island. >> thank you. pope francis arriving here today, meeting president raul castro, and this being his first visit to the island nation. it looks like a first visit. he's making a first visit to the united states after the trip. and will be meeting leaders, you have to know that one of the topics that he'll talk about is behind the deal - behind the scenes brokering made between cuba and the united states and helping normalization relations taking hold. when you look at the history here, cuba has had papal visits three times in the last two decades. the first with pope john paul. each time there has been a change, a degree of reform. when you look at the history of cuba, back in 1959 when raul castro rolled into power. many priests were discarded from the country. catholic schools were shut down, and essentially demolished or commandeered. the visit comes amid changing relations with the united states, and changing relations with the church in cuba. >> there's a growing sense from many in havana, that cuba may change its tune. as the island prepares for its third papal visit in less than two decades. trade and advancement is being brought to the island. much of that can be attributed to this man, pope francis. >> translation: for some months now we witnessed an event that fills us with hope, the process of normalizing relations between two people, following years of estrangement. >> the pontiff arrived in havana saturday afternoon, a day before his widely anticipated sermon. this is where it's supposed to happen. this is the pause. you can see it is setting up in preparations for the pope. it's an historic place. raul castro came to give speeches, and where pope john paul came to deliver a sermon for hundreds of thousands of people. pope benedict spoke. when pope francis speaks on sunday, he'll do so not only as the first latin american pope, but the man that helped to broker the biggest change in relations between cuba and the united states in more than 50 years. here in cuba none believers seem optimistic about what the papal visit could mean. it's having that is important. he brings calm to the country. the vatican says 60% of cubaners catholics. according to the state department. 4-5% attend church. >> still, some cubans are hoping for a more active church, which doesn't allow for catholic schools, radio and is restrictive. >> there are more resources. that will be interesting and helpful. >> reporter: the question now is whether pope francis will use the trip to spread the faith, or whether he'll address controversial topics, such as human rights and political prisoners for which cuba has long been criticized. >> now, obviously there's a degree of progression like we have seen in the piece between the catholic church and cuba. pope francis has a jesuit background, as does raul and fiddle. there's a chance that they will speak in a way as not before. however, cuba restricts rageous freedom and expression. there's a long road to go. that's part of what this visit is for. >> this is a unique time for cuba. how does that play into the pope's visit to the island, and to the u.s. as well? >> well, we have seen a massive amount of news coming out of cuba in the last couple of days. obviously the big turn around when president obama announced the normalization. on friday, the u.s. treasury and commerce department announced a microperspective on how the normalization would take hold. there was pressure from the business community in the united states. we are seeing new businesses, the potential for cuba to, or the united states to higher cuban employees, and a lot of that, if not all of that, was done through the urging of pope francis in the letters sent to raul castro and president obama. as this economic visit is taking hold on the island, obviously that's a big market for the u.s. entrepreneu entrepreneurs. they have to pi homage. it was pope francis that brought the leaders to the table. now he's in cuba making the rounds. the dynamic, of course he'd travel to the united states, the first visit there. we'll see how it plays out. the new paradigm between the two. >> david in havana, thank you pope francis is not one to back away from controversy, his recent comments on abortion, divorce, evolution shook up traditional teachings of the catholic church, jonathan betz has more it's one of the oldest faiths. pope francis stunned the world declaring the upcoming here pope francis declared the year the upcoming year a year of mercy, where priests can forgive women who terminated pregnancies, writing: and had met women scarred by the decision. abortion is a sin according to roman catholic teaching subject to the automatic excommunication, the church's harshest penalty. divorce is also considered a sin. nevertheless the pope advocated welcoming divorcees back to the church. >> to all effects the people are not excommunicated, and must not be treated as such. they belong to the church. >> there was a moment he was asked about gay priests. his words heard around the world. >> translation: if someone is gay and seeks god, who am i to judge. >> reporter: