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Illinois’ 2026 elections feature a March 17 primary and November 3 general, contesting a U.S. Senate seat after Dick Durbin’s retirement, Gov JB Pritzker’s reelection bid against GOP challengers like Darren Bailey, all 17 House seats, and local races like Cook County Board President. Early voting started February 12 at Chicago’s new supersite (137 S. State St.) and Board of Elections (69 W. Washington), expanding to all 50 wards March 2; Suburban Cook begins March 2 with same-day registration via two IDs. Vote-by-mail requests due locally, postmarked Election Day plus 14-day receipt; 17-year-olds turning 18 by November vote in primary…

Hundreds of Iranian-Americans and supporters gathered in Chicago on February 14, 2026, for a rally along Michigan Avenue as part of worldwide actions against Iran’s regime, highlighting its brutal suppression of protesters. Organized by activist Pegah Piri and inspired by Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah, the march proceeded from Congress and Michigan to Daley Plaza, citing over 7,000 deaths in the crackdown. Demonstrators called on President Trump to intensify U.S. pressure on Tehran to support demands for regime change.

Kankakee County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an 11:23 p.m. automated iPhone crash alert on February 12, 2026, near 3700 East Illinois Route 17, finding 58-year-old Phyllis A. Moses’ dark pickup partially submerged in nearly two feet of partially frozen creek water with two young children inside. The children were rushed to a Chicago-area hospital in critical condition amid cold water dangers, while Moses was hospitalized then arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. First responders prioritized safety in the hazardous nighttime conditions, underscoring the rapid alert’s role in the rescue.

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16-year-old daughter of Chicago resident Ruben Torres Maldonado, passed away on February 14, 2026, after fighting stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer. Her father had been briefly detained by ICE in October 2025 outside a Niles Home Depot while she returned from hospital treatment; they reunited after his bond release, with her crediting family time for strength. Three days before her death, an immigration judge approved conditional “cancellation of removal” for Maldonado due to hardship on his U.S. citizen children—Ofelia joined the hearing via Zoom—as family attorney Kalman Resnick praised her heroic spirit.

Authorities identified 45-year-old Damon Kellum, found shot to death around 5 a.m. on February 11, 2026, near East 37th Street and South Lake Park Avenue in Chicago’s Oakland neighborhood, beside a carjacked 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The vehicle matched one stolen hours prior during a deadly Lakeview carjacking at West Waveland and North Halsted, where suspects killed 22-year-old Darwin Tirado while a 38-year-old passenger escaped injury. Chicago police hunt a two-man crew behind the shootings amid no arrests or clear motive; a vigil honored Tirado as investigations link the cases.

Fire broke out around 6 a.m. Saturday in the basement of a two-story, 12-unit building in the 12300 block of S. Bishop Street, Calumet Park, quickly spreading to the attic before firefighters contained it. One firefighter sustained a minor knee injury during the response, treated on scene, while no residents were hurt due to the effective fire alarm system. Thick smoke blanketed the south Chicago suburb, displacing multiple families as officials investigate the cause.

A new Democratic Senate Foreign Relations Committee report details U.S. spending exceeding $40 million through January 2026 to deport about 300 migrants to over 20 third countries via costly deals and military aircraft. The State Department justifies the practice as essential to President Trump’s rapid deportation goals, despite instances of migrants being returned home at double cost. Lawmakers and rights groups question the expense and ethics, noting deals with nations like Rwanda cost over $1M per person.

The Catholic Church recognizes at least two Saint Valentines martyred on February 14 under Roman Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century, with their stories blending over time into legends of a priest marrying lovers secretly and healing a blind girl—details absent from early records. Historians note the feast likely overlaid the ancient Lupercalia festival, a mid-February Roman rite of fertility involving sacrifices. Medieval writers like Chaucer transformed it into a romantic celebration, evolving through myth and modern commercialization into today’s holiday.

First Lady Melania Trump visited The Children’s Inn at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, on February 11, 2026, where a young boy charmed her with the viral compliment: “I don’t play chess, but I know a queen when I see one.” She smiled, participated in arts and crafts making valentines with children facing rare diseases in clinical trials, and lauded their bravery plus staff compassion. The touching exchange spread online, highlighting kindness amid a tough D.C. week.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 11, 2026, mandating the Pentagon to secure long-term electricity purchases from coal-fired plants for military bases, aiming to revive the industry. The order also directs $175 million from the Energy Department to modernize six coal facilities across Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Trump touted coal as “the most reliable power source” to strengthen the grid, drawing support for energy security but criticism from environmentalists over climate impacts.