September 24 Worldwide protests occur against the Iraq War, with over 150,000 protesters in Washington, D.C. (see Opposition to the Iraq War). Hurricane Rita hits the U.S. Gulf Coast, devastating areas near Beaumont, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Ninth Ward of New Orleans re-floods since Katrina, and Mississippi and Alabama are also affected. The storm kills 120 people and causes $12 billion in damages. September 26 U.S. Army Reservist Lynndie England is convicted by a military jury on six of seven counts in connection with the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Sprout (now Universal Kids) is launched by a joint venture between PBS, Comcast, HIT Entertainment, and Sesame Workshop. The new network replaces PBS Kids, allowing for an initial reach of 16.5 million subscribers. DT Racer is released on the PlayStation 2, developed by Axis Entertainment and published by XS Games. September 28 – United States House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R–Texas) is indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy by a Texas grand jury. September 29 – John Roberts is confirmed and sworn in as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States. October October 1 An Australian photojournalist in Afghanistan, Stephen Dupont, films U.S. soldiers burning two dead Taliban militias' bodies. The United States housing bubble begins to burst, causing home prices to stop rising unexpectedly and begin to decline. October 2 The first regular-season NFL game played outside of the US pits the San Francisco 49ers against the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico. The Cardinals win by a score of 31–14. A tour boat capsizes on Lake George, New York killing 20 of 47 aboard. October 3 U.S. President George W. Bush nominates Harriet Miers to replace Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. St. Tammany Parish schools reopen in Louisiana, just over a month after Hurricane Katrina. October 15 In college football, the USC Trojans narrowly defeat heavy underdogs Notre Dame Fighting Irish in an illegal play known as the Bush Push. A riot occurs in Toledo, Ohio during a neo-Nazi rally on racial issues; 114 are arrested. October 16 – U.S. helicopters and warplanes bomb two villages near Ramadi in western Iraq, killing about 70 people. October 19 – The Houston Astros win their first National League Championship, advancing to their first World Series in franchise history. October 24 Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in southwestern Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. There are