When fans walk into Immaculata’s gym they are immediately reminded of the team’s glorious past, when the Mighty Macs ruled women’s basketball nearly a half-century ago.

Championship trophies are proudly displayed near the entrance while Hall of Fame banners honoring some of the school’s icons, including former coach Cathy Rush, adorn the walls.

Powerhouses in this weekend’s Final Four like UConn and South Carolina stand on the shoulders of schools like Immaculata, Queens College, Wayland Baptist and Delta State. During the early years of the women’s basketball poll that debuted in 1976, those programs set the foundation, dominating the now dissolved Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).

But during the 50 years of the women’s poll, those pioneering programs haven’t been able to sustain the dynasty-level success that shaped women’s hoops in the 1970s.

The current revenue sharing model that allows schools to directly pay athletes has added a greater financial hurdle for small schools to overcome.

“If you want to be nationally competitive, if you want to win national championships, there’s a very significant investment involved,” said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, “because you’re paying top dollar for your coach. You’re paying for all the amenities. … And then you’ve got to, now you’ve got to acquire players, and to do that you need money, because they have options. And smaller schools aren’t going to have the same (financial) wherewithal as the big football school has.”

The 68-team women’s NCAA tournament field, for example, had 12 schools from the Big Ten, 10 from the SEC and nine ACC schools. The Big 12 had eight. There were only one at-large team from outside the Power 4 Conferences and the Big East.

“Is that a bad thing?” Ackerman added. “No — I think it’s just the reality of the world we’re in right now.”

Kinnison, who coached baseball at Delta State for 23 seasons before becoming athletic director in 2019, said he wants the school’s teams to be able to compete nationally and recapture some form of sustained success. That has been difficult, he added, and the school has faced tough financial decisions to make that happen.

“More and more, we rely on private sources, donations, alumni,” he said in his office on Delta State’s campus in Cleveland, Mississippi. “We’re in a town here of 11,000 people, and that’s not the density of a town that has 100,000 or 150,000 people. Some of our corporate options are a little less, so it’s challenging.”

Pioneers battle against becoming afterthoughts

The Delta State AD, along with others at Queens College and Immaculata, remain hopeful that their programs won’t be forgotten.

The court at Queens College is named after Kyvallos, the women’s basketball Hall of Famer and advocate who built the Knights into pioneers in the AIAW era.

At Delta State, there are similar tributes in the arena’s concourse: championship trophies and the preserved netting, the name of former coach Lloyd Clark is painted on the floor of the court named after him, honoring the period in which he won three Division II titles and guided 16 of his teams to the NCAA Tournament.

“You have to be a steward of that history, you have to tell those stories and talk about those individuals because it was crazy to think about what they had to go through,” current Queens coach Travis Ponton said.

Current Immaculata coach Brittany Whalen is very familiar with the history of the program. She played there from 2011-15 and was on the court at Madison Square Garden when the team played Queens College in her senior year — four decades after the two programs played the first women’s basketball game at MSG.

“It felt like being a celebrity,” Whalen said. “To tie in to that part of the history and that being the first-ever game played there it was just so cool to be a part of.”

Whalen, who has led the team to its first 20-win season since 1976-77 at 24-3, gives tours of the facility to perspective players.

“This is the same building they played in back in the 70s and not much has changed,” she said. “We talk about it in the preseason how you’re here because of the women who paved the way before you. If you’re going to be a Mighty Mac and be a part of the program, you need to know the history of it.”

Current Delta State coach Tracy Stewart-Lange has a similar appreciation for her program’s history.

There’s a photo in her phone that reminds her of those days. Former Delta State star and basketball pioneer Lusia Harris is captured mid-layup, and behind her fans are sitting courtside, pressed against the railings and anywhere else they could find a spot.

Games are much quieter now that the school has faded from national prominence, and Stewart-Lange often wonders if that will change.

“We want to fill these seats,” she said. “We’re trying to figure out can that still be done.”

___

Alanis Thames reported from Cleveland, Mississippi; Doug Feinberg reported from New York City and Philadelphia.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Labour Party chair Anna Turley said the ad campaign will expose Reform’s record to voters and warn of the ‘real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power’

Nigel Farage has been accused of being a “charlatan” pretending to be on the side of working people as Labour launches a major ad campaign.

Labour Party chair Anna Turley said it will expose Reform’s record to voters and warn of the “real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power”.

As the local election campaign heats up, Labour’s ad van campaign – ‘Not on your side’ – will highlight Reform’s grim record in Parliament and public statements. It includes Mr Farage and Reform MPs voting against the landmark Employment Rights Bill.

The Bill, which became law in late 2025, contains a raft of measures including boosting sick pay provisions and banning controversial fire and rehire practices. Reform has pledged to axe the law alongside new landmark protections for renters under a “great repeal act” if the party wins power.

