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00:00Oh
00:13At night they roam the streets of America looking for a place to sleep
00:17Tonight they found a car park
00:34They join many others of the half homeless as they're known in America those people forced to sleep in their cars or in cheap motels
00:41After having been evicted from their homes
00:47No one has counted how many Americans are currently living like this
00:51But during the month we spent inside the American crisis we met hundreds
00:56The majority are from the middle class the class that for decades had been the embodiment of the American dream
01:07All right, Katie
01:17This is morning edition from NPR news. Good morning. I'm David green
01:27There's bad news on the jobs front today the unemployment rate inched up to eight point two percent
01:33This is the third straight month of slumping jobs numbers, and it comes just as the presidential race is heating up
01:38I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.
01:44I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.
01:46I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.
01:49I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.
01:53I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.
01:55the main street u.s.
01:59that is the heart of america
02:02the heartbeat of a halloween day
02:06you see the pretty smiling faces
02:08up and down the street
02:10it's remarkable heart and we all
02:13have an excellent day everyone
02:24what do you like in this job talking
02:27with the people having fun with the
02:29people the biggest thing and at the
02:35end of the day you're tired yeah i'm
02:37tired seeing as my feet are tired let's
02:40put it that way
02:47i'm larry dodson i work for walt disney
02:52world in orlando florida i'm fifty two
02:55years old and i live with my wife and
02:57two children in a motel room in
02:59kasemi florida and i have five children
03:03i've had several jobs where i was in retail
03:18management and jobs no longer exist the
03:21companies no longer exist that was
03:23something that concerned me was job security
03:25just three years ago larry dodson managed a large customer service department he lost his job and then his house
03:32since then he has rented a room in one of the motels along the highway to disney world
03:39because the hundred and forty nine dollars a week to
03:57room in one of the motels along the highway to Disney World it costs $149 a
04:08week to stay here and I clear about 228 a week at least about 70 bucks for
04:14groceries food anything else you need clothing that type of thing
04:27this is home
04:42this is the living room bedroom dining room
04:53right over here we got the two beds have the building closet there the four of them live
05:02in this room with a few possessions they were able to save the day of their eviction and basically
05:08my son who's at work right now and my daughter who goes to school Sandra we're crowded we get
05:18on each other's nerves and like I said it has to getting out here we're not sure when that will
05:22happen it all depends on whether we can start getting some extra money coming in so that one
05:28of these could get a little more hours and we can start to save some money they have the rent for
05:35like a first month and security deposit
05:39I'll go with you a little bit next time
05:42sure
05:44ok
05:46oh
05:49that would be blurry
05:51you want your weight ready from Miracle Whip Dad
05:56yes please
05:58oh
06:00this internet is not working I know it hasn't worked all day
06:11it's got four bars shows we're getting we're not getting anything
06:15I don't want to do
06:17nope
06:19that's my name tag
06:21are you proud of it?
06:22yeah I am proud of my name tag
06:24why
06:25yeah
06:26I got the little tag on the bottom because I started a new role so to let the guests know
06:32that I'm not normally in that position they tell me I'm earning my ears so I thought
06:39I had big enough ears as it was
06:41yeah
06:42how long before there would be a good increase?
06:45there's regular races I started out at 7.40 and I've gotten to I think 8.20 in two and
06:52five years
06:54no that's not the greatest but that's about the way it is anywhere
07:03900 families now live in the cheap motels that surround the Florida theme park
07:08at one time these motels were filled with tourists
07:11but now they lodge those who are no longer able to afford their own homes
07:16the managers sometimes seem like slumlords exploiting families in poverty
07:20we could only find one who was willing to talk to us
07:23what I'm doing now is toting up my daily self
07:27that's my current for the next vest of the day
07:2835
07:2945
07:3065
07:3165
07:3265
07:3365
07:3423
07:3531
07:3631
07:37they collected that make today only 532 dollars
07:39and what is it? 34 cents
07:44I collected in rent today, only $532 and, what is it, 34 cents.
07:55That's all I collected today in rent.
07:58And you were supposed to collect how much?
08:00You should be able to collect anywhere from, wow, let's say about $2,000 a week.
08:10You should.
08:12That's four times what she is currently getting a week.
08:15And every week she has to evict customers that haven't paid their rent.
08:19Even in a hotel right now it's hard for people to pay their rent.
