city on edge. thousands of new york's first responders set to be suspended tomorrow after refusing to get covid vaccines. is the city prepared for the shortages? alec baldwin telling his side of the story after the fatal, on set shooting. >> we were a very, very well oiled crew. >> reporter: the new reaction to his words tonight. a shocking attack in the subway in tokyo. people fleeing in fear. the alleged attacker reportedly dressed as the joker. kids under pressure and acting out. the surge in violence and misbehavior at schools. why adults may be to blame. plus on this halloween a house filled with good spirits and lighting the way to help others. good evening. after a full weekend of in-person meetings with world leaders for the first time in a long time, president biden today touted the g 20 commitment to a global minimum tax, pandemic preparedness measures, and discussions of the global supply chain crisis. on climate change the actions weren't as dramatic as many had hoped. the president now heads to a broader climate summit tomorrow just as he is pushing congress to pass signature social spending and infrastructure bills at home. and our new nbc news poll finds the president with his lowest approval rating yet. we begin with kelly o'donnell in rome. >> reporter: on his final night in italy, president biden made a prediction about his long awaited domestic policy agenda >> i believe we will pass my build back better plan and i believe we will pass the infrastructure bill. >> reporter: but a dismal sign back home. a new nbc news poll finds the president's approval rating slipped to 42%, a seven-point slide since august. and 71% responding say america is headed in the wrong direction. >> the polls are going to go up and down and up and down. i ran to make sure that i followed through on what i said i would do. >> reporter: addressing the supply chain crisis, hitting consumers at home. today president biden announced new steps to reduce red tape at ports and urged other governments to ease the flow of goods. >> the government can play a key role identifying supply chain risks. >> reporter: one piece of the president's domestic spending plan going global. the corporate minimum tax was endorsed by all g 20 leaders to require multi national companies pay at least 15% tax. >> this is incredible win for all our countries. >> reporter: in a separate breakthrough the president announced an end to trump era import taxes on foreign aluminum and steel. in response, the european union ending tariffs on american goods like bourbon and motorcycles. on stopping iran's progress toward a nuclear weapon, the president said diplomacy can restore the nuclear deal while pointing blame at his predecessor who took the u.s. out of that deal. >> i think we are continuing to suffer from the very bad judgments that president trump made. >> reporter: after a summit about allies and close ties the one world leader from this week's visit who affects him most deeply? pope francis >> i just find my relationship with him one that i personally take great solace in. he is a really, truly, genuine, decent man. >> kelly joins us from rome now. the president departs tomorrow for a major climate summit. >> reporter: off to scotland next where the president will tout that his plans include landmark spending for climate and a new development tonight press secretary jen psaki tested positive today for covid-19. she is not traveling with the president after members of her family also tested positive for the illness. she was last with president biden on tuesday. kate? >> all right. kelly o'donnell with the president, thank you. back in the u.s. it was a chaotic weekend at the nation's airports after american airlines canceled or delayed thousands of flights. today alone fully one-third of the carrier's flights were canceled. some experts worry it could be a sign of trouble to come as we enter the busy holiday travel season. >> reporter: american airlines in the midst of a travel meltdown this holiday weekend. >> they delayed it and then said the original time and then canceled it. >> very aggravating. >> reporter: from dallas to miami and beyond long lines snaking through terminals. passengers waiting hours to rebook or even speak to an airline agent. the frustrations growing by the second. >> it said take another flight but they don't have flight available until monday or tuesday. i have to work monday and i have a #9-year-old at home. >> flying is really stressful and with canceled flights and still trying to figure everything out even more so. >> howard jackson describing the chaos. >> i saw customer service agents trying to support all of the passengers waiting in line. >> reporter: american airlines canceled close to 2,000 flights this weekend alone including more than 900 just today, 33% of the normal daily flights canceled on sunday. >> how bad is it? >> this weekend is bad. >> the problem started with high winds in dallas closing down runways and limiting operations at the airline's main hub. american airlines issuing this statement saying with additional weather throughout the system our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences. >> if there is any bit of bad weather it is just a domino effect and the operations are just not running well right now. >> reporter: this comes on the heels of southwest airlines' own travel chaos three weeks ago resulting in 2,000 flights canceled while airlines beef up their staffing for the holidays, travel experts say plan for extra travel time. >> prepared, very anxious, but grateful we're getting at least