Hurricane Gustav

A slide in oil prices fueled a strong stock rally Tuesday but couldn't sustain it, and the major indexes finished lower. Crude futures traded sharply lower early in the day, after Hurricane Gustav inflicted less damage than feared on oil-production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. That sent the Dow Jones industrial average soaring nearly 250 points in the first 20 minutes of trading. But the enthusiasm quickly faded. Stocks steadily descended and surrendered their gains.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- With a couple of inexperienced quarterbacks, all Louisiana State had to do was hand off. And Appalachian State never had a chance. Charles Scott had a career-high 160 yards in 16 carries, including touchdowns of eight and 29 yards, and No. 7 Louisiana State rolled to 41-13 victory over Appalachian State on Saturday. "It really doesn't matter to us" who plays quarterback, Scott said. "The [offensive] line is doing great right now and they're only going to get better.

After lackluster viewership at the beginning of the week, the Republican National Convention bounced back on Wednesday and Thursday, making it the most-watched political convention in American history (or at least since Nielsen began recording convention viewership in 1960). John McCain's acceptance of the Republican nomination Thursday night drew 38.9 million viewers -- a television audience that was 41% larger than the audience for Day 4 of the 2004 GOP convention, which drew 27.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

Ruthie the Duck Girl, a holdover from a time when colorful characters were as much a part of everyday life in New Orleans' French Quarter as beignets and cafe au lait, has died. She was 74. Ruthie, whose real name was Ruth Grace Moulon, was an eccentric who zoomed from bar to bar on roller skates, often wearing a ratty fur coat or wedding gown and trailed by a string of her beloved ducks. Moulon died of cancer Sept. 6 at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, La.

Louisiana State postponed its Saturday game against Troy after Hurricane Gustav damaged Tiger Stadium and battered the city of Baton Rouge far worse than anticipated. The university made the decision Wednesday after having a full day to get a handle on damage to the stadium and the community, much of which is expected to be without power into next week. "It's the right decision," LSU Coach Les Miles said. LSU players reported to their indoor practice field on Tuesday afternoon, first so coaches could make sure everyone was OK, then so they could have meetings and practice in the hope that Saturday's game could be played.

Hurricane Ike struck at the heart of the nation's largest fuel-refining center early Saturday, but soaring fuel prices had hit consumers well before that, reversing recent price declines and sending costs above $5 a gallon in places far from the stricken Gulf Coast. The average price of regular unleaded rose to $3.73 per gallon Saturday, from $3.68 the day before. Fuel supplies had grown tight after Hurricane Gustav shut down many Louisiana refineries and pipelines. The situation worsened when Ike approached, causing 14 fuel- making facilities in Texas -- amounting to about 20% of the nation's capacity -- to shut down as a precaution.

This weekend marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastating foray through the Gulf Coast, and though residents of New Orleans need no reminder of how vulnerable they are, Mother Nature is providing one anyway in the form of Hurricane Gustav. With some portions of the city's extensive levee system still waiting for upgrades, a direct hit by Gustav could bring flood waters back to neighborhoods that haven't recovered from the last go-round. Should that happen, some critics will no doubt argue that investing tax dollars in New Orleans is throwing good money after bad. The federal government has put up $126 billion for repairs to the region, including nearly $60 billion for New Orleans and surrounding areas.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--Republican Party officials Saturday night canceled most of the Monday opening of the GOP's presidential nominating convention, bowing to the threat posed as Tropical Storm Isaac barrelled toward Florida. "Out of an abundance of caution, we want to make sure everyone attending the convention is safe and everyone in Florida is not unnecessarily hindered by any activities taking place," Bill Harris, the convention's chief executive, said in a telephone briefing to reporters.

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - California delegates who have gathered here for the Republican National Convention  were unfazed by the cancellation of Monday's events, saying that safety must be the first priority. “So it's official, official-official. They're canceling Monday,” an aide announced Saturday as she read from her iPad in the lobby of the Tradewinds Island Resort, where California's delegation is staying during the convention. “I'm fine with that, whatever they decide,” said Diane McGlinchey, an alternate delegate from Huntington Beach.