Fox News Hourly Update: 8AM ET 06/25/2025 Newscast Summary

Release Date: June 25, 2025

The latest episode of the Fox News Hourly Update, hosted by Dave Anthony, delivered comprehensive coverage of significant national and international events. This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the newscast, enriched with notable quotes and structured into clear sections for easy navigation.

1. US Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities

Dave Anthony opened the broadcast with a report on the recent US airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

• Damage Assessment Discrepancy

  • A foreign ministry spokesman from Iran affirmed that the US airstrikes over the weekend “left them badly damaged for sure” (00:03).
  • Contrarily, initial Pentagon assessments suggested only limited damage. President Trump, however, maintained that the strikes resulted in “total obliteration” (00:03).

• Comparisons to Historical Bombings

  • Jackie Heinrich highlighted President Trump’s comparison of the recent bombs to those dropped on Japan during World War II, emphasizing their role in effectively ending wars (00:22).
  • Trump asserted that Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been set back by decades, believing that Iran "is not going to try this whole thing again" (00:22).

• Swift Action Preventing Uranium Removal

  • Heinrich reported from the NATO summit in the Netherlands, stating Trump countered the leaked Pentagon assessments by asserting that the US acted swiftly, preventing Iran from removing uranium ahead of the strikes (00:41).

2. Iran-Israel Ceasefire and Middle East Tensions

• Despite ongoing conflicts, the Iran-Israel ceasefire remains intact. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed optimism about progress in Gaza, attributing positive developments to recent attacks that he believes will lead to “very good news” (00:56).

• However, violence persists as Israel’s war against Hamas continues in Gaza:

  • Seven Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion (01:04).
  • Palestinian officials reported that Israeli strikes have resulted in at least 44 fatalities (01:04).

3. NATO Summit and Defense Spending

Mark Rutte, speaking at the NATO summit, emphasized the critical agenda of increasing defense budgets among Europe and Canada:

• He asserted that without President Trump's re-election, such commitments to defense spending would not have materialized, citing threats from Russia and the broader international security landscape as reasons for the necessity of increased defense expenditure (01:15).

• Trump criticized Spain for not committing to the NATO target of allocating 5% of GDP to defense, labeling it a problem (01:15).

4. New York City Mayoral Race

The newscast shifted focus to the local political scene in New York City:

• Jonathan Savage reported from The Hague that Zoran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim socialist, is a frontrunner to become New York City's next mayor (01:37).

• Mamdani vowed to reject what he termed “Donald Trump's fascism,” declaring victory in the Democratic primary as former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded (01:37).

• Current Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent, dismissed Mamdani by calling him “snake oil” (01:37).

5. Health Care Policies and Political Opposition

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as Health and Human Services Secretary, outlined his mission to make America healthier:

• He warned that “health care costs are steadily increasing at a rate of 2% greater than the economy,” labeling the trend as unsustainable and threatening future generations with “bankruptcy, servitude, and disastrous health consequences” if not addressed (02:22).

• Kennedy faced significant backlash during a House hearing:

  • Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democratic Congressman, criticized Kennedy’s proposed cuts to HHS, claiming they have led to chaos by canceling funding grants, rescinding billions in obligated funding, firing thousands of civil servants, and eliminating entire agencies (02:47).

  • Pallone further stated that Kennedy’s stance on vaccines could result in people’s deaths, to which Kennedy retorted that any deaths from vaccine-preventable illnesses would fall under Pallone’s responsibility (03:06).

  • Congresswoman Kim Schreier accused Kennedy of lying during his confirmation hearing. When Kennedy pointed out the substantial donations Pallone received from pharmaceutical companies, Pallone responded by asserting that Kennedy had “impugned the reputation of a member of Congress” (03:14).

6. Economic Outlook and Federal Reserve Insights

Looking ahead to economic discussions:

• The Senate is set to focus on the economy, particularly at a hearing where the Federal Reserve chairman will testify (03:24).

• Jerome Powell previously informed House lawmakers that inflation has significantly decreased but remains “somewhat above our 2% longer run objective.” He also expressed uncertainty regarding the impact of Trump’s tariffs on inflation and the broader economy, suggesting a cautious approach before considering interest rate cuts (03:24).

• President Trump has been critical of the Federal Reserve Chair, advocating for substantial rate cuts (03:24).

7. Stock Market Movements and SpaceX Launch

• The stock market experienced slight gains following significant advances, with the Dow rising more than 500 points (03:37).

• In another highlight, SpaceX successfully launched four astronauts from four different countries to the International Space Station on a private mission organized by Texas-based Axiom Space. The mission is slated for a two-week duration, marking a significant achievement in private space endeavors (03:54).

8. Upcoming Programs and Accessibility

• Jessica Rosenthal promoted Fox News' programming, including live broadcasts and podcasts, encouraging listeners to engage with content via foxnewspodcasts.com and the Fox News YouTube channel (04:13).

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the Fox News Hourly Update broadcast, providing listeners with a detailed overview of the day's most pressing issues and discussions.