The Latest Big Jobs Numbers are In

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update – April 3, 2026

Episode: The Latest Big Jobs Numbers Are In
Host: Chris Foster (FOX News Podcasts)
Theme: A rapid-fire update covering the March jobs report, US foreign policy developments, government budget priorities, immigration news, and a high-profile legal case in entertainment.

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on the unexpectedly positive March jobs report from the Labor Department, while also updating listeners on escalating US-Iran tensions, President Trump’s sweeping defense budget request, controversial ICE operations and lawsuits, and a significant update in the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni lawsuit. The tone is fast-paced, fact-driven, and covers both domestic and international headlines.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. March Jobs Report: Surprising Strength

• Report Announcement
  • 178,000 jobs were created in March, “triple the number expected.”
  • The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%.
  • Key sectors with job gains: health care, construction, transportation, and warehousing.
  • Federal government jobs decreased.
  • February’s weak report was blamed on “healthcare strikes in California and Hawaii” and “repeated winter storms.”

  “Hiring's up. ... The March jobs report is released by the Labor Department and it's stronger than most economists expected after a big drop the month before.”
  — Chris Foster [00:03]

• Workforce Participation Concerns
  • Workforce participation rate slipped to 61.9%, lowest in 4.5 years.

  “People not working or looking for work are not figured into the unemployment rate.”
  — Chris Foster [00:37]

2. US-Iran Tensions and Military Spending

• Strait of Hormuz & Military Escalation
  • President Trump on Truth Social: Suggests reopening the Strait of Hormuz and “taking the oil.”
  • US airstrikes destroyed a bridge in Iran — “the first time” US forces have targeted civilian infrastructure; justified as a supply route.

  “All parties appear to be on a path towards escalation rather than negotiation.”
  — Jonathan Hunt [00:55]

• Defense Budget Request
  • $1.5 trillion defense budget request—44% increase, both for wartime needs and “presidential fund” projects.

  “Trump administration is asking Congress to approve a one and a half trillion dollar defense budget, a 44% annual increase.”
  — Chris Foster [01:21]

  • Non-defense programs: Proposed $73 billion (10%) cut, targeting what the administration calls “woke weaponized and wasteful programs.”
  • Additional spending: $4B for air traffic control, $10B for construction/beautification in D.C.

  “A president's annual budget is not law and largely serves as a priority list as Congress begins the process of drafting and passing spending bills.”
  — Jared Halpern [01:28]

3. Immigration Enforcement and Legal Actions

• Salah Sarsour Detention
  • Muslim leader in Michigan, Salah Sarsour, in ICE custody.
  • Convicted of violent acts against Israeli forces; allegedly lied on his green card application.
  • Supporters claim targeting is due to his activism.

  “A crowd rallied in support of Sarsour, claiming that he was targeted for speaking out against Israel and that he's been a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. for over 32 years.”
  — Brooke Taylor [02:34]

• Minneapolis ICE Operations Lawsuits
  • ACLU and others allege ICE violated Fourth Amendment rights by entering homes with administrative rather than judicial warrants.
  • DHS responds, affirming “full due process” for those served.

  “It just seems unthinkable that the government would try and have this kind of power grab.”
  — Jenny Cassol [03:24]
  “The lawsuit also accuses DHS of deliberately hiding the policy.”
  — Terry Nelson [03:30]

4. High-Profile Legal Update: Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni

• Case Narrowed Before Trial
  • Judge dismissed 10 of 13 claims, including sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy.
  • Remaining claims: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding/abetting retaliation.
  • Reasons: Court found Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, affecting harassment claims.

  “The sexual harassment allegations were dismissed because the court determined Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee.”
  — Chanley Painter [03:55]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jobs Numbers:

  “There were 178,000 new jobs created in March, triple the number expected. And the unemployment rate declined to 4.3% in March.”
  — Jenny Cassol [00:11]

• On Military Escalation:

  “The destruction of that bridge in Iran by US Forces is the first time that we are aware of that the US has targeted civilian infrastructure, albeit US Officials saying it would have been used as a military supply route.”
  — Jonathan Hunt [00:55]

• On Congressional Budget Dynamics:

  “A president's annual budget is not law and largely serves as a priority list as Congress begins the process of drafting and passing spending bills.”
  — Jared Halpern [01:28]

• On ICE Lawsuits:

