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S&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets mixedMichael Croley | (TNS) Bloomberg News In the old days of 2016, when golfers visited the Dormie Club in West End, North Carolina — 15 minutes from the hotbed of American golf, Pinehurst — they were greeted by a small, single-wide trailer and a rugged pine straw parking lot. Related Articles Travel | A preview of some stunning hotels and resorts opening in 2025 Travel | Travel scams that can hurt your credit or finances Travel | Travel: Paddle the Loxahatchee River, one of two National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida Travel | 7 family-friendly ski resorts in the US that won’t break the bank Travel | Friday expected to be among busiest holiday travel days at BWI Marshall Airport That trailer is now long gone. A gate has been installed at the club’s entrance and a long driveway leads to a grand turnaround that sweeps you past a new modern clubhouse that’s all right angles, with floor-to-ceiling glass. Seconds after you exit your car, valets are zipping up in golf carts, taking your name, then your bags, handing you keys to your own golf cart, and then zipping off to drop your luggage in the four-bedroom cottage where you’ll stay. A short walk past an expansive putting green you’ll find the pro shop — and then you’ll see the club’s most elegant feature: its golf course. The changes have all come about because Dormie Club was acquired in 2017 by the Dormie Network, a national group that owns seven private golf facilities from Nebraska to New Jersey. (“Dormie” is a word for being ahead in golf — the names were coincidences.) A key to the network’s success has been its ability to find clubs ripe for acquisition, with outstanding golf courses and existing on-site lodging or the room to build it, says Zach Peed, president of the company and its driving force. After investing in Arbor Links Golf Club in Nebraska City, Nebraska, in late 2015, Peed believed he saw an opening in the golf market: a new model of hospitality for traveling professionals who wanted a pure golf experience that eschewed the pools and pickleball courts of their home clubs. His clubs would become dream golf-only getaways for avid players and their pals. “Dormie Network’s concept was sparked by having played competitive golf in college, combined with an element of experiencing and understanding hospitality,” says Peed. “It made sense to blend the two to create golf trips that had more value than just playing golf. We want genuine hospitality to help create unforgettable memories and new friendships.” Part of that formula has been in the lodging strategy; in North Carolina, 15 four-bedroom cottages now are a short golf cart ride from the main clubhouse. In each, golfers all have their own king-size bed and en suite bathroom. A large common room is dominated by a flatscreen television along with a well-stocked bar and snacks. That ability to be both social, or tucked away in your room, extends to the expansive new clubhouse, where a high-ceilinged bar area with blond wood creates an inviting space for dining and drinking, and several hideaway rooms allow for more private diners with just your group. So far, their commitment to hospitality has been helping them expand in both membership and club usage in the increasingly competitive market for traveling golfers. Major players such as Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst Resort, and the Cabot Collection have created — or renovated — a new paradigm where golfers get dining and lodging that’s as showcase-worthy as the courses they play. Comfortable sheets and options beyond pub food aren’t luxuries anymore, but staples for many group trips. Dormie has answered that call by focusing on both the big details and the small ones, like having the dew wiped off each golf cart at dawn outside guest cottages before the day begins or having a tray of cocktails delivered to golfers as their final putt falls on the 18th green. These touches may seem over-the-top, but they stand out in a world where golf travel is increasingly popular — and expensive — after the pandemic lockdowns. Since 2020 there has been an explosion in participation in the sport, with new golfers picking up the game and avid golfers playing more: According to the National Golf Foundation, a record 531 million rounds were played in 2023, surpassing the high of 529 million set in 2021. Supreme Golf, a public golf booking website, reports in its latest analysis that the average cost of a tee time has increased to $49 in 2024 from $38 in 2019, a 30% increase. Those cost increases are also on par (pun intended) with the costs of private clubs and initiation fees during that same period, where membership rosters that were dwindling pre-COVID now have waitlists 50 to 60 people deep, according to Jason Becker, co-founder and chief executive officer of Golf Life Navigators, which matches homebuyers with golf course communities. “There’s been an absolute run on private golf. If we use southwest Florida as an example, where there are 158 golf communities, this time last November, only five had memberships available,” he said. That inability to find a club close to home has pushed avid golfers to look farther afield, choosing national memberships at clubs that require traveling, usually via plane, to play. Dormie has capitalized on this growing segment, offering two types of memberships: First, a national membership, where members pay an initiation fee and monthly dues just as they would at a local club, but instead of one club they have access to seven. The second option is a signature membership for companies, “which allows businesses to use our properties for entertainment needs and