Hurricane Ida weakens, but Gulf still on warning NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane Ida was weakening early Monday as it headed for the Gulf Coast but could still pack hurricane-strength winds and storm surges when it hits the shore overnight. AP IMPACT: Chinese drywall poses potential risks PARKLAND, Fla. - At the height of the U.S. housing boom, when building materials were in short supply, American construction companies used millions of pounds of Chinese-made drywall because it was abundant and cheap. Conviction reversed in 30-year-old death row case HOUSTON - A white man on Texas death row for nearly 30 years could be freed because an appeals court has ruled that prosecutors improperly excluded blacks from his jury in the belief that blacks empathize with defendants.