. >> alissa quart, how do you define the middle class? >> there's a few different ways of thinking about it, one is economics. the $2000 or $115,000 a year. for a family. and then there's another way to think about it which is as a category. it's people who have achieved the american dream that are still living within reason. they have some kind of security and then the third way of thinking about it is as kind of educational category. as a masters, aphd, your part of the professional class so there are many different metrics but to me the thing that most interested me is how the idea of the middle class has changed . >> from when? >> in 1979, it's a long process and it involves everythingfrom ronald reagan to changes in social security . and to changes in professions like journalism and law but then i think what was once almost like a craft, the middle class was humdrum, it was something you wanted to escape in the 1960s and now it's something people can't always get into. it's often out of reach for so many of the people in my book that

host: alissa quart, go ahead. caller: this is the kind of piecemeal drop -- job that you are describing that is now more typical. a lot of people are also working longer and longer hours. something like a 10% of the american workforce is working 60 hours or more. you have people working lots of hours but they are not getting a lot of security. they are not making enough and paying for things like the cost of your mortgage which sounds like a very large chunk of your earnings. it's close to half right? say, i'mnd also people vet.of that -- a i've been to the v.a. and this is the second time that i've been close to foreclosure on my mortgage. not because i want to but for example during the month of july, august and september i'm not working. jobs even apply for for jobs like the dollar store for example and i'm told, you are overqualified. we don't what you doing this. and then there aren't very many jobs, other jobs i can apply for. and then i get no help from the v.a. host: this is a problem when people are talki

host: alissa quart, go ahead.ler: this is the kind of piecemeal drop -- job that you are describing that is now more typical. a lot of people are also working longer and longer hours. something like a 10% of the american workforce is working 60 hours or more. you have people working lots of hours but they are not getting a lot of security. they are not making enough and paying for things like the cost of your mortgage which sounds like a very large chunk of your earnings. it's close to half right? say, i'mnd also people vet.of that -- a i've been to the v.a. and this is the second time that i've been close to foreclosure on my mortgage. not because i want to but for example during the month of july, august and september i'm not working. jobs even apply for for jobs like the dollar store for example and i'm told, you are overqualified. we don't what you doing this. and then there aren't very many jobs, other jobs i can apply for. and then i get no help from the v.a. host: this is a problem when people are talking a

alissa harrington joins us from san jose state.he issue of homelessness is more prevalent than ever. >> reporter: in the past, they have tried to raise the awareness of how mrs. this is about students who are homeless and cannot afford to live on or off campus. they have wrapped up. overnight, there were students and activists and a professor who slept outside to try to make a statement. this is called poverty under the stars. the student cost of living on and off campus is too high for many students. especially with skyrocketing rent. this student homeless alignments Ãthe student homelessness alliance says many are experiencing this. >> it is hard to concentrate when you're faced with where will you stay at the end of the night? where will you find a location without being cited or fearful of anxiety of were to stay. many students face homelessness. it is a real issue. higher educationÃwe do not connect students with homelessness. >> reporter: the student homelessness alliance is making several demands of the university. to provid

long time so it wasn't a shocker, and they are very serious allegation >> schifrin: yes, they are, alissainson, with fox, thank you, vox, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> >> schifrin: why do people with faith, believe?th and how ca hold onto their faith? jeffrey brown recently spoke th princeton university professor elaine pagels at the miami book fair about her new it's a personal story of faith overcoming tragedy. >> what is this book? how do you describe submit because you are a well-known for scholarlyks, this is something different. >> this is something i never thought i would do. and i don't think there is a genre for it. some people call it memoir because it is first person but't it really isust that. i didn't want to do just that. >> yes. >> i wanted tnterweave the life and the work and show how the work comes out of very specific issues, and just talking very mh in a personal way. >> that's why i ask because it is memoir like. >> very muco,h i always have written history and i love to do that it has been really fun and i am still doing it, but this was an attempt to go back

talk about spacey's unusual response, and how other accused men are atte come- backs, we turn to alissainson, a film critic for vox who has been watching a number of these cases, and joins me via skype from albany, new york. >> schifrin: thank you very much for joining us on the newshour. i will be honest, i am a little baffled when i watch this video. what was your response to it? >> i was also baffled, i couldn't figure out what he was tryingo, why he was doing it, as frank underwood notorious lying and murdering character or what the purpose wes at all. >> schifrin: dave any idea whether this is some kind of comeback? >> well,t is hard to say, what we do know is that netflix, which carried "house of cards" declined to comment and made it clear ny times that they don't want to work with him again, "house of cards" is not coming back. but what he could be trying to do isveyance certain number of his fans that he is trying to ste a comeback anyhow, that they shouldn't judge him based on these allegations or other accu coming forward over the past year, and that they should do this beaus

