8PM ET 07/18/2025 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update – 8PM ET, July 18, 2025

Released on July 19, 2025

---

1. Legislative Victories and President Trump's White House Dinner

Timestamp: [00:02]

Lisa La Sara opens the newscast by highlighting recent legislative achievements. She reports that President Donald Trump is hosting a dinner for Republican lawmakers at the White House to celebrate these victories.

Quote:

Donald Trump: "I think we've done more in three nights. I've been calling people at 2:00 clock in the morning, sir. We have three hard nos. They said it's 2:30 in the morning. That's okay. That was an early one."
[00:10]

---

2. House Passes $9 Billion Spending Cuts Rescissions Package

Timestamp: [00:20]

Ryan Schmelz discusses a significant development in government spending. The House has passed a rescissions package that cuts $9 billion in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting. This move is seen as a precursor to further spending reductions aimed at decreasing the national deficit.

Key Points:

• The Trump administration views these cuts as essential for deficit reduction.
• Democrats oppose the cuts, claiming the funds were previously approved through a bipartisan agreement, which is now being disregarded.
• Rescission bills require only a simple majority to pass in both chambers.

---

3. Hostage Situation in Gaza and Diplomatic Efforts

Timestamp: [00:49]

Lisa La Sara reports on the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, mentioning President Trump's announcement regarding the imminent release of additional hostages.

Quote:

Donald Trump: "We're going to have another 10 coming very shortly and we hope to have that finished pretty quickly."
[00:55]

The President commends Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for his negotiation efforts.

---

4. Justice Department Seeks Release of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

Timestamp: [01:03]

The Justice Department has filed a request for the release of grand jury transcripts related to the 2019 investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The decision to grant this request remains uncertain.

Ryan Schmelz comments on the matter:

Quote:

Ryan Schmelz: "Grand jury transcripts are highly protected. The administration's critics say those transcripts only represent a fraction of the evidence in the Epstein case."
[01:19]

---

5. Legal Challenge to President Trump's Lawsuit Against Bob Woodward

Timestamp: [01:27]

Rich Hudson reports on a federal court ruling that blocks President Trump from pursuing a nearly $50 million lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward. The lawsuit was based on the publication of tapes from interviews Woodward conducted for his 2020 bestseller, "Rage," released as an audiobook.

Key Points:

• Woodward’s attorneys argued that the President cannot copyright interviews conducted as part of his official duties.
• No previous president has demanded royalties for publishing such interviews.

Note: This segment transitions into an advertisement and is thus summarized without promotional content.

---

6. Damage to Gaza Church and Papal Call for Peace

Timestamp: [02:30]

Lisa La Sara covers the unfortunate incident in Gaza where an Israeli shell accidentally damaged the only Catholic church in the region, resulting in three deaths and ten injuries, including a priest close to the Pope.

Report by Jessica Rosenthal:

• Incident Details: The Holy Family Church was unintentionally hit, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize.
• Papal Response: Pope Leo XVI has called for an end to the conflict and personally spoke with Netanyahu following the strike.
• Diplomatic Visits: A Latin cardinal and a Greek Orthodox priest from Jerusalem visited the affected area.
• Hostage Situation: There are still 50 hostages in Gaza, with Israel believing that 23 are alive.

---

7. Public Perception of the "Big Beautiful Bill" and Its Impact on Different Income Groups

Timestamp: [03:12]

Lisa La Sara discusses a recent AP news poll revealing public opinions on the new tax law, often referred to as the "big beautiful bill."

Poll Findings:

• Approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults believe the tax law will benefit the wealthy.
• About six in ten think it will negatively impact low-income individuals more than it helps.
• Around half of the respondents feel the bill will harm the middle class more than it will benefit them.

---

8. Decline in Health Among American Children and Adults

Timestamp: [03:44]

Alexandria Hall reports on a new study indicating a steep decline in the health of American children, with adults also experiencing worsening health metrics. Life expectancy in the U.S. lags behind other high-income countries.

Key Points:

• Life Expectancy: According to the CDC, life expectancy is 81 years for women and 75 years for men, both lower than pre-pandemic levels.
• Preventative Tools: An increase in the use of apps like "Death Clock," which predicts users' demise based on AI and health markers, aims to motivate preventative health measures.
• Health Innovations: Companies focusing on longevity are analyzing over 100 biomarkers to determine users' true biological age, encouraging proactive health management.

---

This summary provides an overview of the key discussions and insights presented in the Fox News Hourly Update aired on July 18, 2025, ensuring a comprehensive understanding for those who have not listened to the episode.

