This is real money, you are the most important part of the show. Tweet me or hit me up at facebook. Next time you pass your local court house look closely. See a for sale sign. It should come as no surprise that 1. 2 billion to date has been raised with the intention of influencing the midterm elections. Did you know the big money is spreading to elections that reach beyond this election of your congressman, and instead focus on who is in charge of your courtrooms . Outside groups dramatically increased spending to influence which judges sit on the bench at the highest levels in each state. Here is a look at justice for sale. It was an emfating ruling reverberating outside the heart land. Iowa Supreme Court voted unanimously in 2009 to allow same sex couples to marry. A year later, when three of the Supreme Court justices came up for a standard retention election, thats a yes, no vote to keep a judge seated on the court, socially conservative groups like the National Organization for marriage made the dissatisfaction with the decision known. If they redefine marriage, what will they do other longestablished tradizes and rights. Nearly a million in out of state spending poured in. All three judges lost the election and judges. 87 of judges stand for election during their career, turning them into fundraisers, and they are having to raise money from the people appearing before them in court. The question is weather voters can be confident that justice is not far sale. 38 states conduct elections, either through contested recesses between two candidates or retention votes the remaining states use merit selections. Since 2000, upwards of two dozen states saw judicial spending smashed and the last election cycle totals reached 56 million, half coming from outside groups. As a result, it leads to the problem of judges around the country having to look over their shoulder, saying well, if i make a decision, and it despleases people outside my state with big money, i may have to think twice about the decision. Spending in the election is sometimes driven by social issues like gay marriage. More often Business Concerns dominate. Organizations like the chamber of commerce spent big, hoping the balance of power will lead to industry of this friendly decisions from issues of employer corrections and obama care. 2. 2 million was spent in north carolina, and 1. 3 million entered of tennessee race. Liberals control the state Supreme Court. While judicial election spending may pale in comparison to the hundreds of millions poured into congressional elections, experts warn a little money thrown at the courts goes a long way. So many years ago, someone joked that its cheaper to buy a state court than it is to buy a legislature. Voter turn out is low. What it means is an Interest Group can decide to pour in money, turn on the base to have a shot at tipping elections. A poll found nine in 10 americans think Campaign Cash is effecting decisions. Surveys taken of judges suggest half of them agree. If we get to the point where people think judges are politicians are just robes, than it bends to the will of someone with electoral power, has been turned on its head. Reshaping state Supreme Courts is a priority. They plan to spend 5 million on judicial races in places like north carolina, where half the Supreme Court seats are on the ballot. As reported over the past few weeks, dark money dominated political spending and judicial elections are different. For every attack add accusing a judge of being soft, theres a group behind it. Alicia brep jp is from a brennan is from a group saying getting money out of judicial races is crucial. Special Interest Groups are recognising that with a small investment you have the opportunity to change the legal landscape of a state. Thats what we have seen, business interests on one side, plaintiffs, trial lawyers on the other side. Unions pouring money into the race, trying to impact who is on the bftenl and the decisions that bench, and decisions that courts are making. 33 states allowing an election. Up or down retention. What is supposed to happen. What is the point. On what basis would i, as a citizens, be able to make a decision as to whether a judge should come or go or run or not run . Centringly judicial elections were a reform measure. People were concerned that judges were elected. There wasnt public accountability. In the 19th century the state introduced judicial elections, in the 20th century, further reforms, up and down retention elections as part of the system. Money is a bigger force in the races, is that the accountability mechanism is breaking down and judges are looking over their shoulder. When i have a case before a judge, i want to be confident that theyll decide the case based on the law, not worried about who will give Campaign Contributions or who the result of an attack ad will be. When you scratch the surface, you dont have to look too far before you see look, its karl rove, whats his position in this. In the 90s, in texas and alabama, karl rove pushed the courts in a conservative direction, bringing a republican takeover of the courts. In the 90s. In 2000 there was a greater expansion, tort wars became the court wars, and more and more states were politicized, and had different special Interest Groups putting money into them. Hes innovative, if nothing else. A lot of this is supported by business interests, conservative business interests. The attack ads dont generally speak