molly catchpoll is credited with getting b of a to change its mind to charge credit card customers a $5 monthly fee. she started an online petition after learning the new fee. 300,000 electronic signatures later, the bank backed down. ow [ man ] it's my new malibu. [ woman ] '57 bel air -- still have it. [ both ] our camaro. [ man ] chevy silverado -- third one. [ male announcer ] people love their chevys. that's because for 100 years, chevy has offered the best value in america. come in now and help us celebrate our centennial open house, november 1st through the 7th. and fall in love with your next chevy. ♪ >> when you hear the words anacostia river, you may not have the best shot. and your tax money and hard work is going to in to champ the reputation. it ask can start with something simple like a stroll or ride. >> reporter: bicycle zoom, birds perch. >> can you imagine the day when people routinely walk up to the banks of the anacostia and are able to jump in and swim and to be able to fish? applause. >> d.c. mayor vince gray said it's easier to imagine today. >> three, two, one

molly catchpole from dc launched the petition demanding the bank to repeal the $5 debit fee. it grew like wildfire. and eventually got bank of america to back down. and the public outcry spurred other big banks like chase and wells fargo to kill their plans to roll out new debit fees, and molly says she hopes this encourages people to speak up, if they're against something. >> i really hope this inspires other people to try to change things. when they're unhappy with them. and even if it is something like starting a petition. >> now, bank of america issued a statement saying, quote, our customers voices are the most important to us. and as a result, we are not currently charging the fee and will not be moving forward with any additional plans to dostowe. >>> news around the nation, safeway is now dropping charges against a honolulu couple arrested for stealing a sandwich. now it led to the 2-year-old daughter being taken to the state custody. the mom is 30 weeks pregnant and said she was feeling light-headed and intended to pay for it and forgot when the family checked out an

when molly catchpole first heard about the $5 fee, she started an internet petition. she got 300,000 people to sign it. on tuesday bank of america says it changed its plan. catchpole says her impact on bank of america has to do with good timing. >>> just a few hours a capitol hill bar will be back open for business. the tune inn has been closed since a kitchen fire gutted the restaurant. they brought in $40,000 to help pay staffers who were out of work while the restaurant was closed. the tune inn opened its doors back in 1947 and holds the second oldest liquor license in the district. i know the oldest one. not true. >> that's funny. >>> stay with us. news 4 continues right now at 5:00 a.m. >> you're watching nbc 4, washington's news leader. now live in hd, this is "news 4 today." >> good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang. welcome for this friday, november 4th, 2011. >>> breaking news this friday morning on the beltway. all lanes of the inner loop before the georgia avenue exit are closed now because of a deadly accident. news 4's tracee wilkins is l

customer revolt, molly catchpole started the online petition and stuck with it and i think it reallyhere for customers but i would say, john, be careful because you don't know where the fee will materialize. >> they try to find a new way. what else? >> i know you've been talking about herman cain and how one of the women who was involved in this settlement or agreement as he calls it, her lawyer now says that she should be released from her agreement with the national restaurant association and able to give her side of the story, we're going to get the legal background of that, whether it can happen what she might have to say. obviously, really important for herman cain and then we're going to be talking about a story that captured my attention today, john, that flight that left newark and flew to war saw poland, all of the landing gear fail on the 767, and that is the belly landing. imagine being on that plane? >> whew! >> we'll talk to captain sullenberger, the other man in charge of the other famous landing. apparently, they can't remember a time when you've seen landing all three

many say it is a modern day david and gol lie yalt story, thanks in part to 22-year-old molly catchpoll, started an online petition against the fee, got more than 300,000 signatures. credit expert and president of consumer education joins me, so many people breathing a sigh of relief. does that meant bank will find another way to charge us elsewhere? >> i don't think we have seen the final chapter of this yet. the root cause that motivated the banks to start charging a-to-use their debit card was the durbin amendment, 2k579d 1 cents, used to be 44 on average that hasn't changed so they will look for ways to recoup billions and billions of revenue, consumers have to be careful for what i call the end and the backwards way of taking money out of your pocket. >> you mentioned durbin, i was reading this morning, quoting, talking to reporters on capitol hill, the reversal by major banks proving consumers will walk away if not being treated fairly. i hope the the banking industry learns from this l they learn from this and what will they learn? >> i don't know, they have a very short memory.

