(TNS) — Rend Lake College celebrated the opening of its Southern Illinois Manufacturing Academy on Thursday, a 20,000 square-foot facility that promises state-of-the-art training for the manufacturers of tomorrow. In June 2022, Rend Lake College was awarded a $5 million grant from the US. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration through funding provided by the American Rescue Plan. SIMA stands at the Rend Lake College MarketPlace on Potomac Boulevard in Mount Vernon, just off of Interstates 57 and 64. The academy includes advanced training stations for welding, machining, pneumatics, electronics, wiring, power and controls, a robotics lab, a computer lab and classrooms for lectures and presentations. Terry Wilkerson, president of Rend Lake College, used a hockey analogy during his remarks, to not skate where the pick is, but where it’s going to be. “I hope industry and the community realize our role and how serious we take it as a college to be on the forefront of where we think we need to be, and where we can help take our region,” Wilkerson said. One of the highlights of the academy is Confection Connection, a chocolate production facility born out of a grant stipulation requiring the production of a tangible product. It is a collaboration with the college’s Culinary Arts program meant to display the entire production process that blends culinary arts with manufacturing. Lori Ragland, executive vice president of Rend Lake College, called the facility a “significant milestone” for the region. “This training academy is more than just classrooms and equipment,” Ragland said. “It’s about opportunity. Opportunity for our students to gain skills for sustainable jobs, for our local businesses to find talent, and for our economy and community to thrive.” Wilkerson said the concept was originally pitched to the state government before becoming a federal project. “The state liked the proposal so much that they modeled it and they awarded two in the state, but they didn’t put it here, so we decided to explore more options,” Wilkerson said. “I can’t tell you the status of the other two that were put forward, but I can tell you this: we’ve come in on time and under budget.” Christopher Sink, director of the Southern Illinois Manufacturing Academy, explained how the facility will look to keep up with the needs of an ever-changing industry for the benefit of the students it will train. “We’re always pursuing new avenues to bring new technologies and equipment in here to meet the demands of our business partners and to make sure that we provide a good education and good skill set for our graduating students so that they’re successful now,” Sink said. State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) was on hand during the showcasing of the academy and described the facility as “phenomenal.” He said the facility will provide a beacon for people to stay in Southern Illinois after high school or come to Illinois instead of needing to seek opportunities elsewhere. “This is giving a reason for young people to stay in Southern Illinois for the opportunities that are here,” Severin said. “If you’re a student and you’re interested in getting into the trades, you don’t have to drive to another state or go somewhere else. You can stay in Southern Illinois.” Severin commended the effort by Rend Lake College to make such an investment in expanding its reach and staying competitive to build up the region. “It’s one thing to talk about something,” Severin said. “It’s another thing to produce. This is producing. This keeps us relevant.” For more information about the Southern Illinois Manufacturing Academy, contact SIMA director Christopher Sink at 618-437-5321, ext. 1798, or visit .After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff
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Parents Cause Distractions by Monitoring Student Laptops in ClassEven Luann de Lesseps makes mistakes—at least according to Hugh Grant . The Four Weddings and a Funeral actor reacted after the Real Housewives of New York City alum recently said the pair once shared a steamy makeout session at a restaurant in the Hamptons. “A girlfriend of mine called me and was like, ‘Hugh Grant is at Pierre's,’” Luann told TooFab in an interview published Nov. 22. “I had my family over, my brother was visiting me, and I said, ‘Let's go.’” The “Money Can’t Buy You Class” singer recalled how she quickly got to business flirting with the Bridget Jones’s Diary star, purposely bumping into him to initiate a conversation. “I go, ‘I'm so sorry,’” the 59-year-old continued, “‘Can I buy you a shot? I feel terrible.’ He goes, ‘Okay, but I'll come have a shot with you if you do one with me.’ Before you know it, we are taking shots and making out... heavily at the table! My brother was like, ‘I can't believe you're making out with Hugh Grant,’ and I was like, ‘Neither can I.’” As for Hugh’s recollection of the event? The 64-year-old shared a screenshot of the exchange on social media, a nd while he didn’t deny the encounter, he admitted his memory of the evening was a bit fuzzy. “I do remember meeting a charming RHNY in a restaurant,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Nov. 25, “but I’d like to stress it was about 15 years ago. I don’t recall shots or kissing but her memory might be better than mine.” The Paddington 2 actor isn’t the only Hollywood heartthrob Luann has come in contact with, as she also described once running into Gerard Butler —but by her recollection, she wasn’t quite as successful. “I got into an elevator with him,” Luann revealed. “I tried my best but he had a girlfriend who was there. You can only try!” For more surprising celebrity confessions, keep reading. Jason Kelce Doesn't Regularly Wash His Feet "What kind of weirdo washes their feet...." Jason Kelce tweeted in June 2024 after a fan noted the athlete "looks like he doesn't wash his legs or feet." The retired Philadelphia Eagles player later doubled down on his comments. "What kind of psychopath washes your feet?" he deadpanned on an episode of his and brother Travis Kelce 's New Heights podcast, adding, "If there's visible dirt on them, I'll scrub the dirt off." Grandma knows best. Kim Kardashian got candid about how her grandma Mary Jo "MJ" Campbell influenced one intimate moment between her and then-boyfriend Pete Davidson , during an October 2022 episode of The Kardashians . "Pete and I were staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel last weekend, and we were sitting in front of the fireplace, just talking for hours," the SKIMS founder recounted to MJ, mom Kris Jenner and sister Khloe Kardashian . "And I was like, 'My grandma told me that you really live life when you have sex in front of the fireplace. And so, we had sex in front of the fireplace in honor of you." Grandma's reaction? A nod of approval. "How creepy to think about your grandma before you have sex?" Kim said, to which MJ replied, "I know, but I was younger once." The love shared in Mila Kunis and husband Ashton Kutcher 's tight-knit family—which includes 8-year-old daughter Wyatt and 6-year-old son Dimitri —knows no boundaries. So much so, that the Black Swan actress revealed they keep an open-door policy at home. "That includes the bathroom," she told E! News in September 2022. "It's just one of those where, for better or for worse, as a family and the kids have all kind of embodied bodily function as a very standard norm." Mila said she arrived at the decision after her family kept knocking on the door and asking to come in, which prompted her to oblige: "I was like, ‘Oh, forget it. Just keep the door open.'" Pre-kids, she might not have imagined she'd flush that particular boundary away. She added, "I'd never thought that I would be the person that was able to go to the bathroom with the door open." Ghouls just want to have fun. As The View panelists were reviewing footage about a woman who alleged she had "sexual ghosts" in her home, Sara Haines asked the group an important question during an October 2022 episode : "If you have sex with a ghost, can you get pregnant?" Fortunately for her, co-host Joy Behar had an answer, adding, "I've had sex with a few ghosts and never got pregnant." "I'm just gonna let that ride," Whoopi Goldberg said in response. "I don't know how many of you just heard what Joy just said, but I'm going to let it ride." Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotab are a thick as thieves, though there is one thing Hoda didn't know about her Today co-host. When the pair were getting ready for an episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna , Hoda discovered Jenna perpetually goes commando. "We both had to change before the show and we were like, 'Oh we have to go back into the changing room,'" Hoda said during a November 2022 episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna . "But then I noticed, Jenna never wears underwear." Jenna's rationale? Well, no underwear might just be more convenient to her. "I think it makes a more pretty silhouette," she said. "I also think you don't have to pack as much. There are a lot of pros to it!" Looks like someone hasn't been keeping up. Britney Spears found herself embracing Keke Palmer 's viral saying "he could be walking down the street, I wouldn't know a thing," when she admitted she didn't know who Pete Davidson and Scott Disick were. Reposting a humorous March video of Pete—who was then dating Kim Kardashian —and Kourtney Kardashian 's ex Scott enjoying a "boyz night," to her Instagram, Britney said the two of them had her cracking up. "Sorry had to repost this," Britney wrote in the since-deleted post. "no idea who these people in the video are but it made me laugh so hard !!!!" Back before the world knew Chris Evans as Captain America and People 's Sexiest Man Alive of 2022 , Jana Kramer knew him as the "heartthrob, cutie" she went on a few dates with. It happened more than a decade ago, the singer revealed on her Whine Down with Jana Kramer podcast in November, and though she can't remember "how many dates it was," she does recall their last encounter. Jana, then about 26 years old, said Chris invited her over to his house while he had friends in town from Boston. "The last interaction that I remember is him going into the bathroom after I just went with asparagus pee," Jana remembered, referencing the veggie's tendency to give urine a very distinct scent. "We didn't hook up that night. He stayed up late with his friends and then [in] the morning I did the asparagus walk of shame out of his house." She added, "I never heard from him again." Not all of these confessions are amusing. Eight years after sharing in an ELLE article that she had been battling a rare type of bone cancer—her fake diagnosis even inspiring a storyline on Grey's Anatomy — show writer Elisabeth Finch admitted in December it was all a ruse . "I told a lie when I was 34 years old and it was the biggest mistake of my life. It just got bigger and bigger and bigger and got buried deeper and deeper inside me," Elisabeth told The