Texting teen walks into manhole, and more

Texting teen walks into manhole

The family of a New York City teenager who fell down an open manhole while texting is planning to sue the city. Alexa Longueira, 15, admits she was typing on her cell phone when she walked into the manhole; she suffered only a few scrapes in the 5-foot fall. But Longueira’s mother, Kim, says the city must compensate Alexa for the trauma of landing in a sewer. “Oh my God, it was putrid,” said Mrs. Longueira. “One of her sneakers is still down there.”

Stores boost sales with early Christmas promotions

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It may only be July, but some U.S. chain stores have already started their Christmas promotions. To boost sluggish sales, Sears has opened Christmas decor shops in 372 of its megastores, and that strategy has been adopted by other retailers, including Kmart and Toys R Us. It’s a bit early to sell Christmas goods, a Sears spokeswoman conceded, but the sale enables struggling customers “to put these items on layaway and pay over time.”