shocking for many catholics and widely viewed as an indication of a softer stance to the traditional opposition to sexuality. the pope weighed in on climate change, hoping to spur changes around the world. in a 180 page letter, he appeared to criticise capitalism, writing: >> reporter: on other topics, the pope, who has a degree in chemistry, worked to bridge the gap between fact and faith. "god is not a magician, evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation. evolution requires the creation of beings that envolved. there was a topic some wish he would be more forceful on, sexual abuse in the church. survivors want the pope to stop defending law south against priests. pope francis removed guilty clergy members, and members were questioned last year. some activists left disappointed. >> what we saw during the hearing was defensive obstruction. we saw denial, disrespect for the survivors in the room. and, really, the holy seer was also acted offended that was questioned about sexual violence. >> supporters say pope francis has shown himself to be responsive on many issues. a shepherd, they say, preaching a softer more inclusive message. earlier we spoke with magill, a -- miguel, a former u.s. ambassador to the holly seer, and he talked about how politically active the pope was. >> there's no leader that is apolitical. clearly the pope is seeking in his central message is seeking the dignity of all human persons, and the dignity to seek that has political implications. surely when he speaks about the economy that kills, when he speaks about the earth that is impoverished and needs to be taken care of, and the poor in marginalized societies, that has political implication, and whether in cuba are the united states. those, the poor, the earth, will be thought of politically. that's parts of his message a quick run down of the pope's schedule. after three days in cuba, pope francis travels to washington d.c. on tuesday to begin the u.s. leg of his trip on wednesday. he'll visit the white house, homed a mass to canonize a spanish born monk who built missions across california. on thursday morning, he will be the first pope to address a joint session of congress, making history. friday he addresses the u.n. general assembly, hold a sermon in central park and hold mass in madison square gardens. then to california, for the technical part of the trip, a world meeting of families, where he'll hold a final mass a week from tomorrow. stay with al jazeera. through next week we bring you coverage of a visit to the united states. >> and secretary of state john kerry worked the syrian crisis in london today. alongside the british foreign secretary, hammond said bashar al-assad cannot be part of syria's long-term future and called tore him to step down. syrians are voting with their feet when they fully their homeland. >> reporter: it's surprisingly that syria topped the agenda re when secretary of state john kerry met foreign secretary philip hammond at his residence. after the meeting they discussed ways to push for a political solution, and a moment where russia appears to be more committed to do more against i.s.i.l. a reference to defeating i.s.i.l., through air strikes. heap was concerned about the prospect much russia increasing military support for the president with russian fighter jets in the country. and he might have made a small concession, saying that president bashar al-assad did not have to go on day one or month one, but insists that bashar al-assad did not form part of syria's political future, that is something that has been a sticking point when people tried to get syria's allies around a negotiating table with the syrian opposition. for john kerry, the ball is in the other court. >> we are prepared to negotiate. is bashar al-assad prepared to negotiate. really negotiate. is russia prepared to bring him to the table and find the solution to this violence. those are the questions. we made it clear, we have been open, we made it clear that we are not being doctrine air of a date or time. we are open. right now, bashar al-assad refused to have a serious discussion, and russia refused to take it to the table to do that. that's why we are where we are. >> reporter: the two men discussed europe's refugees crisis. he's been getting on from london to berlin, when there was a talk about her country and what has been done. perhaps backing the idea, a quota system, something that merkel is clear on. >> at the same time kerry suggested the ultimate solution wasn't about dividing up people in terms of numbers. solving the call of the problem of the conflict. well the violence in syria and a lack of hope for people in the region. >> clearly. he is concerned about getting things speeding up politically in syria. >> coming up in tonight's "a deeper look", we look at the russian military build-up. that's ahead in a few minutes more on the refugee crisis, european countries are shifting around tens of thousands of people this weekend. thousands boarding trains an the croatian serbian border. it was not clear where they were heading, croatia