Here’s what is on tap for Monday: “FOX & Friends First” Starts at 6 a.m. ET Although much of southeast Texas is still evacuated, the American Red Cross (search) is already in place, preparing for the return of residents who fled Hurricane Rita (search). We’ll get an update on their …

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Saturday was sending about 500 active-duty soldiers to Louisiana and said 1,300 National Guardsmen (search) were in place to respond to Hurricane Rita. Five mortuary teams went to Texas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (search) had four helicopters ready for search-and-rescue teams missions once the …

If you are overweight, new research shows how important it is to control your blood pressure besides trying to lose those extra pounds. Scientists studying nearly 250,000 people in France found that only overweight people who also had high blood pressure (search) were at significantly greater risk of dying of …

WASHINGTON – It may take until the end of October for U.S. oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico to return to near pre-Hurricane Katrina (search) levels, but it will take even longer for that much production to make it to the market, the U.S. government said …

UNITED NATIONS – A yearlong probe of the Iraq oil-for-food program has concluded that the United Nations (search) allowed “illicit, unethical, and corrupt behavior” to overwhelm the $64 billion operation. The Independent Inquiry Committee’s (search) final report, to be released Wednesday, says the U.N. must adopt sweeping reforms before taking …

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration is trying to rally other nations to agree to impose U.N. sanctions on Iran (search) to force it to negotiate an end to its nuclear programs. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns accused Iran of misleading the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency with the guise of seeking …

I bought shares of a growth fund back when it traded at $18. Now it’s worth half that. Should I hold, or fold? QUESTION: I purchased the Vanguard Growth Equity fund (VGEQX) in 2000, when it was highflying. The price I paid was about $18.00 per share. Now it’s down …

Watch “The Big Story” weekdays at 5 p.m. ET • Vice President Dick Cheney came out swinging today, calling some Senate Democrats “dishonest and reprehensible” for suggesting the administration lied or exaggerated pre-war intelligence. Correspondent Greg Kelly sorts out the vice president’s speech in a live report from Washington. • …

LOS ANGELES – Actor Pat Morita, whose portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid” earned him an Oscar nomination, has died. He was 73. Morita died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes, said his wife of 12 years, Evelyn. She said …

SHELBY, Miss. – A restaurant owner is under investigation after he apparently tried to sell the meat of a cottonmouth moccasin to customers, police said. Eddie Boone, a city worker, said he sold the owner of James Quality Market the venomous snake, which he had killed with a pipe while …