tell us what's on your mind, @ali velshi or facebook @ali velshi. fracking, hydraulic fracturing. whatever you call it, it's a billion dollar boom that's adding millions to state covers. horizontal drilling and explosive charge creates holes in the rock then a combination of water, chemicals and sand is injected into the well at high pressure. trapped air and gas is shot into the well and sent back to the surface. mission accomplished. on the flip side environmentalists have called attention to side effects like earthquakes and contaminated water among other problems. but let's focus on the money. you might assume people who own manned where fracking is taking place are enjoying a financial windfall. but travel to north dakota and you'll see that's not the case. many owners received a rude awakening when they discovered, they didn't own what was under the ground and found an oil rig on their property like it or not. >> like generations before him, richard jordan works a farm in can north dakota. but even though he has title to this land, he doesn't own all of it. he only has right

"real money" with ali velshi starts now. thanks for watching. >> the struggling middle class is sure to be one of the biggest issues in the mid term elections. i'm going to ask a republican. and exactly where we can't afford to have them, in our education system and canada's got something america used to have and we'd like it back, please, i'll explain, when we come back. i'm ali velshi and this is "real money." >> this is "real money." you are the most important part of the show so tell me what is on your mind. by tweeting medium or sending to facebook. science philanthropy meet in los angeles for milken conference. i will introduce them to you, it's a unique event put together by the milken institute, a nonpart distant institute. the institute was set up bip michael milken. now known for his philanthropy michael milken was known 20 years ago for fraud that landed him in prison. mary snowy has his story. >> welcome mr. prime minister. how would you like me to refer to you at this session? >> tony. >> michael milken now attr

i'm ali velshi. this is "real money."

tweet me on eighth al @ali vels. or facebook.comali velshi. vladimir putin flew into change high to chum with his chinese pouncounterpart. while they still have not signed a gas pipeline agreement, some say it's only a matter of time. this is not just about business. it's also about political security. and the growing confrontation with the west for both china and russia. russia is the world's second largest producer of gas and third largest producer of oil trailing only hyped the united states and saudi arabia. but there is a vulnerability for russia because three-quarters of its experts right now--of its exports right now go to europe. the di veers flying from europe is key. let's look at china. it's on a coalition course with the u.s. and it's allies as it continues to asserting it's rights in the oil-rich south china seas. two banks in russia and the bank of china is making waves. both of these two banks agree to do business with each other in local currency instead of u.s. dollars the way most international trade is done today. i'll have

that is our show for today, i'm david shuster if for ali velshi. on behalf of the entire team at "real money," thanks for watching. ♪ >> hi, jeff, welcome to al jazeera america. >> atrocities car bombings, chemical weapons and a new global push to end the horror in syria. >> outrage of protestor kicked by an aid to turkey's prime minister, as turks bury the dead after the coal mine disaster. ink person know, dozens of wild fires in bone dry southern california, a look at the science fueling the flames. cancer killer, why a

with ali velshi. see you then. >> it's a generally accepted idea, collect experiences instead of stuff. forget the far ari, but spend the money on a trip that you love. but other researchers say not so fast. they say for some people, particularly those who buy too many things and experiences already, experiences will leave us just as empty and unfulfilled as buying things. for these people, it's critical to buy the right experiences, the ones that mesh with their personalities. if you're a baseball fan, a trip to the museum probably won't cut it. but when it comes to the obvious, it pays to think before you spend. and in the end, money only goes so far. as those famous common mists, lennon and mccarty once sang, money won't buy me love. aim ali velshi, thank you for joining us. >> hello and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john seigenthaler in new york. breaking news, a mine disaster, a desperate effort is underway right now to save hundreds of trapped miners in turkey. >>> u-s jets. in the air now

tell me what's on your mind by tweeting me eighth ali velsh me @ali velshi. it's the american dream, but finding an affordable home is getting harder to do. in a report put out by real estate data company trulia only 14% of the markets are now within reach of middle income buyers. a year ago this was 20%. only half the houses available in denver are now affordable to a median income earner, down from 67% a year ago. down from two-thirds. in atlanta, 72% are now within reach of the middle class. that's down from 79% a year ago. predictbly the most affordable market for america's middle class are concentrated in the south and midwest. when we say a share of the market is affordable or within reach of middle class home buyers that means the total monthly payments on a home loan are no more than 31% of a metro area's median household income. more than 31% of the median income in a given metro area. metro areas in ohio, akron, toledo, columbus, all of them have markets that are now within reach of between 81% and 86% of local area middle income buyers. gary, india

