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• Supreme Court hears case on freedom of speech in anti-gay protests
• Gulf Coast groups push to take part in federal recovery plan
• Lawmakers call for federal investigation into foreclosure practices
• Trial for Guantanamo detainee opens in Manhattan federal court
• Film draws attention to debate over charter schools, privatization of education

• Fears of Hungarian Toxic Sludge flowing into Danube grow
• US apologizes for mistaken helicopter strike that killed two Pakistani guards
• Taliban and Afghan government enter talks
• UN falls short of malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis fundraising goal
• 133 arrests in largest police corruption bust in FBI history
• Chicago and Minneapolis activist refuse to testify before grand jury

• Protesters in India draw attention to social issues in shadow of Commonwealth Games
• Repression, killings in Honduras continue with targeting of labor leaders
• Obama Administration pushes for funds, improvements for community colleges
• Court ruling unleashes record breaking spending in midterm election campaigns
• UN climate change official calls on countries to act at China conference

• Times Square Bomber gets life without parole
• French terrorism arrests; German's among targets in Monday drone attack; border crossing still shut
• Vigils in Canada call for action in cases of missing or murdered First Nation women
• White House gets just a tad greener
• Toxic sludge floods through several Hungarian towns

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are underway in the Indian capital New Delhi. About 10,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries are participating in the 11-day mega sporting event which India is hosting for the first time.

The Indian government has promoted the games as a point of national pride, but many in India see hosting them as a waste of limited national resources.

Bismillah Geelani has the story.

In Honduras trade union leaders, journalists, teachers and activists continue to face persecution. Since Porfirio Lobo took over the presidency last January, attacks have increased, leading to what Human Rights Watch has called "a climate of intimidation" and impunity. On Sept 17, trade union leader, Juana Bustillo was killed in one of the latest incidents of violence.

For more on the situation, we're joined by Manuela Chavez, Human Rights Officer in charge of the Americas at the International Trade Union Confederation.  She joins us by phone from their office in Brussels.

Today the White House hosted the first-ever Community College Summit in an effort to boost support for two-year colleges, which have seen a surge in enrollment spurred by the recession.

Joining the effort is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which announced a multi million-dollar grant to help strengthen completion rates at community colleges which lag behind so-called four-year schools.

FSRN’s Jacob Fenston reports.

The midterm elections are just five weeks away and an unprecedented amount of money has been spent by independent organizations. These Super PACs were created when the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United that many campaign finance restrictions are unconstitutional. The Super PACs have spent hundreds of millions of dollars so far this election year. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

World representatives are meeting in Tianjin China this week. It's the latest attempt to spur action on climate change. The six-day conference follows the disappointing outcome from Copenhagen last year. UN Radio's Dianne Penn reports that this time, the UN climate change official, Christina Figueres, is calling on governments to act.

• Kagan joins Supreme Court as new term begins
• Tens of thousands gather in DC for rally on progressive issues
• Georgia voting rules could bar minorities, new citizens from polls
• Multibillion dollar biofuel deal threatens indigenous group in Brazil
• Punjab residents face health risks, get little aid after floods