governed by the wealthy which is exactly the reason our european ancestors fled europe to come to america to escape. >> thanks so much. >> thank you for having me. >> that was terrific. >> thank you. the ship designed to take tourists to the edge of space crashes during a test flight. the latest on the deadly flight of spaceship two. plus, rock throwing protesters and tear gas fill the streets the nurse at the center of a quarantine controversy wins a legal battle and four days before the midterms the president makes a

push to bring women voters to the polls. this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris. a commercial spaceship exploded today in the mojave desert killing at least one person. there was an in flight anomaly. the california highway patrol says one person died and another suffered major injuries. the national transportation safety board is expected to arrive to the site tomorrow to begin an investigation. here are more details. >>reporter: tony, what we know is that the debris field is quite large. the plane fell in a number of different pieces. as you said, the ntsb will be heading to the site at first

light tomorrow and will expected to be there to try to figure out what went so wrong. spaceship two was transported this morning attached to a mother ship called white knight two. the spaceship is brought up to about 50,000 feet and then released. and at that point, it fires up its rocket engine to go higher up into space. well, at that point, two minutes after it was released from that mother ship, that is when those on the ground noticed there was some sort of anomaly. eyewitnesses say they saw an explosion, and they saw pieces of this spaceship start falling back to the desert. there were, as you said, two pilots on board. they do have parachutes so they can get out in the event of a disaster. one of those pilots apparently

died. now, the ceo of virgin galactic spoke at a news conference in california. >> space is hard, and today was a tough day. we are going to be supporting the investigation as we figure out what happened today. and we're going to get through it. future rests in many ways on hard, hard days like this. >>reporter: and also whiteside said we will understand this and we will move forward. now, this is a venture of british billionaire richard branson. he tweeted thank youing everyone for messages of support and said

he was flying immediately to the mojave. his goal is to fly to near space. the craft is designed to hold six passengers and a crew of two. he was hoping to be the first on the first flight. more than 700 people have signed up to go on the flight. we want to mention that this flight today was with a new fuel mix in this rocket engine. it had not been flown before with this fuel mix but we understand that it had been extensively tested on the ground. obviously that's one of the things investigators will be looking at. and this comes just three days after another accident. it was a commercial space transport taking off from a nasa site in virginia bound for the international space station carrying a pay load for the

space station. it blew up just after takeoff on that launch pad so this week underscores what we know too well, that space is a very, very risky business. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> it's designed to take you edge of outer space and they were hoping for their first trip by the end of the year. jacob ward has more on the safety concerns of space tourism. >>reporter: it was founded in 2004 before anyone could have imagined that nasa would be privatizing. now, most of virgin's design choices were about safety. launching a rocket from earth requires a huge amount of highly-explosive fuel so the

risks that came with that became apparent to everyone really with the explosion of the rocket in virginia on tuesday night. that risk is why the company that designed spaceship two came up with the idea of releasing the rocket from a plane at 50,000 feet. you avoid the stresses and weight and general danger of a full-on rocket launch from the ground. but the proudest safety development, one that the company really touts is the hybrid rocket that propels spaceship two. to burn fuel for rocket thrust, you need oxygen to create combustion and at the at attitudes this rocket is designed to reach, you really don't have oxygen. so you have to carry it with you. virgin's hybrid rocket carries the fuel in a solid state and

then an oxidizer in a solid state. this hybrid rocket design is supposed to be more controllable and the company talks about the ability to close the valve and stop the propulsion and glide safety to earth. so everyone will be looking at that. more broadly, i think everyone is going to be looking at the whole notion of space tourism. the risks of pretty unbelievable. the speed of travel, three times the speed of sound. the at attitudes. just the general danger. these are all risks we've never subjected civilian passengers to before. we all know that when things go wrong with a flight, they go very, very wrong. so now that that has played out,

the question is whether paying passengers will be read drink to accept that risk as well. >> more than 700 customers have paid as much as $250,000 for a ride on the space tourism rocket. how will this explosion impact this growing business? >> well, it's interesting. i just spoke with an astronaut and someone who is a ticket holder. the ticket holder said not only is he not phased by the whole thing but if they asked him to get on one tomorrow, he would go. so the people -- some people bought these at charity auctions and things like that for a lot more money. so if you made that kind of equipment, you're probably so into space that you get it. that said, the astronaut i spoke to who i would have expected to say these things happen. he said to me this is not a flat tire. this is a big deal and he

