7PM ET 03/16/2026 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update – 7PM ET 03/16/2026 Newscast
Host: FOX News Podcasts | Date: March 16, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This evening’s Fox News Hourly Update delivers a fast-paced roundup of major weather events, political developments, and technological advancements affecting the U.S. and beyond. From record-breaking blizzards and disruptive heatwaves, to breaking news in U.S. politics and controversy on Capitol Hill, the newscast keeps listeners up-to-date on all the top stories of Monday, March 16th, 2026.

---

Major Stories and Key Discussion Points

1. Historic Midwest Blizzard & Widespread Severe Weather

(00:02 – 00:49)

• Lisa Lacera: Opens the update with breaking weather news.

  • "Millions in the path. The upper Midwest getting hammered with a late winter storm." (00:02)

• Weather Details:

  • FOX Weather reports "three feet of snow falling in some parts of the U.P. of Michigan and in the northern parts of Michigan looking into Green Bay, Wisconsin." (00:09)
  • Described as "the biggest snowstorm for them in 138 years and it’s still not over."
  • Blizzard warnings continue through the night and into Tuesday morning.
  • The storm's energy is moving eastward, bringing heavy rain and severe winds to the Northeast.

• Flight Disruptions:

  • At least 12,000 flights cancelled or delayed due to weather conditions.

• Contrasting Heatwave Out West:

  • Heat dome over the Southwest; Arizona temperatures to hit triple digits, while parts of California (San Francisco Bay and Sacramento) near 90°F.

Notable Quote:

"This has been the biggest snowstorm for them in 138 years and it's still not over." — FOX Weather Reporter (00:13)

---

2. U.S. Strikes Against Iran & Political Fallout

(01:12 – 01:33)

• Presidential Defense:

  • President Trump defends recent military strikes against Iran, three weeks after action began.

• Political Analysis:

  • "They're sending thousands of missiles into countries that didn't expect to be in the war because they wanted to take over the Middle East." — Political Analyst (01:12)

• Democratic Opposition:

  • Democrats criticize Trump for inconsistent messaging.
  • "Trump also claimed today, quote, 'they want to make a deal. They are talking to our people.' And then moments later, he said all their leaders are dead. We don't even know who they're dealing with. Which one is it?" — Political Analyst (01:23)

• Operational Impact:

  • Senate and House cancel all votes for the night due to severe weather.

---

3. Federal Vaccine Policy Blocked

(01:33 – 02:00)

• Judicial Ruling:
  • A federal judge temporarily blocks HHS Secretary RFK Jr.’s plan to reduce the number of child vaccine recommendations; cited possible violations of federal procedures in reshaping a pivotal vaccine advisory committee.

---

4. Calls For Federal Investigation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

(02:39 – 03:29)

• Allegations by Congress:

  • Top Democrats accuse DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of perjury for statements made under oath about a $220 million ad campaign and DHS compliance with court orders.

• Official Responses:

  • DOJ calls the congressional referral "a political stunt," while DHS spokesperson asserts that "any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically false." — Kristin Goodwin, Fox News (03:22)

---

5. AI Integration in Google Workspace

(03:29 – 04:13)

• Technology Update:

  • Google announces improved AI features (Gemini AI) for pro and ultra Workspace users, enabling auto-creation of documents, spreadsheets, and slide presentations by simple command.

• AI Utility Described:

  • "If you have a board meeting upcoming, you can ask Gemini to create the agenda, making use of last month’s meeting minutes… You can even have it create spreadsheets and slide presentations, all which can be further edited on command..." — Political Analyst (03:37)

---

6. Pope Leo to Receive Liberty Medal

(04:13 – 04:36)

• Award Announcement:

  • Pope Leo (the first American Pope) will accept the Liberty Medal remotely from Rome on July 3rd.
  • On July 4th, Pope Francis is set to visit a Sicilian island, symbolic for welcoming African migrants to Europe.

• Criteria Highlighted:

  • Liberty Medal recognizes individuals who promote liberty with "courage and conviction."

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Historic Blizzard:

  "This has been the biggest snowstorm for them in 138 years and it's still not over." — FOX Weather Reporter (00:13)

• Political Messaging Confusion:

  "Trump also claimed today, quote, 'they want to make a deal. They are talking to our people.' And then moments later, he said all their leaders are dead. We don't even know who they're dealing with. Which one is it?" — Political Analyst (01:23)

• Perjury Allegations Against Kristi Noem:

  “Any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically false.” — DHS response via Kristin Goodwin (03:22)

• AI in the Workplace:

  “You can even have it create spreadsheets and slide presentations, all which can be further edited on command, even asking it to match the format of a similar document you saw and liked.” — Political Analyst (03:39)