08:22With the economy the way it is and then companies don't want to pay you nothing but minimum wage.
08:29It's not easy.
08:31Right now you're breaking even.
08:42Just walking around with him trying to put him to sleep.
08:51Yes.
08:52He ain't going no sleep.
08:53Yes.
08:54Okay, in this room here they have been here for a little over a year and a half.
09:01It's like a permanent residence.
09:03It's their home.
09:04Two years.
09:05He's been here a year and a half.
09:10This one a little over a year and a half.
09:16So there's no more rooms.
09:20The United States is the one that's supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world.
09:25And they can't, it's an embarrassment to say that we have this many homeless people.
09:31But here in the last two, maybe three years, it's just widespread.
09:37It just hit so hard to now that you can't hide it.
09:41And it's not just families.
09:43You got older people that can't go anywhere.
09:48You got seniors that's living in, they're walking up and down that street out there every day.
09:53They don't have somewhere to go.
09:55For example, I have one in my room right now.
09:58She has nowhere to go.
10:00Shirley opened her home to this woman who had previously been a paying guest at the motel.
10:06Without anywhere to stay for five days, she was sleeping on the side of the road.
10:10She's 67 years old.
10:12The day that she came back, which was Tuesday, her legs were so burned from her sitting at the bus stop all day long.
10:21And then I'd walk around during the daytime and try to stay in the shade.
10:25But it's hard, you know, to find the shady spots.
10:30Sometimes they can be on that side of the street, then they can be on this side of the street.
10:33It can happen to anyone.
10:35Me, myself, I worked in the fields and I became a store clerk.
10:41I stepped up, but it took me a long time to step up.
10:45I'm 53 years old.
10:47I have no retirement.
10:49I have no benefits.
10:51I have nothing.
10:52So I'm still, I assume I'm going to end up like her one day too.
10:57She done worked hard.
10:59And what she got?
11:00Nothing.
11:01She have nothing.
11:03Yeah.
11:04Something is broken.
11:06Mm-hmm.
11:07Oh, 14.
11:08That is a record blow.
11:09All we can say is, unless Greece really blows up and causes a problem around the world,
11:14it isn't going to get a lot better than that, people.
11:16So if you want a refi, do it.
11:18It's been 287 days since the U.S. lost its top credit rating.
11:21As well as part of the discovery.
11:22Among the evidence are the first, the first photos of the neighborhood watchmen after the shooting.
11:32In the one star category, Shirley's Motel is highly sought after.
11:36The rent is $800 a month and the majority of residents are from the middle class.
11:51Yep.
11:52Should I put it on top of the hill again?
11:57Yeah.
11:58Okay.
11:59You want to see if you can make one in the, uh...
12:01I already did.
12:02Okay.
12:03Take two steps back.
12:04I saw one of those.
12:05Would you imagine like playing golf, you know, plays?
12:08It lets me know what I need to fix on my swing.
12:13Yeah.
12:14Salt Lake I played at Hidden Valley Country Club.
12:25Thank you, ma'am.
12:30Thank you, sir.
12:32My name is Terry.
12:33I'm 42 years old.
12:35I'm a consultant for a resort in Orlando.
12:38I've lived with my wife and six children at this motel for a little over two years now.
12:43Shark?
12:45Well, I started it.
12:46Ow.
12:47I'm a shark.
12:48I'm a friend.
12:49Okay.
12:50Chance.
12:51Actors can't look at the screen.
12:52The entire hand I get.
12:53Who's getting there?
12:54You want to set up the table?
12:55Mommy.
12:56Mommy.
12:57Mommy.
12:58Daddy.
12:59Daddy.
13:00Daddy.
13:01Daddy.
13:02Daddy.
13:03Daddy.
13:04Daddy.
13:05Daddy.
13:06Daddy.
13:07Daddy.
13:08Daddy.
13:09Daddy.
13:10Daddy.
13:11Daddy.
13:12Daddy.
13:13Daddy.
13:14Daddy.
13:15Oh, right.
13:16It's hard to keep some kind of normal.
13:19There is no normal.
13:20There is no normal whatsoever.
13:24Before becoming half homeless, Terry lived what he now calls his other life as a sales manager
13:29in the car industry.
13:31He was doing well until he was made redundant.
13:34He did not receive any compensation, as these are not mandatory in the United States.
13:39I don't know if there are classes anymore in America.
