SPRINGFIELD — A new 730 area code overlaying the current 618 area code will be introduced in Southern Illinois next year, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced Wednesday.

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It is the most uneven of swaps at the most unlikely of times, but perhaps the intense pressure of this moment is why the exchange of a US basketball star for a Russian arms dealer ended up happening now.

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A Zelenskyy quip. A Trump conspiracy. A Biden gaffe. Here are the 10 most notable quotes of the past year.

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CARBONDALE — SIH, the region’s largest healthcare provider, announced today that 76 positions within senior leadership, management and corporate services would be eliminated or reorganized.

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(The Center Square) – After lawmakers approved amendments to the SAFE-T Act that eliminates cash bail in Illinois, a lawsuit challenging the measure’s implementation will now be heard Dec. 20, just 11 days before no cash bail is to take effect.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who made banning the sale of assault weapons a key component of his successful reelection campaign this fall, for the first time voiced support for the recently unveiled proposal by Illinois House Democrats that includes outlawing the sale of certain assault-style guns, barring most people under 21 from getting gun permits and banning large-capacity magazines.

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Powerful labor union IUOE Local 150 is giving U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s campaign a $1 million donation in his bid to unseat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law changes to a controversial criminal justice overhaul that will eliminate cash bail beginning Jan. 1, making good on assurances he gave during his successful reelection campaign that the measure would be tweaked.

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The AP’s top photos of 2022 capture a planet bursting at the seams. Scroll through 150 unforgettable images that defined the year that was.

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Amtrak said Monday it has restored all services at its Homewood station, including on-site ticketing and the resumption of two daily round-trip trains on the Illini and Saluki line.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.