requires a multiyear commitment,” Peed says. The network also offers a limited number of regional memberships for those living within a certain distance of one of its clubs. Dormie Network declined to provide the cost of memberships or monthly dues and wouldn’t give membership numbers, but the clubs are structured to lodge roughly 60 golfers, max, on-site at any given property at any time. The total number of beds across the network’s portfolio of properties has increased from 84 in 2019 to 432 today. It saw a jump from 10,000 room nights in 2019 to 48,000 in 2023. This September, Dormie opened GrayBull in Maxwell, in Nebraska’s, Sandhills region. Dormie Network tabbed David McLay Kidd to build the course, who also built the original course at Oregon’s famed Bandon Dunes. Kidd says of the property GrayBull sits on, “It’s like the Goldilocks thing: not too flat, not too steep. It’s kind of in a bowl that looks inwards, and there are no bad views.” That kind of remote destination, where the long-range views are only Mother Nature or other golf holes, is what drives many traveling golfers these days. Peed says his team leaned on years of knowledge from Dormie’s acquisitions as they built GrayBull, which started construction in 2022. “We had an understanding of how our members and guests use the clubs that allowed us to take a blank canvas in the Sandhills of Nebraska and combine all of the greatest aspects of each Dormie property into one.” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Trump's threat to impose tariffs could raise prices for consumers, colliding with promise for relief
DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40% from the two countries. For both companies, about 55% of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM shares were down more than 8% and Stellantis was off over 5%. It's not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won't make any moves because they can't quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry,” the council said. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together. "This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose the tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former trade official in the Clinton administration. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn't met its obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs represent a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico sets out a legal process that often takes as long as nine months, during which time Trump would likely seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate by putting tariffs on U.S. exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump's tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. U.S. companies would lobby the Trump administration intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are U.S. firms that make parts there. “Our economies really are integrated,” Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the U.S. an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.RADNOR — Having landed his dream job once, Eric Roedl wasn’t sure at first what to make of the chance to do it again. It would’ve taken a lot to get the Deputy Athletic Director at the University of Oregon to leave Eugene, where he’s spent 13 years. The chance to lead not just any athletic department but that of his alma mater was sufficient to bring him back to the Main Line. Roedl was introduced Tuesday as Villanova’s Vice President and Director of Athletics. He replaces Mark Jackson, who was hired in the fall to become the AD at Northwestern. The move brings Roedl home. He played tennis at Villanova, graduating in 1997. His wife Nicole is a 1998 graduate of Villanova. Roedl spent eight years in athletic administration at Temple, then a stint at William & Mary before venturing west to a power conference behemoth in Oregon. While Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue joked at Tuesday’s press conference that he hoped Roedl could bring a slice of the Ducks’ massive budget East with him, Roedl will carry some tangible aspects managing such a big organization to the mission-driven challenge at Villanova. “My big takeaways from Oregon are a commitment to building a championship culture in everything we do, very high standards, full-fledged commitment to holistic student-athlete development, always trying to be out in front when it comes to NCAA deregulation and the things that we can do to provide support for our student-athletes, and just creating a great environment for our student-athletes and our staff,” Roedl said. “People talk about resources and they talk about money, but to me, what really is the difference maker in building successful programs – and I know you know this here at Villanova – it’s about the people and how you operate in the culture.” Both Donohue and Roedl acknowledged several times the changing landscape of college athletics. Athletes are able to earn money for their name, image and likeness, and the House settlement requires colleges to share revenue with athletes. The pressure of those changes will exert much different responses at Roedl’s former employer, a public land-grant institution backed by the deep pockets of Nike’s founder, than at a small, private, Augustinian university. Roedl highlighted those differences in asserting how his approach would meet those challenges. “We have an exciting and compelling vision for the future,” Roedl said in prepared remarks. “Villanova has a deep belief in the role and value of college athletics as a part of this community. Nothing brings people together like sports, and I think Nova Nation is a true testament to that. ... Our priorities will be focused on what’s in the best interest of this university and alignment