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Firefighter Jason Cortez died on Wednesday morning in San Francisco, California  A San Francisco father-of-two firefighter, 42, who died during a training exercise was struck by a balcony door and knocked over a railing, plunging three stories to his death, according to witnesses.  Jason Cortez, a 13-year veteran of San Francisco Fire Department, died Wednesday morning in an accident at the Division of Training at 19th and Folsom streets. Cortez was one of four Station No. 3 firefighters taking part in a morning drill at the facility around 10 a.m. when he toppled over the side of the balcony and fell three stories, suffering fatal head injuries.   He was given emergency medical care at the scene and was rushed to the San Francisco General Hospital where he died  around 11am.     New details have now emerged of the deadly fall as an investigation is underway.      Cortez had gone out on to the fire escape landing to connect a fire hose to a wall mounted nozzle to feed water to the sim

An inventor has come up with the perfect solution to save the upcoming presidential debate - a futuristic hologram 'phone booth' that can beam Donald Trump and Joe Biden on to the debate stage. With President Trump testing positive for coronavirus, the bipartisan commission that hosts the debates announced Thursday it would be shifting the format to virtual. The news prompted Trump to immediately announce he was pulling out – as he claims to have been 'cured' of coronavirus. 'That's not accessible to us. I beat him easily in the first debate,' Trump lamented in an interview with Fox Business Network Thursday morning. 'No, I'm not gonna waste my time in a virtual debate,' the president told anchor Maria Bartiromo. 'That's not what debating is all about,' he said. 'You sit behind a computer and do a debate – it's ridiculous and then they cut you off whenever they want.' But tech entrepreneur David Nussbaum, 46, thinks his re

A Nigerian serial killer who murdered nine women in hotel rooms in 'ritual killings' has been sentenced to death. Gracious David-West, 40, was arrested in September last year after several victims were found strangled to death across Port Harcourt, the capital of the southeastern Rivers State.  They had white cloth wrapped around their necks and waists, possibly indicating ritual crimes, according to police. The killings sparked outrage and prompted women to take to the streets of the city to demand better police protection.  Gracious David-West, 40, was arrested in September last year after several victims were found strangled to death across Port Harcourt, the capital of the southeastern Rivers State 'I find you, Gracious David-West, guilty of the murder of nine young women and the attempted murder of another in hotels last year and sentence you to death by hanging,' said judge Adolphus Enebele. The serial killer appeared in court alongside a woman, Nimi Thankgod, wh

Students and staff at a North Carolina university were ordered to 'shelter in place' over threatening demands to remove a Black Lives Matter mural on campus. Administrators with University of North Carolina Asheville first alerted its 3,600 students and additional faculty that something was amiss on Friday morning. In a 'Bulldog Alert,' officials said that several offices at the institution received an email with 'a direct threat to members of the UNC Asheville community.' University of North Carolina Asheville officials said several offices received emails with 'direct threats' and took issue with a Black Lives Matter mural on campus 'The email demanded that the Black Lives Matter mural on University Heights on campus be painted over.' 'A decision has been made to send a Bulldog Alert to all faculty, staff, and students to shelter in place until further notice.'  The campus could reopen as soon as Saturday morning, but will remained clos

The UK's oldest person with Down's Syndrome has died aged 78, despite his family being told when he was born that he was only expected to live for 12 years. Robin Smith, from Kettering in Northamptonshire, set a new record as Britain's oldest living person with Down's Syndrome when he turned 78 on October 9 last year. Mr Smith had defied the odds after being given a life expectancy of just 12 years when he was born in 1941. He lived life to the full and was a massive fan of both Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley. Robin Smith tragically died on September 27 at Northleigh Residential Home in Kettering, where he had lived since 1986 Robin Smith, from Kettering in Northamptonshire, set a new record as Britain's oldest living person with Down's Syndrome when he turned 78 on October 9 last year What was life like for people with Down's Syndrome in the early 20th century? In 1862, John Langdon Down noticed that several patients had similar characteristics - includin

Rishi Sunak unveiled a new, expanded job protection scheme today as more and more areas of the UK appear set to head into lockdown. The Chancellor announced that his Job Support Scheme unveiled only last month as part of a now scrapped Winter Economic Plan, was being beefed up. He was forced to act after large parts of England and Scotland were placed into harsher lockdown because of a surge in coronavirus cases. The new JSS is less generous than the furlough he introduced in the spring when the UK went into complete shutdown. But the taxpayer will take on more of the burden than previously. It is aimed only at people working for businesses that are legally required to close their doors under the most serious measures of a new system of localised restrictions due to be unveiled next week. But it is still expected to cost the taxpayer billions of pounds through the course of the six months that is is expected to be in place.  Mr Sunak told reporters: 'I hope this provides reassuran

A California woman has been caught on camera calling 911 after she was denied entry to a pet store because she refused to wear a face mask.  Bones-N-Scones employee Aidan Bearpaw recorded his encounter with the woman, identified only as Laura, after she arrived at the Palm Springs store shortly before close last Sunday.  The six minute video begins with Laura saying she is being 'discriminated against' as Aidan stands at the door and offers her a cloth mask.  'I cant, I'll have a panic attack, I'll freak out, I'll have an anxiety attack. I know what I want. I'm here at the end of the , no one is in the store,' Laura states.  'I don't want to call 911 on you, but I will.' A woman has been caught on camera calling 911 after she was refused entry into a Palm Springs pet store because she wouldn't wear a face mask Aidan still refuses to let Laura inside the Bones-N-Scones outlet, prompting her to make good on her promise to phone the police

A lawyer for a grand juror involved in weighing charges in the case of Breonna Taylor accused Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron of throwing the panel 'under the bus' over the decision not to charge the cops involved in her death.  Kevin Glogower, who represents the anonymous grand juror who sued to speak out publicly about the case, urged a judge to let them do so during a hearing Thursday, despite pressure from Cameron.  The AG filed a motion Wednesday asking the judge to dismiss the request by the grand juror, claiming proceedings should be kept confidential.    Taylor, a 26-year-old Louisville emergency medical technician studying to become a nurse, was fatally shot after being roused from sleep by police at her Louisville home in March this year.  Glogower told Jefferson County Circuit Judge Annie O'Connell on Thursday that the juror's goal in speaking out was not to publicize evidence that hasn't already become public about Taylor's death or 'to