chris clackum, wbal-tv 11 news. >> it is 51 degrees on tv hill.>> dozens of patients say they have stents put him that were not necessary. >> we have some rain to contend with again. >> the brain is slowing things down in some areas this -- the down in some areas this -- the rain >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back. i am stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. let's get a check on weather and traffic on this wednesday picric we do not have a steady rain like we did on monday. it will be another chilly day with temperatures holding in the 50's. we should be in the 70's this time of year. the rain is scattered at best. you will run into a batch of rain here and there on your way to work. give yourself a couple of extra minutes. high temperature around 59 degrees with off and on rainshowers. we will break out of this pattern tomorrow. much better news as we head to the end of the week. >> people are taking their time this morning because spe

chris clackum, nbc news. >> and coming up, we'll be live at the baltimore running festival.we want to show you a look at events going on around town this weekend. >> for some, running a marathon is the challenge of a lifetime. for one colombia woman, one race is not enough. she hit the ironman marathon in hawaii and now she's competing here in baltimore. >> only the elite qualify for an ironman try agent lincoln. a 2.4 mile sbim swim, a bike ride, and a marathon. after finishing in aaronman last saturday, a woman named suzanne mcdollough will be here at the starting line today. she's running in the half marathon. our sandra shaw caught up with her on one of her training runs. >> for suzanne mcdollough, every training mile was worth it as she just completed the ironman in hawaii last weekend. >> it has always been a triathlete's dream to get there. so yes, i would say it is a dream come true. >> 140 -- 146 miles in all. now she's tackling baltimore's half marathon. >> this never ends, does it? >> it doesn't. it's a lifestyle. >> and for her, it is also a cause. team fight. >>

chris clackum has more. >> at dealerships across the country, and shakes are more common because sales are up this year, and we do mean up. >> they are way up. we are up about 49%. >> they are making more money. >> they run at a dealership near charlotte and think they know why sales are surging. >> people are just tired not being able to go on vacation and enjoy the outdoors. >> analysts find -- for example, the decline began about a year before the rest of the economy did. that is the reason why they consider the industry to be a canary in the coal mine. >> we have definitely seen an uptick in sales, interest, and the on-line traffic. >> most of the country's tv's are built. >> we feel pretty bullish about where the industry is going. >> after suffering through the three worst years in industry history. >> now, your 11 insta-weather plus forecast with a meteorologist john collins. >> we have to look far and wide today to find it in the rain. nothing between that and the rocky mountains. we see some scattered activity in the rockies. the stormy weather will be mostly obvious along the

chris clackum has our report. good if the web is so smart and our tv's are so fun to watch, whdo we have to chose? introducing google tv. >> people will be able to watch shows that they search for on google, and they can go on the internet while they're watching television and see it all on one screen. >>eporter: some tv's already offer access to specific online favorites such as net flicks and youtube. but after smart phones, google's looking to bring the entire internet to the television. >> right on your tv screen, you type in what you're looking for and google tv will find it. >> if it catches on, it's going to change the way business is done. in ways that we're not fully aware of yet. >> reporter: logitek's making google tv available through a settop box available through dish network. it's also being offered as a factory installed option on a new line of sony tv's. next year more manufacturers may join in. >> most tv sets going-forward are going to beinternet ready, that will connect you directly to the web

chris clackum has the details. >> if our tvs are so fun to watch, and the internet is so smart, why do we have to choose? introducing google tv. >> people will be able to watch shows that the search for on google. dick and go on the internet while they are watching television -- they can go on the internet while watching television all at the same time. >> google is looking to bring the entire internet to the television critics write down your tv screen, you simply type when you are looking for, and google tv will find it. >> if it catches on, it would change the way business is done. >> logitech is making google tv available through a set top box that will work seamlessly with dish network. next year, other manufacturers may join in. >> most tv sets going forward will be internet-ready, that will connect you directly to the web and will enable you to watch shows that are streamed. >> it means couch potatoes may have more reason to stay right -- to stay pretty >> right where they are. >> i hope you are having a terrific tuesday, weather-wise and. we saw some light shower activity this

