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Gabby Petito's dad blasts Brian Laundrie's family and their ‘version of love’
Gabby Petito's father, Joe Petito, said Thursday night that he was perplexed by some comments made by Cassie Laundrie, sister of Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of Petito's missing daughter.

Cassie Laundrie had told ABC News that it goes without saying that her family wanted Gabby Petito to return home safely.

"She's like a sister and my children love her, and all I want is for her to come home safe and found and this to be just a big misunderstanding," she said.

But Joe Petito told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield that he found the sister's remarks to be less than reassuring, given the urgency of the search for his daughter.

"If that’s that family’s version of love, to just ignore and not care that someone’s gone," Joe Petito said, "and people are looking for them and entire countries looking for them, I mean, that explains how we got to where we are today. Because I mean, look at their version of what they call love."

Investigators say Gabby Petito, 22, was last in contact with her family in late August when she and her boyfriend were visiting Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. Much of their trip was documented on social media accounts that abruptly ceased. The woman's family has been critical of the Laundrie family, accusing them of not cooperating in the investigation. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.

In other developments:
- Missing Gabby Petito's family questions silence of fiancé: I beg his mother to make him speak’
- Gabby Petito disappearance: Protesters carry signs to home of Brian Laundrie, urging him to speak with police
- Utah sheriff ‘actively’ investigating possible connection between Petito disappearance and double homicide
- Petito stepfather pleads for silent fiancé to help police amid ‘unspeakable’ situation
- Missing Gabby Petito’s family puts out impassioned plea for help from fiance’s family: ‘We beg you’

Defense chief Austin says he has ‘confidence’ in Gen. Milley amid China controversy
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Thursday he "has confidence" in Gen. Mark Milley following calls for his resignation over allegations of "secret" calls with his Chinese counterpart during the Trump administration. 

The allegations were levied at Milley earlier this week by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in their unreleased book titled "Peril."

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Thursday he "has confidence" in Gen. Mark Milley following calls for his resignation over allegations of "secret" calls with his Chinese counterpart during the Trump administration. 

The allegations were levied at Milley earlier this week by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in their unreleased book titled "Peril."

These calls were allegedly never shared with Donald Trump, who Milley believed was in a declining mental state following the election, according to the book. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- Milley supporters would be outraged if he had gone around Biden’s back
- Milley described George Floyd riots as ‘penny packet protests,’ book claims
- GOP candidate slams ‘Benedict Milley’: Report amounts to ‘coup against a sitting president’
- Austin assures China new partnership with UK, Australia ‘not aimed at anyone’

Ric Grenell: FBI wasn’t ‘duped’ by Hillary-linked lawyer indicted in Durham probe
The indictment of Perkins-Coie attorney Michael Sussmann by Special Counsel John Durham is an important development in the probe into the origins of the FBI's investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, former Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell said Thursday.

But it is not necessarily key to the entire genesis of the Russia investigation, Grenell added, during an appearance on "Fox News Primetime."

Grenell, who also served as President Trump's ambassador to Germany, called the entire probe "such a ‘swamp’ situation" and added that Sussmann was simply one of the subjects of 63 transcripts released while he was DNI, after Durham requested them.

"I hope that we have a lot of time to focus on these issues going forward. The media that pushed this, I don’t believe that the FBI officials were duped by an outside lawyer working with Hillary Clinton who lied about his client," Grenell said of Sussmann. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann indicted for allegedly lying to FBI during Russia investigation
- Durham’s Russia ‘origins’ probe: Request for grand jury indictment may be hours away
- Senate Republicans demand Durham report be made public

Alex Murdaugh bond set in alleged insurance fraud scheme as deaths of wife, son remain unsolved
Prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who is facing several charges for allegedly plotting his own death so his surviving son could cash out on a $10 million insurance settlement, surrendered his passport Thursday, as a judge set his personal recognizance bond at $20,000. 

The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office had asked the judge to prevent Murdaugh from traveling to an out of state rehabilitation facility or be fitted with a GPS locator, but Murdaugh's defense attorneys pointed out that their client turned himself in to authorities earlier that day, and was coping with a opioid addiction worsened by the yet-to-be solved murders of his wife Maggie and son, Paul, months ago. The judge ultimately ruled that Murdaugh was not a danger to the community. 

The State Law Enforcement Division confirmed earlier Thursday that Murdaugh was arrested and charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report. Murdaugh's lawyers said he had been in drug rehab for about 10 days after his law firm fired him over missing money that could total millions of dollars. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- SC lawyer Alex Murdaugh surrenders before bond hearing after botched suicide plot
- Alex Murdaugh to surrender to authorities after warrant issued, lawyer says
- Alex Murdaugh: South Carolina police launch probe into death of longtime housekeeper

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TODAY’S MUST-READS:
- Tesla driver arrested, spends night in jail for allegedly hitting crossing guard – but video shows different story
- Clarence Thomas blasts media, defends Supreme Court after Texas abortion decision
- Bill Maher tells liberal media to stop ‘scaring the s--- out of people’
- Wisconsin SUV murders: One Minnesota suspect in custody, another at large, authorities say
- NFL Thursday Night: Washington takes advantage of Giants’ miscues in dramatic Week 2 victory

THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS:
- Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky’ memorabilia, other prized possessions to be auctioned
- GOP leader says Biden’s tax plan gives advantage to biggest adversary
- Fed chair reviews trading rules after top officials make huge moves
- American Airlines kicks family off flight after unmasked toddler has asthma attack
- GM extends EV Bolt production halt to mid-October

CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOX NEWS’ CROSSWORD PUZZLE OF THE WEEK

SOME PARTING WORDS

Fox News contributor Karl Rove weighed in on why some Afghan refugees were being settled in battleground states during an appearance Thursday night on ‘Fox News Primetime.’ 

"Some DNC representative sitting in some weird office in Washington [is probably] saying, ‘Let's have these people put in certain states so that 15 years from now, 18 years from now, if they become U.S. citizens, … they’ll vote Democrat in a battleground state for us,’ Rove said.

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Fox News First was compiled by Fox News’ Jack Durschlag. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Have a great weekend and we’ll see you in your inbox first thing Monday.