

Nicholas, now a tropical depression, still douses Gulf Coast


By JUAN A. LOZANO SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas (AP) — Tropical Storm Nicholas continued weakening Tuesday night after being downgraded to a tropical depression and slowing to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, drenching both states with flooding rains. The downgrade earlier Tuesday evening came the same day Nicholas blew ashore as a Category 1 hurricane, knocking out power to a half-million