Transcript

[Lisa La Sara]

Celebrating legislative victories. I'm Lisa La Sara Fox News. President Trump hosting a dinner for Republican lawmakers at the White House.

[Donald Trump]

I think we've done more in three nights. I've been calling people at 2:00 clock in the morning, sir. We have three hard nos. They said it's 2:30 in the morning. That's okay. That was an early one.

[Lisa La Sara]

One of the measures touted a bill passed by the House last night that cuts $9 billion in spending.

[Ryan Schmelz]

The rescissions package cuts $9 billion in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting and and has been seen as a test run for future spending cuts the Trump administration believes will be key in reducing the deficit. Democrats railed against the cuts, arguing the money was already approved by Congress through a bipartisan agreement and that agreement has now been broken. A rescission only needs a simple majority to pass in both chambers.

[Lisa La Sara]

Fox's Ryan Schmelz. The president also said another 10 hostages will be released from Gaza shortly.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to have another 10 coming very shortly and we hope to have that finished pretty quickly.

[Lisa La Sara]

The president praised the efforts of special envoy Steve Witkoff in negotiating for their release. The Justice Department has requested that a federal judge release the grand jury transcripts related to the 2019 investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. It's unclear if a judge will agree to the request.

[Ryan Schmelz]

Grand jury transcripts are highly protected. The administration's critics say those transcripts only represent a fraction of the evidence in the Epstein case.

[Lisa La Sara]

Fox's Rich Hudson @ the White House, federal judges ruled that the president cannot pursue his nearly $50 million lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward for publishing tapes from interviews for his 2020 bestseller Rage as an Audiobook. Attorneys for Woodward had argued the federal that barred the president from copywriting interviews conducted as part of his official duties and that no president before him ever demanded royalties for publishing presidential interviews. America is listening to FOX News.

[Rich Hudson]

Creating your is everything. Getting it registered in compliance, not so much. LegalZoom has everything you need to launch, run and protect your business all in one place. LegalZoom has already helped launch, run and protect millions of businesses. LegalZoom. Now you're in business. Get everything you need from setup to success. At legalzoom.com LegalZoom provides access to independent attorneys and self service tools. LegalZoom is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice except we're authorized through its subsidiary law firm LZ Legal Services llc.

[Lisa La Sara]

The damage to a church in Gaza has the Pope calling for an end to the war.

[Jessica Rosenthal]

The only Catholic church in Gaza was damaged by an Israeli shell accidentally. It was not the intended target. Three people were killed and 10 injured. Among those killed was a priest who was friends with the pope. Pope Leo XVI has called for an end to the conflict. He spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the strike, during which Netanyahu apologized. He issued a statement saying he deeply regrets that stray ammunition hit Gaza's hold Holy Family Church. The incident prompted visits to the area from a Latin cardinal and Greek Orthodox priest who both reside in Jerusalem. There are still 50 hostages in Gaza. Israel believes 23 of them are still alive. Jessica Rosenthal, Fox News Most US Adults.

[Lisa La Sara]

Thinks the so called big beautiful bill will help the wealthy and harm the poor. That's according to a new AP new poll. About 2/3 of US adults expect the new tax law will help the wealthy, according to the survey. About six in 10 think it will do more to hurt than help low income people. About half say it'll do more harm than good for middle class people and people like them. A new study finds the health of American children has been on a steep decline and adults are not much better. With life expectancy lagging behind other high income countries, people need to know how.

[Alexandria Hall]

Healthy they are right now. And some of these increasingly popular tools are using the morbid as motivation. One of those would be an app called Death Clock. It predicts the date of one's demise through AI and user submitted health markers. According to the CDC, life expectancy for US woman is 81. It's 75 for men. These numbers still lower than pre pandemic levels. Now these companies, they want to help people take preventative control function. Health is another example. It's a longevity focused company that analyzes over 100 biomarkers to reveal a user's true biological age.

[Lisa La Sara]

Fox's Alexandria hall finally Cila Serra. This is Fox News.

[Rich Hudson]

Creating your own business is everything. Getting it registered in compliance, not so much. LegalZoom has everything you need to launch, run and protect your business all in one place. LegalZoom has already helped launch, run and protect millions of businesses. LegalZoom now you're in business. Get everything you need from setup to [e-mail] LegalZoom provides access to independent attorneys and self service tools. LegalZoom is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice except for authorized through its subsidiary law firm LZ Legal Services llc.