Half the world's population depends on rice for their staple food, and it is one of the most politically sensitive of agricultural commodities. In South-East Asia, where people have farmed rice paddies for thousands of years. It is eaten twice, often three times a day across the region. Today, in an exclusive FSRN documentary, we'll go to Indonesia, and hear, “Disappearing Rice Paddies,” Produced by Rebecca Henschke.

• Updates From the DNC
  
• Hillary Dazzles Delegates, Talks Healthcare
• Biden to Accept Vice PresidentialNomination – Some Progressives Skeptical
• Iraq Veterans Against the War Make their Point Heard
• Groups Call Census Data Unrealistic
• Native American Health Care Plan Hits a Snag

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At least 4 more people were arrested yesterday by police – and today, protestors are criticizing the fencing off of Civic Park. Organizers for an annual event here that features food and entertainment, called A Taste of Colorado, says its necessary to cordon off parts of the park in order to set-up for the Labor Day event, which begins Friday… But demonstrators say it's just another way to suppress free speech. Local affiliate KGNU reporter Joe Banks is on the scene.

Joe Biden will be accepting the vice presidential nomination tonight. Biden, a Senator from Delaware, voted for the war and many grassroots and progressive political activists are questioning Barack Obama's pick. Norman Solomon is the author of War Made Easy; he's also the only Obama delegates here at the convention who is critical of Biden.

Senator Hillary Clinton gave a dynamic and persuasive address that helped to rally the Democratic Party. During the primary season, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton attempted to differentiate themselves from each other on health care.  Clinton devised a plan that mandated health coverage, like Clinton, Obama supported the goal of universal coverage, but he did not mandate health insurance. Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.

For sixteen years now, Native American tribal leaders have fought for long-term federal funding for Indian healthcare programs. They celebrated a major breakthrough early this year when the Senate passed such a proposal. Since then, however, it's been stuck in the House. As Yanmei Xie reports, the monkey wrench in the machine is an abortion ban.

Yes it has… and members of Iraq Veterans Against the War are showing the City of Denver what it's like to be occupied by a foreign military force. They're using street theatre to educate Americans on some of the realities surrounding US troop presents in Iraq. The group is wrapping up three days of demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention, where they have now teamed up with Rage Against the Machine, and have staged a massive anti-war march to the Pepsi Center today. FSRN's Blake Wesley has the story.

As highlighted last night on the Convention floor, one of the key platforms at the DNC is to find a solution to the healthcare crisis in the US. Millions across the country remain uninsured - and countless low-income families and individuals are faced with hard choices daily, like whether to buy prescription drugs or pay the utility bill. New Census Bureau figures released this week state that the number of people without health insurance dropped by more than a million in last year. But a closer examination indicates that those numbers might not paint an accurate portrayal of the uninsured. FSRN's Karen Miller reports on the agencies new findings.