Friday, January 23, 2026

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in Illinois and four other Democratic-controlled states. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is calling for ICE to end its operations everywhere. The Chicago shelter Harmony House for Cats is hosting its first tuxedo cat soirée Friday night at Burning Bush Brewery in the city’s North Center neighborhood. Plus, a federal jury called Juan Espinoza Martinez “not guilty” on Thursday. Espinoza Martinez was accused of offering $10,000 for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino in one of the most contentious cases tied to “Operation Midway Blitz.”