  “It just seems unthinkable that the government would try and have this kind of power grab.”
  — Jenny Cassol [03:24]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Jobs Report & Economic Commentary: 00:03 – 00:37
• US-Iran Escalation & Defense Budget: 00:37 – 01:49
• Proposed Domestic Spending Cuts/Projects: 01:49 – 01:58
• Salah Sarsour ICE Detention: 02:31 – 03:01
• Minneapolis ICE Lawsuits: 03:01 – 03:48
• Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni Case Update: 03:48 – 04:25

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Brief Takeaway

This news update podcast delivers a brisk, headline-driven overview of unexpected economic vigor, an intensifying US-Iran conflict, substantial proposed shifts in federal spending, controversial immigration enforcement actions, and a narrowing celebrity lawsuit, providing listeners with key facts, quotes, and context for major national news stories as of April 3, 2026.

Transcript

[Chris Foster]

Hiring's up. I'm Chris Foster, FOX News. The March jobs report is released by the Labor Department and it's stronger than most economists expected after a big drop the month before.

[Jenny Cassol]

There were 178,000 new jobs created in March, triple the number expected. And the unemployment rate declined to 4.3% in March. Jobs were added in health care, construction, transportation and warehousing. Federal government jobs continued to shrink. Healthcare strikes in California and Hawaii had impacted the February report. And it's believed the February report was made even worse by repeated winter storms.

[Chris Foster]

Fox's Jenny Cassol the workforce participation rate slips to 61.9%. It's the fewest in four and a half years. People not working or looking for work are not figured into the unemployment rate. President Trump on Truth Social says the US could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and take the oil with a little more time and says there's more to come. After airstrikes on a bridge in IRAN

[Jonathan Hunt]

on day 35 of this war, all parties appear to be on a path towards escalation rather than negotiation. The destruction of that bridge in Iran by US Forces is the first time that we are aware of that the US has targeted civilian infrastructure, albeit US Officials saying it would have been used as a military supply route.

[Chris Foster]

Fox's Jonathan Hunt Trump administration is asking Congress to approve a one and a half trillion dollar defense budget, a 44% annual increase.

[Jared Halpern]

Non defense spending would drop by $73 billion, a 10% cut by eliminating what the administration calls woke weaponized and wasteful programs. A president's annual budget is not law and largely serves as a priority list as Congress begins the process of drafting and passing spending bills. At the White House, Jared Halpern, FOX News.

[Chris Foster]

The budget request includes 4 billion for more improvements to the air traffic control system and 10 billion for a presidential fund for construction and beautification projects. In D.C. america's listening to FOX News.

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[Chris Foster]

A Muslim leader in Michigan is in ICE custody.

[Brooke Taylor]

Salah Sarsour has been the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee now for five years, according to dhs. He's from Jordan. He was convicted of throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces and then lying on his green card application about it. A crowd rallied in support of Sarsour, claiming that he was targeted for speaking out against Israel and that he's been a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. for over 32 years.

[Chris Foster]

Fox's Brooke Taylor reporting. Federal lawsuits filed in Minneapolis over ICE operations during Operation Metro Surge.

[Terry Nelson]

The ACLU and other groups are accusing ICE agents of violating the Fourth Amendment rights of citizens and immigrants in Minneapolis when they force their way into homes during recent ICE operations with administrative warrants instead of warrants signed by a judge.

[Jenny Cassol]

It just seems unthinkable that the government would try and have this kind of power grab.

[Terry Nelson]

Minnesota ACLU's Terry Nelson. The lawsuit also accuses DHS of deliberately hiding the policy. DHS in a statement saying every illegal alien who DHS serves administrative warrants has had full due process and a final order of removal from an immigration judge. Jeff Manasso, FOX News.

[Chris Foster]

Actress Blake Lively's case against actor director Justin Baldoni is made narrower ahead of next month's civil trial in New York.

[Chanley Painter]

The Judge ultimately dismissed 10 of Blake Lively's 13 claims against Justin Baldoni. The sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy allegations are all now gone. What remains are claims against Baldoni for breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation. In a statement, Lively's attorneys making clear that the sexual harassment allegations were dismissed because the court determined Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee. Why she co starred with Baldoni in his movie It Ends with us.

[Chris Foster]

That's Chanley Painter. I'm Chris Foster, FOX News.