217 Today: Illinois residents soon have a big choice to make: who should represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Today’s headlines: 

• The death of the Reverend Jesse Jackson on Tuesday brings new attention to his presence across downstate Illinois.
• Federal immigration agents will now need a judicial warrant to enter buildings controlled by Champaign County.
• The NAACP Illinois chapter hosted a forum on Sunday in Champaign for three Illinois Democrats running for U.S. Senate.
• Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is unveiling his eighth state budget plan today… and one of his proposals is to ban so-called junk fees.
• The Fighting Illini women's basketball team got back on track after beating Rutgers 76 to 56 last night.

In today’s deep dive, Illinois residents soon have a big choice to make: who should represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years?

217 Today is produced by Giuliana Means. Reporting today contributed by Cooper O’Kelly, Emily Hays, Arjun Thakkar, Jonathan Mathew, and Mawa Iqbal.