tell me what's on your mind, by treating me @ali velshi. philadelphia has seen a shocking decline in its middle class in the last four decades dropping morning 22 percentage points. the city lost more than four in ten of its middle class adults. loss of the city's manufacturing base and the decline of the city itself. high crime and a poor public school system. but there's good news. a recent pew report shows philadelphia's middle class has started to stabilize. but it's a different middle class than it was in the 1970s. few blue collar folks, more professionals today. this is a special episode on philly's rocky middle class and how the middle class has changed over the last four decades and what it's going to take for the middle class to get back to good. we begin our story in south philadelphia, a traditiona trade collar italian neighborhood. >> philadelphia is for reasons as diverse as the people who live here celebrated in equal parts for its cheese stakes, rich history and many, many a rocky movie. here in south philadelphia lies a gem

david shuster in for ali velshi tonight on "real money". [ ♪ music ] >>> city-dwelling americans look to the suburbs. we show you the intriguing report and fastest growing communities. >>> home in indiana, the greatest spectacle of racing, a creative effort under way to boost the indy 500. >>> an ambitious plan to put humans on mars is getting attention - that may be the key to fingerprinting the problem. i'm david shuster in for ali velshi, and this is "real money". >>> this is "real money," and you are the most important part of the show. tell us what is on your mind by tweeting us. also facebook. >>> cities or suburbs - since 2011 americans have been moving to cities at a faster clip, a reversal of a trend favouring suburbs for a century. numbers released by the sepsis bureau shows growth continues to outpace growth in the suburbs. here is the thing. the gap is shrinking, suggesting that suburbs are poised to take the lead. in 2013 american cities grew by 1% cam paired to 2012. fractions of a per cent means a lot. america's population is up to 360 million. let's look at the maths.

then it's david shuster in for ali velshi on "real money." >> coming up on "real money," we go high on the hog with the iconic brand harley davison, how they are going high market with a new generation of riders >>> and sending man to mars - the level part of the story, how they are planning to pay for the mission. all that and more on "real money". money".

i'm ali velshi and this is "real money." >> this is "real money." you are the most important part of the show so tell me what is on your mind. by tweeting medium or sending to facebook. science philanthropy meet in los angeles for milken conference. i will introduce them to you, it's a unique event put together by the milken institute, a nonpart distant institute. the institute was set up bip michael milken. now known for his philanthropy michael milken was known 20 years ago for fraud that landed him in prison. mary snowy has his story. >> welcome mr. prime minister. how would you like me to refer to you at this session? >> tony. >> michael milken now attracts the spotlight from education to health. but it 's a role that might not have seemed possible two decades ago. the junk bond king in the 1980s. that set upon risk 80 low income bonds that but institutions in debt. it was the largest criminal prosecution in wall street history. he was sentenced to ten years in prison but was released after 22 months after cooperating with the government. then p

real money with ali velshi is next. david shuster is sitting in tonight for ali. >> middle class families were being squeezed many being priced out of the areas they've lived in for decades. the fracking boom has farmers doing the unthinkable in the western plains. they're selling water. i'm david shuster in for ali velshi, and this is "real mone money."

i'm david shuster in for ali velshi. for all of us at "real money." thanks for watching. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america > >> dozens of children are killed in an air strike on a school in syria. humanitarian efforts to get aid into the country are fading. >>> this is al jazeera america. live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead - jerry adams a leading figure northern ireland's rub -- republican movement is arrested for

i'm david shuster in for ali velshi. for everyonal rea everyone, "re" >> hi, everyone, this is al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york. landslide election results in the world's biggest democracy. what india's change in leadership means for american business. >>> crisis in ukraine, hoping to end the conflict with russia. >>> anger at sea, tensions rising over a territorial dispute between china and vietnam. >>> punished. general motors find millions of dollars. safety workers say