what you might not know is the woman behind the influential campaign against the fee, molly catchpole is a 23-year-old recent college graduate who may have seen on tv before. it's great to see you. thank you for being with us. >> thank you for having me. >> you closed your bank account because of the fee, but that's not where you stopped, you started an online petition, more than 300,000 signatures, i don't know what the final figure was. do you believe you're the reason bank of america agreed to repeal this wildly unpopular fee? >> no, i don't believe i'm the only reason. you know, there were people closing their bank accounts, bank of america lost thousands of customers, there were protests and actions across the country, they were getting bad press, and then, i think, you know the 300,000 signature petition had some impact certainly. >> nobody ever before this changed their bank. nobody ever closed -- i really think the number of people who ever did anything like that was very, very small. were you doing it because you didn't want to pay the $5 fee or were you doing it in protest?

molly catchpoll is the 22-year-old with two part-time job who is sort of sparked this controversy overid, come on, this isn't fair. her online petition had more than 300,000 signers. we asked her this morning how she feels today. >> finally, you know, this big corporation is listening to its customers. and backing down and that is so exciting to me. and i wish that could happen more often. you know, i just want everybody to know that if they're unhappy about something, they can try to create change. >> i will say bank of america stuck it out a little bit longer than others did. you saw jp morgan chase, wells fargo backed off of their pilot programs. suntrust, regions bank said they heard from their customers and would not charge the fee. so consumers matter, we see that. but be very, very careful and please, everyone, scrutinize your -- scrutinize your statements if you are late, you will get a fee. your interest rates could go up. the bottom line here is be very, very careful how you use your credit cards, your atm cards, your debit cards, because they're looking for ways to, they're

. >>> 22-year-old college grad molly catchpole led the effort to get bank of america to ditch its $5 or an actual job that can help her pay off her college debt. she currently makes $400 a week at a part-time job and she's got some $40,000 in student loans, says she's been looking for work with some left-leaning non-profit organizations. if i were a left-leaning non-profit organization, i'll get molly in there fast. that was one of the most effective campaigns a regular person with no connections to anything has ever conducted. >> and she's so enthusiastic and motivated. >> yeah. >> eloquent, too. >>> still to come this morning, the european debt crisis grows as a new superpower emerges in the east. so, how bad is western europe and the u.s.? how bad is the old guard west losing? we'll ask neil ferguson, an award-winning author on the subject. >>> and 20 years ago today, a shocking announcement. basketball legend magic johnson contracted hiv, and he announced he was retiring from the nba. still ahead, what's life like for magic today? it's 36 minutes past the hour. [ male announcer ]

molly first heard about the $5 fee, she started an internet petition. she got 300,000 people to sign it. on tuesday, bank of america said it had changed its plans. catchpoleimpact on bank of america has to do with good timing as well as good efforts on her part. >> that's right. >>> 6:36. ahead, the capitol hill staple reopening this morning. >>> why the occupy wall street protesters will be leaving their space today. >>> tom is tracking the rain >>> welcome back. at 6:39, 50 degrees. heavy clouds in the skies over the nation's capital. a few parts of our area even had rain early this morning. and it's going to get cooler this weekend. we've had a very nice stretch of fall weather. and all good things come to an end, joe. >> tom, would you like to add any footnotes to that? >> no, that's fine. back to you. well, we've had clouds closing in. and in the last 12 hours we did have a few sprinkles in washington and around the immediate suburbs. but right now it's just cloudy. but that area of green there at the bottom of your screen, that is light rain near fredericksburg advancing north and east and should move into southern maryland, the northern neck, some

molly first heard about the $5 fee, she started an internet petition. she got 300,000 people to sign it. on tuesday bank of america said, well, it's changed its plans. catchpoleays her impact on bank of america has to do with good timing. >>> in just a couple of hours, a popular capitol hill bar will be back open for business. the tune inn has been closed since late june when a kitchen fire gutted the restaurant. a fund-raiser in july brought in $40,000 to help pay staffers who were out of work while the restaurant was closed. the tune inn opened its doors in 1947 and holds the second oldest liquor license in the district. you think they'll be serving when it opens this morning? >> well, don't know. i have no idea. why don't we go over there and check it out. >> there you go. right after the show, early happy hour? >> what goes with ham and eggs. something nice. >>> 5:57. coming up, the unusual noise complaint that brought police to a school. >>> and if you think going 25 is slow, just wait. why drivers in the district may have to hit the brakes. >> let's take a live look outside right now. 51 degrees here in the nation's capital. beautiful skies and dawn is