34 Million Christmas Shoppers Already Done | Patch PM

Stories to talk about tonight:

2016 Holiday Shopping: 34M Shoppers Done, 73 Percent Annoyed by Early Start

A survey by CreditCard.com says that 1 percent of Americans, or 34 million Santas, say they are done with their shopping. Already. Before the first week of October. Pass the eggnog. Conversely, 73 percent of your neighbors said in the poll that “it is annoying that the holiday shopping season has gotten earlier.”

So what in the name of “rushing the season” is going on with retailers? Christmas season is make or break for many retailers, with Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving that has come to mean stampedes at malls for great deals on TVs and computers — often responsible for making the year profitable for stores. >>> Read more.

Extinction: Rare Tree Frog Dies at Atlanta Botanical Garden

A rare tree frog species may now be extinct. The frog, known as Toughie, died last week at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The frog was discovered dead during a daily inspection at the garden, which had purchased a climate-controlled facility designed to house the species.

Estimated to be about 12 years old, Toughie was the last known living Rabbs' fringe-limbed tree frog in captivity. >>> Read more.

Midtown Named One of Five Great Neighborhoods in America

• The American Planning Association says Midtown is Atlanta's preeminent neighborhood.

Bass Pro Shops To Buy Rival Cabela's For $5.5 Billion

• Cabela's opened its Cherokee County store in August 2014.

Braves New Home: Home Plate Arrives at SunTrust Park

• The Braves ended their downtown Atlanta tenure on Sunday with a win and the beginnings of their move to Smyrna.

Patch PM shares a few of the day’s must-read items from our Georgia network. The Patch community platform covers communities across the state.