Online Extras

Forty years ago today state troopers and police launched tear gas and opened fire on prisoners at the Attica State Prison in upstate New York. The prisoners had taken control of the facility on September 9, demanding basic reforms such as adequate food, shelter and medical attention. Four days later, the assault began. After the smoke cleared, New York law enforcement had killed 29 inmates and 10 hostages, Inmates had killed one guard - bringing the death toll to 40.

In the Yemeni capital Sanaa there’s been heavy fighting overnight and today, including loud explosions.  The BBC quoting local doctors and officials, says about 40 people are dead.  The violence comes after the breakdown of a truce between President Ali Abdullah Saleh and tribes loyal to Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar.  Amnesty International says security forces have killed dozens of people in the city of Taiz since Sunday, and scores of others have been arrested.  For more we’re joined by Susanne Dahlgren, Academy of Finland research fellow with the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced S

Portugal’s Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced he’s stepping down today, after all five opposition parties in his country voted against the government’s plan for spending cuts and tax hikes. Socrates is a member of Portugal’s Socialist Party -- although it’s the largest party in his country’s parliament, it doesn’t command a majority on its own. Ironically, the most significant defection was from the country’s center-right Social Democratic Party which warned further cuts would hurt the weakest members of Portuguese society.

Wisconsin's so-called "Budget Repair Bill" that would eliminate collective bargaining rights for almost all state worker unions has stalled in the legislature due to a boycott by state Democratic Senators. On Thursday, the 14 Democrats fled to undisclosed locations presumably out of state. Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller said this boycott was the only option they had to keep the bill from being jammed through the Senate.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses over 800 square miles along the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina and represents one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America. It is A United Nations international biosphere reserve and is home to more than 17,000 documented species. The park also protects one of the largest remaining blocks of old-growth deciduous forest in North America. Visitors have long been attracted to the park's nearly continuous lush Green canopy of trees.

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The Oil Spill in the Gulf has undoubtedly been one of the most important stories of the year in the United States.  The April explosion on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig left 11 people dead.  In the end it’s estimated that as much as 170 million gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf, the largest spill in history.  It devastated the Gulf Coast and the livelihoods and lives of thousands of residents. 

Eight months on, it’s becoming a easier to grasp the magnitude of the spill, and with the new year just a few days away, FSRN is taking the opportunity to look back at the disaster.  Aaron Viles with the Gulf Restoration Network joins me today via phone from New Orleans.

Today the lawyer for Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's opposition leader, said the country's Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal challenging her house arrest. The date is set for October 29th. That’s about a week before the country, also known as Myanmar, will hold its first election in two decades. Aung San Suu Kyi won the popular vote in the last election in 1990, but the military junta barred her from taking office and her National League for Democracy Party has been banned from participating in the November 7 election. For more, we're joined by Phyu Phyu Sann, Burma researcher at The Global Justice Center in New York.