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Labour’s ad campaign will also shine a spotlight on Mr Farage’s party’s plans to rip up the Online Safety Act, which includes vital protections for children online. Under the legislation tech companies have been ordered to bring in age verification tools, tame toxic algorithms and remove harmful content.

And the ad campaign will accuse Reform of being against the roll-out of free school breakfast clubs in primary schools by voting against the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Ms Turley said: “ Nigel Farage is a complete and utter charlatan. He and his Reform Party pretend to be on the side of working people. Yet time and again they try and block the vital changes Labour is bringing in to create a Britain built for all. That would mean vital cost of living support families across Britain wouldn’t have under a Reform Government.

“That would mean pounds torn out of the pockets of working people and workplace rights stripped away. That’s the real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power.”

Ms Turley added: “Today Labour exposes the truth: no amount of photo ops with pints down the pub will hide Farage’s naked attempts to hoodwink working people.”

The ramping up of the local elections battle comes just days after a dire prediction from experts that Labour faces losing “well over” 1,000 councillors in May’s crunch elections. They added the figure could also be as high as 2,000 if the pattern of the party’s fall in vote share in a raft of recent council by-elections continues.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.

Melanie C, who was ‘Sporty Spice’ in the 90s pop group Spice Girls, will make a special appearance at independent record shop, Wax and Beans.

Melanie will be at the Market Street shop on Sunday, May 3 at 7pm to celebrate the release of her new solo album, Sweat, which will be available for purchase and streaming from May 1.

Melanie C (Image: PA)

A spokesman for Wax and Beans said: “Melanie C, powerhouse pop artist and former Spice Girl known for her fierce vocals, athletic style, and chart-topping hits like Never Be the Same Again.

“From global girl group fame to a successful solo career, she’s built a reputation for authenticity, resilience, and enduring pop influence.”

Tickets for the event range from £12.99 to £25.99.

Melanie, whose full name is Melanie Chisholm, rose to fame as part of the Spice Girls before launching a successful solo career.

Her new album Sweat is said to draw inspiration from the UK’s ’90s rave scene, which is described as a formative part of her youth.

Her team said: “Recorded between London, Stockholm and Sydney, ‘Sweat’ fuses her past and present – the sport and the spice, the forgotten teenage raver and the accomplished DJ.”

Fans have already expressed their excitement ahead of the visit.

One person said: “Tickets acquired! Boom.”

Another said: “Pre-ordered!! My favourite Spice Girl.”

Wax and Beans was named Best Independent Record Store at the 2025 Independent Music Awards and regularly hosts intimate music events and signings.

Last year, Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix visited the store to meet fans and sign copies of her debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby.

Have you ever suddenly gone off a food you used to love? This is something people on social media have been talking about – specifically when it comes to chicken.

Users report suddenly becoming disgusted by chicken, sometimes even mid-bite – despite having been able to eat the food just fine previously. The phenomenon is commonly referred to online as the “chicken ick”.

My research is centred on how our sensory system (mainly smell and taste) affects our behaviour. When it comes to the “ick”, it’s all about how we deal with our disgust response.

There are a number of reasons why you might suddenly become “weird” about a food that you used to be fine with. If this has ever happened to you, the good news is there are ways to get over it.

The first reason relates to a change in the way the food is presented.

Maybe one time you noticed your chicken tasted, smelled or looked different than it did other times. This can lead to a mismatch in what’s expected, which can cause your feelings towards that food to suddenly change.

It might also be related to whether you prepared the chicken in a different way to normal. Adding a new ingredient which changes the smell or flavour profile of the dish can also trigger feelings of disgust.

Another possible reason has to do with what you were doing before you got the “ick.”

If you were scrolling on social media looking at unappetising meals before starting to cook your own meal, this can influence the way you subsequently feel about your own food.

Or, if you were preparing the dish near someone who expressed disgust (even if they only made a face), this can influence your own disgust response. The reason this occurs is explained by the human tendency to mimic others via mirror neurons (brain cells that are involved in empathy and imitation) and the related process of emotional contagion – the unconscious process of “catching” the emotion of others.

Some of us are also more sensitive to experiencing disgust than others.

Disgust is an emotion that protects us from things that could potentially harm us – such as foods that are spoiled or unsafe to eat.

Work has shown that people who rate themselves as being more sensitive to feelings of disgust also exhibit higher “ick” tendencies in a dating context (a sudden aversion to a romantic partner). This suggests that people with higher habitual levels of disgust might be more likely to experience the chicken “ick” phenomenon.

Another important factor is how hungry you are at the time.

If you aren’t very hungry, you might be more particular about unexpected food features – such as a different smell, texture or flavour.