13:40When the market burst and people found out that their houses were not worth what they thought
13:52they were, jobs disappeared, the illusion of security and stability weren't right with
14:00it.
14:01Ladies.
14:02Can I have a small spoon?
14:03You're going to have.
14:05That's mozzarella.
14:06What the?
14:07Mozzarella.
14:08I guess you need to learn.
14:09Come on.
14:10Okay.
14:11The family spent all of its savings on hotel rooms until six months ago when Terry managed
14:26to find a part-time job in a hotel complex for $8 an hour.
14:31Forced to sell his car because he couldn't afford to pay for petrol or insurance, he now
14:36takes the bus to and from work.
14:39I've definitely seen both sides of the spectrum.
14:43We had a boat to water ski.
14:46We went skiing, went on vacations.
14:49It was consumerism at its finest.
14:55I guess the 1950s stereotype of America.
15:02The white picket fence, mom and dad.
15:04You know, we grew up, you had the same job, you worked there all your life, you retired,
15:11they took care of you.
15:14Those days are gone.
15:18Only.
15:19Eighteen hundred children are currently growing up in the motels that surround Disney World.
15:36The school bus has had to change its route to come and collect the children known in the school system as the Disney motel kids
15:45They move from school to school as their parents are forced to find cheaper and cheaper accommodation
16:06In the hope of avoiding this kind of instability Terry's wife decided to homeschool her four eldest children
16:15The cards need to stay over here. Why don't you put them on the table for me?
16:19So if you're telling me that you read the book, but you can't remember
16:26So let's not forget
16:30How about you actually read the book
16:36You've been to five different schools one within the school district
16:47What social friends
16:52Hmm friends to talk oh and recess
17:01I think that they were ashamed
17:03Me because we were living in a hotel
17:09But then we found out that there's other people living in a hotel
17:13And so at least along the strip it sure seems to be the normal
17:2213 year old Ryan went through what all motel kids dread when he was placed in a foster family
17:27At the time his family was roaming from motel to motel in their car
17:31Relations between Terry and his wife had become strained with the pressure and eventually they were judged economically
17:37Incapable of raising their six children the three eldest were placed in care
17:42I
17:42Do my best to try and make sure it's not hard on them. I try to keep everything on me because I'm the big brother
17:49Is it hard on you?
17:50Yeah, but if it's not hard on me who's it going to be hard on my mom or my sisters I mean being the big brother when my dad's at work
18:01It feels like I'm the man of the house now, so I have to do this get that done
18:05Bathe the pets do the dishes and all that
18:10But yeah staying inside gives you lots of time to just think
18:15And you what do you dream of you know when you sleep at night just mostly nightmares and stuff
18:23Yeah, just dreaming of how we got taken into foster care and all that
18:28That all the stress is going to make my mom and dad lose their temper or something and we might get tooken away and I'm I don't want to get separated
18:37For my family not again
18:42With them all playing together it just fills me up
18:46Go ahead
18:48Go ahead and play
18:58The parents have to accept that for the moment there is no support or help for them during the weeks we spent with these families
19:04We only came across one social worker in the county and she was supposed to be monitoring around 1800 children
19:28At age 30 terry's wife gave up work so she could take care of their six children
19:38But last year she began looking for work again in every restaurant in the area
19:43So now every night after dinner with the children she works in a restaurant opposite the motel
19:49The pay varies if there are no customers she gets to go home early, but her pockets will be empty
19:58Oh
20:21Sometimes
20:21I
20:23No, I want my next round of pills.
20:29It's almost never been used in this way.
20:32And I thank God at night that we're okay.
20:38Yeah, we spent a few nights in a van.
20:42That wasn't fun.
20:43No, Oklahoma in the winter.
20:46That got chilly.
20:48And you think you're safe from that happening again?
20:53No.
20:53I don't think you're ever going to be safe.
20:56I think out of the last seven families to move out of here, one went into a house.
21:03And they only lasted in the house three months, and they're living out of their vehicle now.
21:10Shelters here are always to capacity, and during the summer a lot of them close.
21:14And there is no safety net for poor, like they say there is.
21:21It doesn't exist.
21:22Without any safety net to catch these people as their situations worsen, those that no longer have the means to pay for their motel will go from half homeless to completely homeless.
21:46They often then migrate to the states, where the social services still have a minimal presence.
21:54California is the most popular destination.
21:56Go get your bucket, sweetheart.
