On Tuesday in our class, bostonbabe and justbeachy14 discussed local, national, and global news stories. The topics covered ranged from March Madness to an upcoming feminist conference to the recent drama regarding the cancelled Bachelorette season. With the month of March coming to a close, we’re discussing the JMU women’s and Kentucky men’s March Madness basketball teams, and the upcoming Young Feminist Leadership Conference happening this weekend in Washington D.C. As well as the controversy regarding Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette cancellation.
Local News
Our James Madison University Dukes Women’s Basketball team punched their ticket to NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament after beating Troy in the Sun Belt Conference Championship, but fell short of a first-round playoff victory to the fifth seed, University of Kentucky on March 21, 2026. Despite being over twenty points behind after the first quarter, the team put up a strong fight to close out the game 71-56. Despite an in-game injury, graduate forward, Ashanti Barnes, returns to the game late in the second period and led the team with sixteen points. The JMU Dukes and community should be proud of their season accomplishments and making their way to playing in the March Madness tournament.
March 28-30, 2026 marks a unique weekend experience in Washington D.C and Arlington, Virginia for high school and college students traveling from all across the nation. The National Young Leadership Conference brings together hundreds of individuals to discuss current feminist movements throughout the world and develop strategies to spread to their campuses and communities in their first two days of the event. Topics of discussion range from LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive health rights, abortion clinic defense, the Equal Rights Amendment, racial justice, and much more! On March 30, the group of activists use what they’ve learned so far to meet and discuss with their state representatives at Capitol Hill. The conference slogan “Turn Passion Into Action” showcases the impact that this conference has on a community of young individuals and how they can be the next generation of powerful feminist movement leaders.
National News
With March Madness in full effect, the world of basketball is highly present in national news headlines. Between buzzer beaters and shocking upsets, the University of Kentucky men’s team marked an incredible redemption story. Senior guard, Otega Oweh scored a three-point buzzer beater shot to send the game into overtime for the Wildcats and create a memorable shot on this year’s March Madness tournament. Kentucky ended up beating the number ten seed, Santa Clara, 89-84 in overtime. Despite this remarkable tournament performance, Oweh struggled throughout the regular season. As the games progressed and the stakes grew larger, so did the performance and point scoring abilities’ from Oweh. He scored thirty-five points in this tournament game alone, and gives the Wildcats their chance to advance on.
Watch the last few minutes of regulation leading up to the game-winning shot, here!
Global News
Three days before Taylor Frankie Paul’s highly anticipated season of the Bachelorette premiere, Disney pulls the upcoming season due to the recent domestic violence video being released of Frankie Paul with ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. This news hit global headlines with many Bachelor nation fans speaking out against Taylor Frankie Paul
For those who don’t know Taylor Frankie Paul, she is a 31 year old reality TV show figure and a social media influencer. Most popularly known for being a member of the reality TV show ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’, Frankie Paul has gained over six million followers on TikTok. In 2023, Taylor was charged with assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child from an incident in 2023.
The reports and allegations of domestic violence have been known since 2023, but the loss of a platform has never come into play for Taylor Frankie Paul. In September 2025, she was announced as the next Bachelorette, despite the general public and social media knowing about her background. It wasn’t until just a few days prior to her season being released that a video from TMZ showing Taylor Frankie Paul attacking her ex-boyfriend, Dakota, in front of their shared child, that sparked the show being cancelled from ABC. People around the world responded to this cancellation in shock and anger. Many stating this is the “end of the bachelorette.” This incident highlights the importance of making influencers/celebrities take accountability for their actions, the severity of domestic violence, and the mistakes made by the production company by casting a “controversial ” reality show star.