with our Augustinian values, and certainly what is in the best interest of the health, well-being and success of our student-athletes.” Roedl talked around a question about the basketball program’s recent struggles, beyond a pledge to “continue to innovate and strategically invest” in the men’s and women’s programs. The Wildcats, who won national titles in 2016 and 2018 under Jay Wright, have failed to make the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons under Kyle Neptune. Roedl won’t formally take over until January, but he’ll be monitoring how the basketball season progresses, with on-court performance as one of several factors in determining Neptune’s fate. Roedl is transitioning from a program that enjoys a revenue-generating football program to a Football Championship Subdivision squad that is a much different economic model. But he extolled the virtues of that competitive format for Villanova, which begins the FCS playoffs on Saturday. “I think the FCS football model is terrific,” Roedl said. “I love the fact that you’re competing throughout the year, and you’re competing to get into the playoffs, and you can play your way through. The CFP finally came around to that type of a model. It took a while, but the financial model is different, and football means different things to different schools. “There’s a lot of benefit to having an FCS football program and all the things that it brings to your campus. The team represents this university really well. We bring in tremendous, talented student-athletes from all over the country to come in here and compete for Villanova, and that’s a program that I really look forward to supporting and being a part of.” Roedl played a sport in college that, like many Olympic sports, feels economically endangered at the collegiate level. He calls his student-athlete experience “transformational,” in both his career and his life. He used the term “broad-based excellence” on several occasions to illustrate a goal of elevating all of Villanova’s 24 varsity programs, in terms of on-field success and off-field sustainability. In lamenting that “college athletics has become a little bit more transactional,” Roedl is endeavoring to lead Villanova through a middle path. If recruiting talent becomes a bidding war against bigger and better resourced schools, they don’t necessarily have the capital to compete directly. So the name of the game is to provide something more than just what happens on the field, whether that’s academically or via the community. “To me, one of the things that’s most special about college athletics is all the opportunity that it provides to young people to dream and be a part of a university athletic program, and that’s something that we’re going to be fully committed to here at Villanova,” he said. “We’re going to work our tails off to go out and find the resources. It’s a new time, and there’s going to be more pressure on each of our programs to find ways to be sustainable, to continue to be able to provide those opportunities. There’s a lot of pressure on resources right now post-House settlement and we look forward to engaging in the communities around all of our sports to continue to have them be thriving and successful.”
Trump's threat to impose tariffs could raise prices for consumers, colliding with promise for relief
SPORTING LISBON 1-5 ARSENAL Mikel Arteta promised to send out a ruthless team to end his poor run of European away days and how the Arsenal manager delivered. This deserved dismantling of one of Europe’s most feared teams was what can best be described as a statement win and their best under Arteta in the Champions League. Talk here in Lisbon over the past few days was that the club that gave us Cristiano Ronaldo as a player and more recently Ruben Amorim as a coach had never been better and virtually unplayable at home. They came into the match unbeaten and second to only Liverpool in the new format Champions League table, fresh from thrashing Manchester City here last time out. Arsenal scored only their second away win in eight Champions League trips aided by three first half goals via Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel. They withstood a second half comeback goal from Goncalo Inacio and a 65thminute Bukayo Saka penalty killed the game off. The size of the win lifts Arsenal from 14th to eighth in the table. With home games against Monaco and Dinamo Zagreb followed by a trip to Girona yet to come, they are on course to avoid the inconvenience of a February play-off and qualify automatically for the last 16 of this season’s edition of the competition. Arteta has only an FA Cup to his name to date but knows the fans and hierarchy demand more to really return Arsenal to the top of the top table. How realistic that is remains to be seen. It is hard to challenge the notion that the Spanish coach has restored the club’s relationship with their supporters worldwide and returned the club to the levels they need to be at for the first time since Arsene Wenger left seven years ago. Regularly challenging for the Premier League title and routinely competing in and emphatically winning on Champions League nights such as these as a matter of course. The transformation is not complete, but it is not far off. Lisbon were rattled by the quality of Arsenal’s start, the way they moved the ball so precisely at pace. The decision to go out on the front foot paid off inside the opening seven minutes when Martinelli put them in front. Jurrien Timber worked himself clear on the right and sent in a tantalising low right-foot cross with a bit of curl that drew the keeper out while also taking the ball away from him. Kai Havertz looked set to cash in but was blocked by defender Diomande and Martinelli stole in at the far post to score his second goal in as many games. The second goal, after 22 minutes, also came down the right and was also a quality move. In form Thomas Partey sent Bukayo Saka clear with a chip into the Sporting area and the England winger prodded the ball through Franco Israel’s legs for Havertz to tap in a ball that would probably have gone in anyway. The stunned Sporting supporters responded by letting off a bunch of green and white smoke bombs and flashing fireworks over the head of undeterred Arsenal keeper David Raya. Arsenal continued to look the more dangerous side in the smoke even when Sporting tried to up the pace of their game. As the Portuguese laboured the Arsenal supporters stationed high up in the Estadio Jose Alvalade taunted the locals with chants of ‘we want more fireworks.’ A warning against complacency for fans and players alike came in the form of a run and shot by Geovany Quenda, which Raya tipped over the bar just before half-time. Raya snuffed out the danger from the corner too and moments later was dancing around his area in celebration when Gabriel headed in from a Declan Rice corner with the very last touch of the first half. The Brazil central defender sprinkled some salt on the wounded Lisbonites by celebrating in front of their fans in the style of their Swedish goalscoring hero Viktor Gyokeres. The highly coveted striker, said to be firmly on Arsenal’s radar too, touched the ball only 18 times in the first half, three of them from kick-offs. Sporting came out like a rocket at the start of the second half as a Hidemas Morita shot earned them a quick corner. Goncalo Inacio scored when the ball was sent back in and with only two minutes of the second period played it was game on all over again. Arsenal diligently slowed the game down and Saka buried his spot kick and any hopes of a comeback after Martin Odegaard was hacked down from behind in the penalty area. Substitute Leandro Trossard’s 82nd minute header from the rebound of a Mikel Merino shot prompted an early emptying of the stadium. Sporting Lisbon: Israel 6, St Juste 5, Inacio 6 (Reis 88), Diomande 5, Araujo 5 (Catamo 68), Morita 6 (Harder 78), Quenda 6, Hjulmand 6, Edwards 5 (Braganca 68), Gyokeres 7, Trincao 6. Subs not used: Kovacevic, Callai, Fresneda, Esgaio, Brito, Simoes, Monteiro, Couto. Arsenal: Raya 8, Timber 8, Saliba 8, Gabriel 8 (Kiwior 84), Calafiori 6 (Zinchenko 78), Odegaard 8 (Nwaneri, 78), Partey 8, Rice 7 (Merino 70), Saka 8, Martinelli 8 (Trossard 70), Havertz 7. Subs: Neto, Setford, Tierney Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho, Sterling, Jesus. Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL) 6.No. 24 Arizona is coming off consecutive defeats for the first time in the Tommy Lloyd era when it faces undefeated Davidson on Wednesday to begin the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Arizona (2-2) lost at Wisconsin 103-88 on Nov. 15 and followed that with a home loss against Duke 69-55 on Friday. The Wildcats have dropped 15 spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll in two weeks. Arizona's record is .500 this early in a season for the first time since it was 3-3 to start the 2017-18 schedule. "I've got work to do, so let's get to work," said Lloyd, in his fourth year as Arizona's head coach. "Let's see where we're at in a month, and if we're still struggling, you know what I'll do? I still got work to do, but I'm gonna get to it." Arizona shot 39.6 percent from the field against Duke, and just 26.1 percent (6 of 23) from 3-point range. The Wildcats were outrebounded by 43-30 and their 15 turnovers led to 19 points. Jaden Bradley led Arizona with 18 points and KJ Lewis added 12. Preseason All-American Caleb Love had eight points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range. Arizona made only one field goal in the last 5:39 as Duke pulled away after its lead was trimmed to six points. "We didn't play great," Lloyd said. "Now we need to take a step back and figure out why. Are there some schematic problems? Are there some problems with how our personnel is kind of put together? "We got to figure out what our certainties are, and the things we have to have, and then over the course of the next couple of days, if there's adjustments we need to make, we need to figure out what those are." Davidson is 4-0 after a 15-17 record last season, in which it lost its last six games to put an end to postseason hopes. A 93-66 win over visiting VMI on Friday followed a 91-85 win at Bowling Green and 76-70 victory over visiting East Tennessee State. The two wins by 10 points or fewer are important because Davidson was 6-12 in such games last season. It was 4-11 in games decided by five points or fewer. "The goal (is) to get better," Davidson head coach Matt McKillop said after the season opener. "We talk about fighting to win every possession. I think we had to figure out what that really felt like with the lights on." Davidson made 13 shots from 3-point range in the win over VMI. Reed Bailey had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Bobby Durkin added 19 points, including 17 of them and a career-best five 3-pointers in the first half. Bailey leads Davidson in scoring (19 points per game) and rebounding (7.8). Durkin is shooting 57.9 percent (22 of 38) from the field and 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from 3-point range. By contrast, Arizona's Love is shooting 32 percent (16 of 50) from the field and 21.4 percent (6 of 28) from beyond the arc. Bradley leads Arizona with 15.5 points per game. He is shooting 50 percent (24 of 48) from the field and is 35.7 percent (5 of 14) from 3-point range. --Field Level Media
Roos’ touching grand final day gesture
NoneTech Stocks Lead Wall Street Rally Amid Trade Tensions
