[Rodney King]

" 12:38 P.M. - (AP): Two French Quarter hotels says federal officials have foiled their plans to hire buses to ferry guests to higher ground. The general manager of the Astor Hotel at Astor Crowne Plaza says the hotels teamed to hire ten buses to carry some 500 guests. But Peter Ambros says federal officials commandeered the buses, and told the guests to join thousands of other evacuees at the New Orleans convention center.

I would have stayed right in the hotel, which should have a good stockpile of booze.

[No Blue States]

12:43 P.M. - Kim Nunemaker, St. Bernard Ave. Specialty Hospice: 26 bed-ridden patients and 40 staff members have to evacuate from the building. They need assistance moving these patients down several flights of stairs because the elevator is broken. Anyone who can help is asked to come to 3700 St. Charles Avenue immediately.

The generator powering the building is on the verge of running out of fuel.

Nunemaker said it was raining outside and there were some strong winds.

Catherine Sweisgood, a co-worker, said they need to get the people out of there before dark. The patients need to be brought to Touro so they can be airlifted out of harms way.