about the interests. They talk about being soft on crime. Once a certain amount of money is flowing into a race, judges save their money, being tough on crime. Thats right. Theres Academic Studies suggesting that judges change their behaviour. In election years, if you look at the sentencing decisions. They tend to be harder on crime. Judges raised the alarm about the pressures that these attack adds and fundraising are putting on them. Most judge dont want to play the role. They feel they have no choice. There was a case in West Virginia where the c ex o paid a lot of money for the election of a judge it was a deciding vote in a case brought against them. It went all the way to the u. S. Supreme court. They said the judge should have stepped aside. Its been five years since the Supreme Court decision. States have not changed their rules in terms of when judges have to step aside from cases. Those rules have not kept up with the flood of money that they have been seeing in the state elections. A remarkable story. Alicia brennan, council for the Brennan Center for justice. Well do more on this story. Secret recording the new york fed refused to stand up to goldman sachs, and the woman that made the recording has been forward. Now there are calls for an investigation. Keep it up, here. No. Faultlines. Al jazeera americas hardhitting, today, they will be arrested. Groundbreaking, theyre firing canisters of gas at us. Investigative documentary series. Watch the Emmy Award Winning episode haiti in a time of cholera. Saturday, 7 00 eastern. Only on Al Jazeera America. Protestors are gathering. Theres an air of tension right now. The crowd chanting for democracy. This is another significant development. We have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live. Now available, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. Get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. A global perspective wherever you are. The major headlines in context. Mashable says. Youll never miss the latest news they will continue looking for survivors. The potential for Energy Production is huge. No noise, no clutter, just real reporting. The new Al Jazeera America mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. Download it now on tech know, cars, the science behind. Keeping us safe on the road. Oh oh my god the driving force behind these new innovations i did not see that one coming. Tech knows team of experts show you how the miracles of science. This is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future . Can affect and surprise us. Sharks like affection. Tech know, where Technology Meets humanity only on Al Jazeera America a rare look now inside the new york Federal Reserve, a powerful institution. The Federal Reserve or the fed not only sets interest rates, but is the top cop of the financial system. Overseeing banks and financial institutions. In 2008 the fed and its New York Branch both failed to catch scenes of a meltdown that would trickle the economy. In 2009 the new york fed commissioned a study to call out and correct weaknesses. Among the findings fed examiners were too cosy with those they were to police. Tough examiners were brought in. As reported, segarras time at the fed did not go well. Alarmed by the lax supervision of banks like goldman she recorded about 46 hours of meetings and conversations with her colleagues. Segarra was fired after 7 months. Jake bernstein and his partners from this american life, are making the secret tapes public. I spoke and asked him what drove segarra to take the action. The report talked about in the owing was that the problem opening was that the problem was cultural, the biggest obstacle preventing them doing their job, and i way to fix it was to hire outspoken examiners. They higher a bump, one is segarra, and she basically does this and gets in trouble. Tell me what drove segarra to record conversations. She encountered stuff where there was push back. People would question what she heard in meetings. A supervisor told her what was valued in the fed was perceptions more than reality, and she questioned morality. I want to play an excerpt from a recording. Segarra is in a meeting with new york fed chief of staff Michael Silver discussing a potential transaction with a bank that many would know. Listen to this. Here is the transaction, the fed find troubling, calling it shady. Theres a little bit of pussy footing around it. This was as he alluded to. He thinks its illegal, its shady. They are not certain what to do about it. They ask questions of goldman executives. They decide that theres nothing they can do about it. It becomes an illustration for segarra about how they look at supervision of the big banks and how afraid they are. She complained about the deference that she thought the bangs god from the fed, and that got her in a little hot water. Let me play another exert, between her and her supervisor jonathan kemp. Jonathan kim was her supervisor. Segarra was brought in, you point out, to fight the deference. This is the remarkable thing. In the report from 2009 the consultant says one of the big problems at the fed is consensus, but they use it to water down findings and to sort of take an easier line along the bank. Everyone around the room says they have to come down. Where does the deference come from, are they people looking for jobs. They are a number of people that go from the fed to the banks, its human nature of the they are stationed