Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

A new Florida mentorship platform is being launched to help female collegiate athletes turn the skills developed through sport into careers beyond competition. LeadHer, founded by Tampa entrepreneur Jennifer Addabbo, is initially running a pilot programme involving 25 athletes across the state. The invite-only scheme already has a waiting list, with plans to expand as the organisation grows. The platform is aimed at current student-athletes and recent graduates who are preparing for life after university sport. It offers guidance on leadership, career planning, professional networking and personal development. LeadHer aims to support female athletes beyond sport Addabbo said her own…

Andrew Johns has reacted to an eastern suburbs neighbour’s sign describing him as a “blow in”. The sign was erected by the neighbour, with the former rugby league star at the centre of the dispute.

A judge has rejected Lindsay Clancy’s not-guilty motion over the 2023 deaths of her three children, ruling that prosecutors presented enough evidence for the case to be decided by a jury. Judge William Sullivan issued the decision on Thursday, following a mistrial last month after jurors failed to reach a verdict. Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s lawyer, had renewed the request after the mistrial was declared. The motion, known as a Rule 25 motion for a required finding of not guilty, was also made at the end of the prosecution’s case and again when the defence concluded its evidence. It was denied…

Nearly seven in 10 American adults say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a new poll that shows opposition has risen since July. The survey also found widespread disapproval of Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research said 69% of respondents viewed the war as not worth fighting, a five-point increase from July. Seventy-one per cent disapproved of the US president’s approach to Iran. More than 2,000 adults took part in the nationwide poll, which also recorded growing concern over the economic consequences of the conflict. Only 17%…

SpaceX launched its Crew-13 mission for Nasa on Thursday, sending four astronauts towards the International Space Station after a three-week delay to repair a leaking fuel system on their Dragon capsule. Commander Jessica Watkins led the crew from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, becoming the first Black woman to lead a crew into orbit. The geologist, who previously worked with Nasa’s Curiosity Mars rover, is returning to the space station after a long stay there in 2022. Thick cloud had threatened to postpone the launch again, but conditions cleared sufficiently for the countdown to proceed. The astronauts are expected to…

Donald Trump has backed Cornell University as it faces allegations that a former student was drugged and sexually assaulted by members of a fraternity, saying he believed the institution would do the right thing. Asked by reporters whether Cornell had done enough to investigate the claim, the US president said: “Well, I don’t know that much about it, but I think Cornell’s a fine school and I’m sure they’ll do what’s right.” The allegations are contained in a civil lawsuit involving seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity. The lawsuit alleges that the men drugged and gang-raped a 20-year-old student…

Two fathers killed in a Manassas workplace shooting have been remembered by relatives, friends and youth football players as a Virginia community mourns the deaths of Richard “Ricky” Lamot, 48, and Christopher Serrano, 33. The men were shot at a United Rentals facility on Wellington Road shortly after 7am on Wednesday, 30 September. A third employee was wounded and remains in hospital in a stable condition. ([fox5dc.com](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/northern-virginia-community-grieves-fathers-killed-manassas-workplace-shooting)) Police said the alleged gunman, 37-year-old United Rentals employee Marvin Grant, arrived at work and told a colleague that “three people are going to die” before producing a handgun and opening fire. Grant…

Andrew Johns has reacted after a neighbour in Sydney’s eastern suburbs erected a sign describing him as a “blow in”. The sign’s message was directed at the former NRL star, though no further details of the dispute were provided.

Kimberly Guilfoyle is facing calls for an investigation into her conduct as US ambassador to Greece after refusing to remove an energy lobbyist from official meetings and amid allegations that her team sought complimentary luxury hospitality. Christos Marafatsos, a registered lobbyist for Greek infrastructure and construction group Aktor, has continued to attend meetings with the ambassador despite concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Several people familiar with the arrangement said Ms Guilfoyle had made clear that she considered him essential to her work. Marafatsos is paid by Aktor to develop relationships with the White House and the US State and…

New York’s Medicaid system is facing continuing problems after more than 147,000 Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programme enrollees were moved to a new case-management platform, with only about one in three able to renew their cover automatically. The system was designed to provide real-time decisions on eligibility and replace paper-based processes operated through local social services departments. But legal advocates say errors have led to inappropriate denials and placed healthcare coverage at risk for older people, blind people and those with disabilities. The New York State Department of Health began introducing the Medicaid Eligibility and Client Management system in September…