New Orleans: Catholic archbishop opposes NOW speech

The city’s Roman Catholic archbishop said Friday he opposes the president of the National Organization for Women speaking at Loyola University because of the group’s “pro-abortion agenda.”

Archbishop Alfred Hughes called NOW “an organization that advocates an extremist pro-abortion agenda” and said its president, Loyola alumna Kim Gandy, has made it clear she opposes efforts to restrict or limit abortion.

“Her beliefs are contrary to the clear and unambiguous teachings of the Catholic Church,” Hughes said.

Gandy is scheduled to speak Wednesday at the Catholic university by the school’s law school and other organizations. University officials wouldn’t comment Friday on Hughes’ remarks and calls to organizers of the event were not returned.

Chicago: Two convicted in killing of representative’s son

Two men have been convicted of killing and robbing the 33-year-old son of Rep. Bobby Rush.

Leo Foster, 34, and Darcell Prince, 25, were found guilty Thursday of murder, armed robbery and impersonation of a police officer in the 1999 slaying of Huey Rich.

Prosecutors said Foster and Prince approached Rich on Oct. 18, 1999, as he was talking to a friend and identified themselves as police. When Rich ran, Foster and Prince chased him and both men fired, prosecutors said. Rich died four days later.

Defense attorneys argued the two men intended only to collect a drug debt, and not kill Rich.

“There are no winners and no losers here,” Rush, D-Chicago, said after the verdict. “There are only broken families.”

Los Angeles: Gorbachev warns of environmental links

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said global climate changes can affect global peace and stability at an environmental conference on Friday.

“If droughts continue, if climate changes and food sources are undermined … we will see social tensions getting worse,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

Gorbachev, president and founder of Green Cross International, was the closing speaker at “Confronting Climate Change: Averting a Global Environmental Crisis.”

The one-day meeting was presented by Global Green USA, GCI’s U.S. affiliate. GCI, founded after the 1992 Earth Summit, has affiliates in 26 nations.

Gorbachev said the United States should do its part to reduce emissions and develop sustainable water sources.

Global Green USA leaders agreed that the United States lags behind other first-world nations in addressing climate change.