Get the latest market trends in your inbox

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with the Axios Markets newsletter. Sign up for free.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Denver news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Des Moines news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Minneapolis-St. Paul

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Tampa-St. Petersburg news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa-St. Petersburg

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Clemson vs. Bama takes center stage at media days

Kendall Baker, author of Sports

Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Heading into the 2019 college football season, Clemson and Alabama have once again separated themselves from the pack.

Driving the news: The two schools battled for the spotlight yesterday, as both held court — and traded barbs— during their respective conference's media days.

  • The backdrop: The two schools have met in the national championship three of the past four seasons, with Clemson holding a 2-1 advantage. (They met in the semifinals the other year and Alabama won).

The intrigue: Clemson won last year's title game in a dominating fashion, 44-16. As a result, the Tigers are the faces of college football and appear to have the upper hand over the Tide heading into this season in a way they haven't in years past.

  • As CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd puts it, "Alabama has lost before [but] losses like the one to Clemson tend to stand out as landmarks."

Clemson's outlook:

  • Good news: Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers will likely run away with the ACC again. They've won 34 of their past 36 conference games and outscored opponents by an average of 31+ points last season.
  • Bad news: While they're still loaded, the Tigers must replace four all-world defensive linemen (Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant) along with their top three linebackers.

Alabama's outlook:

  • Good news: The Tide had the most efficient passing game in the nation last year and pretty much everyone is back … and a year older. QB Tua Tagovailoa's top two targets, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, are both elite NFL prospects.
  • Bad news: This is one of Coach Nick Saban's least experienced teams. Plus, they have to play Auburn at their place, where they've lost two of their previous three meetings.

P.S. ... Five of the 10 best players in the country play for either Clemson or Alabama, according to SI's recently released rankings. No other school has more than one player in the top 25, let alone the top 10.

  1. Trevor Lawrence, QB (Clemson)
  2. Tua Tagovailoa, QB (Alabama)
  3. Jonathan Taylor, RB (Wisconsin)
  4. Jerry Jeudy, WR (Alabama)
  5. Derrick Brown, DL (Auburn)
  6. Grant Delpit, S (LSU)
  7. Travis Etienne, RB (Clemson)
  8. Rondale Moore, WR (Purdue)
  9. Chase Young, DL (Ohio State)
  10. Raekwon Davis, DL (Alabama)

Go deeper

Sam Baker, Danielle Alberti
17 mins ago - Health

Coronavirus hospitalizations top 100,000 for the first time

Expand chart
Data: The COVID Tracking Project, Harvard Global Health Institute; Cartogram: Danielle Alberti and Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

More than 100,000 Americans are now in the hospital with coronavirus infections — a new record, an indication that the pandemic is continuing to get worse and a reminder that the virus is still very dangerous.

Why it matters: Hospitalizations are a way to measure severe illnesses — and severe illnesses are on the rise across the U.S. In some areas, health systems and health care workers are already overwhelmed, and outbreaks are only getting worse.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Dion Rabouin, author of Markets
27 mins ago - Economy & Business

Our make-believe economy

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The Federal Reserve and global central banks are remaking the world's economy in an effort to save it, but have created something of a monster.

Why it matters: The Fed-driven economy relies on the creation of trillions of dollars — literally out of thin air — that are used to purchase bonds and push money into a pandemic-ravaged economy that has long been dependent on free cash and is only growing more addicted.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Jennifer A. Kingson
27 mins ago - Economy & Business

New hope for "smart cities"

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

It's time to polish our gleaming vision of urban environments where internet technology makes everything from finding a parking space to measuring air quality a snap.

Why it matters: The Biden administration's Cabinet appointees are likely to be champions of bold futurism in urban planning — which could mean that smart infrastructure projects, like broadband deployment and digital city services, get fresh funding and momentum.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow