Protect you. But as news4 Erica Gonzalez shows us, it could make your trip take a little longer than usual. You can already hear the sounds of the season and the holiday decor is already up. But are retailers really ready for the onslaught of shoppers . Holiday shopping this year is going to be a little more complex. Alex johnson is with the Research Group that advises the banking and payment industry. He doesnt think all of the stores will be ready to accept the chip cards. We could see much slower lines this year because everybody is getting used to the technology. To get a first hand look at the technology how it works and what happens when it doesnt, my producer and i set out to do some shopping. This t. J. Maxx it doesnt work . Not yet. The wasnt ready for me to dip my card. Same thing at this barnes nob noble. I dont think we do the chip yet. You dont have the chip yet . Not yet. I think at the end of november. We find success at this target. 15 seconds, not bad. I was in and out very quickly. But at this best buy it wont take the card. Remember, most chip credit cards issued in the u. S. Do not have a pin number. But some corporate cards do. We used our Company Credit card but had never been asked for a pin number before. All right. Well, then let me call my bank. I couldnt complete the transaction. I didnt make a purchase. Clearly theres some confusion on how the cards are supposed to work and where you can use them. We called the Stores Corporate Office for clarification. Best buy has been processing chip cards in the d. C. Area for over a month. But other retailers hissed the october 1st deadline to have the technology working. That means the stores, not banks are liable if your card information is compromised. Barnes noble told us that the new technology will be installed just after the holiday so it wont interrupt the shopping season. T. J. Maxx told us its actively working at processing the chip based cards but does not have an exact date. Different stores, different checkout procedures. So as you make your list and check it twice, have a plan and pack your patience. Erica gonzalez, news4. That is for sure. I can tell you first hand experience, i kind of chuckled when walking out. If you have a debit card with a chip, you will need a p. I. N. Number to use it. Storm team 4 has been looking at how the weather will impact you during the Shopping Trips and beyond. Heres chief meteorologist doug come ra with the seasons Winter Weather outlook. Over the last two years weve seen a pattern setting up with our winters, very warm decembers and a very cold january and february. This past february ranked as one of the top ten coldest ever. I am very, very cold. And this is a pattern i expect to see continue into the winter of 2015 2016. A few things have changed, though, such as the el nino which is one of the strongest on record. The waters in the pacific continue to warm. And if we were looking at el nino alone, we would expect a warm, wet winter. There are other drivers at play here. The warmer waters in the Pacific Ocean tend to bring the jet stream farther to the north, over areas like alaska and farther to the south over our region. The amount of snow covered siberia towards late october is another variable. This year its well above average, meaning cold air is ready, waiting to move in. Its just going to take a month or so to do so. There are many other factors here as well. But heres what it means to you. Storm team 4 is predicting a warmer than average december and it may be well above average. January should be slightly e below average, and fen well below average. Well see a few warm spells too and that could bring down the snow totals. The players are all there, they just have to come together and i think they will this season. Were going to be watching for the big el nino storms to move along the Southern Branch of the jet stream into our region just in time as the cold air moves down. If that happens, we could be talking about a monster snowstorm. This years forecast is a tough one. But i think well see sat least one big snowstorm and that could mean above average snowfall. Were predicting 20 to 25 inches of snow for the d. C. Metro region and 50 inches to the west while areas shout will see much less snow. Get the snow shovels ready. Looks like most of us are going to need them. Heres an easier way to look at it. That much snow, thats about up to your kneecap, maybe a little lower. And not coming all at once. So that makes it a little more bearable. Remember to download the nbc washington app to get you through the winter. Were always updating the forecast. Check us out on the 8s on the radio. A message about homelessness may have you doing a double take in virginia. With Colder Weather on the way, the mannequins are showing up at businesses and churches. They display ways to help care for the homeless this winter and detail the countys Long Term Plan to provide housing for 1200 people with no place to live. Check out the nbc washington app and search homeless. Generating a lot of buzz on our app, a story that you saw first on 4 about the backlash against a Montgomery Family featured in the American Girl magazine. The magazine featured an 11yearold and her family last month. Their joy evaporated when a conservative group called for the boycott of the publication for showing her with her two dads. These were moms, moms who were looking at a picture of our children and making a judgment on them. They say theyve since gotten an outpouring of support from their church and other community members. Well pump the brakes. Still ahead, why some of us may no longer have to obey stop signs in d. C. Say what . And the mixed reaction to this new proposal. And opening up about not wanting to live, more revelations from a local olympic star maryland own olympic Gold MedalistMichael Phelps is opening up to the pub like like never before. The swimmer tells Sports Illustrated the dpark darkest moments of his life came last year after his dui arrest. It put him in a very dark place and at one point he didnt want to be alive. Phelps went to rehab, swore off alcohol and started swimming again. He wants to compete in one last Olympic Games next year in brazil. Which you can of course watch right here on nbc. Well stop signs are supposed to be the same for bike riders and drivers in the district. Thats the law. But a controversial new proposal would allow cyclist to treat stop signs like yield signs. Well show you the plan which is getting mixed reactions right now. Its illegal now but cyclists routinely pass through stop signs. Its a flash point between drivers and cyclists competing on roadways. But no a new comprehensive safety bill would allow cyclists to treat the stop lines like yield signs if the path is clear. Some drivers dont like it. I think they should come to a complete stop. Im a cyclist too. Its a terrible idea. Why . You put yourself in danger as much as the other traffic users. The legislation says cyclists are a common growing part of the transportation network. Flexible stops cause less congestion. The Washington AreaBicycle