. >> the final journey borderland continues... only on al jazeera america >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> when the autodefensa movement started taking control of towns from the knights templar cartel, it was an embarrassment for the mexican government. the country's president peÑa nieto is under intense pressure to resolve the crisis. he has deployed more than 9,000 soldiers and federal police to the state to try to regain control. but given the level of mistrust of the government that exists in michoacan, they're having to tread carefully. >> at the army's new base of operations in c

"real money" is ali velshi is next. for more information throughout the day and evening go to our website at www.aljazeera.com. >> confidence is key, and the american consumers haven't felt that way about the economy in six years, i'm looking at why and what could be for the economy. and how to turn seattle's big dig in a main thing money pit. and a low cost solution for education. a computer lab small enough to fit in a backpack. i'm ali velshi. >> this is "real money", and you are the most important part of the show. so tweet me. ali velshi, the weather is warming up and so is the mood of american consumers, and the question is how much better they're feeling. today, the conference board, a private research group, said its confidence index increased 1 to 3 points in may, and they don't bother the real number because it's hard to explain. but this is significant. it's the second highest reading since january of 2008, which was roughly the beginning of the great recession. 83 looks good when you think of the index avera

tell me what is on your mind by tweeting me at ali velshi, or hit me up on facebook. america's housing market appears to be cooling off a little bit. existing home sales fell by 6.6% in the first three months of 2014, compared to last year. existing homes, used homes, if you will. at the same time the national association of realtors said home prizes continuing to rise but at a slower pace. home prices are still about 17% below the 2006 peak. but a cooling off in a much smaller slice of the housing market. newly constructed homes has some people a bit worried. last month there were 635,000 single family housing starts. by comparison there were 1.7 million single family starts a month at the height of the housing boom. but by the depths of the recession, starts fell by 72% to just 353,000. since that low point housing has been slowly recovering. but a healthy economy should have as many as 1.2 million a month. these are new homes. and that's a 50% gap from where we are today. the economic ripple effects are a lot bigger than you might think. new home construction creat

i'm ali velshi. and this is real money. >> this is real money. you are the most important part of the show, so tell me what's on your mind by tweeting me at ali velshi or hit me up on facebook. >>> this is all about location. i usually bring you new national job numbers that the government puts out every month, but the labor department also compiles figures at the state and local level. today we got new job figures for 372 metropolitan areas all across mark for april. now while we reported earlier this month that the national unemployment rate--don't look at this. the national unemployment rate fell to 6.3%. but we learned that it was lower than that at 5th 9%. that's versus the national rate of 6.3%. which ever you use, the story is the same. jobs are coming back and unemployment levels are going down. but where you're looking for a job matters. look at these areas in red. these are locations with a local jobless rates are higher than the average for all metropolitan areas in the united states. as y

i'm ali velshi, thank you for joining us. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> cl >> announcer: this is al jazeera. >>> hello there. welcome to this newshour. i'm laura kyle in doha. these are the top stories - boko haram massacre. >>> a day after yingluck shinawatra forced out of office - another ruling >>> one of syria's

i'm ali velshi. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> >>> fighting for her reputation and job - thailand's prime minister has her day in court. >>> hello, you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also on the programme - ukraine's interior minister says 30 were killed in fighting in the eastern city of slovyansk. >>> the leader of a radical group in nigeria is threatening to sell earlier 300 teenage school girls. the latest from

i'm ali velshi. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello there and a warm welcome to this news hour i'm laura kyle in doha and the world's top news store. gunfire at a camp and survivors of afghan landslide are sheltering and are they alive. accused of abusing her powers she testifies in court and denies all charges against her. leader of a radical group in nigeria says his fighters are

i'm ali velshi, and this is "real money".

i'm david shuster in for ali velshi, and this is "real money". >>> this is "real money," and you are the most important part of the show. tell us what is on your mind by tweeting us. also facebook. >>> cities or suburbs - since 2011 americans have been moving to cities at a faster clip, a reversal of a trend favouring suburbs for a century. numbers released by the sepsis bureau shows growth continues to outpace growth in the suburbs. here is the thing. the gap is shrinking, suggesting that suburbs are poised to take the lead. in 2013 american cities grew by 1% cam paired to 2012. fractions of a per cent means a lot. america's population is up to 360 million. let's look at the maths. in 2013 the fastest populations were in the big cities. in numbers, new york city led the pack, adding 61,000 people. houston, los angeles, san antonio, texas, phoenix, arizona followed adding between 25,000 and 30,000. one big city outlayer was chicago, the third-largest by population, only adding 5,000 people last year. that is still beating detroit, which actually lost almost 10,000. now, the five fast