22:04Okay.
22:06I'm not going anywhere else.
22:09My sister's tired.
22:12She's upset and tired.
22:15My hands are dirty.
22:18I know, we'll wash them off by the, by the shower.
22:29Katie, and don't you walk away from us.
22:32Mommy, we'll change you in the car.
22:34I'm Amber, I'm 21.
22:39I live in San Diego, California.
22:41I have two beautiful children, one-year-old and a three-year-old.
22:45And we've been in our car for four months here in San Diego.
22:49Amber and her husband used to work in a hotel in Las Vegas.
22:58When they lost their jobs, they came to California to try their luck.
23:03They tried all the shelters, but no one could house them.
23:06Their move had been in vain.
23:08A, B, C's, next time won't you sing with me.
23:13Say one.
23:15One.
23:16Two.
23:17Yay!
23:18Yay!
23:19Good job.
23:21There was no other option.
23:24There was no one who could house us, and we wanted to stay together.
23:31I didn't expect it to last long.
23:35Two months tops.
23:38Look, Katie, remember that day for the first time?
23:43Daddy and Mommy and Daddy and Katie and Sister and Mommy.
23:52Ten days ago, her husband found a job on the other side of the United States.
24:00Their father is working in Kentucky.
24:02He just wasn't getting any jobs here, and he'll be sending money whenever he gets paid.
24:12And also, he'll be saving up money so when his job is done, he can come back and we can get a place.
24:19Amber's husband crossed the country alone by bus.
24:29They knew that their old car wouldn't last the 3,000-kilometer journey.
24:33This is C Street, we're under the bridge, where a lot of homeless people live.
24:59There's always a little bit of homeless, a little bit of people that didn't have a job, but this is crazy.
25:15Those who have nothing sleep on the streets by the dozens.
25:20For the last year, a charity has organized this car park so that those who have managed to keep their cars can stay here at night.
25:32We saw similar things all along the west coast, the last refuge of these desperate people who are flocking to California.
25:42This car park in San Diego, lent by a church, opens every day at 6 p.m.
25:48Nancy Vera, a volunteer, spends the night here three times a week.
25:52We had like a nurse at one point, we had a teacher, we had a dental hygienist, you know, and so she was, I mean, they were used to making good money.
26:05Like, they were used to being comfortable.
26:07So that's why I say we do get some first-time homeless and we don't have as many people moving out.
26:12So it's full, definitely.
26:15So we try to kind of work with what we have.
26:17Alrighty, I'm going to start.
26:18Are you going to park here?
26:19I'm going to go do this car and get those kids out.
26:49Katie in, stay in the car.
26:53Okay.
26:57It's like a mountain.
27:14Come here.
27:15Let me put your helmet on.
27:19There are 20 parking spots, but about 30 cars squeeze in.
27:32The occupants must leave by 6 a.m., the majority heading to their place of work or to look for work.
27:37Hey, how was your day?
27:42Good day.
27:43So what you do?
27:43Got some resumes out today and works positive, hopefully.
27:48I got a college degree business administration and a hotel restaurant management, but this is my studio on wheels.
27:54Studio on wheels, here we go.
27:57The reality doesn't really set in.
27:59Right.
27:59It's like, wow, I actually don't have a home to go to.
28:02Where's mom and dad?
28:03And mom and dad are, you know, maybe alive, but they're not in the same city.
28:06So, you know, and your friends, your dear friends that will help you out, you can go take a shower, maybe at your friend's house.
28:11But you feel kind of obligated, you know, I mean, every day, I mean, every other day, you know.
28:16It's hard to, I have a hard time asking if I can get clean.
28:20And I'm a pretty go-getter guy.
28:21I've worked since I was 14 years old.
28:23I'm like 52 now and coming in May.
28:25I'm thinking about retiring, but I don't know if there's going to be anything left, you know.
28:28I'm probably too young.
28:28They say 62 to 65 to 60, you know, 70.
28:31But it's just there's so many people in this situation that it's just, it's not really, the statistics aren't there.
28:37I'm saying it's kind of a hidden thing, and I don't know why the government doesn't attack it or look at it.
28:50I don't know why the government doesn't attack it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it.
29:20I don't know why the government doesn't attack it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it or look at it.
29:50It's like, it's my own cave in there pretty much.
30:00It's time for Nai Nai, okay?
30:02Why?
30:04I'll take you to the park tomorrow, I promise.
