i-95 south and east into maryland. things improve greatly by the day sunday and monday. >> we get through this and it's smooth sailing. >> thank on our broadcast tonight, backing down. there's nothing like angry customers to force the banks to rethink their debit card fees. tonight, there's something you should know about the other ways they want you to pay. october surprise. an early season storm bearing down on 60 million americans, threatening to dump a lot of snow in some places where the leaves are still on the trees. high anxiety over medical marijuana and a new crackdown in california where some neighborhoods have more pot shops than coffee shops. and women rule. it looks like big changes are coming to great britain and the british throne and william and kate for that matter. british throne and william and kate for that matter. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. it was just one thing too many for too many americans who just don't have the money to shell out, especially to the place where they keep their money in the first place. when bank of america announced it was hiking its debit card fees the backlash started. all eyes were then on the other big banks. tonight, they have backed down. bank of america has changed its policy a bit, but it appears here consumer power has worked at least in this case. it's where we begin tonight with nbc's tom costello in washington. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. bank of america says it is keeping the fees, but it will drop that debit card fee for customers who use direct deposit on their paycheck, who use a bank of america credit card and also who maintain a minimum balance. no word on what that minimum balance might be. in the past it's been thousands of dollars. for a quick sampling of public

opinion about those debit card fees look no further than youtube. >> i have a bone to pick with bank of america. >> pay off whatever checks you have and withdraw all of your money. >> bank wars! >> reporter: while bank of america, wells fargo, sun trust and regions financial are sticking with their plans to charge customers a monthly fee for debit card purchases some of their biggest competitors have decided not to go along including u.s. bancorp., pnc, citigroup, and key bank. and chase says it's abandoning its debit card fee plans. >> this was a netflix moment for bank customers. they have been hearing about one new fee after another and this one was the one that tipped them over the edge. >> reporter: experts warn, look out for so-called stealth fees for receiving a paper statement, for using a teller, fees for not using your account enough and fees for not maintaining a large minimum balance. >> even a bank that doesn't

increase the fee if they increase the balance requirement that's a stealth fee increase right there. >> reporter: fees that wealthier customers can often avoid. many were added after congress cut in half the amount of money banks could charge merchants for accepting debit cards. >> it's going to cost the banking industry a billion dollars. we all knew full well it was the consumer at the end of the day who was going to be the big loser. >> reporter: consumers can avoid the fees by checking to community banks or credit unions. in seattle becu credit union has seen the number of new accounts jump from a norm of 7,000 per month to 16,000 in october alone. >> you're going to get free checking. in some cases you're going to get interest with your checking. you're not going to pay to see a teller. you're not going to pay to have funds transferred from a savings account. >> reporter: the dollars saved stay in your pocket. experts say if you do think about changing your money or moving your money you've got to do calculations here.

there are about 28,000 credit union atms around the country. if you use a big bank atm that could cost you, $3, $5 a transaction. so figure out how many of those transactions you're willing to pay for before you make the move. brian? >> tom costello at a bank of america branch in washington. tom, thanks. we have breaking news out of the white house about that controversial half billion dollar taxpayer loan to a solar energy company that the president highlighted and then it later went bankrupt. nbc's chuck todd with us from the white house. chuck, what's this all about? >> reporter: good evening, brian. it's a classic friday news dump. here's the back story. in august that solar energy, solyndra which president obama once visited and touted as a poster child for a clean energy job boom filed for bankruptcy prompting a federal raid and it cost u.s. taxpayers about a half billion dollars. solyndra received a government loan from the energy department, part of the 2009 stimulus bill. now, the bankruptcy quickly

turned into a political hot potato. reports surfaced that some administration officials may have exerted influence in an attempt to expedite the taxpayer loan to solyndra. at the same time others in the administration were raising red flags questioning solyndra's viability but were ultimately overruled. today, house republicans leaked word they may subpoena the white house demanding any west wing records involving solyndra, an action that would likely set up a legal showdown between congress and the white house. just a few hours ago in an attempt to neutralize calls for a formal investigation, white house chief of staff bill daly announced the administration asked herb allison, a former bush and obama administration official, to examine the entire department loan program and report back in 60 days. while today's action doesn't technically mention solyndra white house officials acknowledge it's about trying to show there is concern about the potential mismanagement of the taxpayer money as congress is. brian? >> chuck todd on a friday night at the white house. chuck, thanks. we are covering the

development tonight of a major winter storm. the problem is it's still october. before this storm is over it will have come all the way across the country. before it's over, 60 million americans will feel the effects of snow, wind, rain or in some cases all three. this is the same storm that roared through denver and dumped a foot of snow or more there. the big problem for the eastern seaboard is this -- because of our weird summer and fall, a lot of leaves are still on the trees and that doesn't mix well with freezing precipitation. meteorologist chris warren is with us from weather channel headquarters. look at that you've got on the screen, chris. good evening. >> good evening to you, too, brian. we are talking about snow. the reason the leaves still on the trees is important. we expect a heavy, wet snow and a lot of it. when it lands on the leaves it weighs down the branches. you get the branches snapping, falling on power lines and knocking out power. when it's all said and done by

sunday, millions of people could be in the dark. let's look now at the timing as this area of low pressure moves up the east coast, starting up in the morning on saturday into the afternoon. most areas seeing the snow will be inland locations away from the water. that changes overnight saturday to sunday morning. and when it's all said and done, the next two days, the inland locations from central pennsylvania to central massachusetts could see more than a foot of snow. new york city, we're looking at two to four inches but the closer you are to the water it's going to be a matter of miles where you get nothing or you could see a couple of inches. we are looking at the potential for a historic storm. >> could be routine in january or february. again, it is still october. chris warren, weather channel headquarters, thanks, as always. now we turn to southern california and the trial of michael jackson's physician, dr. conrad murray.

defense lawyers today tried to chip away at the prosecution case. an anesthesia expert testifying he believes michael jackson gave himself a fatal injection. nbc's jeff rossen has our report. >> reporter: it was conrad murray's best day yet in court and he seemed to know it, cracking his first smile. >> five ccs. >> reporter: his defense lawyers using their star witness, a world renowned propofol expert. ♪ >> reporter: to prove michael jackson caused his own death, swallowing a handful of pills of the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam then injecting himself with a final dose of propofol, mixing the two together. >> well, i believe it potentially could have lethal kwepss. -- consequences. >> reporter: from diagrams to demonstrations. >> shake the bag like this. >> reporter: the defense got aggressive today, even mistakenly calling jackson mr. lorazepam. >> you said mr. lorazepam. [ laughter ]

>> reporter: now prosecutors say they need more time to prepare for cross-examination, pushing this case deep into next week. here's the problem. the judge originally told the jurors they would be done by october 28th. that's today. in a sidebar, the judge seemed irritated, telling both sides, is there ever an end to this? i just don't know if we are going to start losing jurors. they have lives and commitments. the prosecutor said that is a risk we have to take. we have a right to a fair trial. the judge agreed and broke the news to the jury this afternoon. >> i know all of you understand that things happen in cases and i really do thank you. >> reporter: a long haul that just got longer as michael jackson's family and friends -- >> we love you! >> reporter: -- prepare for week six at the courthouse. jeff rossen, nbc news, los angeles. >> overseas tonight, nato says

the mission is over. it will end its seven-month air campaign in libya on monday which nato's secretary-general called one of the most successful in its history. the announcement follows last week's death of the former libyan dictator moammar gadhafi. a 13-year-old boy who was buried under earthquake rubble for more than four days was pulled out alive early this morning in turkey. he's the second survivor rescued within the span of a few hours. their survival made all the more incredible by the fact that it's been cold and raining for a lot of the time since the quake struck on sunday. death toll now stands at about 535 with more than 2,500 people reporting injuries. the u.n. population fund says the world is about to add its 7 billionth person to the planet and while it's hard to be exact about this sort of thing, 7 billion people, they think it will happen on monday.

that's a lot of people and the strain on our one planet is showing in terms of food and fuel and access to clean water. our report tonight from our chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson. [ baby kri ksh -- >> reporter: the sound of joy from the earth's 7 billionth person will also be the sound of alarm. the child enters a world where 900 million people have no equate sanitation.on have no but the nature conservancy's lead scientist m. sanjayan says we can thrive in a crowded world. >> this planet can support 7 billion people. the trick is how to deal with common resources we all share. >> reporter: the most pressing issue is water. >> people say water is the next oil. it isn't the next oil. it's irreplaceable. >> we are using water faster than it becomes available. this is why water tables are falling. >> reporter: 18 countries are overpumping including china, india and the united states.

saudi arabia wanted to be self-sufficient in wheat, but will soon stop growing the crop because it has depleted an underground water source. the world's move to a meat-based diet. >> probably the biggest hurdle is the fact that tonight at the dinner table there will be 219,000 people who were not there last night. tomorrow night there will be another 219,000 people. >> reporter: it took until 1804 to reach 1 billion people and more than another century to hit the 2 billion mark. then population growth exploded. the most recent billion people added in just the last dozen years. however the rate of growth is slowing as more women become better educated and find jobs. it's more than the sheer number of people on this planet. the pressure comes from what we make and what we buy. and sanjayan says that's not slowing down. >> my jeans take 2,000 gallons

of water to make. right? so if 7 billion people all wanted one pair of jeans, we're talking 14 trillion gallons of water. you see how it adds up. >> reporter: the challenge now is how to divide the earth's bounty among 7 billion people and counting. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. still ahead here tonight as "nightly news" continues, places that legally sell weed in strip malls, even next door to a preschool. tonight, the battle in california over the booming medical marijuana industry. and later, first come first serve. a history-making change for will and kate, the british royal family, all brits in fact. family, all brits in fact. [ male announcer ] tom's discovering that living healthy can be fun.