expects greater regulation of this meaning -- we already know it's not going to take off next spring. absolutely no chance that's going to happen. and it's not up to richard bran son at this point. but the people who are enthusiastic about this industry have been enthusiastic -- enthusiastic about it from an engineering perspective, financial perspective. this kind of thing does happen. we hoped not as frequently. we hoped we would have been further than this. but honestly i'm not finding that from the investor or the buyer or the customer side we're seeing a lot of pull back. that doesn't mean that from the regulatory side there won't be. >> all right. i know you'll do more on this on the. appreciate it. thank you. i have to tell you about new

reforms announced today for albuquerque after a series of officer-involved shootings. the city today reached a settlement with the department of justice that should bring about some big changes. >> the mayor calls this a historic agreement to overall a -- the shooting shocked the nation. caught on camera and happening far too often federal officials say. >> we're here to announce a new chapter for policing in albuquerque. >> after an exhaustive investigation, albuquerque is overhauling the police department. >> it is a road map for rebuilding the trust between the community and the police. >> the 106-page agreement aims to ensure police integrity, protect officer safety, and prevent the use of excessive

force. since 2010, there have been at least 29 police shootings in albuquerque including the killing of a homeless man who was camping in the mountains. protests followed as well as a scathing report from washington. the justice department found too often albuquerque's officers were using excessive force. >> today truly is a historic day for us. >> the feds will now install an independent monitor to oversee changes. officers will be better trained especially in easing conflict and dealing with mentally ill people. body cameras must be now used and an entire program will be completely dissolved. >> disbanding it is a small piece of the greater effort. >> it avoids a lengthy legal battle to force reform and federal officials say albuquerque's changes should inspire cities across the

country struggling with excessive force. >> today's agreement can and should be really a model, a bright spot, for communities looking for a path forward. >> and the justice department said albuquerque is not alone with these issues. it's working with two dozen towns and cities across the nation. now in albuquerque that independent monitor will be in place for two years to ensure these changes announced today will hold. all right. israel today partially reopened a holy site to muslims one day after closing it for the first time in more than a decade. it came among tension and heavy security and one day after a man suspected of shooting a rabbi was killed. police also clashed with palestinian protesters in the west bank. gentlemen redujerus

we have more now from jerusalem. >>reporter: the situation here at the gate outside the old city in occupied east jerusalem is of course calm, but the situation before friday prayers was anything but. there were hundreds of riot police and other israeli security forces in this area in front of this and indeed around the old city. and they barricaded many of the roads leading into this area. now, there was a group of palestinian men under the age of 50 who wanted to come in and pray and they were refused. however, men over the age of 50 were allowed to come in to pray and women were as well. now the situation here remains relatively calm we're hearing of some skirmishes in some

neighborhoods. we've heard reports of young palestinian men confronting israeli border police. we understand a number of those protesters have been injured in those clashes. so although the situation here where i am now is much calmer than it was earlier on friday, the situation elsewhere continues to be very tense president obama and benjamin netanyahu consistently show their unwaivering support and al jazeera has shown this commitment goes so far as covering up a military assault on israel by the united states in the 60s.

exclusive audio recordings from on board the israeli jets tell the story. have a listen. >> for the first time, this and other evidence allows us to reveal the true story of what happened that day and what came after. when a deadly assault by one al lie on another was covered up and an american president was manipulated by the secret agents of a foreign power. events that have shaped u.s.-israeli relations ever since. >> and you can see the entire story on the day israel attacked america tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern time on al jazeera america. in northern syria, coalition forces are preparing for an assault to defend the town of

khobani from isis fighters. isil fighters began shelling them almost immediately. turning to iraq now where government forces are advancing against isil strong holds, they have taken territory from the rebels and regained control of the country's largest refinery. al jazeera has exclusive coverage of the fighting. >>reporter: this is what most of the fighting against isil now looks like. street to street in deserted neighborhoods. isil fighters are just a few hundred meters up the road. this is less than 20 kilometers south of one of iraq's largest oil refineries and a city that is now an isil command center.