sent some to hungary, drawing a rebuke from the government. it is sensing more of its borders. some managed to slip through and arrive at the austrian border. there's part of tens of thousands. it was one day, the way the refugees, for the most part end up in germany. many are escaping the syrian war or leaving dire conditions in camps, in jordan, lebanon and turkey. >> reporter: this couple and their baby used to survive because of the world food program. it was $1 and a half a day, but it was enough for the family to get by. that small amount is not enough to survive on. now they have no choice. it is illegal to work, but they take it in terms of working and looking after the baby. >> translation: we have no fears for the future. we don't know how worse the situation can get. >> reporter: the world food program says it is seriously underfunded and has to make life and death decisions about who to feed and who to cut off. >> reporter: this man and his family of 11 are in the same position. he works illegally on a nearby farm. >> i would face all risks to return to syria. i'm humiliated and enslaved here. my boss makes me work 13 hours a day for $14. the wsp said food and security levels are sky-rocketing. 70% live under the line. after losing the food assistance, refugees say they lost faith in the international community. those that work for a humanitarian agency are frustrated because they are no longer able to maintain services and are worried that desparation will push some refugees to go back to syria or risk the journey to europe. for many refugees, it is a fateful decision they must take in the coming weeks. >> people are telling us they lost hope for the future. many are considering returning to war in syria, and those people in the worst situation have told us that they will risk their lives to reach europe. >> syrian refugees fled their country. to escape the war and because they had no food. in jordan, the authorities struggled to cope, reeling on the u.s. and n.g.o.s. now the resources are drying up, along with any hope this sunday, a special report with stephanie sy, desperate journeys, a global crisis airs 9:00pm eastern. coming up on al jazeera america, ukraine and now syria, a deeper look at russia's military manoeuvring and the role it is playing in world conflicts. also, suspects in the arizona sniper shootings, what he is saying about his arrests. >> what will joe biden do. the vice president makes a bid for the president. how will that shake up the white house. psh psh clz time to take a deeper look. tonight - russia's military build up in syria, president vladimir putin made it a priority, despite sanctions and a drop in oil prices that have negatively impacted the economy. russians will increase the defense budget for 2015 by more than 25% to $60 billion. it is close to 4% of gross domestic product. roxana reports on how russia is flexing its military might around the world. russia's decision to deploy fighter jets to syria is the latest move putting washington on edge. clearly the presence of aircraft with air combat capacity and air to surface - surface to air missiles raise serious questions. >> with the potential arrival u.s. and russian air operations over syria, the u.s. and russia greed ways to avoid accidentally attacking each other. the two former cold war adversaries share a common enemy. washington opposes support for the president. seeing bashar al-assad as the driving force behind the civil war. russia's president vladimir putin said military support will continue. >> we have supported the syrian government. i would like to say that. as it confronts terrorist will provide military and technical support, and call on other countries to join us. >> russia's build up in syria comes months after moscow announced military doctrine naming n.a.t.o. as a stop threat to russia. officials say russia has been beefing up presence in eastern ukraine. while in a standoff with n.a.t.o., after annexing n.a.t.o. and held drills on the islands in. revived soviet era air. it calls for cooperation with india and china, for the u.s. and n.a.t.o. allies, moves are seen as provocative and destabilizing. >> we have seen that russia is investing more in the defense in general. but in nuclear capabilities in appear. >> even if the budgets could be stretched the kremlin is making clear it will not cut corners on defense. >> joining us now to take a deeper look, mark lyons, a retired army major, and al jazeera stds security contributor. joining us, a fellow at the washington institute. focussing on russia's policy towards the middle east. both of you, my first question is i don't know that anyone noticed for certain, but what are vladimir putin's motivations be now. what's the motivations now. >> it's all about keeping a toe hold in the middle east. something that the united states has tried to keep russia out of since the world war ii. he'll be successful to extend the presence there. syria has been a long-time ally, that has not changed. this is a way to try - for them to get legitimacy there, to insert into the peace process. it's