7/31: Dow plunges more than 300 points; Christmas in July: Who will supply White House Christmas tree?
Thursday was one of the worst days of the year for the stock market. All three major indexes were down, including a 317-point drop for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Nearly 90 percent of stocks on the New York Stock Exchange fell, though there was no single catalyst; and, for most people, it's a little early to be fussing over Christmas trees, unless you're competing for the right to supply the tree that will grace the Blue Room of the White House. Chris Botek of Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Leighton, Pennsylvania, won that honor.