this special forces unit of the iraqi unit has made gains and the commander says he's confident. >> as we advance, we've managed to clear the town. after securing these towns, we'll move to nearby towns and then the goal is to reach the city. now we're in sweep mode and holding the ground on these areas. so far we have gained control over these territories and expelled isil fighters. although the fighting looks chaotic, there's a plan here. the rapid deployment unit is pushing fighters slowly out of town. this is a pattern we see a lot here in iraq. first special forces go in along the main road and then they fan out and take the villages and town that surround that main road and then the iraqi army comes in, consolidates, and

plans for the next offensive. this footage was shot on wednesday. the hope is to take the cities from isil and weak the group. eric frein is in custody and appeared in court today. he is accused of killing a state trooper in pennsylvania and seriously wounding another. >>reporter: he could face the death penalty if convicted. he was captured last night after a long and expensive manhunt. for weeks local residents worried he was holed up near even calling off trick-or-treating in one community. but now it's back on and folks are celebrating. >>reporter: local residents

greeted eric frein with jeers. >> they ordered him to surrender, get on his knees and raise his hands. that's what he did. >>reporter: they found him thursday evening with a rifle and handgun. his capture ends a 48-day manhunt costing $10 million involving hundreds of officers searching the poke know mountains of northeastern, pennsylvania. he was on the fbi's ten most wanted list for killing corporal alex dixon outside police barracks in september. he's described as a weapons enthusist and survivalist. they say he was surprised when captured and surrendered without a fight. he appeared in this photo with cuts on his face. he wore handcuffs that belonged

to the trooper he's accused of killing. >> he was dedicated to killing law enforcement members. >>reporter: local residents are now relieved. this family lives in barrett township and for weeks were worried a murder suspect was in the woods nearby. >> i woke up this morning and the sun was shining. i walked outside with the dog and didn't look over my shoulder. i wasn't worried. our town is back to normal. felt great. >>reporter: the authorities sometimes closed schools and roads and barrett township even called off trick-or-treating. but now it's back on. and kids like this one are celebrating. >> he's very excited and happy to be with his friends and trick-or-treating like it should be. >>reporter: the township also called off its halloween parade this year. people there are going to celebrate it next year. >> the kids tonight are going to have some fun.

>> yes. they are very excited. and her son is a shadow. very cute so it took just a few days to unseat a president. the latest on that next. also, a nurse who treated ebola patients in africa said she didn't need to be quarantined in the united states and a judge agreed with her. >> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news.

their army chief took power today in africa after their president stepped down. the military declared a state of emergency and dissolved parliament. here's more on that story. >>reporter: he has been president here for 27 years. to some, he is the only president they've ever known. his sudden departure was announced by the military.

>> people -- i will assume responsibility of the government and will start immediately in order to return to constitutional life. >>reporter: his resignation will be welcomed by many, but it was his attempts to further extend his time in office that prompted mass protests on the streets of the capital. after days of violence, the president did agree not to seek another term in office but said he would remain in power until next year. >> i call on all parties to put the country's needs first and lead us to peace. for my part, i remain open and available for transition situational talks. >>reporter: but opposition leaders wanted the president to resign immediately and called on their supporters to keep on protesting.

>> he issued a statement in which he still considers himself the head of state. the position is prior to any discussion of political transition, it is pure and simple and unconditional that the president must leave. >>reporter: tuesday marked the start of a civil disobedience campaign. thousands of people took to the streets. demonstrators stormed parliament and set it on fire in order to stop the vote that would allow the president to run for office again. after days of violence, the people hope the president's resignation will bring an end to the recent chaos and violence they've had to ignore. >> here's what you need to know about the former president. blaise compaure. he took over after a coupe in

1987. in recent years, he became a regional mediator. he was involved in peace efforts in guinea and the ivory coast. a judge has rejected the state of maine's bid to restrict the movements of a nurse who treated patients in west africa. kaci hickox was in -- healthy and the rule violated her rights. the u.n. secretary recently spoke out about quarantines in the united states and says discriminations against workers returning home from west africa is unacceptable. in hawaii, the slow flow of lava from a volcano is threatening to cut off one community. the fact that the lava is moving slowly is giving locals time to pack and get out of the way. national guard troops are already on the ground to help. residents say if it crosses the

main road, it will slice the town in half cutting off some people from the town center and the only supermarket. gas prices hit a mile stone today. the average price for regular nationwide is now $3 a gallon. it is the first time in more than four years the price has been that low. they are falling thanks to lower oil prices. and coming up, more on the explosion of that spaceship in california. we'll talk with a former astronaut and get his take. . also, president obama gave a speech today and almost all of it was geared toward women.