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index ended Tuesday narrowly in the red, weighed down by losses in energy and base metals stocks, while U.S. markets moved higher. Investors digested the latest news from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who threatened sweeping new tariffs of 25 per cent on products from Canada and Mexico. The “sizable” tariff promise likely shocked markets somewhat right off the bat, said Mike Archibald, vice-president and portfolio manager with AGF Investments Inc. “But I think as people have kind of digested they've thought that this is probably a starting position from a bargaining standpoint,” he said. The announcement was in line with Trump’s tactics used during his first presidency, said Archibald. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 5.21 points at 25,405.14. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 123.74 points at 44,860.31. The S&P 500 index was up 34.26 points at 6,021.63, while the Nasdaq composite was up 119.46 points at 19,174.30. A few Canadian companies saw their share prices drop because of the outsized impact such a tariff could have on certain sectors, said Archibald. These included Bombardier, BRP, Linamar and Magna International. “You can see the biggest losers on the market today are generally those that manufacture in either Canada and/or Mexico,” he said. But higher tariffs could also be inflationary for the U.S., said Archibald. Markets have been paring back their bets for interest rate cuts in the U.S. in the wake of the election in anticipation of potentially higher inflation. “It’s a bit too early to know,” said Archibald. Despite the uncertainty, he said markets are still poised to do well in the coming months thanks to Trump’s overall pro-business bent. “I still think the market is in a very good position to rally ... into the end of the year,” he said. “The S&P 500 is still going to do fairly well relative to other markets around the world.” The loonie fell to a four-year low before clawing back some of its losses later in the day, he noted. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.01 cents US compared with 71.53 cents US on Monday. The January crude oil contract was down 17 cents at US$68.77 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up three cents at US$3.47 per mmBTU. The December gold contract was up US$2.80 at US$2,621.30 an ounce and the March copper contract was down four cents at US$4.12 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian PressCOLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer's execution "would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's move distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden's decision to commute the killer's sentence offered families “only pain.” "Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us," Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof's punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown "the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden's move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, "Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher's name. Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.
Scratching an itch. Age of Empires 2 is unequivocally one of the most important strategy games ever made — a defining title that shaped the future of real-time strategy, and launched an obsession with history for thousands of players, myself included. In particular, the campaigns of Age of Empires 2 were fantastic examples of a hand-designed single-player experience, while weaving in real events and characters that can spark curiosity. But robust RTS campaigns have nearly vanished as the genre changed and lost popularity, simultaneously grappling with the rise of multiplayer . It’s almost ironic, then, that Age of Empires 2 has come full circle and given me that campaign experience I’ve been craving, with its surprise Battle For Greece expansion. In 2019, World’s Edge and Xbox Game Studios released Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition , an updated version of the classic that completely overhauled the visuals and applied a variety of changes and fixes. Since then, the studio has liberally updated the game with new content and campaigns, but nothing quite on the scale of Battle For Greece — an expansion that feels like it follows in the footsteps of another beloved game, Age of Mythology — my personal favorite RTS campaign of all time. Battle For Greece has a sweeping historically-based tale that plays out across hundreds of years. Most of the campaigns in AoE 2 are short affairs consisting of just a handful of missions, and are intentionally designed this way. Battle For Greece , on the other hand, is what could be seen as a “grand campaign,” telling a continuous story that takes place across 21 missions and has persistent elements on top of that. It’s the first instance of the game’s “Chronicles” series, with an epic story that focuses on the dominance of the Persian Empire, spanning the Ionian Revolt and Greco-Persian Wars. You aren’t going to find any super complex storytelling here, but it’s a fun romp with some quirky characters to keep the action moving. And, yes, there’s plenty of detail for the history nerds. It all sounds good on paper, but the execution makes Battle for Greece even better — an enthralling experience with hand-designed missions that all feel unique and distinct. It’s honestly surprising how different this expansion feels from the base game, despite using the same gameplay foundations. The presentation is exceptional with animated cutscenes, full voice acting, and a retooled aesthetic that fits the new Persian civilizations better. Battle For Greece’s missions play out on a massive scale, with humongous maps that are filled with multiple objectives (including optional ones), and generally more than one way to achieve victory. The actual mission design really shines through here, with diverse challenges that really make you adjust your strategies. In one mission, you’re racing the clock to save districts of your city before they burn down, even though braving the smoke-filled streets saps your unit's health. In another, you find a visiting Empress’ lost horse to gain her aid, gaining the ability to direct her forces for a combined siege. The scale of battles in this expansion can be staggering, and quite demanding for your strategies. As you go through missions, there are also opportunities to get permanent buffs to a specific kind of unit, like foot soldiers or archers, and those bonuses carry over across the entire campaign — meaning it's in your best interest to explore the map. Each and every level feels distinct, both in its design and objectives, and it’s that sense of variety that really makes this expansion compelling. It reminds me a lot of Age of Mythology , or even StarCraft 2 , in terms of how there’s such an emphasis put on making each mission feel distinct. I can’t get over how ambitious and experimental the whole thing feels, especially in a game that’s technically over 20 years old. Battle For Greece practically feels like a completely different game, with smart tweaks that play into the single-player strategy — like being able to tweak if your town center focuses on resource acquisition or military projection, or options to gather more resources using sea vessels. Even the scale of the maps themselves feel far grander than anything else in AoE 2 , forcing you to juggle multiple armies and plans of attack at once. It’s a serious strategic challenge, on top of everything else. Battle For Greece features entirely unique civilizations some technology and units that can’t be found anywhere else in the game. Over the last decade, I can count the number of RTS campaigns I’ve truly enjoyed on one hand, and that hand doesn’t even get full. For years, I’ve been so disappointed that a key reason I grew to love the genre has just been entirely absent. Battle For Greece gives me hope that there’s still an audience, and third to make, this kind of ambitious single-player strategy campaign. It’s also clearly the first part of a larger plan, and I hope that future Chronicles entries can double down even more on persistent elements that carry across the entire campaign. Battle For Greece is good in its own right, but it’s incredibly promising as a foundation for AoE 2 to continue building on. Every few months I try and find a new RTS campaign to play, and usually end up defaulting back to the same handful of games because nothing holds my interest. Battle For Greece is the most fun I’ve had with this kind of experience in nearly ten years, and it genuinely makes me excited for the future of a game that ten years ago was just a fond memory. 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NASA’s industry partners under the second initiative have made progress in developing technologies to advance future low Earth orbit space missions. Table of Contents Space Exploration and In-Orbit Transportation Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, SpaceX and Outpost Technologies are focused on maturing their spacecraft designed for commercial space transportation, logistics and research, human transportation to the moon and Mars, and cargo delivery. Blue Origin is advancing work on its integrated commercial space transportation capability to ensure safe, affordable and high-frequency U.S. access to orbit for crew and other missions. SpaceX and Outpost Technologies have completed flight tests of the Starship reusable rocket and the Cargo Ferry reusable cargo vehicle, respectively. SpaceX is now preparing to launch new generations of Starship in advance of the under NASA’s Artemis program. Northrop Grumman, meanwhile, cleared a project management review with NASA related to the company’s development of the . Commercial Space Station NASA has partnered with Sierra Space and Vast to build in-orbit space stations as the existing International Space Station nears the . Sierra Space has completed two full-scale ultimate burst pressure tests of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment, a NASA-funded inflatable habitat structure component. The company also tested materials for the habitat’s air barrier to ensure they meet the recommended safety standards. Ahead of the expected 2025 launch of the Haven-1 commercial space station, Vast achieved technical milestones, including fabricating key components such as the primary structure pathfinder, hatch, battery module and control moment gyroscope. It also completed a solar array deployment test and the station’s preliminary design review. In-Space Servicing and Manufacturing NASA partners Special Aerospace Services and ThinkOrbital are focused on in-space servicing and manufacturing capabilities. Special Aerospace Services is developing an for the assembly of commercial LEO space stations, servicing, retrieval and inspection of in-space systems, while ThinkOrbital works on autonomous in-space welding, cutting and X-ray inspection technologies. “Our commercial partners’ growing capabilities in low Earth orbit underscore NASA’s commitment to advance scientific discovery, pioneering space technology and support future deep space exploration,” said Angela Hart, manager of the Commercial LEO Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.Article content If U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is looking to beef up his administration, there’s one person that fits the bill and is willing to take that call. Recommended Videos Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, a staunch supporter of Trump during his campaign for re-election, says that the incoming president could give him a role in his new administration. Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, suggested the notion during an interview with Fox News ’ Brian Kilmeade this past weekend. During the interview, the former WWE superstar recounted a conversation that he had with Trump at a political rally in October at Madison Square Garden. According to Hogan, Trump seemed open to the idea of having the wrestling icon serve in his second term in the White House. “My president said, ‘You know something, you’d be great to run the President’s Council on Physical Fitness,’” Hogan said of the conversation between them at the New York rally. Hogan said that after the rally, he and Trump were talking nutrition and physical fitness, which led to the discussion. “At the end of the day, when I was in the back at Madison Square Garden after the whole rally, we were talking about Robert Kennedy, I was talking about nutrition and how many foreign countries won’t even let their people eat the food that we eat here in America,” Hogan said. “It’s so bad, and it’s poisoned a generation of kids. And at the end of the day, we start talking about physical fitness.” The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition is a federal advisory panel that encourages healthy eating and physical activity, according to its website. The council was renewed by President Joe Biden until Sept. 30, 2025. The Trump campaign did not respond when contacted for comment by The Hill . Hogan made several appearances stumping for Trump on the campaign trail. He appeared at the Republican National Convention earlier this year, speaking on stage and getting the crowd fired up by ripping off his own shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath while saying “Let Trumpamania run wild, brother!” The WWE hall of famer landed in some hot water in August when he drunkenly joked about body-slamming U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who was running for president after Biden stepped down. During a wild speech at a bar in Medina, Ohio, the 71-year-old told the crowd about body-slamming and “dropping the leg” on Harris before questioning her heritage. In a clip shared on social media, Hogan asked the crowd, ”Want me to body slam Kamala Harris? Want me to drop the leg on Kamala?” referring to his finishing move during his in-ring career. “Is Kamala a chameleon? Is Kamala Indian?” Hogan asked, referring to comments about her heritage made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice-presidential running mate J.D. Vance. Known racist Hulk Hogan threatens to “body slam” Kamala Harris https://t.co/nrRwiZPHgw Perhaps realizing he had gone too far, Hogan tried to walk it back. “I am going to get heat for that one, brother. That was not me,” he said. “That was the beers talking.”
By JESSICA DAMIANO Some homeowners gaze out their windows and see lush and beautiful gardens . Others would like to see lush and beautiful gardens but instead are greeted by overgrown, dead or otherwise messy landscapes. Related Articles Things To Do | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone Things To Do | Horoscopes Dec. 26, 2024: Jared Leto, focus on what excites and bring you joy Things To Do | A preview of some stunning hotels and resorts opening in 2025 Things To Do | 12 sexy Christmas movies to stream this ho-ho-holiday season Things To Do | This condiment is the only sauce you’ll need to hack the holidays Whether you’ve inherited a neglected garden from a previous homeowner or have been too busy to keep on top of maintenance, don’t despair: Devising a game plan now can set you up for a much better view by next winter. As with most seemingly hopeless tasks, breaking the process down into small steps performed over time will help make the project manageable. First, grab a notepad and take a walk around the garden. Assess each section, determining which plants can be saved, which need to go and which require attention. Make a list now. Dead and invasive plants , as well as weeds , should be first on the chopping block. If the weather allows, dig them out, removing as much of their root systems as possible. Otherwise, tackle this first in spring. Next, remove and give away otherwise-healthy plants that you don’t want. Online buy-nothing groups and neighborhood pages are great places to find takers . Many will even be willing to do the digging if it means getting a free plant. If the property has been overrun with a thicket of plants, shrubs, trees and vines that have grown wild, a chainsaw, brush mower or brush grubber may be in order. If you’re dealing with a lot of weeds or want to create new garden beds in a lawn, you can smother the existing vegetation rather than dig it up. Determine the shape and size of the bed or border, and cover that area with cardboard or thick layers of newspaper. This can be done now, topped with 3 inches of compost and 2 inches of mulch, and left to sit over winter. It can also wait until planting time. When you’re ready to plant, you’ll be cutting root-size holes in the cardboard for your plants. Most weeds will be suppressed, but some may sneak through and require pulling or more cardboard. Healthy but overgrown or unproductive deciduous shrubs (the types that lose their leaves) can be rejuvenated by pruning . Do this when branches are bare in late winter. Choosing a method will require weighing aesthetics against rebound time and deciding which is right for you. The fastest (but most severe) method would be to cut the whole plant down just above ground level. It’s scary, but most shrubs