masquerading for a technique, keeping them in power and extending the civil war. >> what do you see as motivations. what value does the bashar al-assad regime have four vladimir putin. >> well, i certainly agree with comments. of course, this is about increasing russia's influence in the middle east, and keeping the united states out of the region, it's about bolstering the side and so forth. i would add to that. this is about deflecting from the ukraine crisis of vladimir putin's own making. vladimir putin is expected to come from the united nations and make a speech where he's expected to focus on terrorism. he is expected to talk about, you know, assembling a coalition in recent weeks to fight i.s.i.s. and the other forms of global terror. what this does is it gains an international legitimacy. vladimir putin is trying to say we may have differences over ukraine, but there's a greater enemy. i.s.i.s. and other terrorist groups. that is another thing that he's seeing here. >> when it comes to i.s.i.s. or i.s.i.l., is it all talk, could he have a valid point. can he possibly be interested in joining the coalition. the united states happened to be part of it, i'll let you answer that, and let you get in on that as well. >> well russia has a real interest in fighting global terror, russia has, similar to its own citizens joined i.s.i.s. or i.s.i.l. to fight in syria and iraq. the problem is russia's actions show that they are not really interested in fighting. that sort of it's a zero-some gain that vladimir putin likes to play with the west. >> you have to look at the equipment he's brought to the battle field. modern tanks. t90 tanks. fighter planes that i.s.i.s. does not have capability. air defense capability, it's about keeping the allies from creating a no-fly zone, allowing safe passage. bashar al-assad has been bombing. he says one thing, but the weapons systems that he brought to the field now. says that heel fight a non-conventional force with. they are arms to protect bashar al-assad. >> is what he's doing going to destabilize horrific situations. >> no question. >> he's outflanked the u.s. now, which doesn't have a policy on what to do in syria. it sends a message, unfortunately, we lack a strategic occurrence. would we have done this. the troops in iraq following the war. what would the de-terns have been for him not to do it. you look back in the past, switching the conversation. n.a.t.o. had a tremendous force. would he have done the same thing. had he had a large number of troops. he's pushing the envelope. it's a mutually assured destruction. >> to that point. is mike correct, that the international community does not seem to have a real plan about what to do with the area, and is vladimir putin taking advantage of that? >> absolutely. i would agree with mike on this completely. unfortunately, vladimir putin has been good of taking advantages of inconsistencies. indecisive innocence in syria, the reluctance to get involved. our inability to enforce the red lines. he sees that we say one thing and do nowhere. he's taking advantage of that. >> will anything change when there are talks at the u.n., will there be more talk? >> we'll have to wait and see. i don't think that the syrian crisis is going to get resolved soon. if anything, russia's involvement is likely to protract the conflict, it will keep the pressure, it will not be helpful. that is it a tragedy. >> what do you know about what the russian people think about the moves that vladimir putin has been making recently? >> well, thank you for the question. this is interesting. despite the heavy controls over the kremlin, over the press, some liberal voices get through. what is interesting is how many russian analysts are concerned that russia's build up in syria could turn into another afghanistan. as you know, that's a war that ultimately will bring down the soviet union. in fact, some among analysts who support the kremlin propolicy. they don't want russian citizens dying for bashar al-assad. whether or not that concern is real or not, it's perhaps a secondary issue. the primary is that russian citizens are concerned and don't want to get involved in this. >> anna has a great point. russia has learnt from afghanistan. they have brought conventional weapons to the battlefield. they have seen how poorly the americans have done it in afghanistan. they have learnt their own lesson in the 1980s. i don't believe they'll engage i.s.i.s. on any level. they don't have the capability. that is why this is more or less talk. the weapons are about protect of course, reinforcing losses from the government. >> is there an economic incentive for what russia is doing. >> no question. if the bashar al-assad government survives through this, as iran gets the $150 billion release, and funny is flowing back into the world. russia becomes an arms dealer to syria, iran and other countries. he's taking the long game from his perspective. you have our president and administrators trying to wrap up the game. and hand high fives and get out of dodge. russia is playing a long game by looking over the