returning to our top story, one person is dead after a virgin galactic commercial spaceship exploded in the mojave

desert. the california highway patrol confirmed one person died and another is in the hospital with major injuries. the goal of galactic was to send a successful flight to the edge of space by the end of the year ahead of commercial flights next year. joining us now is a former astronaut and international space station commander. commander chow, good to talk to you again. let me start here with you. the ceo of virgin galactic said today that space is hard. clearly a difficult day for the company. when you're a test pilot, you know you're taking this kind of a risk. what are your thoughts on today's tragedy? >> it's correct. space is still difficult to get to because you've got to impart a lot of energy to get a vehicle into space and even more to orbital speed. now in this case the accident today, this was a flight test

and there were test pilots on board. that's part of the development of a new vehicle. any time you're developing a new vehicle with a new system especially you have to go through a detailed test program and that was what this was a part of, today's flight. so unfortunately in a program like this not unlike doing a test program for a new military jet fighter or something, you know, you have elevated risks and you're going to have mishaps like this. >> we were talking earlier today, you know something about this engine. what can you tell us about it? >> this is what's called a hybrid engine. so the fuel is kind of the rubbery material that's a solid and nitrous oxide is flowed over it. it was used two years ago on spaceship one. so spaceship two is a scaled-up version of spaceship 1.

>> what about this fuel mixture? there's a lot of attention on it now and i suppose will be in the days ahead. that fuel mixture was changed recently. what can you toll us about this? >> well, what i'm reading in reports is that they've gone to a different fuel mixture or were trying to. and they've been in the press conference, the scale composite folks said they were testing it today. the accident investigation team will be looking at that i'm sure. i think it's just too early to know. >> right. and we were talking earlier and you were telling me that there have been some issues with the rocket or the engine and there's been some burn instability. i don't understand that.

explain that to me. >> right. no, the rocket engines, they have to burn smoothly in order to, you know, have a steady burn in order to be able to work correctly and provide thrust instead of explode so when you have instabilities in the burn, that is when -- think of a jet engine, you vary the thrust which can go unstable and cause a runaway which leads to an explosion. i'm not saying that's what happened today. the accident investigation team will figure that out. but they were having some issues with scaling that spaceship one motor which was quite a bit smaller scaling that up to a big enough size to where spaceship two would require. so i know they were having some issues with that and perhaps that's what drove them to try ape different fuel mixture. >> in your view, is this a set back for commercial space

travel? it certainly is, but do you see it overcoming this and moving forward? >> long term, i don't think it's going to affect the industry. when you're developing new vehicles and technologies, you're going to have set backs. but the whole industry will continue. this is a major set back for virgin galactic. they had been hoping for faa certification relatively soon and obviously that's on hold until this accident is thoroughly investigated and lessons learned and applied. i think it's too early to know right now but i know richard branson doesn't seem like the kind of guy to quit so i think they'll keep after it and get there. >> all right. leroy chow is a former astronaut and international space station commander. thank you so much.

with four days before midterm elections, the president is making a push for women voters. he spoke in rhode island today about the state's family leave act. >> without paid leave when a baby arrives or an aging parent needs help, workers have to make painful decisions about whether they can afford to be there when their families need them the most. many families can't even get a paid day off to give birth to their child. there are a lot of companies that still don't provide maternity leave. >> the president said policies that ease burdens on women help make the economy stronger. so a deep dive here on the issue of women in this election. we have here with us the former director of hispanic outreach. hi. >> hi, how you doing? >> you're on television right now. good to see you finally. >> nice to see you.

>> let me start with you, bettina. just a couple of days before the mid-terms. i'm not sure what to make of this event that we were watching today in rhode island. the president seemeded to be steering clear of over politics and then not so much. help me here. >> well, i think rhode island is a state that is deep blue. it went for obama in both 2008 and 2012, so it's a safe place to go. he wants to talk about the economy, talk to women who voted with him by double digits in 2012. we're seeing that the white house is nervous that women are moving towards republicans ever since september and usually in midterms, women usually break even and obama is trying to stop them as much as possible as they need women for that winning

coalition. >> and for a president that has not been making many stops in this campaign, what do you make of this today? >> this was a rescheduled event. it was postponed because of ebola. he had to remain in washington. listen, the president is proud of his record on women's issues. so the best thing that he can do, stay away from the states where they don't want him but get on television doing what he's doing today talking about the things that he has done right by women. you have to remember that president obama has two daughters so he can talk about that issues quite comfortably and not on the political side.

