7AM ET 02/23/2026 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update — 7AM ET, February 23, 2026

Host: Dave Anthony, FOX News Podcasts
Theme: A fast-paced news roundup highlighting the blizzard crippling the Northeast, disruption from cartel violence in Mexico, a security incident at Mar-a-Lago, Congressional delays over DHS funding, President Trump's tariff hike, and the conclusion of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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Major Blizzard Paralyzes the Northeast

[00:03 – 00:38]

• Dave Anthony opens with news of a severe blizzard impacting the Northeast, causing widespread travel disruptions and school closures from Delaware to Maine.
• Alexis McAdams reports live from Central Park, New York City:

  "They were still cleaning up from a snowstorm weeks ago. We're now dealing with blizzard like conditions. This is a bomb cyclone." (00:14)

  • Nearly 10 inches of snow already, with wind gusts at 50–60 mph.
  • Visibility is dangerously low, prompting a travel ban and severely restricting road use.
• Airports across the region are essentially shut down.
  • 20,000+ flights disrupted nationwide, per FOX Business Network’s Connor Hansen at Washington Reagan Airport.
  • Over 400,000 power outages reported — New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Delaware are hardest hit.

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Mexico: Cartel Violence Prompts Travel Warning

[01:08 – 01:28]

• Americans advised not to travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; those already there told to shelter in place.
• Madeline Rivera details cartel violence following the killing of a major drug lord:

  "The Mexican army says it conducted operations in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting Nemesio Ruben Osgara Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, the head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel. They say Oscara Cervantes died while on an airlift to Mexico City. The State Department once had a $50 million reward for his arrest." (01:08)

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Security Incident at Mar-a-Lago

[01:28 – 02:00]

• Dave Anthony reports on a security scare at President Trump’s Florida resort.
  • North Carolina man, Austin Martin, arrived with a shotgun and fuel can.
  • Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw explains the confrontation:

    "When confronted, he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons. Martin was shot dead." (01:49)

  • President Trump was not present during the incident.

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Congressional Delays Amid Budget Stalemate

[02:32 – 03:17]

• Severe weather delays Congress’s return from recess, thwarting efforts to resolve stalled Homeland Security funding.
• Dave Anthony: Essential DHS workers may miss paychecks due to the stalemate.
• Ainsley Earhardt provides additional detail:

  "The Senate was scheduled to do a roll call vote on the funding for the Department of Homeland Security...but Senate GOP leadership postponed the vote until Tuesday evening...Democrats are refusing to support funding for DHS unless reforms are made to federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP." (02:45)

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President Trump Raises Tariffs Following Supreme Court Ruling

[03:17 – 03:54]

• Dave Anthony reports:
  • President Trump has increased global tariffs to 15%, up from the 10% announced on Friday.
  • Move follows a Supreme Court ruling against him, limiting prior tariffs and stating he exceeded his authority.
  • Immediate market response: Dow and Nasdaq futures fall over 100 points each, after major gains post-ruling.

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Team USA Wins Hockey Gold as Winter Olympics End

[03:54 – 04:25]

• Jared Ma recaps a historic close to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy:

  "The United States men's hockey team won its first gold medal since the Miracle on Ice team of 1980 in Lake Placid, New York. The Americans beat Canada 2 to 1 in overtime on a goal by Jack Hughes, who earlier had teeth knocked out by a high stick and is now famously photographed as a gold medal winner with a bloody mouth and smile from ear to ear..." (03:54)

  • Jack Hughes scores the overtime winner despite injury; his brother Quinn Hughes was also a key player, scoring the winning goal in the quarterfinal against Sweden.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alexis McAdams on blizzard severity (00:14):

  "We're now dealing with blizzard like conditions. This is a bomb cyclone."

• Connor Hansen on travel impact (~00:38):

  "Nearly 20,000 flights have been disrupted across the country..."

• Madeline Rivera on cartel leader's death (01:08):

  "The State Department once had a $50 million reward for his arrest."

• Sheriff Bradshaw on Mar-a-Lago incident (01:49):

  "When confronted, he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position..."

• Ainsley Earhardt on the Senate postponement (02:45):

  "Democrats are refusing to support funding for DHS unless reforms are made to federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP."

• Jared Ma on Olympic gold (03:54):

  "Jack Hughes, who earlier had teeth knocked out by a high stick and is now famously photographed as a gold medal winner with a bloody mouth and smile from ear to ear..."

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Key Timestamps

• 00:03 — Northeast blizzard update; travel shutdowns begin
• 00:14 — Live report from Central Park
• 00:38 — Flight & power disruptions update
• 01:08 — Mexico travel warning & cartel leader killed
• 01:28 — Mar-a-Lago security incident
• 02:32 — Congressional delays over DHS funding
• 03:17 — Trump increases tariffs after Supreme Court ruling
• 03:54 — USA men’s hockey wins Olympic gold
• 04:25 — End of the main newscast

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This episode delivers a rapid but comprehensive survey of breaking national and international stories—anchored by on-the-ground reporting and punctuated by strong, immediately relevant quotes. For listeners, it’s a snapshot of the day’s big headlines with a sharp, news-driven tone.

Transcript

[Dave Anthony]

The Northeast is crippled by a blizzard. I'm Dave Anthony, FOX News, Starling travel and shutting schools with blizzard warnings from Delaware to Maine. New York City's in the middle of it.

[Alexis McAdams]

They were still cleaning up from a snowstorm weeks ago. We're now dealing with blizzard like conditions. This is a bomb cyclone. Where I am right now is right here in Central Park.

[Dave Anthony]

And Fox's Alexis McAdams is standing in almost 10 inches of snow.

[Alexis McAdams]

It's not just that it's coming down heavy amounts of snow, it's that it's whipping around. So we're talking 50 to 60 mile an hour winds some places across the Northeast. So that's what makes the visibility drop so low. And that's why there is a travel ban.

[Dave Anthony]

And while people are told to stay off the roads, air travel is pretty much grounded across the northeast. Well, nearly 20,000 flights have been disrupted across the country from this blizzard through tomorrow. That's FOX Business Network's Connor Hansen at Washington Reagan Airport. And there are also more than 400,000 power outages. The most are in New Jersey, followed by Massachusetts and Delaware. Americans are told not to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and those there are urged to shelter in place. After drug cartels retaliated to a drug

[Madeline Rivera]

lord being killed, The Mexican army says it conducted operations in Tapalpa, Jalisco, targeting Nemesio Ruben Osgara Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, the head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel. They say Oscara Cervantes died while on an airlift to Mexico City. The State Department once had a $50 million award for his arrest.

[Dave Anthony]

That's Fox's Madeline Rivera. The Secret Service is investigating what happened at the Trump Mar A Lago, Florida State early yesterday, a North Carolina man, Austin Martin, showed up with a shotgun and a fuel can. And Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw says when confronted, he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons. Martin was shot dead. President Trump was not there at the time. America's listening to FOX News.

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[Dave Anthony]

Well, this bad weather across the Northeast is delaying Congress's return from break to deal with the stalemate that's left much of Homeland Security without funding. So essential workers there who have to stay on the job may miss paychecks.

[Ainsley Earhardt]

The Senate was scheduled to do a roll call vote on the funding for the Department of Homeland Security funding this evening, but Senate GOP leadership postponed the vote until Tuesday evening. It comes after the House also postponed its Monday votes to Tuesday due to the nor' easter that's hitting the Mid Atlantic and northeastern regions of the U.S. democrats are refusing to support funding for DHS unless reforms are made to federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and cbp. Debra Valentine, Fox News President Trump has

[Dave Anthony]

put his global tariffs now up to 15%, raising them from the 10 he announced on Friday after the Supreme Court court ruling against him striking down most of his earlier tariffs in the decision that the president had exceeded his authority. Now on Wall street, stock futures are falling more than 100 points each for the Dow and the Nasdaq. Both had surged up more than 200 on Friday after that Supreme Court decision. The Olympics are over In Italy, the last event was an emotional one for Team USA on Ice C went four

[Jared Ma]

years in the French Alps, the 2026 Winter Games of Milan and Cortina. The 25th Winter Olympics ended Sunday, not before the United States men's hockey team won its first gold medal since the Miracle on ice team of 1980 in Lake Placid, New York. The Americans beat Canada 2 to 1 in overtime on a goal by Jack Hughes, who earlier had teeth knocked out by a high stick and is now famously photographed as a gold medal winner with a bloody mouth and smile from ear to ear along with his brother Quinn Hughes, who had scored the game winning overtime goal in the quarterfinals against Sweden.

[Dave Anthony]

That's Jared Ma, Dave Anthony, this is Fox News.

[Ainsley Earhardt]

This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of

[Dave Anthony]

Jesus A listening experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.