Association says the proposal and others are part of a consensus, bike and insurance x exper experts. It does dmot allow them to hit pedestrians. All of the behaviors would remain illegal. When theres no other person present either in a vehicle or on foot at an intersection, it would allow the bicyclists to roll through the intersection. Everything else, the bicyclist would have to yield the right of way. The changes are part of a hearing december 8th by the transportation committee. We need to figure out how to get all of these modes of transportation operating at the same time. The legislation includes tougher penalties for driving under the influence, and escalating fines for repeat offenders of traffic laws. Tom sherwood, news4. Among the most growling physical and mental tests in the world. Coming up, see exactly what these local rotc members have to endure to pass the elite ranger challenge. Plus, healing with hope. The experience that inspired one woman to help others by connecting science with faith. A woman in Prince Georges County is giving back to the hospital that helped save her life after an emergency heart surgery. Shes working as a chaplain at the hospital center. News4 reports doctors and patients alike say the connection between faith and healing is undeniable. When we wake up in the morning, sometimes we take for granted the fact that we can open our eyes, that we can walk, that we have activity. After a life changing medical scare, Kimberly Richardson decided she could no longer take the Little Things for granted. The pain was so intense, i could barely move. About eight years ago she had emergency heart surgery. She was 23. Her diagnosis, perry car diets, an inflammation of the lining that covers the heart. Dr. Ruiz is the cardiologist who treated her i could have been life ending. As kimberly recovered, she began to view her recovery as a blessing in disguise. I felt that the lord was calling me into chaplain. Last year she returned to the same hospital where she was treated, now to minister to those who are facing similar medical crises. Its Something Like nobody cares about them. So when they see somebody come in just to check on them and see how theyre doing and can offer a hope for their spirit, they are very encouraged. Kimberly works with the hospitals Spiritual Care Department as a chaplain resident. We represent the caring and super natural side of things. We represent who god is. Its kind of like the hospital is a church and were the pastors. And she considers the patients the parishioners. She visits with them and their families, offering prayers, conversation and sometimes just her presence. Families need to know that they have support when theyre going through a crisis or tragedy. Many medical experts see a direct connection between the spiritual and scientific. Theres a lot about science that we dont understand. Theres a lot about faith that we dont understand. And to me i think that when both of them come together is really where the magic is. In kimberlys case, for her to be able to lean on her faith at a difficult time proved just as life saving as the intervention that she had. Kimberlys personal experience brings unique perspective to the hospital bedside. And her special touch can greatly impact a patients recovery. Faith plays a very key role. There are no side effects. I want to be there with people in those moments to remind them theyre not alone. Im not alone. I still are the presence of god with me. News4, washington. Wow. Thats amazing. Well they can follow in some historic footsteps. Still to come. Why these Maryland College students are pushing themselves to the brink in a grueling survival challenge. I know youre listening, but take a close look at your television. Whats wrong with this picture . Take an even closer look at this wauk nationals calendar. Its got a lot of attention online. The problem, thats not nats park that you sere see in the photo. Its fenway park in boston. Oops the nats say they didnt make the calendar but theyre working with a company that did to get it fixed and get the right calendars out. Now to a group of women preparing for the ranger challenge. Its a competition that could let them know if they have what it takes to become army range j rangers. One by one they belly crawl through a dirt filled trench. This rotc team from the university of maryland participating in the ranger challenge at ft. Picket in blackstone, virginia. There you go. Careful getting up. The idea to pass through the physical, technical and tactical challenges quickly and efficiently without losing points. Theyre up against dozens of other universities. This year several women from the university of maryland are participating in the challenge. Theyre going head to head with the men. We train together all the way. We got each others back. Alexandra deen is among the women on the team. There you go i actually felt like i wanted to throw up. Ive never gotten to that point working out before. We do train but here you kind of exhaust yourself. The women are inspired to follow in the footsteps of the first two women to ever graduate from Ranger School last summer. This is just a taste of what the experience could be like. I think were measuring up well. Were pulling our weight. We have to just be with each other, motivate each other. Were not seeing each other lesser than any other person. This cadet is sidelined by an ankle injury but shes here to cheer for her team. I knew it would be something that im interested in. I know for a fact that im going to do it. But first rising to the ranger challenge, whether its flipping this nearly 200 pound tire across the field, or hitting the target, they need to stand out in all aspects of the competition. Theyre macking these tasks look a lot easier than what they are. This is the incline wall. Youre not even supposed to step in here. Hes see how far i can get. I could jump up. This is about as far as i can get. Theres in way im going over this wall. Im done. The challenge is giving women a chance to see how they compare to the men physically and where they need to train to become more competitive. The competition also requires team work, leadership and critical thinking. The challenge is rigorous and pushes the cadets to their fullest ability. Cadet lopezs daughters came to cheer him on. We asked if a military career is in their future. It would be up to them, after they grow up. Like daddy, youre a soldier, we could be a soldier. If they choose to be, by all means. Well the university of Maryland Team did not win any awards at the competition but the women say theyre eager to get back to training and try again next year. Well thats all for news4 this week, guys. Hope you enjoyed it. We leave you with a look at some amazing moves from the famed choreography and her 50th Anniversary Tour on this weekend on kennedy center. Be safe, be kind, be happy. Goodbye, everybody. Now only ford offers 750 black friday bonus cash on select vehicles, on top of ford friends and neighbors pricing. That doesnt happen every day. 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