>> it's important to talk about these policies that help women and their families. work-life balance is an issue that we talk about a lot. i help with elected officials across the country on issues that women care about and this comes up a lot. but i think economy in general is one thing we're seeing in this election and it's hard to talk about these other issues when women feel that the economy is not going their way. and there's no doubt that the obama economy has helped some americans but it doesn't matter about the numbers. it matters what people feel and they're really pessimistic about the economy. >> what are your thoughts on the family leave act? >> on principle it's good but we have to look into the economics. my mom is a working mother and worked by herself to raise us. it's tough out there. we need to talk about more policies. this is one thing that obama's

focusing on and it's a much bigger agenda item of how do we help not just women but all americans getting better. when we talk about rhode island whose unemployment is higher than the national average, it really strikes with voters there. >> the president went on to talk about the economy and he's pointing to some decent statistics. the unemployment rate was at 10% at one point during his administration. it's 5.9 right now. we're talking about months and months of private sector job gains and, yet, the president's approval rating, wow, it's pretty low right now. what are your thoughts on that? >> i think a lot of americans see the president and congress and they look and say nothing is getting done. it's an stagnant congress and a stagnant city, washington. when you talk about the economy and the president is in front of an audience of women, he's going

to talk about things like the paycheck chairness act, pay equity. he's going to strike those chords with women. he's got to talk about how his economy is growing. people are not necessarily feeling it and he has to speak to women because he wants to try and make them feel it ahead of election day. >> last word to you on this, bettina, the signs that are certainly more encouraging than when the president took office on unemployment, jobs in the private sector. how come those better numbers aren't translating into better approval ratings for the president? >> in general we're seeing that everyone just feels very pessimistic on the direction of the country. you look at poverty is so high, children in poverty is so high, the median income is low. those indicators, issues, are what people are seeing and i

think that's what is reflecting. and then when you see these campaigns, even democrats are separating themselves from the president saying that we have to do better. so when everyone is saying that we have to do better and things aren't going in the right direction, that's kind of the sentiment of the voters and they're trying to figure out how do we move in the right direction. >> all right. it's good to have you on the program, bettina. while the races in the midterms are getting heated, a number of issues are far from cooling down. in oregon, for example, voters are set to decide whether they have a right to know what's in the food they're buying. alan, good to see you. the measure concerns genetically modified organisms and that's become pricecy, hasn't it? >> it sure has.

the battle over initiative 92. $25 million and counting right now with opponents of this initiative outspending supporters 2 to 1. that's a familiar pattern. about what we saw in california two years ago and in washington just last year. these two sides have squared off before. they know each other well. and they don't like each other much. >> this food fight has been fought before. in vermont, the state legislature approved a labelling law earlier this year but in california and washington, genetic labelling supporters have lost ballot measures twice. some polls suggest oregon could be different. we're with one initiative supporter. we're going to shop. this is all about what shoppers will see on the food they buy. people in favor of new labelling say genetic engineering could present health risks. opponents say there's no proof

of that and the initiative would be expensive for producers and consumers. >> if you look over here, you can see that there's a label here on the bin. you just have a couple of words here saying genetically engineered. that's it. it's that simple. >> most of what you see in the average grocery store would have to be relabeled. >> they found all conventional products labeled natural all had significant levels of genetically engineered ingredients. almost everything containing corn, corn oil, and sugar would need new labelling. but a lot of food wouldn't be covered such as restaurant food, ready to go food. >> i'm getting hungry. >> the financial backing is the same as in the two previous

initiatives. the yes side's cash coming from the organic industry. the noes coming from farming and grocery giant >> they have gotten much cuter with the language but it's still the same flawed measure. >> as for the science behind all of this, what does a label reading partially genetically engineered tell us? >> you can see here's one that survived the herbicide treatment so this is genetically engineered. this biologist said he and his family eat ge food and most of us have for decades. >> i personally think that, that kind of information should be available to consumer to consumers, but it's not useful unless you know about the genes. >> polls have shown significant support for this initiative in past months but it's eroded

significantly in the last couple of weeks which is a familiar pattern we saw in california and washington. tony. >> alan, thank you voters are frustrated where the grid lock on capital hill and if you share those frustrations, let us know. take a picture holding a sign saying #dear congress, i want. tweet your request or email it to us. don't forget to join al jazeera america on november 4th for a complete roundup of election results and in depth analysis. let's take a look at other headlines. >> crews in kansas are working to make sure that a building where four people died thursday is safe to enter. the bodies are still inside more than 24 hours after a plane crashed into it in a wichita

airport. investigators are on the scene working to determine what caused the plane to crash. so far, police have only released the identity of the pilot killed a more than $2 million settlement reached in new york with the family of a homeless marine who died in prison. he had been booked for a charge of trespassing. the temperature in his cell at riker's island was 100 degrees when he died in february. a former florida band member has been found guilty of manslaughter in a hazing trial. they say he led the ritual in which a drum major was beaten to death and the university of michigan's athletic director stepped down today. his resignation comes amid a lot of pressure and missteps.