. >> alissa quart, how do you define the middle class? >> th

eachring live segments morning with authors, including crystal fleming, one williams, alan dershowitz, alissa quart, mona chairman, sarah can seo, and another. at u.s. policyok with james jeffrey who serves at the state department special representatives for year -- for syria engagement. prior to that position, he was u.s. ambassador to iraq and turkey during the obama and bush administrations. from the atlantic council, this is under an hour. >> hello, everyone. welcome to the atlantic council. my name is william wechsler. i leave the atlantic council programs in the middle east. and you are here today. for a program of our continuing syria initiative. we very much enjoyed the first part of this program today anding about stability stabilization programs in eastern syria, talking about important work of the atlantic council. on documenting the atrocities that were done in guida. now we are here to hear from ambassador james jeffries. -- james jeffrey. he currently serves as secretary special representative for syria engagement. he is the senior american diplomat with experience in political

and thursday, alissa quart with squeak, why can't families afford america?n friday, mona with her book sex matters. how modern feminism lost touch with common sense. saturday, sarah with the view from flyover country. and sunday, chris with american overdose. join us for authors week each morning this week on washington journal. >> when the new congress takes office in january, it will have the youngest, most diverse freshman class in recent history. new congress, new leaders. watch a live on c-span starting january 3. c-span, ats day on 11:45 eastern, a look back on memorial services for first lady barbara bush, senator john mccain, and president george h.w. bush. then at 3:30 p.m. eastern, admiral william the craven on the future of the american military. at 8:00, former president barack obama, former secretary of state james baker, and historian john meacham in the role of historians in the world. >> if there's a problem around the world, people do not call moscow, they do not call beijing. they call washington. even our adversaries expect us to solve pro

alissa kaca cara was named best artist and zane lowe, he's album music's creative director and host.be nominated? what are you feeling and thinking? >> i was waking up every hour on the hour but it's nerve-wracking. an amazing day. >> and he told us he's learned a new thing. you know how to -- >> i learned how to french braid. >> who taught you? >> my mom. i didn't know we were going to talk about this but yeah. >> only because they were talking about -- you said if you want know i could french braid your hair. >> yeah. >> you got best new artist, you remember that moment. what are you thinking today? >> i'm nervous. even though it has nothing to do with me, i know how those people fee feel. >> and janelle, they were saying this album for you is different than anything you've ever done because -- in 30 seconds or less? >> because i think that "dirty computer" is not just about me and the different aspects of who i am but about a community of people, of marginalized voices that i wanted to highlight and celebrate. >> and zane lowe, you're >>> this is a kpix 5 morning update. >>> good

alissa: you are seeing the industry trend and that is pointing toward banks gaining more, seeking independentto turn to the large banks for advice and help in financing takeovers. in the middle, the banks that are not the boutique or large banks are struggling to attain that market share and we have seen banks lose market share. we have had the bank of america acknowledgee -- they were too cautious in growing their markets are. with itsdeutsche bank own struggle to retain market up losingends business it would like to hang onto. matt: what is deutsche bank's aim? they are trying to cut costs and they want to keep revenue from falling. it is important to be in the top 10? elisa: i do think any bank would wledge the primary target is a table position. clients and one key figure -- they are losing talents and one key figure that the parted was the person who lead their device for the finances industry. it is keeping that pipeline going in terms of the business it wants. so much fornk you joining us, giving us a roundup of how the banks bear. is the top bank for takeover advice. and brett ryan ar

eachring live segments morning with authors, including crystal fleming, one williams, alan dershowitz, alissa quart, mona chairman, sarah can seo, and another. at u.s. policyok with james jeffrey who serves at the state department special representatives for year -- for syria engagement. prior to that position, he was u.s. ambassador to iraq and turkey during the obama and bush administrations. from the atlantic council, this is under an hour.