On the other hand, when you’re really hungry, you understandably tend to be less sensitive to disgust and may be less likely to notice things that might otherwise have turned you away.

Interestingly, our research found a similar effect also happens when participants were given alcohol. The higher a participant’s blood alcohol level, the lower their sensitivity to disgust.

So, it could be that certain states of being make us more or less likely to experience the “chicken ick.”

Gender might also have an effect.

Research on disgust shows women have a higher sensitivity to disgust than men. It’s theorised that such gendered differences in disgust sensitivity developed as an evolutionary response to be choosier when selecting potential mates and protect offspring from disease.

Disgust is also heightened during pregnancy and appears to be related to immune function.

How to get over it

If you’re someone who has developed the chicken “ick” before, there are two key things you can try to get over this feeling:

Try preparing your chicken differently next time. Your disgust might be linked to the specific way the food was prepared. The next time chicken is on your menu, try cooking it differently (such as using a different recipe or seasoning) or use a different cut of meat (such as chicken breast instead of thighs or wings). This might help you to unlearn your disgust.

Have someone else cook for you. If the texture or smell of the chicken (particularly raw chicken) has put you off of it, try having a loved one prepare the meal for you or go out to eat. This might make it easier for you to eat the cooked dish. Or, buy pre-cooked options from the supermarket that only need to be reheated so you don’t have to handle the raw chicken.

Removing the cues that cause the “ick” in the first place should act as a reset so you can enjoy the food again.

If that still does not work, it could be that you’ve formed a negative association with the food which needs to be “unlearned.”

In this case, it could take a little more time to retrain yourself. Some suggestions for doing this involve pairing food with something positive (such as a favourite food or listening to your favourite music while eating your meal) or even by changing the colour of plateware. By repeating this a number of times, you’ll condition yourself to the pleasant response – and will hopefully be over your chicken “ick.”

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said her players “do not deserve that level of refereeing” after Arsenal’s Katie McCabe avoided a red card for pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair during their Champions League quarter-final exit.

The Blues were chasing a late leveller after scoring a stoppage-time goal to make it 3-2 on aggregate when McCabe reached out and tugged Thompson’s hair.

The American winger was breaking forward, but McCabe escaped a yellow card and the video assistant referee (VAR) did not advise referee Frida Mia Klarlund to review the incident.

Bompastor was shown a yellow card for angrily protesting against the decision and then sent off for her continued outburst – although she refused to leave the touchline as Arsenal held on to reach the semi-finals.

The Frenchwoman arrived prepared with her mobile phone so she could show a replay of the incident as she gave a furious interview to BBC Two.

“For me, it is clearly a red card for the Arsenal player. She’s pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair,” Bompastor said.

“If the VAR is not able to check that situation, I don’t know why we have the VAR.

“I’m the one getting a red card when I think the Arsenal player should be the one getting a red card.”

The horror discovery was made by police in the Mexican state of Guerrero, which has been plagued by organised violent crime caused by cartels fighting over drug-rich territory

Police recovered the dismembered remains of seven people on a major road in a horror discovery following local gang violence.

The bodies were found abandoned on Tuesday afternoon on the Tlalpa-Olinalá highway, in the Montaña region of the state of Guerrero, in Mexico, on the sides of the road approaching crossroads in Cualác.

According to local outlets, black plastic boxes and an aluminum pot were also abandoned alongside a host of other objects believed to have been used to transport the remains.

The remains and their containers were discovered by authorities following reports from residents that armed men had abandoned the bodies.

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Following the grim discovery, Infobae reports, security personnel and experts from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Guerrero (FGE) rushed to the scene alongside the Ministerial Investigative Police, as well as experts. The remains were found in a part of Mexico that has been plagued by violent crime, with more than a dozen groups suspected to be operating in Guerrero.

In 2023, it was reported that 16 separate groups were identified by the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center, citing reports from several security corporations.

The state’s homicide rate was placed at 37.5 per 100,000 people the following year, with cartel wars, extortion and kidnapping blamed for the sky-high figure. Guerrero has also been used as a cartel battleground, with the groups operating in the area competing for control of drug production centres, including opium poppy cultivation.

The high level of crime has come hand-in-hand with a lack of investment in security and social programmes, and general political instability, making it difficult for authorities to tackle the issue.

All of these issues combined have made Guerrero one of the most violent states in the country, with residents left in near-constant fear of being caught in the crossfire.

The Montaña region, where the remains were discovered, is located on the border of Oaxaca and Puebla, and in the middle of a major gang conflict.

The Los Tlacos, Los Ardillos and Los Rojos gangs are believed to be fighting for the territory, which has a high concentration of marijuana and poppy crops.

