Fox News Hourly Update – 6PM ET 08/18/2025

Host: Lisa Licera
Network: FOX News Radio
Date: August 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This newscast delivers a concise roundup of major national and international developments as of the evening of August 18, 2025. Highlighted topics include President Trump’s push for a full peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, his executive order to end mail-in voting, severe weather impacts from Hurricane Erin, a major Venezuelan gang indictment in Colorado, expanded access to weight loss medications, and new additions to the Cambridge Dictionary.

Key Points & Discussion Highlights

1. Russia-Ukraine Peace Negotiations (00:02 – 00:53)

• Main Theme: President Trump asserts he wants more than a ceasefire in Ukraine—he demands a comprehensive peace agreement, with lasting security guarantees and potential territorial negotiations.
• Key Participants: President Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukraine), Giorgio Meloni (Italy), EU leaders.
• Security Guarantees: European leaders advocate for NATO-like security for Ukraine.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “He wants a full peace deal.” – Lisa Licera (00:02)
  • “How to be sure that it won't happen again, which is the precondition of every kind of peace.” – Fox News Correspondent (00:20)
  • “This is a decision that can only be made by President Zelensky and by the people of Ukraine.” – Jimmy Phela (00:39)
• Important Moment: President Trump proposes a trilateral meeting with Zelensky and Putin.

2. U.S. Election Reform – Proposed Ban on Mail-In Voting (01:12 – 01:20)

• Trump’s Announcement: An executive order is being drafted to end mail-in ballots, which he deems “corrupt.”
• Ballot Context: About one-third of American voters use mail-in ballots. Constitutional provisions leave election procedures largely to individual states.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “We're going to start with an executive order that's being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail in ballots because they're corrupt.” – Jimmy Phela, quoting President Trump (01:12)
• Further Context: Change could face substantial legal and political hurdles due to state control over elections.

3. Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. Coast (01:20 – 01:48)

• Current Situation: Erin remains offshore but is affecting the Florida coast with dangerous surf and high swells, prompting red flags along beaches.
• Details:
  • The storm is “hundreds of miles away,” yet causing “seven to ten foot swells” (Jimmy Phela, 01:36).
  • Barrier islands on North Carolina’s Outer Banks face evacuations.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “This is a massive storm. So even though it's hundreds of miles away, the rough surf is likely to last all the way through Thursday.” – Jimmy Phela (01:36)

4. Organized Crime Indictment in Colorado (02:15 – 02:56)

• Headline: 30 members of a violent Venezuelan gang indicted for firearms, drug trafficking, and a gruesome murder-for-hire conspiracy.
• Law Enforcement Details:
  • Murder plot promised severed heads as “proof” for extra payment.
  • 24 arrested in the U.S., 2 in custody in Colombia.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Barbaric murder for hire plot in which several defendants agreed to kill two people for $15,000 and return their severed heads as proof... for just an extra $5,000.” – U.S. Attorney Peter McNeely (02:31)
  • “One of the people who offered to commit murders in this case bragged... the very same people that we had seen committing crimes on the news in these apartment complexes in Aurora.” – U.S. Attorney Peter McNeely (02:45)

5. Weight Loss Medications to Expand Access (03:04 – 03:51)

• Novo Nordisk Announcement: Wegovy (weight loss) and Ozempic (diabetes) will be available for self-pay via GoodRx telehealth for $499/month at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide.
• FDA Update: Wegovy now approved for a type of liver disease.
• Market Impact: GoodRx serves nearly 30 million consumers, streamlining access to medications.

6. Cambridge Dictionary Adds New Words (03:51 – 04:13)

• New Additions: Over 6,000 words updated, reflecting evolving language and internet culture.
• Examples:
  • “skibidi” – from YouTube, meaning “cool” or “bad.”
  • “tradwife” – traditional wives who document their lifestyle online.
  • “delulu” – short for “delusional.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Lisa Licera: “He wants a full peace deal.” (00:02)
• Jimmy Phela: “We're going to start with an executive order... to end mail in ballots because they're corrupt.” (01:12)
• U.S. Attorney Peter McNeely: “Barbaric murder for hire plot... severed heads as proof for just an extra $5,000.” (02:31)
• Fox News Correspondent: “Wegovy has received approval from the FDA for treatment of a type of liver disease.” (03:45)
• Lisa Licera: “Skibidi... tradwife... delulu.” (03:51)

Additional Notes

• Weather Advisories: Ongoing storm threats and evacuations, particularly in coastal regions.
• Legal Proceedings: High-level efforts against violent international crime networks.
• Healthcare Trends: Rise in direct-to-consumer telehealth and medical access.
• Language Trends: Digital and youth culture drive dictionary updates.

Listeners receive a brisk yet detailed overview of major 08/18/2025 headlines, blending U.S. and global affairs, original reporting, and direct attribution from officials and reporters.