---

Segment Timestamps

• Midwest Blizzard & Weather Disruptions: 00:02 – 00:49
• Flight Cancellations & Western Heatwave: 00:49 – 01:12
• Iran Strikes & Political Fallout: 01:12 – 01:33
• Federal Vaccine Policy Blocked: 01:33 – 02:00
• Kristi Noem Investigation Calls: 02:39 – 03:29
• Google AI Enhancements: 03:29 – 04:13
• Pope Liberty Medal Announcement: 04:13 – 04:36

---

Conclusion

Tonight’s Fox News Hourly Update delivered comprehensive coverage of extreme weather events, political controversies in Washington, advances in digital productivity tools, and news of global leaders’ major plans. Each story is addressed with concise, rapid-fire reporting, making it essential listening for those seeking to stay informed on the day’s top stories.

Transcript

[Lisa Lacera]

Millions in the path. I'm Lisa Lacera, FOX News. The upper Midwest getting hammered with a late winter storm.

[FOX Weather Reporter]

Over the past three days, we have seen three feet of snow falling in some parts of the U.P. of Michigan and in the northern parts of Michigan looking into Green Bay, Wisconsin. This has been the biggest snowstorm for them in 138 years and it's still not over. We still have those blizzard warnings in place through the rest of this evening and also overnight into early on our Tuesday morning. Now, all of that energy is continuing to track across the Northeast now and we're still seeing those severe storms that are still potentially impacting the eastern portion of the United States where we have really strong wind gusts. That's going to be one of the main concerns as we continue throughout the rest of tonight. Heavy rain also going to be impacting the Northeast all throughout this evening.

[Lisa Lacera]

Camut FOX Weather Spain Froni the weather also forcing cancellations and delays of at least 12,000 flights. Meanwhile, a heat dome over the Southwest will send temperatures in Arizona into triple digits this week. And in California, the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento areas expected to see temperatures near 90 degrees. President Trump defending his decision to launch strikes against Iran three weeks into the action.

[Political Analyst]

They're sending thousands of missiles into countries that didn't expect to be in the war because they wanted to take over the Middle East.

[Lisa Lacera]

Democrats say the president sending mixed messages.

[Political Analyst]

Trump also claimed today, quote, they want to make a deal. They are talking to our people. And then moments later, he said all their leaders are dead. We don't even know who they're dealing with. Which one is it?

[Lisa Lacera]

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. The Senate and House have canceled all votes tonight due to the threat of severe weather. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Health and Human Services from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, saying Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee. America's listening to FOX news.

[NetSuite Oracle Advertiser]

Every business is asking the same question. How do we make AI work for us? No more waiting with NetSuite by Oracle. You can put AI to work. Today, NetSuite is the number one AI Cloud ERP trusted by over 43,000 businesses. It's the unified suite that brings your finances, inventory, commerce, HR and CRM into a single source of truth. The connected data is what makes your AI smarter, helping you make fast decisions. If your revenues are at least in the set seven figures, get our free business guide Demystifying AI at netsuite.com FOX

[Lisa Lacera]

Congressional Democrats want a federal investigation of soon to be former DHS Secretary Kristi

[Ainsley Earhart]

Noem Top Democrats on the Senate and House Judiciary committees accuse Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of lying under oath when appearing before lawmakers earlier this month. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Jamie Raskin call on the Justice Department to investigate, alleging a number of Noem statements appear to violate criminal statutes prohibiting perjury and knowingly making false statements to Congress. Their focus includes Noem's comments about a $220 million ad campaign she's featured in and her remarks about whether DHS had complied with judicial orders. The DOJ calling the letter a political stunt. DHS says any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically false. Kristin Goodwin, Fox News Letters, lists and

[Lisa Lacera]

spreadsheets can now be created with AI in Google workspaces for pro and ultra users.

[Political Analyst]

It is now possible to use Google's Gemini AI across Google's office, like apps such as documents, sheets, slides and everything else you can create simply by asking it to do it for you using whatever tools might be available. For instance, if you have a board meeting upcoming, you can ask Gemini to create the agenda, making use of last month's meeting minutes, a new business that came in through Gmail or what you have stored in Google Drive. You can even have it create spreadsheets and slide presentations, all which can be further edited on command, even asking it to match the format of a similar document you saw and liked. Eben Brown, Fox News Pope Leo said

[Lisa Lacera]

to accept the Liberty medal in Philadelphia July 3rd in a remote broadcast from Rome. The center awards the Liberty Medal each year to someone of courage and conviction who it says promotes liberty around the world. Leo, the first American Pope Francis will instead spend the Fourth of July on an island off Sicily, the arrival point for many immigrants trying to reach Europe from Africa. I'm Lisa Licera. This is Fox News.

[Ainsley Earhart]

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

[Political Analyst]

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.