According to the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Centre, residents report being assaulted and extorted by criminal groups on the highways leading to other states, resulting in an exodus of people fearing they could be victimised. A report by the centre states that farm labour families have been most profoundly impacted.

The report states: “Farm laborer families are caught in a dilemma. In their communities, they are abandoned by municipal, state, and federal authorities.

“There are no job opportunities or productive projects to help them get ahead. Corn farming and migration are their only hopes for survival. The most devastating aspect is the recent violence they have suffered and the harassment by criminal groups.”

City of York Council data showed 195 out of more than 1,000 slots made available for traders in the four weeks since bookings went live were missed.

About nine tenths residents who booked one of the more than 12,000 10-minute slots available for them turned up for their appointments from Monday, March 2 to Sunday, March 29.

A spokesperson for Yorwaste, which runs the site on behalf of the council, said Towthorpe had not been any busier than usual since the new system was launched.

They added they had not experienced any unusual increases in traffic since the Click Before You Tip system launched at Hazel Court.

It follows the launch of the new booking system for Hazel Court on Monday, February 23 a week before time slots came into effect.

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It also comes as residents are encouraged to ensure they have booked a slot if they are planning on using the tip over the Easter bank holiday.

Households are currently limited to four 10-minute slots a week while businesses can book up to two 15-minute slots a day.

Cllr Jenny Kent, the council’s Labour environment spokesperson, said at the time the system was a sensible solution to tackle congestion and queues and improve air quality in the area.

A report ahead of the council’s executive’s approval of the new system in September stated residents had raised safety concerns over drivers attempting dangerous manoeuvres in the road.

Businesses based in and around Hazel Court have also claimed congestion caused by queues for the tip was making it harder for their customers to reach them.

But the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition raised concerns about the plans at the time, saying they followed a decision to close the site on Wednesdays and could cause more fly-tipping.

Rubbish removal business Waste Warriors told The Press the new system had resulted in them having to turn down jobs due to limits on trips to the tip.

Traffic blocking the road as drivers queue to turn into Hazel Court Recycling Centre (Image: Newsquest)

Feedback from Yorwaste suggested the day-to-day operations at the site remained stable since bookings launched.

Around 70 per cent of the more than 12,000 slots made available to residents have been booked, rising to 80 per cent in the last full week of March.

The council stated the system was being widely-used and well-adopted by residents and activity at the site was broadly in line with seasonal expectations.

But it added missed trader appointments were causing issues because they reduce availability and cannot be easily given to someone else at such short notice.

People are required to bring their booking confirmation with them to show to tip staff on arrival.

Slots can be booked online or over the phone up to two weeks in advance.

The Towthorpe site, in Moor Lane, remains available to use without having to book beforehand.

Arsenal lose the second leg of their quarter-final against Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, but win 3-2 on aggregate to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League and move a step closer to successfully defending their title.

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A court has overturned a ban on people living on the outer Chagos Islands.

In February, nine people, including four Chagossians, landed on Ile Du Coin, an uninhabited outer island which is 135 south of Diego Garcia.

They were ordered to leave, and four members of the group took legal action against the commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

It was argued that a 2004 law removing the right of Chagossians to enter and remain on the outer islands was unlawful.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the BIOT Supreme Court quashed the rule and the commissioner’s order for the Chagossians to leave.

The UK has agreed to hand sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius, and lease back a joined UK-US military base on Diego Garcia for 99 years.

US President Donald Trump was critical of the deal in February, describing it as an “act of great stupidity” and a “big mistake”.

James Lewis KC, the chief justice of the BIOT, said on Tuesday: “Any rational reason for passing the provision has now disappeared, if there ever was one.”

The Chagossians had initially claimed they were seeking to visit Ile Du Coin temporarily to visit graves, and did not mention they planned to establish a “permanent camp”, the judge said.

He continued: “A claimed power to exclude a whole population must be justified by legal source, not administrative necessity.”

The judge also said that the deal signed between the UK and Mauritius “removes any claimed reliance on defence or security issues in repopulating the outer islands, as well as rendering funding issues otiose [serving no practical purpose]”.

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The commissioner is challenging the decision, according to the Foreign Office.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We do not agree with this judgment, and we understand the BIOT administration have appealed it.”

Meanwhile, the Conservatives have accused Sir Keir Starmer of treating Chagossians as “an inconvenience”.

Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel has called on the prime minister to abandon what she described as an “appalling” deal to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which she said was a “complete betrayal”.

Ms Patel said: “Throughout the process, he has sought to sideline the Chagossian people, treating them as nothing but an inconvenience.

“Chagossians, many of whom have no desire to see the islands handed over to an ally of China, ended up taking matters into their own hands. And now this latest humiliation has further undermined the Government’s case.”