nbc's chris clackum has some of the answers for you. >> reporter: nissan's leaf and chevrolet's volt are both electric cars with an eager audience. >> wow. >> reporter: elizabeth whitley is getting the bolt. >> the smoothest car i have ever driven. >> reporter: sales of bolt should start november 1st but with them comes something called range anxiety, the fear of going beyond the car's range, the battery dies and a plug-in is nowhere in sight. >> if you are in an all-electric vehicle, you can go around 100 miles, but to expect it to go more than that is just an unrealistic expectation. >> reporter: the leaf will go up to 100 miles after a an eight-hour charge the volt, 40 miles, but a backup gas engine gets you another 300 miles, wit experts say should be enough. >> i think a lot of people are going to use these cars as kind of a secondary vehicle or a vehicle that helps them make a statement, a vehicle that helps them local, do local errands in the city. >> reporter: both will offer optional fast chargers like the leaf's 80% of battery life restored in 30 minutes or the volt's full

chris clackum, nbc news. >>> if the post office gets its way, you'll soon be paying a little more to mail a letter. the postal service says it will appeal the regulatory commission's regent rejection of a two-cent increase to the price of a stamp. the agency says it needs the money because of what it calls a dramatic drop in mail volume, and it blames the weak economy along with people who pay their bills online. if approved the price of a stamp would jump from 44 to 46 cents. >>> well, a big bummer from the company that's thrown one of the most popular surf contests in the world right here in the bay area. maverick surf ventures lost the permit to host the so-called super bowl of surfing to a group of athletes who say they're frustrated with the way the event's been managed. the half moon surf group falloon rename the competition the j at mavericks big wave invitational after late surfer jay moriarty. they'll also sell clothing and merchandise. spectators will also be allowed to action on a screen at nearby pillar point. >>> well, let the rainy season begin. meteorologist jennifer h

as chris clackum reports on the big payback from verizon. >> reporter: a mysterious $1.99 access feely bills means 15 million verizon wireless customers will get a refund. because, as it turns out, those customers didn't have data access after all. >> verizon should be commended for, you know, coming clean and acknowledging. it's going to be, frankly, a hefty phone bill for them. >> reporter: hefty indeed. verizon might refund as much as $90 million. all because of what it calls a software issue or customers inadvertently hitting the wrong button that initiated data or web access and the corresponding fee on the monthly bill. >> it points to the fact that consumers have to be very careful with their phone bills. they should be paying very close attention to them. >> reporter: it was the federal communications commission, though, that kauld out verizon for this mystery fee over a year ago. and the fcc's investigation isn't over. more penalties could be coming because some at the commission want to know why it took verizon so long to finally acknowledge it. chris clackum for nbc bay ar

as chris clackum reports, there is anxiety over what to do when the battery dies.san's electric cars with an eager audience. elizabeth whitly is getting the bulk. >> probably the smoothest kari have ever driven. >> with them calls something called range anxiety. the fear of going beyond the car's range and the about theory dies and a plug in is nowhere in sight. >> if you are in an all electric vehicle, you can go around 100 miles. to expect it to go more than that is an unrealistic expectation. >> it will go up to 100 miles after an eight-hour charge and the volt up to 40 miles. a back up gas engine gets you 300 miles which the experts say should be enough. >> a lot of people use these as a secondary vehicle or a vehicle helps them make a statement or the vehicle help them in the city. >> both offer chargers like the leaf's 80% of battery life restored in 30 minutes or the full charge in four hours. we are years away from having changing stations. that's why manufacturers are working on a better battery. both cars are kind of pricey. 41,000 for the volt and 33,000