into our state tomorrow. >> and joining us now from laguardia airport when can we expect flights back on track again? >> reporter: kate, it could be a while. the airline has already canceled more than 100 flights for tomorrow. >> reporter: thank you. we are just hours away from a critical covid deadline for new york city's first responders. come tomorrow morning, thousands of firefighters, police, and sanitation workers who refused the mandatory vaccine could be suspended, leaving many asking how that will impact the nation's biggest city. kathy park reports. >> reporter: tonight the nation's largest fire department under pressure just hours before new york city's vaccine mandate is enforced. thousands of firefighters and other unvaccinated municipal workers could be on unpaid leave starting monday but members of the fdny are protesting the mandate, calling in sick, and disrupting essential services. one new york congresswoman tweeting, 26 fdny companies are closed including five in my district. >> open but the ladder is closed. god forbid there is a major fire or severe car accident or if a crime takes place or even worse. >> reporter: today fdny's commissioner firing back. the department has not closed any fire houses. but he did confirm members were calling out sick writing, irresponsible, bogus sick leave by some of our members is creating a danger for new yorkers and their fellow firefighters. they need to return to work or risk the consequences of their actions. the mayor adding there will be contingencies to address staffing issues if they arise while noting a 91% vaccination rate among city workers saturday. for days, firefighters unions have expressed outrage over the mandate asking for additional time to get the shots. >> my members have not been given a proper opportunity to be informed by the department or the city what is going to happen to them. >> reporter: the vaccine battle is brewing ahead of a critical week to clear covid shots for more than 28,000,005 to 11-year-olds many out in full force this halloween with some families eager for the extra dose of protection >> i am definitely relieved. it is something i hope will happen sooner rather than later. >> reporter: hospitals including star med health care in charlotte are ready for the roll out days before the cdc's final endorsement. >> we already had about 2500 kids signed up. >> kathy is with us in new york. how many firefighters in new york are on medical leave right now? >> reporter: well, kate, as of friday's 5:00 p.m. deadline we've learned more than 2,000 firefighters are now on medical leave. meanwhile tomorrow morning union leaders will be holding a press conference to address more concerns over the mandate. kate? >> all right. kathy, thank you. it is a fight to the finish in virginia tonight ahead of tuesday's election for governor. it is one of the most watched races in the country and a very tight race that could have major national implications. monica alba explains. >> reporter: it's a statewide race with national implications. >> we can't get this done unless we keep this positive momentum going. >> the nation is watching what's happening in virginia right now. >> reporter: democrat terry mcauliffe and republican glenn youngkin crisscrossing the commonwealth this weekend in a last push to be virginia's next governor. as president biden's falling approval rating takes a toll on his own party. a worrying trend for democrats ahead of tuesday's bellwether election for the 2022 midterms. with a new national nbc news poll showing the party in power trailing republicans on which better handles the economy, inflation, and immigration. the top issues on virginia voters' minds? >> people's safety, schools are important, when it comes to climate change. there are many issues we've seen going on in the country and it is very disturbing to me. >> we want safe communities, good schools. we want jobs. we want to protect our families. >> reporter: all as donald trump still looms large. the former president who backed youngkin but has not campaigned with him in person teasing a telerally appearance before polls close. the latest test of the influence he still has over the republican party in a critical tossup election. monica alba, nbc news. overseas now to a chilling attack on a tokyo subway. a man who was reportedly dressed up as the comic villain the joker went on a stabbing spree and set the train on fire. in the confusing moments some thought it was a halloween prank. molly hunter has details. >> reporter: tonight in tokyo people racing to escape from a man allegedly brandishing a knife and then an explosion. flames inside the cabin, black smoke filling the subway car, passengers sprunting for the doors. getting out any way possible. climbing over barriers, jumping through windows. according to the associated press, citing witnesses and police, a man stabbed several people sunday night before the fire. the tokyo fire department says at least 17 passengers were injured including three seriously. the emergency response was massive. nhk reporting the suspect is an unemployed 24-year-old man. here behind police forces you see a man with a green shirt. police tell the ap the alleged attacker was arrested on the spot. witnesses reportedly telling local media the attacker appeared to be dressed in costume in green and purple like the joker. the attack was the second stabbing on a tokyo train in two months. his motive was not immediately known. molly hunter, nbc news. up next new reaction to alec baldwin's first comments about the fatal shooting on set. could his words be used in a lawsuit? 