Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Today’s headlines:
- Miramar Martinez was shot five times by Border Patrol agents …and almost became a martyr of the brutal federal deportation campaign in Chicago.
- Eighteen former Department of Justice Attorneys filed a brief in federal court arguing the Trump administration has no legal authority to demand access to Illinois’s unredacted voter registration database.
- After back-to-back losses, the No. 11-ranked Fighting Illini Men’s basketball team dominated Oregon 80 to 54 last night.
- This fall, the University of Illinois is offering a course that will include students from both inside and outside prison.
In today’s deep dive, last month, the Trump administration tried to freeze $1 billion in federal funding for Illinois child care. Courts have blocked it so far.
217 Today is produced by Giuliana Means. Reporting today contributed by Isabela Nieto, Jonathan Mathew, Emily Hays, and Peter Medlin.