CARTERVILLE — Each December, the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children takes on a special assignment from Santa to help provide a brighter Christmas for children across Southern Illinois.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

JEFFERSON CITY — Marijuana legalization in Missouri takes effect Thursday, capping a 50-year effort to end prohibition and allowing individuals to legally possess 3 ounces or less of marijuana flower.

Here’s the link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

TIME magazine has named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine as its 2022 Person of the Year.

Here’s a link to the story at St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

MARION — Michelle Snyder said she knew Southern Illinoisans were generous, but even she was surprised by the region’s response to the 2022 Giving Tuesday campaign led by the Southern Illinois Community Foundation.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

ATLANTA — Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock has won the state’s runoff election, defeating Republican Herschel Walker in one of the fiercest campaigns of 2022, according to the Associated Press.

Here’s a link to the story at Yahoo News.

Critics slammed President Biden on Tuesday after he claimed there were “more important things going on” in response to a question about why he wasn’t visiting the southern border during his trip to Arizona.

Here’s a link to the story.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s company was convicted of tax fraud on Tuesday in a case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney, a significant repudiation of financial practices at the former president’s business.

Here’s a link to the story.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The suspect accused of entering a Colorado gay nightclub clad in body armor and opening fire with an AR-15-style rifle, killing five people and wounding 17 others, was charged by prosecutors Tuesday with 305 criminal counts including hate crimes and murder.

Here’s a link to the story.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent Heidi Whitney’s daughter into a tailspin.

Here’s the link to the story.

As the U.S Treasury department issued a license to Chevron to drill for oil in Venezuela, relaxing 2019 sanctions applied to Venezuela under the Trump administration, Venezuelan dissidents are crying foul, reminding the world that the Maduro regime continues to engage in what are internationally recognized crimes against humanity.

Here’s a link to the story.