6PM ET 08/29/2025 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update – 6PM ET 08/29/2025 Newscast

Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Lisa Licera
Podcast: Fox News Hourly Update

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Overview

This episode delivers a roundup of the day’s most pressing news in the United States and globally. Topics include a major leadership shakeup at FEMA over cybersecurity failures, remembrances and lessons from Hurricane Katrina twenty years on, U.S. visa actions targeting Palestinian Authority officials, a lawsuit against Nevada’s Veterans Services, renewed pushes to ban congressional stock trading, the latest inflation statistics, and Southwest Airlines' new cockpit security measures.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. FEMA Firings & Cybersecurity ([00:02])

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminates 24 FEMA IT employees following “massive cyber failures.”
• Noem cites a routine cybersecurity review that uncovered "significant security vulnerabilities giving a threat actor access to FEMA's network."
• Despite the breach, DHS confirms:
  • “No Americans were directly impacted and no sensitive data was extracted.”
• This development comes on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

2. Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years Later ([00:40])

• Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves speaks at a remembrance ceremony:
  • Quote: “Rise up above insurmountable odds. We will always win and we will always come back stronger.” ([00:40])
• Katrina's impact summarized:
  • Nearly 1,400 deaths and $200 billion in damages.
  • “80% of [New Orleans] underwater, with thousands clinging to rooftops and hundreds evacuating to the Superdome.”

3. U.S. Revokes Visas for Palestinian Officials ([01:16])

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio revokes visas for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other PA/PLO officials.
• State Department Statement:
  • The PA and PLO “must consistently repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis, and end incitement to terrorism and education, as well as their lawfare campaigns.” ([01:26])
  • Waivers are being granted for the PA mission to the UN, in compliance with the UN Headquarters agreement.
• Reaction: Palestinian UN envoy reviewing implications for their delegation.

4. Veterans Home Lawsuit in Nevada ([02:29])

• Former employees sue the Nevada Department of Veterans Services.
• Allegations:
  • “Retaliatory behavior and endangering the safety of residents at a state run veterans nursing home in the southern part of the state.”

5. Congressional Stock Trading Ban Effort ([02:49])

• Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna is leading a renewed push to ban stock trading by members of Congress using a discharge petition.
• Quote (Ryan Schmelz, Correspondent):
  • “Those opposed to the ban argue members of Congress should be free to make money. And lawmakers have not received a pay raise in well over a decade despite the rising cost of living.” ([02:49])
• Bipartisan support exists for such reforms, with several related bills being debated.

6. Latest Inflation Data ([03:25])

• Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index update:
  • Up 0.2% in July; the year-on-year figure at 2.6%, matching June.
  • Core PCE (excluding food/energy): Slightly up to 2.9%.
  • For perspective, in Feb 2022, core PCE hit 5.6%—the highest since 1983.
• Quote (Jenny Coselda):
  • “The Federal Reserve is looking at inflation and the job market as it decides whether to lower interest rates next month.” ([03:25])

7. Southwest Airlines Enhances Cockpit Security ([04:08])

• Southwest begins using Boeing 737 Max 8 jets fitted with a secondary cockpit barrier.
• “Designed to prevent intrusions into the cockpit.”
• The first such plane made its inaugural trip from Phoenix to Salt Lake City in recent days.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Governor Tate Reeves:
  “Rise up above insurmountable odds. We will always win and we will always come back stronger.” ([00:40])
• Dept. of State:
  “The PLO and PA must consistently repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis, and end incitement to terrorism and education, as well as their lawfare campaigns.” ([01:26])
• Ryan Schmelz (on Congressional stock trading):
  “Those opposed to the ban argue members of Congress should be free to make money. And lawmakers have not received a pay raise in well over a decade…” ([02:49])
• Jenny Coselda (on inflation):
  “The latest readings on inflation are mixed... The Federal Reserve is looking at inflation and the job market as it decides whether to lower interest rates next month.” ([03:25])

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Segment Timestamps

• FEMA Cybersecurity & Firings: 00:02–00:40
• Katrina Anniversary & Governor Quote: 00:40–00:52
• U.S. Visa Actions Against PA Officials: 01:16–01:51
• Nevada Veterans Lawsuit: 02:29–02:49
• Congressional Stock Trading Ban: 02:49–03:22
• Inflation Report: 03:25–04:08
• Southwest Airlines Security Upgrade: 04:08–04:24

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Summary

This broadcast covered significant developments in domestic security (FEMA cyber breach), political accountability (congressional stock trading), global diplomacy (visa bans for Palestinian officials), landmark events (Katrina remembrance), key economic signals (inflation stats), and transportation security (airline cockpit barriers). The reporting is succinct, direct, and reflects Fox News’ focus on national impact, policy, and security.

Transcript

[Lisa Licera]

Firings at fema. I'm Lisa Licera of Fox News. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she's terminated 24 members of FEMA's information technology department, citing what she called massive cyber failures. She says after conducting a routine cybersecurity review, significant security vulnerabilities were found giving a threat actor access to FEMA's network. DHS says no Americans were directly impacted and no sensitive data was extracted. Coming 20 years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf coast with catastrophic storm surge and flooding together, we will always.

[Tate Reeves]

Rise up above insurmountable odds. We will always win and we will always come back stronger.

[Lisa Licera]

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves at a remembrance ceremony earlier today. Katrina killed nearly 1400 people and caused an estimated $200 billion in damage the levy system in New Orleans, leaving about 80% of the city underwater, with thousands clinging to rooftops and hundreds evacuating to the Superdome. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the visas of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials with the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Liberation Organization ahead of next month's UN General assembly meeting.

[Unnamed State Department Spokesperson]

In a statement, the State department says the PLO and PA must consistently repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis, and end incitement to terrorism and education, as well as their lawfare campaigns. The State Department does say the PA mission to the UN will get waivers per the UN Headquarters agreement. A Palestinian UN envoy said they are looking to see how this all applies to their delegation.

[Lisa Licera]

Fox's Jessica Rosenthal America is listening to Fox News.

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[Lisa Licera]

A group of former employees is suing the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, claiming the agency and multiple officials engaged in retaliatory behavior and endangered the safety of residents at a state run veterans nursing home in the southern part of the state. A member of Congress plans to force a vote on a bill to ban congressional stock trading.

[Ryan Schmelz]

Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna is planning to utilize a discharge petition to bring her bill to the floor that would ban members of Congress from trading stocks. The petition would force the bill to come to the floor for a vote if it gets 218 signatures. A ban on stock trading has received a bipartisan push with several bills being considered and debated this Congress. Those opposed to the ban argue members of Congress should be free to make money. And lawmakers have not received a pay raise in well over a decade despite the rising cost of living. In Washington, Ryan Schmelz, FOX News.

[Lisa Licera]

No dramatic increases in the latest inflation readings.

[Jenny Coselda]

The latest readings on inflation are mixed. The personal consumption expenditures price index rose just 2/10 of a percent in July, which was an improvement. And the PCE for the year ending in July rose 2.6%, matching June, though core PCE excluding food and energy for the year ending in July rose slightly to 2.9%. The PCE price index excluding food and energy rose to 5.6% back in February of 2022, which was the highest level since February of 1983. The Federal Reserve is looking at inflation and the job market as it decides whether to low lower interest rates next month. Jenny Coselda, FOX News.

[Lisa Licera]

Southwest Airlines says it started using jets with a secondary barrier to the flight deck designed to prevent intrusions into the cockpit. The plane is a Boeing 737 Max 8, which was delivered to the airline in recent days, its first trip from Phoenix to Salt Lake City. I'm Lisa Licera.

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