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talk to your doctor and say yess to linzess. we're getting new reaction tonight following alec baldwin's first on camera comments about the fate ashooting on his new mexico movie set. what he said and what those involved in the investigation have said not exactly lining up. it all comes as the cinematographer killed that day is being laid to rest. >> reporter: ten days since a cinematographer and director were mistakenly shot the man who pulled the trigger turning heads in his first on camera comments. >> this is a one in a trillion episode. >> reporter: producer/actor alec baldwin praising the "rust" film crew. >> there are incidental accidents on film sets from time to time but nothing like this. we were a very, very, you know, well oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened. >> reporter: but others on the ground paint a different picture. a source close to the matter told nbc news some crew members walked out over safety concerns including numerous misfires. the "rust" movie production said they were not made aware of any official complaints. >> obviously this was not a well oiled machine and nobody would look at it that way. >> reporter: the lawyers representing the person in charge of weapons say hannah gutierrez-reed has no idea where the live rounds came from. and an affidavit shows assistant director dave halls told authorities he should have checked the prop gun more thoroughly before handing it to baldwin. the district attorney telling nbc -- >> i think corners were definitely cut on the set. >> reporter: this from the investigating sheriff >> i think there was some complacency on this set and i think there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry. >> reporter: hutchins colleague who reportedly held her in his arms while she was dying called out to producers on facebook writing, you hire people not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job and risk the lives of the other people. hutchins' death spotlighting safety protocols in production, something the famed 30 rock actor says he is extremely interested in. >> what has to happen now is we have to realize when it does go wrong and it is this horrible, catastrophic thing, some new measures have to take place. >> reporter: baldwin's off the cuff comments come hours ahead of a private funeral for hutchins. >> she was my friend. she was my friend. >> reporter: his wife seen recording the entire encounter later telling the new york post alec had a really traumatic thing happen and i am trying to limit the ptsd adding he needs space for me to take care of him and his mental health. >> we sat down as a courtesy to talk to you. now please would you just stop following us? >> could baldwin's on camera comments get him in any legal trouble? >> reporter: kate, legal experts say they don't think the exchange would move the needle if there was a criminal case but if the actor/producer was sued they tell me his well oiled machine claim could be potentially used against him. kate? >> all right. thank you. still ahead tonight why are kids behaving so badly in schools introducing fidelity income planning. we look at how much you've saved, how much you'll need, and build a straightforward plan to generate income, even when you're not working. a plan that gives you the chance to grow your savings and create cash flow that lasts. along the way, we'll give you ways to be tax efficient. and you can start, stop or adjust your plan at any time without the unnecessary fees. talk to us today, so we can help you go from saving...to living. the dove beauty bar makes my skin feel fresh. talk to us today, i've encouraged serena my best friend to switch. feels moisturized and clean. my friend stefanie, her skin was dry. i'm like girl you better get you some dove. she hooked me up. with a quarter moisturising cream, dove cleans effectively and cares beautifully. ♪ ♪ there are beautiful ideas that remain in the dark. but with our new multi-cloud experience, you have the flexibility you need to unveil them to the world. ♪ my hygienist cleans with a round head. to unso does my oral-bworld. my hygienist personalizes my cleaning. so does my oral-b oral-b delivers the wow of a professional clean feel every day. as a dj, i know all about customization. that's why i love liberty mutual. they customize my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. how about a throwback? you got it. ♪ liberty, liberty - liberty, liberty ♪ uh, i'll settle for something i can dance to. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ ♪ ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ we've seen a lot of adults behaving badly lately notably on planes and restaurants and stores. but educators are also seeing a lot more misbehavior in children and teens with schools reporting a rise in violence among students. what is driving the trend? >> reporter: it is a brutal back to school season across the country spread all over social media. police officers injured, students arrested at this high school in florida. a 13-year-old arrested for allegedly attacking a student with autism in california. >> there is no doubt there's been more fighting and more violence in schools. absolutely. this is across the board. our members everywhere are talking about the challenges. >> wrong place wrong time. >> reporter: back in september jacob was in a bathroom stall at one of connecticut's largest high schools when someone tossed a trash can over hitting him in the head. how due feel about going to school? >> honestly