i'm ali velshi, thank you for joining us. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> >>> michelle bachmann accused of a mass -- boko haram accused of a massacre in nigeria, in the same region where they seized more than 200 school girls. >>> hello, welcome to al jazeera - live from our headquarters in dough hoe. also ahead - rebels leave homs after a brutal 2-year siege. >>> rebuffing vladimir putin - ukraine's separatists dismiss the call to postpone a referendum. >>

i'm ali velshi and this is "real money." [♪ music ] >> this is "real money with ali velshi." you're the most important part of the show. hit me up on facebook president obama showcasing walmart is not stopping for minimum wages. instead he's highlighting energy efficiency. when it comes to corporate america walmart is away ahead of the pack. it stores in its facilities around the world get one quarter of their electricity from renewable energy sources especially solar. with the walmart store in california as a backdrop the president announced new plans today to boost solar power and promote energy efficiency in the united states. now those plans include $2 billion in efficiency upgrades for federal buildings, and the just completed installation of sola solar panen the white house roof. earlier this year the obama administration released a 800 page report on climate change. it predicts challenges that are already changing the world as we know it, and it links them squarely to greenhouse gasses by human activity. today the energy department targeting some of that human activity

. >> the final journey borderland continues... only on al jazeera america >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> a train carrying crude oil that derailed has renoned concerned about public safety. 15 tracks jumped the tracks. it is the fifth major derailment and fire in north america involving an oil train in less than a year. another public safety concern, nuclear power reactors. we consider a threat that something is even greater, than the risk of nuclear catastrophe, and as america tonight reports it is bringing unlikely allies to the defense of the nuclear industry. >> three years after t

. >> the final journey borderland continues... only on al jazeera america >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >>> welcome back to "inside story." i'm ray suarez. rising tensions and violence in the cities of eastern ukraine pulled the united nations security council back into emergency session. the russian ambassador to the united nations called for a swift halt to all violence and drew a skeptical reaction from the other permanent five members, like france, whose ambassador accused moscow of releasing bands of thugs on ukraine. there was more criticism from the white house. george, with the

i'm ali velshi. thanks for joining us. i will see you again tomorrow. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america

i'm ali velshi. thanks for joining us. i will see you again tomorrow. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> >>> thailand's prime minister is asked to step down after being found guilty of violating the constitution. . >>> you're watching al jazeera, live from our headquarters in doha. also on the program - election day in south africa. people who lived under apartheid tells youngsters every vote counts. >>> the ukranian army renews its offensive trying to recapture a town from pro-russia activists. >>>

>> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. r america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now ♪ ♪ >> hey guys welcome back to "techknow." i'm phil torres here with kyle and rachelle. rachelle tell me what can i do with bamboo to get around town? >> turns out you can build a bike. we were using bamboo for well over a century. but down in greensboro, alabama, you can build a bike with an innovative new design. why don't we check it out? deep in the heart of rowe, alabama, the once thriving town of greensboro is struggling. a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. the catfish capital is struggling to keep its head above water. >> what happened when you came here? >> about 75% of the shops shut down. >> there was one thing they had plenty of. >> we have a lot of bamboo. you ha

i'm ali velshi, and this is "real money." ♪ >>> this is "real money." you are the most important part of the show, so tell me what is on your mind by tweeting me or on facebook. a big announcement from an american icon, ford announced that the ceo will step down in july after eight years at the helm. long time ford executive mark fields will take over in his stead. under alan's watch this man, an outsider who came on from boeing. he reinvented ford and its brand to something that means quality today. an unlike ford, detroit's rivals which were forced to plea for a $63.5 billion bailout from the federal government, ford didn't take a dime from uncle sam. >> i'm alan, i'm from ford, and i'm ready to take care of your car needs. >> he se corrected his reputation after becoming ceo in 2006. the year the company lost nearly $13 million. >> i got a call from the great grandson of henry ford, and he told me about the situation, and as you pointed out, it was pretty tough. >> his expertise came from 37 years at another american icon, boeing. once at ford, he mo

. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> this is "talk to al jazeera". with us this week - gloria steinem. you are still a contributing editor at "m.s. magazine." beyonce was on the cover recently. why is she a face of feminism? >> she's free, out there, singing, dancing. there are many out there. as part of her "times has changed" concert in london, the proceeds went to fight violence against people aims, and she -- feex ails, and she said -- females, and she said to two nirds "i know life is hard, it's difficult, we are here together for an hour, and you are safe". >> in 2008 you supp

the show may be over but the conversation continues, the and watch us on >> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. >> welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. and these are the stories we're following for you. [ crying ] >> shock at first sight, followed by courage to carry on after the devastating tornadoes that tore through the southeast. and rescue operations continue at this very area in areas where the floodwaters are still rising. in the wake of donald sterling's ban, nba owners now talking about the next move for the league.

ali velshi joins us with more on that. this is not what future homeowners want to hear. >> reporter: no, it's a double edge sword because there are homeowner whose are underwater on their mortgages, and they want pricing to up, and prices have gone up over the last six years. in 2007 prices were at their highest, and then were unaffordable to americans. then prices came crashing down and were very affordable up until two years ago. what started home prices have started to go up a lot, and then interest rates went up. the share of affordable homes within reach of middle class home buyers have tightened in most markets. that's according to several reports but one in particular the real estate data company trulia. birthdayible within the reach of middle class home buyers means your total monthly payments on a home is no more than 31% of the median household income in any metro area. what trulia has done is compare the median income in which half earn more and half earn less and compare that on the homes on the market. san fra

>> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america vén al jaza ♪ vén al jaza >>> welcome back. we're talking about average joe entrepreneurship, people renting out their idle assets to earn a little extra cash. it has turned into a $26 billion a year industry. those kinds of numbers cause established industries to stand up and take notice. and they infringing on revenue streams or creating new ones? >> we have already seen from companies like the rental car industry. they acquire or partner with the companies that came into the car sharing business early on. so in a way it's an innovation pipeline

real money with ali velshi is next. david shuster is sitting in tonight for ali. >> middle class families were being squeezed many being priced out of the areas they've lived in for decades. the fracking boom has farmers doing the unthinkable in the western plains. they're selling water. i'm david shuster in for ali velshi, and this is "real mone money." >> this is real money and you are the most important part of the show. tell us what you have in behind. president obama turn his attention today to america's aging roads and bridges speaking of new york's tappan zee bridge, the president recited a laundry list of bridges. >> we have leaky pipes losing gallons of drinking water every single day even as we have a severe drought in much of the west. nearly half our people don't have access to transit at all, and i don't have to tell you what some of our airports look like. building a world class transportation system is one of the reasons why america became a superpower in the first place. >> but much of that infrastructur

"real money" is next with ali velshi. you can go to the website aljazeera.com. >> telecom and television collide in another huge media merger. i'll tell you what the deal is really about, and it has everything to do with what you, the consumer wants. and china accused of hacks and computer attacks on corporate merck. i'll look at the link. plus philadelphia's rock which middle class. i'm kicking off a week-long series with a look at a hard-working city so different these days, even rocky balboa wouldn't recognize it. i'm ali velshi, and this is "real money." ♪ >> this is "real money." you are the most important part of the show. tell me what is on your mind by tweeting me or fitting me up on facebook. it is merger mania in the media. this time it's at&t announcing a deal to bye directv, for a cool $48.5 billion. but because at&t promises to assume the debt, it's really worth $67 billion. it would be the forth largest telecom merger in history if it goes through. but no mega merger gets done these days without approval f

. >> on real money with ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... real advice... >> you need to pay the water bill, if you don't pay it, we're shutting your water off in a half hour >> how will you survive? >> the stakes are so high... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america consider this on al jazeera america >. >> ... >>> welcome back. those were some photos showing support for some of our own al jazeera colleagues who have been detained for 126 days in egypt. one has been on a hunger strike since august. it's world press freedom day and a new report just out by the committee to protect journalists says global media freedom is at a 10-year low. a humbling experience around this topic? >> to celebrate our peers, i checked out the museum. >> 1 in 6 people live in a country where the press isn't free. the stream is comin