News Briefs

The fall General Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops begins on Nov. 11 in Baltimore. • Great Britain’s Catholic Agency for Overseas Development declined Dennis MacBride’s donation of the proceeds from his political memoir Power Trip, after increasing criticism of the rough political tactics and personal attacks on opponents described by MacBride, an aide to former British chancellor Gordon Brown. • For the first time in 48 years the Archdiocese of Chicago reports an increase of 1,300 more students at its Chicago and suburban elementary schools. • Recovery efforts following September’s heavy rains in Colorado are expected to take years, but “Catholic Charities will be there to help in any we can,” pledged Larry Smith, president and C.E.O. of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver. • New Jersey’s Gov. Chris Christie planned to appeal a state judge’s ruling on Sept. 27 that same-sex couples “must be allowed to marry” to receive “equal protection of the law” under the state constitution. • The North Dakota Catholic Conference filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Oct. 1 urging the state Supreme Court to reverse a district court ruling that found a right to an abortion in the state constitution.