can handle this and will bounce back stronger. If retaining height in the garden is important, you can opt to prune each branch or stem individually at uneven heights. Or cut back one-third of the plant’s branches each year for three years. The latter would have the least drastic effect but require the most patience. Evergreen trees and shrubs should only undergo selective pruning (the shortening of individual branches). Take care to avoid over-shearing or creating holes in needled evergreen plants and trees; with the exception of yews, they won’t fill back in . Now that you have a clean canvas, turn your attention to the soil. Test the soil’s pH to ensure it’s within range for the plants you plan to add. Test kits are available at local and online garden retailers. Your local cooperative extension service may provide testing and soil-amendment advice for a nominal fee. If indicated, incorporate lime or elemental sulfur into the soil to raise or lower its pH, following package instructions. If the soil is hard and compacted, use a core aerator or long-handled garden fork to create 2-3-inch holes through which air and water can enter. Finally, spread a 2-to-3-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure over the area. As it decomposes, nutrients will work their way into the soil. After completing the above steps, it will be time to plant your new garden. If by summer you’re not yet ready to plant, apply mulch or use annuals to protect the bare soil. When you’re ready to plant new trees , shrubs and/or perennials, carefully select varieties that will not run rampant. Dig holes just as deep as their roots but twice as wide and space them appropriately to allow for their mature sizes. For the lowest maintenance going forward, consider hardy, pollinator-friendly , drought-tolerant native plants. Incorporate non-invasive groundcovers into beds to serve as a natural mulch and discourage weeds – remember, if you don’t plant something in bare spots, God will. While you wait for groundcovers to fill in, apply 2-to-3 inches of mulch between and around plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, keep soil temperatures even and protect tender roots. It might take a year or two — or longer, depending on your schedule and ability, but a step-by-step approach will avoid overwhelm and provide a steady stream of small wins as you approach your goal. Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. For her favorite tools and gear of the past year, see her 2024 gardening gift guide. For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening .
When looking at what Lane Hutson has done since his debut in the NHL, it’s clear that it would have been hard to ask for better. The defenseman, who accumulated two points in two games at the end of last season, quickly proved this year that he wouldn’t need to pass through Laval. And among these seven defensemen, it’s notable that Adam Fox, recognized as being a role model for offensive defensemen in the NHL, is not included. Fox also has, like Hutson, 26 points to his name since the beginning of the campaign. Points this season: 26 — Lane Hutson 25 — Evan Bouchard 24 — Roman Josi 24 — Erik Karlsson Insane. — Canadiens Muse (@Canadiens_Muse) – A hat trick for Axel Sandin Pellikka during the first game of the WJC. HAT-TRICK Axel Sandin Pellikka makin’ it look too easy in the opening game of the — BarDown (@BarDown) – Ivan Demidov among the elite under 20 in the KHL. The KHL’s brightest 19-year-olds. — KHL (@khl_eng) – Attention interested parties. Les soldes de l’Après-Noël de Tricolore Sports sont en cours! Profitez de rabais allant jusqu’à 70% sur une vaste sélection de styles et obtenez une réduction additionnelle 30% sur les modèles à prix déjà réduit! Magasiner ↓ — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL)
The ‘Pistol’ opened the season as the World No.1 but has slipped down to fifth after a tough run of results, even with a run to the UK Championships Semi-Finals in there, too. But Allen has admitted, in an interview with SportsBoom, he is struggling for something technical in his game at present and has linked up with Mark Williams’ former coach Lee Walker to try and find it, conceding that it’s not an easy fix. “I’m really struggling with myself if I’m honest. I’m trying so hard but it’s just not coming easy,” said the 38-year-old. “I thought what I was trying wasn’t working so I swapped it mid match. I tried to speed up a little and went for my shots. I finished that first match off well, but some of that was lucky that I gave up the other thing that I’m working on. “I just don’t know what to trust. I’m seeing things which are unnatural and your cue action I’m not trusting because I feel like I’m on the wrong line. “I’m fed up of playing like that if I’m honest.” Allen was able to reach round three at the Scottish Open thanks to a comfortable 4-2 win over Wales’ Ryan Day to set up a clash with Jack Lisowski and he knows that patience will prove key. “What me and Lee are working on will do me good in the long run. But because I haven’t had long spells to work on it on the practice table, I was working on it mid tournament at the UKs, the Shoot Out comes and you don’t prepare properly there, it’s still really new,” he admitted. “It’s a process, I know that. I’m just a bit lost. It’s only a short time we’ve been doing it. “That’s the one downside with these tournaments coming thick and fast, you don’t get the time to work on things. It’s great when you’re playing well and riding the crest of a wave, but not so much the other way. “It’s my own fault for not doing better at the start of the season and being able to pick and choose a bit more.” www.sportsbook.com/snooker/The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