chris clackum, nbc news. >> some parents are dipping into their retirement savings to save their kidsschool. jane king joins us live with delicate today's business news. good morning to you. >> washington policymakers who were quick to move and to calm the markets back in 2008 had not been as speak to fix the reason for foreclosure prices. we have the attorneys general endorsing a coordinated investigation that so far has not seen any response on the federal level. more than 100,000 homes were since nation wiswide september. the maryland secretary of state removed six notaries as part of this investigation into the so- called robo signing. stocks took a dip on the whole foreclosure crisis yesterday. we do have stock futures that are looking pretty quiet for the start of things. we have retail sales number, consumer confidence, inflation. we also have the fed chairman speaking today and quarterly results from google. regulators have opposed a rule for mobile phone companies to alert their subscribers who are in danger of incurring extra fees. these rules are not necessary. many parents

chris clackum has more. >>> with retail sales christmas two years ago, down a disastrous 4%, and then an uptake last year of only .4%, analysts find it easy to avoid being overly optimistic about this year. >> we know that we're comparing ourselves to pretty tough years e last two years. we know that the economy is more stable than it was. >> the national retail federation is expecting to ring up a 2.3% increase in holiday sales this year. matching the average annual incrse over the last decade. it is a bright projection for retailers, as well as for those looking for work. >> last year in 2009, the retail industry created about a half a million temporary jobs. and every indication we've gotten thus far is that we're going to do that or even better than that this year. >> reporter: retail sale have been up and down all year so finishing stroer, if only slightly stronger,s still better than the alternative. >> retaer cole's plans to increase its hiring by 21% this holiday season. the department store chain expects to hire more than 40,000 worker. that's about 35 employees per store. mo

chris clackum has the story. >> reporter: dr.petit, the lone survivor of the home invasion on his family home. >> there's some relief. but my family is still gone. >> reporter: petit lost his wife and daughters in july 2007. prosecutors say that's when hayes and joshua komisarjevsky oke into theetit home, beat william, tied him up and tied his two girls to their bed post upstairs. they send jennifer to withdraw money from a bank, but upon turning raped and strangled her. the house was then set on fire. both menwere caught fleeing the scene. the sentencing phase for hayes begins in two weeks with the jury considering the death penalty in 6 of his 16 convictions. >> we hope they will continue to use the same diligence and clarity of thought as they consider argumen in the penalty phase of the trial. reporter: komisarjevsky goes on trial next week, the petits hoping with the same outcome. >>> the man who tried to set off a car bomb in times square gets life in prison today.shazad sai regrets. he pleaded guilty to terrorism and weapo

chris clackum has more. >> reporter: amysterious $1.99 mega bite data access fee on monthly bills meansmillion people will get a refund. it turns out they did not have data access after all. >> verizon should be commended for coming clean and acknowledging it. it will be a hefty phone bill for them. >> reporter: hefty indeed. verizomight refund as much as $90 million. all because of what it calls a software issue, or customers inadvertently hitting the ong button on certain cell phones that initiated data or web access. and the corresnding fee on the monthly bill. >> it also points to the fact that consumers have to be very careful with their phone bills. they should be paying very close attention to them. >> reporter: it s the federal communications commission though that called out verizon for this mystery fee. over aier ago. and the s.e.c.'s iestigation isn't over. more penalties could be coming because some at the commission want to know why it took verizon so long to finally acknowledge it. nbc news. >>> one more check on doug's weather forecast. >> i'm getting a refund? >> maybe.

chris clackum has the latest. >>> bank of america says it will actually continue to foreose on homeowners behind on mortgage payments. but just won't sell the property until it can verify foreclosure documents are accate. >> the banks do have to get their i's dotted. >> repter: it follow a week of foreclosure fraud accusations leld at not only bank of america but others like jpmorgan chase and allied gmac. and after an employee in texas admitted to robo signing. approving up to 8,000 foreclosures month without reading a majority of the paperwork. >> fears this f this practice is taking place at a couple of the servicers, it may takin place at all of them. >> reporter: with one in every seven americans behind in payments or currently in reclosure, the consequences for the banks might be enormous. >> we're probably going to see borrowers awarded some form of compensating for the fact that ey were removed from their property in what amounts to an illegal foreclosure. >> reporter: banks are expected to repossess a record 1.2 million home. 1 million more than last ar. but might have to hang on