inside the banks. They see these people, and its easier to get information from the bangers by being friendly and asking them politely. That slide into deference. Did you get a reply . We sent 13 pages of questions and we got a 2page response. They said they fired segarra for performance reasons, and they stand by that. Do we know she was not fired for performance reasons. We dont know. Theres a meeting on tape, where they demand they change their findings about goldman sachs. She refuses and is fired the next week. Great work as always. A journalist. Coming up next, the ripple effects of crushing student connect. The houseing market is feeling the pain. Ill explain and real money continues. I lived that character a hollywood icon Forest Whitaker my interest in acting was always to continue to explore how it connected to other people making a difference what is occurring in other places, is affecting so many different ways. Inspiring others we have to change those things, in order to make our whole live better every saturday, join us for exclusive. Revealing. And surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. Talk to al jazeera, only on Al Jazeera America there are hopes that an improving job market will mean more firsttime home buyers will come in and face investors backing away from real estate. Here is a reason to worry firsttime home buyers may not be able to pick up the slackment the average american with debt owes 33,000. That may cost the u. S. Economy more than 80 billion. 414,000 homes will go unsold because wouldbe buyers are so saddled with student debt they cannot afford to buy. Thats the conclusion of an analysis by john byrne real estate consulting, 83 billion in loss home sales. Beth is an economist with the brookings institution. Theres a correlation with student lone debt and the ability of children to buy houses. Reporter in change for strong Legal Protection lenders cannot approve loans if the borrowers anticipated monthly debt is more than 43 of income. Take the case of a household earning 83,000 with rent and car payments. A student debt free household with 3. 5 down qualifies for 250,000, 30year mortgage at 4. 5 interest. Tho in a debt of 250 or more. The bank will deny the application as the total mondayy debt is 43 greater than its income. The overall effect is complicated. The affect of making the payments is missing. While they have the extra bills, they have higher earnings, going hand and hand with that. According to the studies, every month it lowers a limit by 44,000. That cree ath a catch 22, as more people stake on student debt to gain the circles needed. They may be reducing the likelihood of buying a home. Nearly 6 million households headed by someone 42 or younger paid student debts. Up by 2. 2 million. I spoke to christian, an exist with mooedies anna lit ecks, and he did analysis on the impact of student debt. And says the number of 400,000 unsold homes cited in the study is too high. I would say that its difficult to isolate. Theres so many moving parts in the houseing market between tight mortgage credit, Income Growth that is stagnant, and a job market that needs to grow. Its difficult to assign a specific number to any individual part of this. Student debt has an impact. Its debatable the size of the impact. We hear the number, the 1 trillion, this is a thing with averages and numbers dont help you. We need to figure out what the graduating student had on hand, what the debt to income ratio was, whether they would qualify and how it affects them. This is something difficult to impose on the situation. Thats right. Is the question that student debt is too high or income too low . I fall in the camp that Income Growth is lacking. Wage growth is stagnant and that scoops the market from accelerating into the market. Is there. We need incoming to grow and a broad job base. Do mortgages need to change . We heard about 43 , not having more of your debt averaging 43 . Is that a problem. Is there a way to encourage students to buy houses are are we looking at this the wrong way . Mortgage credit is tight. Banks, gscs are worried about a mortgage crisis. Conditions have to thaw, and we need a loosening of underwriting to attract buyers into the market. Its about the job market, incomes. We need the job market coming back. Income growth that will resolve a lot of problems with houseing. What role, in your mind, do students when i say students, people out of school in the last 10 years, is that a segment of the homebuying population that we need to thing about. We spoke to home buyers, who say they need a different product the the Product Available now is out of the range of firsttime buyer. Theres some truth to that. On the mortgage side of things, a little flexility in the product, understanding where the buyers are coming from, and theres a lot of differences or changes in taste. Well meet new product in terms of the houses that they want to buy. It will be more multifamily and condos. A lot of things are changing in the market. Thats why its difficult to assign a specific number to the impact of any of these moving parts. Chris, a senior director. Thank you for joining us. Coming up this week, Something Special is in the air in manhattan. Ill look at the millions building owners are getting for selling air rights. Its rarified air in new york. Real money airs week nights 7 00pm eastern, 4 00 pm pacific. Thats our show for today. Im ali velshi, thank you for joining us