On campus: No. 10 Illinois dominated by No. 3 Michigan in top-10 matchup
No. 10 Illinois fell 84-70 to No. 3 Michigan on Sunday after getting outplayed in the paint and on the glass, dropping to 22-7 overall and 13-5 in Big Ten play. Former Illini sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. led the Wolverines with 19 points and 11 rebounds in his return to Champaign.
Illinois stayed within striking distance for much of the first half behind senior guard Kylan Boswell and freshman forward David Mirković, trailing by 7 at the break. But the Wolverines’ physicality wore down the Illini, who struggled to contain the Wolverines’ frontcourt and gave up too many second-chance opportunities.
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler scored 23 points, including 17 in the second half, but Illinois got little help late as Michigan pulled away with a 16-2 run. Michigan junior center Aday Mara and graduate student forward Yaxel Lendeborg took over in the final stretch, exposing Illinois’ defensive breakdowns and rebounding issues.
In CU: Budzinski secures $2.3 million for local park districts, UI research
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., secured $2.3 million in federal funding for local park projects and University research through the House of Representatives’ fiscal year 2026 budget.
The funding includes $1.2 million for the University’s Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, $850,000 for the Champaign Park District to rehabilitate Parkland Way and $250,000 for the Urbana Park District’s Prairie and Weaver Park renovation.
The investments were obtained through the Community Project Funding process and will be administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
According to Budzinski’s office, the Urbana funds will support improvements to park facilities and amenities, while Champaign’s allocation will address infrastructure issues on Parkland Way. The IBRL funding will expand the bioprocessing research facility, which supports commercialization efforts in Illinois’ agricultural and biomanufacturing sectors.
In Illinois: Judge orders release of detained immigrants after federal agents use warrantless arrests
A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of 32 people federal immigration agents detained during “Operation Midway Blitz” last fall, finding that agents violated a long-standing consent decree governing warrantless arrests.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings reviewed 53 individual arrests and determined that most people arrested without warrants should be released. He also ordered the release of eight people arrested under so-called blank I-200 warrants after the government failed to produce valid documentation or raised concerns about authenticity.
The ruling stems from the Castañon Nava consent decree, which limits when Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers can make warrantless arrests.
Cummings also rebuked the Department of Homeland Security for failing to properly circulate the consent decree policy nationwide, as he had previously ordered. The judge directed both sides to submit additional filings in early March as the dispute over enforcement of the decree continues.
In the US: Trump delivers State of the Union
President Donald Trump delivered the longest-ever State of the Union address Tuesday evening, where he spoke about a range of topics including the economy, immigration and international affairs, healthcare and the climate.
Regarding the economy, the president stated, “the roaring economy is roaring like never before,” a claim inconsistent with recent polls that indicate only 39% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of the economy in February.
Trump also emphasized immigration and warned of “drug lords (and) murderers all over our country.” He continued by criticizing Democratic lawmakers, labeling them as the reason for the partial government shutdown.
“Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” Trump said. “They have instituted another Democrat shutdown, the first one costing us two points on GDP … Now they have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers.”
Trump did not mention the deaths of Renee Good or Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.
In the world: US and Israel attack Iran
The United States and Israel launched a series of strikes on Iran early Saturday morning.
U.S. Central Command stated over 1,000 targets were struck in the country since the start of the attack. The listed targets include ships, submarines, missile sites, communications links and the command-and-control centers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian officials confirmed the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Saturday evening as a result of the operations. Officials in Tehran, Iran, have since launched retaliatory strikes on Israeli and U.S. bases in the region.
A spokesperson for the Iranian Red Crescent told Iranian media that over 201 people had been killed and 747 have been injured in the strikes. Iranian officials also stated that 153 people, including children, died after a reported strike on a school in southern Iran.
Trump stated in a social media post that strikes would “continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary.” In the same post, Trump also urged Iranian citizens to “take over” their government.
As of Sunday evening, three U.S. troops have been killed and five are seriously wounded, according to the U.S. Central Command. Trump stated there will “likely be more” American casualties before the U.S. military operation in Iran ends.