30:07Someone do lights out in a little bit, okay?
30:09Okay.
30:09Do you think you need a few minutes?
30:11No, I just got to get in with them.
30:13Okay, sounds good.
30:14Good night.
30:15Good night, thank you.
30:16Get on in there, girlfriend.
30:22It's not night time.
30:25I know you do.
30:25Wheat is a bumside.
30:37Mm-hmm.
30:40No!
30:42No!
30:44God damn it!
30:45Hey, don't you say those words.
30:48Men of the Lord just helped us tonight.
30:51You don't have to do that.
30:53We're not a daddy anymore.
30:56We're angry!
30:57We will get a house, and she will sleep in a real bed in her own room one day.
31:14We're not happy anymore.
31:26I love you a lot.
31:27Thanks!
31:28Thanks!
31:59Katie, come here, please.
32:02And this one?
32:04Yes.
32:05Okay.
32:06But I want you to sit down because Mommy's going in to fill out applications, and I don't
32:10need you to be running around the hotel, because they won't hire me.
32:15Come on.
32:17Please don't...
32:17We're not tired.
32:19We're not tired.
32:19Katie, you have to be good for me.
32:21I'm trying to get a job.
32:23You understand me?
32:24They're not going to hire me if they think my kids are rambunctious.
32:45I was wondering if you're hiring or accepting applications.
32:48I was able to walk in there.
32:50They have a list of the posted positions and applications.
32:53Okay.
32:56Come on, Katie.
32:58Is this a hotel?
33:05Did you poop?
33:10No.
33:11Cassidy, come here.
33:24Cassidy, stop.
33:33Cassidy, Cassidy.
33:35Cassidy, stop touching stuff.
33:59Cassidy, stop touching stuff.
34:01Cassidy, stop touching stuff.
34:03Cassidy, stop touching stuff.
34:05Cassidy, stop touching stuff.
34:05Sorry about that.
34:06It's okay.
34:06Oh, you're fine.
34:08She's fine.
34:10I'm just going.
34:13I'm just doing that.
34:17Okay.
34:18Look, I'm not doing this anymore.
34:24I can't do it.
34:27I can't do it.
34:29Get the keys.
34:30Come on.
34:31Okay.
34:31Because I have to deal with both of my children while I'm trying to fill out job applications and it's just not possible.
34:46Oh, crap.
34:48Mama!
34:55Hush, Katie in?
34:57What's going on, Mommy?
35:04Being in the car all day, in and out, in and out.
35:08They're very happy when they get out, but soon after they get out, they have to get back in.
35:14And, uh, that's very hard.
35:26Ladies.
35:29Hi there, Jenna.
35:31Enjoy the race.
35:33Almost as much as you did.
35:35Thanks.
35:36Jenna, let's go celebrate.
35:45A few years ago, these fields were full of horses.
35:493,000 kilometers from California, Kentucky was the capital of horse racing in the United States.
35:55The economic crisis hit the owners hard, and now the fields are practically deserted.
35:59Those who can afford to try to maintain their farms in a decent state, and that is what brought Amber's husband, Daniel, so far from his family.
36:11Yeah, pretty lonely out there in the farm.
36:19It's the only outlet.
36:21You've been touched with Amber?
36:23Yeah.
36:24Oh, yeah.
36:25Send her pictures.
36:26Show the kids.
36:27Especially on the horses and the ponies and whatnot.
36:30She likes it.
36:31She just giggles.
36:32Little baby girl.
36:33She's Canadian.
36:34She just giggles about everything.
36:35She's a sweetheart.
36:36Just six months ago, Daniel Carter was employed in a hotel in Las Vegas.
36:57Today, he repairs fences, going from farm to farm for 10 hours a day.
37:06His boss calls him at night to let him know whether he's needed the next day.
37:27Oh, he's a good worker.
37:29His worth is just unreal for a young man.
37:32Yeah.
37:33Man, I don't know how many weeds he cut.
37:36I mean, he just kept getting it, boy.
37:39I'm telling you.
37:42I'd like to find about four or five like him that's got his worth, I think.
37:48Boy, that's all he talks about, some of the little kids he is.
37:51Yeah.
37:52So you know that one day he's going to night?
37:56Yeah.
37:57Yeah.
37:58I don't blame him.
37:59No?
38:00No, sir.
38:02Your family comes first and everything else just gets there when it can.