it is still a bit worrying at times. >> reporter: the vandalism and violence so bad the superintendent closed the school and ordered a day of remote learning. there was that much tension in the school? >> yes. yes. i don't want to sugar coat that and say no. >> reporter: she says it is the fallout from students being face to face for the first time in some 18 months with some reacting to the social isolation, stress, and trauma caused by pandemic. family's financial pressures, or even grieving loss of life, and imitating adult bad behavior. fights on airplanes, rowdy school board meetings about masks and mandates. being away from the school building had that big an impact? >> absolutely. >> reporter: some cases like a 7th grader now a 9th grader. >> they haven't learned to navigate first of all a setting triple the size where they came from. >> reporter: where is the school system now? >> we are in a better place than we were eight weeks ago. >> reporter: with covid relief funds she has hired some 200 support staff, counsellors, social workers, mental health professionals, and reached out directly to some 70 families with students involved in the unrest. >> okay. let's see how quickly we can get involved. and get engaged in learning. >> reporter: near tampa at this middle school where officials say fighting has long been an issue they are focused on trying to teach these sixth graders the basics. >> how to come into class. what are the expectations in the hallway? when in the cafeteria what are expectations? >> i definitely learned i have to use my manners at all times and respect other people. >> reporter: lessons not quite learned in a lot of other places. nbc news, new britain, connecticut. when we come back the halloween house that lights up its community inore ways that lights up its community inore ways m turns out deb's constipation with belly pain was actually ibs-c giving her grief. so she talked to her doctor because she wanted more relief. that's when she said yess to adding linzess. linzess is not a laxative. it helps you have more frequent and complete bowel movements. and is proven to help relieve overall abdominal symptoms-belly pain, discomfort, and bloating. do not give linzess to children less than six and it should not be given to children six to less than 18, it may harm them. do not take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach area pain, and swelling. could your story also be about ibs-c? talk to your doctor and say yess to linzess. you get more with aarp medicare advantage plans from unitedhealthcare. like $0 copays on tier 1 and tier 2 prescription drugs. ♪ wow! ♪ ♪ uh-huh. ♪ so go ahead. take advantage now. ♪ wow! ♪ my dvt blood clot left me with questions... was another around the corner? or could i have a different game plan? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be a different game. ask your doctor about eliquis. there is good news tonight, this halloween night, about lighting the way for those in need. and the young tech wiz giving his neighborhood a way to celebrate this highway generously giving his time to help others. as darkness closes in on south tampa, florida -- ♪ everybody waiting ♪ >> -- an epic halloween light show comes alive. [cheers and applause] bewitching >> i did not expect this. it is so cool. >> bedazzling. and casting a spooky spell. >> this is really fun. >> more than 16,000 l.e.d. lights that can be programmed to be any color and match the music. the mastermind behind it all? 22-year-old sam johnson who started out with a small light show in his middle school cafeteria then started lighting up the family home a few years back teaching himself the complex software to make each year bigger and brighter. ♪ they did the monster mash ♪ >> so i start planning in february or march, set up starts september 1st. >> wow. that is a lot of work. now in his fourth year sam's mission has always had a deeper meaning, too. why do you do this? >> i love to see the reactions on people's faces. i love doing this for charity to raise money for charity. >> charities chosen by votes he gets from his community. what charity are you benefiting right now? >> the charity based here in tampa bay that provides a week's worth of clothes to any child on free or reduced cost school lunches in the county. >> reporter: so far this season sam has raised over $11,000 for the organization clothes to kids. and he'll do it all over again come christmas. ♪ i ain't frayed of no ghosts ♪ >> these special shows now a family tradition for so many, helping light the way for those in need. how does it make you feel, sam? >> it makes me feel proud and very happy and joyful. ♪ i am the one hiding under your bed ♪ >> just love it. if you hurry you may catch the last halloween light show tonight but don't worry sam will be back with his christmas light extravaganza real soon. one last inspiring note tonight my digital series "the drink" tells the stories of people at the top of their fields. in the latest author mitch album famous for "tuesdays with morry" tells me his success was a total accident. worth watching at nbc news.com/thedrink or on the nbc nightly news podcast. also tomorrow lester holt kicks off his "across america" series live from austin, texas. i'm kate snow for all austin, texas. i'm kate snow for all ofs here at u n ♪ ♪ tequila herradura. extraordinary awaits. ♪ ♪ tequila herradura. extraordinary awaits. >> announcer: nbc sports, home of the olympic games. notre dame football. the premier league. the nascar playoffs. 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