one of the most recent, september 27th, when the team's quarterback was allowed to stay in the game despite a concussion. >> i remember that. that was hot. the kids went to whatever the big quad area, gathering area, and they were out in front of a couple of the officials there and the administration's homes and there was a lot of controversy surrounding that story. all right. thank you. corruption and violence. and making the case. 43 missing students in mexico all the more complicated. coming up, the link between organized crime and the government in that country. >> plus, a deal to send 45,000 students back to class after their teachers strike. the day israel attacked america. tonight, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

police in mexico are facing questions after three siblings in texas were found dead there. horrible story. officials confirmed the identities of the bodies. witnesses say a tactical security unit dressed in police gear seized the group. local authorities say nine of that unit's 40 officers are being questioned about the killings. they went missing more than two weeks ago after visiting their father in mexico. demonstrators in mexico are looking for information on 43 missing students in mexico. it's put a spotlight between the disturbing link between government and organized criminal gangs. it is a tangled we web of

corruption and violence. >> they rarely speak about the experience out of fear. we finally found someone willing to tell us their story. >> we have to change cars twice already to be able to get here. we're going to go and talk to this woman who was detained allegedly by the police and take on the a detention center run by the police. this is important because it shows in a way the complicity that exists between security forces and criminal organizations and how difficult the corruption situation is in this country. she agreed to speak with us if we protected her identity. two months before we met her, she was with her son in the car driving home after work when they were stopped by armed men and thrown into a van.

>> . >> she says she and her son were beaten repeatedly and moved to different locations through the night and into the day. until their family realized what happened and was able to have them released.

>> just a few days before this interview, her son was gunned down on the streets. they still don't know who killed him or why. hy. this weekend the disappeared looks at mexican citizens and the impact it has on their loved ones >> a long, bitter teacher's strike in illinois is finally over. tensions over the month-long strike escalated with a chaotic

public meeting earlier this week. that's when the government got involved. here's more on that story. >>reporter: the kids at this overcrowded boys and girls club which has turned into a make shift school are excited about halloween. their parents are excited that a bitter teacher's strike that closed the schools is now over. >> toward the end, my frustration was about a 10. it was just getting really rough. we weren't sure when it was going to end. >> patients in this northern illinois school district of 17,000 students was wearing thin week already when a school board meeting became chaotic. >> sit down. shut up. >> it gave us national attention which pushed them to put the kids back in school. so as ignorant as that comment was, i'm just grateful in some senses that the chaos happened

after that the government stepped in and within 48 hours, they reached agreement >> we've seen passion for education over the past month that we've not witnessed in a long time, and we hope that our parents and our teachers and students can take that passion and put that toward the education of children here. >>reporter: part of what's made the strike so tough is that the town is struggling. 85% of students come from low income families. >> they became desperate about finding places for their children to go and some had to go to work. >>reporter: and for the kids, what started as vacation has turned into frustration. thomas plays in his school's band and on the basketball team >> we lost our concerts and basketball. >> i'm glad we're going back to school and i can learn more. >>reporter: and now the work

begins to get the schools ready for the return of students on monday. first grade teacher claire collins never thought she'd walk a picket line. >> we all became closer and that's a positive outcome of it. it's hard and we just kept supporting each other. >>reporter: teachers and board members now both agree it's the time to refocus their energy on what matters the most. al jazeera, chicago. coming up, see what happens when politicians try to mix halloween with the midterm elections. uh-oh.

primetime news. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> stories that impact the world, affect the nation and touch your life. >> i'm back. i'm not going anywhere this time. >> only on al jazeera america.

>> and accident in the desert. virgin galactic spaceship 2 goes down. one pilot dead, the other injured. the second setback in just three days. what does this mean for the future of space exploration? >> this business is worthy business, it's not easy, if it would be easy, it wouldn't be for my colleagues standing with us. i would say stay the