38:11Well, that's y'all's old text messages.
38:14I was wondering if I had three.
38:18Torture being away from the little girls.
38:20Little blind hair, blue eyes, gorgeous little things.
38:21I can't help but come out here and work for them.
38:23So, you know, it was rough out there when we were, you know, just looking at them every day
38:27and not being able to find work out there and, you know, it was hard just to sit there.
38:32Can't sit.
38:33Nothing, make nothing happen.
38:34Stuck in the house for four days.
38:35Oh.
38:36This is the awesomest.
38:37Chris's bed.
38:38My bed.
38:39Got the shower right there.
38:40That's a winner.
38:41We built that ourselves.
38:42You know.
38:43Stuck in the house before they...
38:58This is the awesomest. Chris's bed. My bed.
39:02Got a shower right there. That's a winner.
39:06We built that ourselves, you know.
39:13Amber.
39:19You alright?
39:20Yeah, everything's fine.
39:22Kathy's pushing up.
39:24Okay. Well, I can't wait to come see y'all.
39:27We can't wait to see you. We love you very much.
39:30You gonna let me talk to my baby girl here in a second?
39:33Yeah, you can talk to me.
39:36Katie.
39:38Hey, baby girl.
39:40I love you.
39:42I love you too, sweetie. I'm coming to see you.
39:45Yes! Yes!
39:47Daddy misses you.
39:49I love you.
39:52Okay, you be sweet.
39:54Alright, bye.
39:55Bye.
39:57Hey, I gotta stay strong for the kids, because you're supposed to be a rock. No choice.
40:07Like I said, just being able to work. I don't care what it is. I'm doing weed eating. I don't care. Working with horses. I don't care. Doing all these fences. I just don't care what it is. I go pick up dog poop. I wouldn't care.
40:19I keep saying it's just a blessing to be able to work. There's a lot of people out there that can't find jobs.
40:26Forget your pride.
40:28Oh, you gotta swallow that down.
40:30Those aren't enough days for a pride.
40:32I don't even, what's that word mean? I'll have to Google that later. No, really, yeah. Yeah, you gotta just nod your head in. Yes, sir. And just do. Just be. And act.
40:47I don't know.
40:48You're like.
40:49I'm getting up, yeah, you gotta go.
40:50Yeah.
40:51Okay.
40:52Okay.
40:53I'm getting up.
40:54Yeah, I'm getting up.
40:56Cool.
40:57Cool.
40:58Well.
40:59Yeah.
41:00Cool.
41:01Yeah.
41:02Cool.
41:03Okay.
41:04Cool.
41:05Cool.
41:06Cool.
41:07Cool.
41:08Cool.
41:09Cool.
41:10Cool.
41:11Cool.
41:13Cool.
41:14Cool.
41:15Cool.
41:16Cool.
41:17Hey, I'll be there like a block away.
41:47I hear little babies in the background.
41:59Hey, Nancy.
42:02You look fresh.
42:04This is great. There's lots of work out there.
42:06Okay. Good.
42:07Just stay motivated.
42:08Yeah, that's good.
42:10I think the girls are resting.
42:12Cassidy was sleeping or something.
42:14And then Amber's over there.
42:15Oh, no, they're up now.
42:16Yeah, they're up.
42:18Hey, girl.
42:19Daddy.
42:20Hi, baby.
42:21Daddy.
42:22Hey, sweetie.
42:23Give me a kissy.
42:24Daddy.
42:25Hey.
42:26Hi.
42:27Daddy.
42:28Hey, girl.
42:29Come here.
42:30Hey.
42:31Hey.
42:32Hey.
42:33Hey.
42:34Hey, girl.
42:35Come here.
42:36Hey.
42:37Hey, Amber.
42:38Give me a hug.
42:39Oh.
42:40Ow.
42:41What do you think, girl?
42:43Owies.
42:44Owies.
42:45Owies.
42:46Oh, yeah.
42:47She's way more vocal.
42:49This one's walking, standing, no problem.
42:52Yeah.
42:53How's it all going for you as far as looking for work?
42:56No.
42:57Looking for work?
42:58Not so good.
42:59Not so good.
43:00Had the interview and nobody called me back.
43:03Right.
43:04I left a message.
43:05Yeah.
43:06Did you check out that studio yet?
43:08He said that he's looking for a Mel because there's already a Mel living in the apartment.
