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Hurricane Dorian weakens as Florida braces for impact; Bahamas devastated, death toll rises

Florida began to feel the presence of a weakened, but larger Hurricane Dorian as it churned east of Cape Canaveral Tuesday night after devastating the Bahamas. With maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 mph, Dorian, now a Category 2 storm, packs a "life-threatening" storm surge, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. While the storm had been downgraded, forecasters warned its system had grown in size. The storm advisory warned Florida’s central Atlantic coast could see damage as Dorian charges northward.

Officials urged over two million people in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina to evacuate. Dorian is forecast to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning, producing 5 to 10 inches of rainfall resulting in dangerous flash floods.

Dorian was the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Bahamas. It devastated the island as a Category 5 storm and killed at least seven people in its wake over the span of several days, officials said. However, the full scope of Dorian's damage in the Bahamas remains unknown. Officials are bracing for apocalyptic carnage and expect the death toll in the Bahamas to rise dramatically. Click here to read more on our top story.

Coast Guard releases chilling footage of deadly scuba boat fire

The U.S. Coast Guard released aerial footage Tuesday of the early morning Labor Day boat fire that left 34 dead after passengers were likely being trapped while sleeping below deck. The video was taken by a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The crew was responding to the Conception boat fire off Santa Cruz Island off the Southern California coast early Monday. The video shows billowing clouds of white smoke and flames engulfing the 75-foot vessel. The boat appears to tip backward as it begins to sink. Rescue boats can also be seen making their way toward the boat, according to the footage posted by Fox 11 Los Angeles. A total of 39 people were aboard the Conception. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said Tuesday that the fire spread rapidly and flames blocked both exits of the lower deck, where passengers and one crew member were sleeping in tight quarters.

Inspector general report reveals more evidence Comey used transition briefings to gather intel on Trump team

James Comey immediately shared details from a post-election briefing for then-President-elect Donald Trump with the FBI’s Russia team, according to the recently released inspector general's report on the former bureau director’s actions -- the latest indication that traditional transition briefings were used to gather intel on the incoming president and his team for the ongoing FBI investigation.

The long-awaited report from Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz last Thursday said Comey violated bureau policies by drafting, leaking and retaining his memos documenting private discussions with the president. The report also revealed new details about the FBI director’s actions at that time, including how Comey and his top deputies went to great lengths to confront Trump at a Jan. 6, 2017 meeting at Trump Tower with the salacious and unverified accusations contained in the dossier, which had been funded by Democrats and drafted by British ex-spy Christopher Steele.

Hong Kong’s Lam will formally withdraw extradition bill: reports

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive, will formally withdraw the controversial extradition bill that sparked months of tense protests that played out on an international stage, according to reports. The bill allowing Hong Kong residents to be sent to mainland China for trials sparked massive protests that have rocked the city since June. Lam has suspended the bill, but protesters want it entirely withdrawn. Pro-government lawmaker Michael Tien confirmed he was notified on Tuesday of the meeting, which includes members of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He said he has no details of the agenda.

Churchill's grandson could face expulsion from UK's Conservative Party for defying Boris Johnson in Brexit vote

Winston’s Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames, will reportedly be expelled from the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party for defying Prime Minister Boris Johnson over a key Brexit vote Tuesday. Soames and 20 other Conservative members of Parliament voted to force a vote to delay Brexit, according to the Washington Post. It was a major blow to Johnson, prompting him to call for a new general election.

A measure for a new election would need a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Last week, Queen Elizabeth approved Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament until two weeks before the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, which critics have said doesn’t give enough time to avoid a No-Deal and disorderly exit from the European Union.

'Will & Grace' star backtracks, says he doesn't support 'blacklists' after calling to out Trump donors

"Will & Grace" star Eric McCormack is walking back his comments after he and his co-star Debra Messing were widely criticized after calling for Trump donors in Hollywood to be outed. Last week, McCormack responded to a report about an upcoming fundraiser being held in Beverly Hills in honor of President Trump's reelection campaign by requesting a follow-up of all the attendees. "Hey, @THR, kindly report on everyone attending this event," he wrote, "so the rest of us can be clear about who we don't want to work with. Thx," McCormack tweeted.

On Tuesday, however, McCormack attempted to clarify his stance, telling his followers on Instagram that he doesn't support "blacklists." Messing agreed with the sentiment. Click here to read more.

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TODAY'S MUST-READS

Iranian oil tanker nears coast of Syria as captain refuses to cooperate with delivery, sources say.

ICYMI: General Mattis says relationship with Trump 'was not tense.'

California’s Newsom signs bill allowing citizens to refuse to help police officers.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Hong Kong shares surge on report government will withdraw extradition bill.

US manufacturing sector contracts for the first time in three years.

More than 24K pounds of beef are being recalled. What you need to know.

#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."

SOME PARTING WORDS

Brit Hume, Fox News senior political analyst, weighs in on why Joe Biden wants to be president and says the former vice president's recent misstatements on the campaign trail aren't really gaffes, but that "senility is overtaking him."

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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing on Thursday morning.