New Orleans braces again, for Gustav
By STACEY PLAISANCE Associated Press Writers
      NEW ORLEANS (AP) - National Guard troops stand ready, batteries and water bottles are selling briskly, and one smalltown mayor has spent a sleepless night worrying. The New Orleans area is skittishly watching as a storm marches across the Caribbean on the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary.
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Oil rises on worries Gustav may strengthen
By PABLO GORONDI Associated Press Writer
      Oil prices rose above $119 a barrel early this morning on fears that Tropical Storm Gustav could strengthen on its way toward crude and natural gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and refineries in the Gulf area.
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Border Patrol struggles to keep newly hired agents
By ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press Writer
      IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Law enforcement officers wanted: must work graveyard shifts alone in remote towns along the Mexican border, put in long hours and perform well in triple-digit temperatures. That message is never touted in U.S.
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