43:28Oh.
43:29Again.
43:30Again.
43:31Again.
43:32Again.
43:38We'll just be here a little bit.
43:51Daddy wanted to spend some time with you at the beach before I left him and back to work.
43:58What happened?
44:00No.
44:01No.
44:02No.
44:03No.
44:04No.
44:05No.
44:06No.
44:07No.
44:08No.
44:09No.
44:10No.
44:11No.
44:12No.
44:13No.
44:14No.
44:15No.
44:16No.
44:17No.
44:18No.
44:19No.
44:20No.
44:21No.
44:22No.
44:23No.
44:24No.
44:25No.
44:26No.
44:27No.
44:28No.
44:29No.
44:30No.
44:31But, I mean, just that mommy and daddy were struggling, um, and that we moved out to California.
44:40And we continued to struggle for a little bit, but we got our minds right, got on the right track, and here we are today.
44:48Hopefully.
44:50Hopefully everything will still be great when, um, when, when we tell them.
44:56After this reunion, Daniel went back to Kentucky for work.
45:04One month later, he sent us some great news.
45:07Amber and the girls had at last found a place in a shelter.
45:11We were supposed to go and find them to see how they were doing and to wrap up our investigation into America in crisis.
45:18And then everything fell apart.
45:20A 39-year-old Bourbon County man, who police say was brutally attacked by a man with a hatchet last night, has died.
45:32The man police have charged with the brutal attack is Daniel Carter.
45:36He told LAX-18 he was acting in self-defense.
45:41Daniel says that one night a man who lived in another caravan near his came at him with a post and attacked him.
45:49He maintains that the man was drunk and ready to kill him.
45:52Daniel took a hatchet and fatally struck the other man.
45:56According to Daniel, it was the only way to save his life.
46:01Two witnesses support his story.
46:05He's awaiting trial in a detention center in Kentucky.
46:09We were able to meet with him on the condition that he didn't talk about what had happened.
46:18Have you had a chance to talk to Amber?
46:25Yeah, I just called him today.
46:28You know, she always says, I miss you and hope to see you soon.
46:33And I'm just worrying about them and worrying about their safety.
46:36And just, you know, worrying about Amber.
46:39Because this guy is going to be double hard on her now.
46:42And, you know, bless her heart.
46:45I mean, she's being really positive and really strong.
46:49And that's helping me be really positive and really strong.
46:54But there's not much of a positive spin I can put on this.
46:59Besides the fact that it helps me, gives me time to think and realize, you know, how much I do care for my family.
47:09And how much of a blessing it is to actually be in the same area.
47:15Yeah, like I said, I'd rather be poor with him in my lap, man.
47:19This is ridiculous.
47:20You know, I...
47:22What's that?
47:45Mommy's kind of got to watch Cassie, baby.
47:51Go, go, go, go.
48:01Amber was living in this shelter with her daughters when she learned of Daniel's arrest.
48:11She had just found a room in a hotel for four months in the hope of using the stability to find work and somewhere to live.
48:21It's there that we met her, two months after the last weekend she spent with her husband.
48:31There's her bed and my bed.
48:33They need to be happy and be kids and they don't need to know bad things.
48:48No, I try to keep my emotions shut until they're asleep.
48:51If the economy was better and one of us found work here, everything would have been avoided.
49:18Everything, you know, it's a pretty big tragedy that all this happened.
49:25The car was supposed to be the low point.
49:31But now this, this is pretty much the low point of him being in jail and away from the kids.
49:42It's hard for them, the kids, because Katie asks, where's daddy? Where's daddy? He's at work.
49:52I have to remind her, I have to remind her of how good a man he is because he's not here to show her.
50:13I just wish that everybody else would know that and see that he's a good man.
50:22It's just things happen.
50:24Things happen to everybody.
50:29I don't know what else to say about it.
50:32If the jury believes his self-defense theory, Daniel Carter will be freed immediately.
50:51Otherwise, he may spend the rest of his life in prison.
51:02Back in Florida, Larry keeps on waiting for a promotion that would allow his family to finally leave the motel.
51:13Terry and his wife will soon have enough savings to rent a studio in Orlando, where they plan to move into after Christmas.
51:20They firmly believe that they will be able to work their way up again and that one day the American dream will live again.
51:32We'll see you next time.
52:02Okay
52:04Okay
52:32Okay
53:02Okay
53:32Okay
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