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california where in some neighborhoods there are more places to buy pot than there are places to buy a cup of coffee. california voters approved it. but now the feds say it's gotten out of control and it's against federal law. they have put dispensaries on notice to shut down voluntarily or have it done for them. we get the story tonight from nbc's george lewis. >> no jail for pot! >> reporter: they are demonstrating in california to keep medical marijuana legal. the justice department says the state's medical marijuana law violates federal law and threatens to shut down california's hundreds of pot shops. some of them sporting colorful names like green magic and green joy. the feds say they have turned into a huge business going for another kind of green. >> the law has been hijacked by profiteers who are motivated not by compassion but by moneyment. >> reporter: in lake forest, california, eight of 11 stores in the strip mall were marijuana dispensaries the city wanted closed. >> the message is that pot stores are not allowed within

the city of lake forest. >> reporter: a lawyer for the closed pot shop said he's suing the city. >> this is a legitimate business as recognized by the california secretary of state. >> reporter: at this lake forest montessori school there was a pot shop next door where people smoked marijuana. >> we could smell it through the ceiling. >> reporter: many parents pulled their youngsters out of the school before the dispensary relocated. here at city hall there are so many dispensaries in lake forest because the city is built for convenient shopping surrounded on three sides by freeways. in the words of the real estate people it's all about location, location, location. but if the pot shops all close, tony klein who has esophageal cancer and needs pot to deal with the symptoms wonders what will happen to him. >> if it wasn't for pot i would be dead. i can't say it any other way. [ chanting ] >> reporter: where there's smoke, there's fire.

now a lot of people in california are fired up about the federal crackdown on pot shops. george lewis, nbc news, lake forest, california. >> when we come back here tonight, why a lot of people were dragging this morning across the country after what might have been an all-time classic. i'm not a number. i'm not a line item on a budget. and i'm definitely not a pushover. but i am a voter. so washington... before you even think about cutting my medicare and social security benefits... here's a number you should remember. 50 million. we are 50 million seniors who earned our benefits... and you will be hearing from us... today and on election day. ♪ so i wasn't playing much of a role in my own life, but with advair, i'm breathing better

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perhaps because it's closing tomorrow for a year of renovations and we won't get to see those great views, the statue of liberty opened up some new views for us today. all of us get to see the new web cams they have flipped on in the statue's torch part of a ceremony marking the statue's 125th birthday. as part of the celebration, 125 people from 46 countries were sworn in as this country's newest citizens. we have linked to these new web cams on our newly renamed website, nbcnightlynews.com.

it was a spectacular launch at vandenburg air force base this morning as a new satellite went up early aboard a delta 2 rocket. while some of the launches have been spy satellites the folks at nasa swear this one is to observe weather and help with forecasting. the launch, while beautiful, was a full five years behind schedule. a big name in chicago is gone. bob pritzker was part of the family business empire. their net worth of just under $20 billion makes the family the wealthiest in chicago, one of the wealthiest in the country. they have given a fortune to education, architecture, technology, public parks. he was 85 years old. an emotional concert tonight in indianapolis. sugarland is giving a tribute concert. as you may recall they were just minutes away from taking the stage at the indiana state fair this summer when a freak storm collapsed the stage. seven people died. 40 were injured.

rita wilson is going to open for sugarland tonight singing songs from her new album. all the musicians are putting on tonight's show free of charge. and here's the reason there were so many bleary-eyed people across the country today. last night's world series game six forcing today's deciding game seven. the cardinals twice rallied against the rangers who were down to their last out of the season twice ending with a walk-off homer leaving sports writers all day today to debate whether this was the greatest world series game of all time. the series gets settled once and for all tonight. up next as we continue, a history-making change in the "heir" spelled with an h, in london tonight. spelled with an h, in london tonight. but patients who use flexpen. flexpen comes pre-filled with the insulin i take and i can dial the exact dose of insulin i need. i live my life on the go and need an on-the-go insulin. i don't need to carry a cooler with flexpen.

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talk to turn to babies. royal babies. but the next generation will now have a new set of rules -- a change to a 300-year-old law that proclaimed the monarch's eldest son first in line to the throne. daughters only got a nod if there was no son. elizabeth ii may never have been queen if she had had a brother. once parliament passes the new measure, william and kate's first born boy or girl will be first in line behind their father. >> it's an outdated custom. that women can't be next in line, i think it's crazy. >> oh, it's a splendid idea. >> reporter: the announcement was made in australia where the 16 british commonwealth nations unanimously approved the measure. >> this is a simple act of modernization and one that's right for our time. >> reporter: also announced, monarchs can now marry a catholic. widens the field for prince

harry who probably doesn't need the help. the queen did not directly address the changes, but she did make a special note of the important role women play. >> the theme this year is women as agents of change and it encourages us to find ways to allow girls and women to play their full part. >> reporter: she knows coming from a long line of powerful women her namesake queen elizabeth successfully battled the spanish armada and victoria ruled the british empire at the height of its power. is there an argument to be made that the queens have been more significant than the kings throughout history? >> it's possible to say they have been much more popular than > and we have this from our capitol tonight. a lot of people find what goes on in washington scary enough. it's scary at the white house tonight, spookily decorated for halloween. speaking of which, the big night

is monday. it will be a big night here, too. the debut of "rock center" in this very studio at 10:00/9:00 central on this very nbc station. that's our broadcast for this friday night and for this week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we'll look for you right back here on monday night. in the meantime, have a good weekend. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com