Laura makes landfall, Gulf Coast under 'extremely dangerous' threat

The forecast track of Hurricane Laura. (Fox News)

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Hurricane Laura makes landfall, Gulf Coast under ‘extremely dangerous’ threat
Hurricane Laura came ashore early Thursday morning at Category 4, battering the Louisiana and Texas coasts as an "extremely dangerous" storm before weakening to Category 3. It was accompanied by a catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding as it struck the southwestern part of Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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In addition, the hurricane contains maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. A Storm Surge Warning was in effect from Freeport, Texas, to the Mouth of the Mississippi River. A Hurricane Warning was in effect for San Luis Pass, Texas, to Intracoastal City, La. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for Sargent, Texas, to San Luis Pass East of Intracoastal City, to the Mouth of the Mississippi River. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for East of Intracoastal City to west of Morgan City, La.

"TAKE COVER NOW! Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to the safe room in your shelter. Take action now to protect your life!" the hurricane center warned at 1 a.m. ET.

The safest place to be in a hurricane is in a reinforced room away from the windows, authorities advised. The hurricane center said to take cover under a piece of sturdy furniture and use mattresses, pillows and blankets. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.

In other developments:
- Hurricane Laura seen bursting with lightning in NOAA's satellite imagery
- Hurricane Laura closes in: Tropical storm force winds reach Louisiana as rains, incoming tide converge
- FEMA head warns of 'unsurvivable surge' from Hurricane Laura, tells residents to 'get out'
- 'Intensifying' Hurricane Laura revealed in time-lapse video of hurricane hunter aircraft

Pence accepts VP nomination, warns voters: 'You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America'
Vice President Mike Pence spotlighted President Trump’s accomplishments over the past four years and made the case for another term in the White House as he delivered his nomination acceptance speech during prime time at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.

Speaking with historic Fort McHenry in Maryland as his backdrop, the vice president also painted a dark picture of what the nation would look like if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins November’s general election, warning voters, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”

Pence then hammered home a theme the Trump campaign has been voicing all summer.

"Joe Biden would be nothing more than a Trojan horse for a radical left,” he said, then emphasized that “the choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes have never been higher.”

The Republican Convention will wrap up tonight, with President Trump accepting the party's nomination to seek a second term. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- Chris Wallace calls Pence RNC speech 'well-crafted' and a 'very effective' attack on Biden record
- RNC shows us what Trump, GOP-led economy would look like vs. Biden, radical left's vision
- ED ROLLINS, ERIC BEACH: Why RNC will launch Trump to victory in 2020
- MEDIA BUZZ: Pence, in switch, rips Biden and Kenosha violence, stays silent on police shooting

Minneapolis stores looted as mayhem erupts following gunman's suicide: police
A gunman fatally shot himself Wednesday as Minneapolis police were moving in to arrest him for a slaying committed hours earlier, sparking looting in the downtown area, police told Fox News.

The man was with a female at a parking garage around 2 p.m. when they encountered another man, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said. The couple got into a confrontation with the man, who was fatally shot by the man who was with the woman.

The couple fled on foot but the woman was taken into custody by police a short time later. Authorities searched for the suspected gunman and found him just after 6 p.m. in the Nicollet Mall area, a shopping and dining district in the downtown section.

"As officers approached, he produced a handgun and shot himself," Elder told Fox News. Surveillance footage showed the gunman shooting himself near a group of people. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- Kenosha shooting victim, 26, remembered by fellow skateboarders as ‘peaceful person’
- Kenosha man, 71, fends off looters, suffers broken jaw, blow to head: report
- Chicago violence: Chilling video appears to show woman, 85, slammed during robbery

TODAY'S MUST-READS:
- PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor blasted for tweet knocking Cawthorn for standing during RNC remarks
- CNN panned for on-air graphic reading 'fiery but mostly peaceful protest' in front of Kenosha fire
- FBI ‘Top Ten’ fugitive nabbed after ‘honor killings’ of daughters
- Cardi B takes a dig at Melania Trump in response to tweet US needs ‘more women’ like her, ‘less like’ rapper

THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS:
- TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns following Trump ban threat
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#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."

SOME PARTING WORDS

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TUCKER CARLSON says lawmakers win when they promise to fix chaos. A party that tolerates rioting has no future in a democracy, he says.

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