(The Center Square) – California Republican Kevin McCarthy failed Tuesday to get enough support in the first three votes as his bid for Speaker of the House struggles to cross the finish line

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(The Center Square) – December was another record month for Border Patrol agents tasked with apprehending foreign nationals illegally entering the U.S. through the southwest border

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s body is lying in state as thousands of people have lined up across St. Peter’s Square hours before dawn to pay their respects. The doors of St. Peter’s Basilica opened for viewing by the public at just past 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. EST) Monday when the first faithful entered.

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CHICAGO — After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago has begun to see a decline in homicides, as the Chicago Police Department works to correct crime trends to levels before the coronavirus and turmoil over the killing of George Floyd took hold.

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(The Center Square) – Amtrak saw a big increase in ridership in fiscal year 2022 but is still at 72% of its peak pre-pandemic levels, according to data the transit company released.

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CNN — The man arrested in connection with the November killings of four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death attended a nearby university in Washington state and traveled across the country in December to spend the holidays with his parents.

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Gun violence is a growing problem in the United States. Active shooter incidents surged by over 50% in 2021 compared to the previous year, and the share of violent crimes involving firearms climbed by over 30%, according to the FBI. While the right to gun ownership is enshrined in the Constitution, keeping guns out of the wrong hands is a persistent challenge – and one that some states appear to be taking more seriously than others. (These are the firearm calibers used the most to commit crimes in the U.S.)

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(The Center Square) – Illinois’ minimum wage will increase by an additional dollar an hour in 2023, and new laws on the books will impact how the state’s businesses manage employees.

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SPRINGFIELD — As of Jan. 1, 2023, upon a Firearms Transaction Inquiry Program approval, the Illinois State Police will automatically renew a person’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card for individuals who have submitted a full set of fingerprints to ISP specifically for their FOID card or Concealed Carry License

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CHICAGO — In many ways, 2022 was a wild year for cannabis in Illinois — long-running court fights were resolved, hundreds of new licenses were issued, and hemp-derived derivatives like Delta-8 exploded in popularity.

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