horizon, saying we'll be a power, an influence in syria, and will sell arms to iran and any other countries here. >> any way to anticipate what vladimir putin, what russia's next move might be? >> you know, vladimir putin is not very clear on communicating his intentions. we expect the build up in syria, conditioned support for bashar al-assad. we can expect that to continue. we appreciate that from everyone. we'll continue to keep the eye on the situation. thank you, a fellow at the washington institute focussing on russia's policy towards the middle east. thank you for joining us tonight. >> the future of hillary clinton's run for the white house could be dramatically impacted. the vice president joe biden up next. will he or won't he run for president. the activist and the former president of malawi joins us and talks about the challenges that women face in leadership rolls. total denial from the suspect in the arizona shootings. 21-year-old lesley alan merritt told the judge they have the wrong guy. he was arrested at a wal-mart. police say they have linked them forensically to four of 11 recent shootings. along the interstate 10. the gun used in the attacks has been in a porn shop the entire time. more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by two wildfires raging in california. one fire is centered around middle town. and the other is to the south-east. several thousands structures remain in harm's way. both are contained. some people are returning home. together the fires have killed five people. and destroyed almost 150,000 acres. there are 20 people running to be the next u.s. president. there could be more. patty culhane takes a look at how that could shake ultimate the race. >> we'll soon know if joe biden believes the third time will be the charm in the quest to be president of the united states. he has waited a while to decide, facing the heart-breaking loss of his son to brain cancer in may. it didn't look like he'd run, until the scandal began to surround the front-runner, the former secretary of state hillary clinton, using and deleting tens of thousands of emails. in an unusual move. she was using a private server that has never been investigated. polls show that they are not trusted. they are not excited about the campaign. that gives joe biden an opening. he is seen as the opposite, trust worthy and honest. in large parts because of moments like this one, when the president signed his signature health insurance legislation and is blunt. he is a politician that knows how to welcome a room. his history is one many can relate to. he was born to working class parents and is not worth millions. there are analysts that believe he will not be able to overtake clinton in the primary. >> i have a difficult time imagining anyone that got in now will be organisationally prepared to win. if anything. those who get in now would be kind of throwing hail mary passes, hoping that, you know, hillary clinton stumbles further a big factor could be who u.s. president obama endorses, the white house said he might weigh in. they won't say whom he prefers, but they volunteer the vote. >> the president described selecting vice president biden as his running mate, as the smartest decision he made. >> reporter: biden has been a public vp, in charge of economic stimulus, taking point with congress on budget issues, and was the lead on u.s. involvement. that issue could hurt him. along with what he did in the senate. pushing for prison sentences, now a popular stance. at 72 years old, he would be the oldest president elected. one of the factors he'll have to consider, along with this - the dying wish of his son. who reportedly told him that he wanted him to try again. to run for president of the united states. coming up on al jazeera, ebola, once ravaged the population in africa. now a change in the screening process for passengers arriving in the u.s. from for the second time this year voters head to the polls in greece on sunday to elect a new parliament. when the left wing syriza party won the last election in january, it promised an end to years of austerity. a month later optimism over the economic situation has evaporated. barnaby phillips reports from athens does he still have magic. alexis tsipras is still young, charismatic. it's been a bruising year, tweeted by greece's creditors, humiliated by brussels in berlin. he says don't let the old parties back in, the old regime that created the debt crisis in the first place. he may have lost to europe, say supporters, at least he went down fighting. >> alexis tsipras came to power, promising to end austerity and be in the eurozone. he failed to end austerity, this election it all about whether greeks are prepared to give him a second chance. >> this is the feeling you get to people with disappoint ment it's the same story, 30 years from now. >> i met the young people that supported him when it won in january. they say they'll vote again. >> the other politicians are already corrupt. alexis tsipras, not yet so much, i guess. so i have some hopes. antonis says he'll vote for another