Monday, October 9, 2017

5 things you need to know Monday

America will celebrate Columbus Day on Monday. But in recent years, Columbus Day, which became a national holiday in 1937, has been riddled with controversy, with this year bringing new fervor. Columbus statues from New York to California have faced vandalism or removal amid newly heightened debate on Confederate monuments. While historians caution against lumping in Christopher Columbus with Confederates, the question remains: What should we do with Columbus Day and the statues? While that debate will continue to rage on, for some people, Columbus Day is a chance to skip the crush of shoppers who show up at stores on Thanksgiving and get some early holiday sales. Star Wars fans, are you ready for some football? While Monday night's matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears may not sound interesting, you may want to watch Monday Night Football because the trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi will debut during halftime. And after the game, tickets for the film will go on sale online at sites including Fandango. The Last Jedi picks up where 2015's The Force Awakens left off. Can't wait until the game? We've got images from the movie. The remnants of Hurricane Nate, which faded to a tropical depression, lashed much of the Southeast with heavy rains Sunday. Nate is forecast to pass over portions of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, dumping as much as 10 inches of rain between Sunday and Monday. The hurricane was the first to make landfall in Mississippi since Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast in 2005.State officials warned that Nate’s main danger was the possibility of up to 10 feet of storm surge in low-lying coastal areas. The region is suffering from hurricane exhaustion in recent weeks after Harvey, Irma and Maria. Walmart understands that returning items can be a hassle, and now it claims to have a fix. The retailer on Monday announced a new initiative it calls "Mobile Express Returns," an update to its app that will allow customers to start the returns process on their phones before continuing the process in stores. The company is hoping to allow customers to fast-track the returns at customer service by allowing those who use the app to jump into a special "Mobile Express Lane." Walmart says refunds will be credited as soon as the next day.Rejoice, baseball fans: Monday features a full slate of baseball playoff games, including three potential series-clinchers. The Red Sox avoided elimination on Sunday, but the Astros get a second chance at closing out the series at Boston’s Fenway Park. The Indians will try to do the same after the Yankees avoided being bounced from the playoffs Sunday night. The Cubs return home to Wrigley for Game 3 after the Nationals evened up that series in dramatic fashion on Saturday. Out West, the Dodgers take a 2-0 NLDS series lead to Arizona, where they will look to eliminate the division-rival Diamondbacks. The Red Sox and Astros start the all-day marathon, with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports.

Fariha Taj

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