Ankler newsletter Dec. 7, adding, "I've never had any form of cancer." Summed up Finch, who was placed on administrative leave from the ABC medical drama before eventually resigning, said, "What I did was wrong. Not okay. F--ked up. All the words." Beauty is pain, but Kim Kardashian might be able to stomach it. Telling The New York Times the lengths she would go to for a more youthful appearance, the reality star cracked that she was willing to try just about anything. "If you told me that I literally had to eat poop every single day and I would look younger, I might," she said in June. "I just might." In a July 2022 interview with Allure , Kim said she was "kind of joking" about the comment, though the idea didn't seem too terrible . "But now that I think about it," Kim added, "I would probably eat s--t if someone told me, ‘If you eat this bowl of poop every single day, you'll look younger.'" How much could she make room for? "Maybe just a bite," she told the outlet. "I don't think I can do a whole bowl."
Calvin And Hobbes Complete Box Set Is Over 60% Off In Amazon's Black Friday SaleOusted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule. The Russian agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source on Mr. Assad and his family being given asylum in Moscow, his longtime ally and protector. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but contacted the Kremlin for comment. RIA also said Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. Mr. Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday, and Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule. The swiftly moving events have raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Russia has requested an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council discuss the situation in Syria, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the U.N., Dmitry Polyansky, posted on Telegram. Joyful crowds gathered in squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. Others gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and residence after Mr. Assad and other top officials vanished. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaeda commander who cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance, leads the biggest rebel faction and is poised to chart the country's future. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, Mr. al-Golani visited the sprawling Umayyad Mosque and called Mr. Assad's fall "a victory to the Islamic nation." Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he told hundreds of people that Mr. Assad had made Syria "a farm for Iran's greed." The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and still split among armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in some remote areas. Syrian state television broadcast a rebel statement early Sunday saying Mr. Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been released. They called on people to preserve the institutions of "the free Syrian state." The rebels later announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. The rebels said they freed people held at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed. A video circulating online purported to show rebels breaking open cell doors and freeing dozens of female prisoners, many of whom appeared shocked. At least one small child was seen among them. "This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he," said one relative, Bassam Masr. "I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years." Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi later appeared on state TV and sought to reassure Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, saying: "Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects." "We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. Celebrations in the capital Damascus residents prayed in mosques and celebrated in squares, calling, "God is great." People chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Revelers filled Umayyad Square, where the Defense Ministry is located. Some waved the three-starred Syrian flag that predates the Assad government and was adopted by the revolutionaries. Elsewhere, many parts of the capital were empty and shops were closed. Soldiers and police left their posts and fled, and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Videos showed families wandering the presidential palace, some carrying stacks of plates and other household items. "It's like a dream. I need someone to wake me up," said opposition fighter Abu Laith, adding the rebels were welcomed in Damascus with "love." At the Justice Ministry, where rebels stood guard, Judge Khitam Haddad said they were protecting documents from the chaos. Outside, some residents sought information about relatives who disappeared under Mr. Assad. The rebels "have felt the pain of the people," said one woman, giving only her first name, Heba. She worried about possible revenge killings by the rebels, many of whom appeared to be underage. Syria's al-Watan newspaper, which was historically pro-government, wrote: "We are facing a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood." It added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements, saying it "only carried out the instructions." A statement from the Alawite sect that has formed the core of Mr. Assad's base called on young Syrians to be "calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country." The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to "extend its hand" to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video shared on Syrian opposition media showed armed men escorting him from his office and to the Four Seasons hotel on Sunday. Anwar Gargash said Mr. Assad's destination at this point is a "footnote in history," comparing it to the long exile of German Kaiser Wilhelm II after World War I. Calls for an orderly transition The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall within days as the Syrian army melted away. Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which provided crucial support to Mr. Assad throughout the uprising, abandoned him as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Mr. Assad's rule was a major blow to Iran and its allies, already weakened by conflict with Israel. Iran, which had strongly backed him throughout the civil war, said Syrians should decide their future "without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention." The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said Israeli troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned positions. Israel's military later warned residents of five southern Syria communities to stay home for their safety, and didn't respond to questions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied, and the Arab League on Sunday condemned what it called Israel's efforts to take advantage of Mr. Assad's downfall occupy more territory. The rebels are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, which has its origins in al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Al-Golani, has sought to recast the group as a moderate and tolerant force. "Golani has made history and sparked hope among millions of Syrians," said Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group. "But he and the rebels now face a formidable challenge ahead." The U.N.'s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an "orderly political transition." The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday. They included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need "to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is "stability and safe transition." This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Abby Sewell reported from Beirut. Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, contributed.
Newmont's Options Frenzy: What You Need to Know
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising toward records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% and was on track to top its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81 points, or 0.2%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher, with less than an hour remaining in trading. Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada's main index edged down by just 0.1%. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs , but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. General Motors sank 8.2%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.9%. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support to the job market . While lower interest rates can boost the overall economy and prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. “Many” officials at the Fed's last meeting earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to minutes of the meeting released Tuesday afternoon. Unlike tariffs in Trump's first term, his proposal from Monday night would affect products across the board. Trump’s tariff talk came almost immediately after U.S. stocks rose Monday amid excitement about his pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The hope was the hedge-fund manager could steer Trump away from policies that balloon the U.S. government deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another set of mixed profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates instituted by the Fed to get inflation under control. Kohl’s tumbled 17.6% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 4.7% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. J.M. Smucker jumped 5.4% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after topping analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 2.8% for Amazon and 2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.30% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $99,000 for the first time late last week. It's since dipped back toward $91,600, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that initially took over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.TORONTO - The co-founders of two of Canada’s top artificial intelligence firms say companies in the country are buzzing with excitement around the technology but turning that enthusiasm into products and tools takes too long. Cohere co-founder Nick Frosst says he has grown used to being approached by Canadian firms wanting to work with AI but they’re slow to actually implement the technology. Frosst says it is hard to pinpoint where that lack of urgency comes from but he thinks part of it is embedded in Canada’s culture. Nicole Janssen, the co-founder of AltaML, has had a similar experience. She says it takes 18 months for companies reaching out to her business to commit to using AI and then another 18 months to start doing something with it. She says the danger in this long lead time is that people get tired of devoting energy and resources to projects that are not immediately giving them a return on their investment and then this work falls to the wayside. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.Biden calls for Assad to be 'held accountable'