Rising crude prices and weak gas margins are continuing to drag down Valero Energy's earnings from its record highs of a year ago. For the first quarter of 2008, Valero reported net income of $261 million, or 49 cents per share. That compares to first-quarter 2007 net income of $1.1 billion, or $1.82 per share. The first quarter 2008 figures include a pre-tax benefit of $101 million, or 12 cents per share, from business interruption insurance recovery related to the fire at the company's McKee refinery in the first quarter of 2007. Valero officials blame the decline in net income...