party. >> from monday unemployment will be the same. the corruption will be the same, and the choices are many. disappointment, disallusionment, words that sum up the national mood, according to this analyst. >> the spark of hope existed in the last election, eight months back. this has gone now. the spark was part of cyprus. this has gone. it's a totally negativity, it's difficult to predict the result. >> this man is poised to take advantage if syriza is not the largest party. the leader of the central right. some warming his down to earth style, but his party is part of the discredited political establishment. >> many greeks want to get away from politics. at a cycling festival, they are enjoying the last warm evenings before what could be a harsh long, hard winter. somehow the new government will have to spark the hope monday will mark a turning point in the waning ebola crisis. travellers will no longer be screened for the disease. testing began last october when there were fears of the epidemic reaching the shores. now the world health organisation says the disease is no longer spreading in liberia. people arriving here from guinea and sierra leone will be screened. 1500 people are in quarantine across sierra leone to stop the spread of the virus. the country began a 42 day countdown. two recent deaths caused a setback. we have this report from sierra leone. officials say communication is key to stopping the spread. >> reporter: with the beat of a drum, local performers make their way into the village. they are here to entertain. it comes with a strong message. if you are sick, call for help. 4,000 people have died from ebola in sierra leone, and the locals say when he realized how bad thinks were, he wanted to produce comedy to good use. he joined these performers. >> i do this for my people. the people in this country. i'm not going to sit and do nothing. i'm here to educate my people. >> other messages, such as avoiding body contact are part of the act. the virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person. >> 30 people have been trained to perform in villages across the district, and it seems to be making an impact. >> the northern district was a hot spot for ebola, with 1500 cases to date. that is one of the highest number of cases in the country. there has not been one in over a month. u.n.i.c.e.f. initiates the onsent of performances, initiating stress in communities that witness said so much death. >> they laugh. that is part of trauma healing. >> healing that is helping people that live here. she lost 18 of her family members to the virus. i believe the message is getting through to people. i hope it will continue. >> especially as more cases not until this weekend. >> you have to be creative on keeping the mind pon-ebola. to let them have a high risk. >> it's clear the country will have a long way to go. at least there's a creative way to keep the messages loud and clear this week the united nations general assembly meets in new york, and one woman will work the hallways, hiding side buy. to talk about women's empower. joyce had to overcome obstacles as the first female president. i spoke to her about the role of women in politics. let's talk about the huge leader-roll. what were the challenges you faced in that roll, particularly because you were a woman? >> i would like to be very honest with you, that i was fortunate that prior to becoming head of state. i had saved as head of women and children and foreign minister, and vice president. to an extent that by the time i became president. people saw me in a leadership position, and i always said that i was fortunate that i have a lot of support from men and women. and i also say, but sometimes it was support more from me than fellow women. for example, what i remember most. there was a statement that was issued by civil society organization, and i remember challenging this man to say that these are things that in the past. with the male president. happened dramatically, and were not wrong. here you are accusing me it's wrong to provide free food to most vulnerable group in our country, you say i'm giving handouts and i must stop. why are you discriminating like this, and he looked at me and say because you're a woman. >> he put it out there. >> that's the first time it came out, flat like that. our time, emotions temperament, approach to leadership as women and different for me. in that situation, you find that you get resistance. people are trying to understand what you do. >> you say style is different. is there times they try to make leadership style feel bad. >> difference doesn't have to be bad. it is often good. >> when you want to change the status quo. when you want to do things differently. sometimes you want to take resistance. the tragedy is that sometimes it is men wanting to fight you. they use fellow women to fight you. you have to be attentive. it's men against women sometimes, through women. >> we have to balance and rise above petty innocence, and i hope you know women's leadership is under attack. it could be 100 times better than a man. >> do you think