EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Nick Martinelli scored 27 points, including seven in overtime, and Northwestern beat No. 19 Illinois 70-66 on Friday night.
Brooks Barnhizer added 17 points and Jalen Leach had 16 as the Wildcats (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten) overcame a 10-point deficit. Barnhizer's free throw with 8 seconds left in OT helped seal it.
Barnhizer scored on a jumper from the paint with 41 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 56-all. Illinois led 46-36 midway through the second half.
Kasparas Jakucionis led Illinois (6-2, 0-1) with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Tomislav Ivisic had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Will Riley came off the bench to score 12 points.
Northwestern beat a ranked team in its conference home opener for the second straight season after stunning Zach Edey and Purdue last year.
Northwestern: Bounced back after losing its conference opener 80-79 at Iowa on Tuesday on Josh Dix’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Illinois: This was a far cry from the Illini's 90-77 win over then- No. 19 Arkansas on Thanksgiving, which they started on a 21-6 run and led throughout.
Jakucionis was blocked out by Northwestern center Matthew Nicholson and missed on a driving layup with 39 seconds left in OT and the Wildcats leading 67-66. Nicholson grabbed the rebound, and Northwestern added two points on free throws by Leach.
Illinois committed 11 turnovers to four for Northwestern.
Illinois hosts No. 11 Wisconsin on Tuesday. Northwestern plays at Georgia Tech on Dec. 15.
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Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, left, guards Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game that Northwestern won 70-66 in overtime Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency's plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week.
This comes as the Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.
It's unclear how many IRS workers will be affected.
Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.
However, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees.
It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff announcement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency.
Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have called for the U.S. to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.
Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority of to access sensitive government data and exercise “virtually unchecked power” in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the powers of Congress and the president.
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)
FILE - The sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen. May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)