Illinois
President Trump's daughter-in-law speaks at McHenry County fundraising event
MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) — Republican voters gathered Friday in the northwest suburbs for a fundraiser with President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law.
Attendees spoke about how they think the first month of the administration has gone.
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With Republicans in full control of Congress and the White House, the party that’s long been in the minority in Illinois was there to celebrate, reveling in their moment as the majority in Washington.
It is a majority, that they say, comes with a mandate for more sweeping change.
In a ballroom packed with Republican donors and voters, MAGA ballcaps and Trump t-shirts projected their message of the moment. That message: they love it here.
“I think it’s shining a light for everyone in Illinois to understand we can do this,” former Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said. ‘We can get things fixed again.”
SEE ALSO | Gov. JB Pritzker getting national attention for speaking out against Trump during budget address
“I think the man is wonderful,” Dee Dee Lavin said. “I just think God gave us a good person to lead this country.”
The McHenry County GOPAC is boosting the base, and President Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, the former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, flew into town on something of a victory lap.
The first-quarter pep rally of sorts comes at the close of the fifth full week of President Trump’s second term. It’s been a warp-speed turn to the right, marked with immigration roundups and deportations. Also, dozens upon dozens of executive orders, ending birthright citizenship and the immediate freezing of federal funding.
Many of the actions are now tied up or halted in federal courts, with judges flagging serious constitutional questions.
READ MORE | Judge blocks Trump’s executive order ending federal support for DEI programs
“He is the head of the executive, and he is, as an executive, taking control of that branch. And I think that’s admirable,” McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio said.
Thousands of federal workers have been fired, slashed off the payroll, and some frantically re-hired by Elon Musk and his young team at the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“I think the people are going to appreciate what’s being uncovered and how it’s being handled when this is all over,” Bailey said. “Those people who live on the government payroll are career civil servants, tens of thousands of them have been let go… I think a lot of them were new hires.”
Independent voter Isis Carswell didn’t vote for Trump, but she said she sees opportunity.
“I’m okay with slashing jobs, but if they’re saying they’re going to mail everyone $5,000 stimulus checks, that is not a way to boost the economy,” Carswell said. “Higher wages for everyone would be the best way to do it.”
In a deeply blue state, a spokesperson for the Illinois Democratic Party, Gwen Pepin, said in a statement Friday night, in part, “We think it’s past time for Lara, her father-in-law, and the Illinois GOP to focus less on targeting DEI, immigrants and the trans community, and more on lowering pries for working families like President Trump promised to do on day one.”
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Illinois
Person of interest in deadly Cicero, Illinois stabbing apprehended after long pursuit
A suspect in a deadly stabbing was apprehended early Sunday morning following a pursuit from Cicero that ended up on Chicago’s Far South Side.
Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Cicero police were called after Ubano Diaz, 73, was tsabbed in the 3200 block of South 54th Court in the west Chicago suburb. Diaz was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, Cicero police said.
Police immediately identified a person of interest, who was found driving out of the town. They launched a pursuit as the suspect headed northeast on the Stevenson Expressway.
At 1:21 a.m. Sunday, Illinois State Police were called in to assist Cicero police with the pursuit as the suspect cruised up the Stevenson Expressway at California Avenue.
The pursuit kept going along the Stevenson and Dan Ryan expressways before finally ending at 119th Street and Vincennes Avenue west of I-57 in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood.
The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody at that point, Cicero and Illinois State Police said.
There were no crashes or injuries during the pursuit.
Police believe the stabbing was an isolated incident, and there was no threat to the public.
State police did not specify the route of the pursuit.
Illinois
1 killed, multiple displaced after Glenwood, Illinois, condo fire, officials say
One person is dead after a fire inside a condo complex in south suburban Glenwood on Saturday evening.
It happened around 5 p.m. in the 900 block of 194th Street.
Glenwood fire officials said that crews responded to a second-floor unit inside the three-story building that was engulfed with flames.
It was confirmed that one person died in the fire. Their identity was not released.
Neighbors in adjoining condos were displaced. The Red Cross was working to provide further assistance to those affected.
Glenwood fire said they are working with the state fire marshal to investigate what led up to the blaze.
Illinois
2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.
Here’s everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.
FCS championship bracket
Click or tap here to view the bracket
FCS championship schedule
All times Eastern
Quarterfinals
- Friday, December 12
- Saturday, December 13
Semifinals
- Saturday, December 20
- Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
- Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
National Championship
FCS championship rounds, dates
- Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
- First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
- Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
- Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
- National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET
FCS selections
The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release.
Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.
AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids
FCS championship history
North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here’s every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | North Dakota State | Tim Polasek | 35-32 | Montana State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2023 | South Dakota State | Jimmy Rogers | 23-3 | Montana | Frisco, Texas |
| 2022 | South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 45-21 | North Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2021 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 38-10 | Montana State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2020 | Sam Houston | K.C. Keeler | 23-21 | South Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2019 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 28-20 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2018 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 38-24 | Eastern Washington | Frisco, Texas |
| 2017 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 17-13 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2016 | James Madison | Mike Houston | 28-14 | Youngstown State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2015 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 37-10 | Jacksonville State | Frisco, Texas |
Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.
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