it will discourage men from wanting to get into politics or positions of leadership when you see how difficult it can be. >> i don't want to use my example. look at what julia gillard went through. the names she was called. if you go to thailand, philippines, myanmar, zimbabwe, argentina, brazil, chile. u.s. >> here in the u.s. as well. >> yes. i'm worried the leadership is under attack. gone are the days of oppressing people. women have this style that embraces everybody. duty. dialogue and avoiding conflict. risk taking. caring about life projects and small projects. social projects. i'm treading on issues affecting men and children. people are falling in love. about them falling in love with you. people r realising women are good leaders. that's the greatest change, that's what people are fighting. people want a leader who is the leader. a leader that is ermerging. >> let me ask, the future, is it a good future, are you optimistic about it? >> i'm optimistic about it because that depends on how we behave. we cannot afford to get discouraged. we must accept that there's a price we must pay for being first. but along the way, niece young girls need role models. what we need to do as women leaders is stay the course, and refuse to be intimidated. they can do anything, and you know that people can read regulations, but not the minds of the people. whether you are inside or outside, it is a moral obligation for us to realise that what you are talking about are going to need people to look up to. the sadness is that they are looking at women across the world. and how they are being treated, and the names they are called and the scandalisation, and the smear campaigns, and so women, professional women hesitate. and say why won't they compromise my profession to get into leadership. >> all right. >> it's an honour to talk to you, president banda, thank you so much. former president of the malawi. thank you still ahead on al jazeera america - new research reveals the dangers of a career in the n.f.l. and formerly bustling towns rotting in the desert. these pieces of old west history are being saved. research conducted by the department of veteran affairs and the boston university may add to con kugs and braindisease lings. 87 showed signs of chronic traumatic enselfa lose itty. it has been linked to concussions, memory loss, and dementia. fatty assets may not be as beneficial as we have been lead to believe. research by danish scientists have been unable to demonstrate that omega-3s prevent heart attacks and strokes. the original thinking comes from the arctic. now it appears that those people may enjoy genetic differences. across the american west. hundreds of ghost towns dot the landscape. many are gone, in a few places people are trying to protect what is left of them. we go to the californian desert to get a look. >> this is ballarat california, not just any town, but a ghost town. there's no phones, no cell signal. a television or mail service. batt rat hassing it. meet the one and -- lall rat has something. meet the one and only resident. these trying to preserve the issue. over a century ago, it was an important hub. >> there's original photos from ballarat in its day. this is 1898 photo. it's a hotel right here. >> the town was quite a town in the heyday. >> there's a bank, post office and a score. brothels. and cemeteries. >> everything a miner would want i guess, everything they want in need. too bad they don't have it now. >> today the town is an open air museum. in disrepair yes, but a couple of buildings are standing and artefacts sitting where they left a century ago. >> in many ways rocky represents a last line of defense. a man trying to preserve a little piece of american history that many forgot about. if he wasn't here, this is a place that would certainly not exist. >> there's nobody here. this place would be gone in a week. why? >> vandalized. vandalized. in they knew the place was open. there was nobody here, i mean, this place would be carried off in a week. >> there's 250 ghost towns in california alone, like this one. they represent the boom and bust gold rush era, a history of the america west. disappearing with the passing of the time. >> this building, a casino in 1907. today locked up to keep looters away and preserve. rest. back in ballarat. that is rocky's mission. to keep history alive. and in this ghost town the only man left standing to do it. thanks for joining us. i'm richelle carey in new york. i'll be back with another hour of news at 11:00pm eastern. 8:00p.m. pacific. hope to see you then. meantime, "america tonight" is next. keep it here. >> you're not the person to tell me who i am. >> i kept trying to make him not be a boy. >> we tried to force her to wear more masculine clothes. >> when they people come to see us, they are desperate. >> who will love my child? >> who will protect my child? >> i asked for something and now i'm a happy little boy. >> being a woman it's more than a physical body. it's all about your essence. >> i get to blossom into the

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