholic Church… as it held its first Mass since Wednesday’s deadly mass shooting.” — Angelo Bavaro
• Eyewitness and Grieving: Father Dennis Zarin recounts the attack; the community gathers to honor the two children killed.
  • [03:31] “I could have got between those bullets and the kids.” — Father Dennis Zarin
  • [03:38] “It was loud. It just kept coming and my first instinct was just to rush towards where the bullets were coming from.” — Father Dennis Zarin
  • [03:45] “Mass returned to the Annunciation campus Saturday night to grieve the loss of two children as they prayed to honor them.” — Reporter
  • [04:00–04:01] “For Fletcher. And for Harper, people coming from far and wide to lean on their faith.” — Service
• Victims Identified: 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moisky killed. The shooter was a 23-year-old former student, described as “obsessed with the idea of killing children.”
  • [04:07] “Authorities say the 23-year old shooter was a former student at that Catholic school and, quote, obsessed with the idea of killing children.” — Angelo Bavaro

5. Chicago’s Immigration Standoff

• Local vs. Federal Policy: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signs an executive order to counter Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
• Political Tensions:
  • [04:29] “[Trump] is reckless and out of control. He is the biggest threat to our democracy that we've experienced in the history of our country.” — Mayor Johnson (summary)
  • [04:36] “President Trump says Chicago is a mess and residents are, quote, screaming for us to come.” — Angelo Bavaro

6. Possible Renaming of the Department of Defense

• Proposal Details: The White House is considering renaming the Department of Defense back to “Department of War,” as it was known until the 1940s.
  • [04:46] “The change would likely need congressional approval, but reports say the White House is exploring other options. Trump says America needs offense, not just defense.” — Reporter

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump's Tariffs Ruling
  [00:36] “If these tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the country. It would make us financially weak and we have to be strong.” — President Trump (read by narrator)

• Minneapolis Church Shooting
  [03:31] “I could have got between those bullets and the kids.” — Father Dennis Zarin

  [03:38] “It was loud. It just kept coming and my first instinct was just to rush towards where the bullets were coming from.” — Father Dennis Zarin

• On Political Polarization in Chicago
  [04:29] “He is the biggest threat to our democracy that we've experienced in the history of our country.” — Mayor Johnson

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:02] – Trump’s tariffs ruling and response
• [01:05] – Israel expands Gaza assault, restricts aid
• [01:34] – Powerball jackpot update
• [03:10] – Annunciation Church resumes Mass after shooting
• [04:07] – Victims and shooter information
• [04:29] – Chicago mayor’s executive order vs. Trump
• [04:46] – Renaming of the Department of Defense considered

Tone and Language

The episode features direct, fact-forward reporting in a brisk, news-radio style. The speakers maintain a sense of urgency, particularly regarding breaking legal, political, and international stories. Quotations from officials, the President, and eyewitnesses add emotional resonance, especially in the coverage of the Minneapolis shooting and the Chicago political standoff.

This episode offers a succinct, multi-faceted look at the top political, legal, and social developments as of August 31, 2025.