The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party, pointing to his alleged efforts to undermine Republican candidates.

The decision, approved unanimously, was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty.

The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain.

In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party's time.

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"Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon," he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair.

According to the resolution, Duncan is "banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party."

The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged.

The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates.

The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an "expelled Republican" in future references.

The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker. 

It also notes Duncan's public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP.

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Georgia Republican Party chair Josh McKoon previously demanded that Duncan stop using his Republican credentials in public and media appearances.

The resolution also claims Duncan engaged in a "pattern of false and exaggerated claims" about his education and career.

The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to "attack the Republican Party."

• This year, Dry January coincided with the US Surgeon General's call for cancer warnings on alcohol.
• The CEOs of Heineken USA and Athletic Brewing told BI that drinking trends are moving toward moderation.
• While the space is becoming more popular, widespread availability can pose friction in adoption.

Dry January participants were given extra incentive to stay sober this month as the US Surgeon General said alcohol is a leading cause of preventable cancer and called for a warning label on alcoholic products.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's advisory, announced on January 3, comes as a number of non-alcoholic drinking brands and sobriety-related trends, like sober curiosity or intermittent sobriety, have gained traction in the US.

However, CEOs of companies selling non-alcoholic beverages say the evolving attitudes toward drinking don't mean alcohol is on its way out.

"It's not that there is, like, a big prohibitionist movement or a sober movement, necessarily," Bill Shufelt, the CEO of non-alcoholic beer brand Athletic Brewing said in an interview with Business Insider.

Today, there are more options on store shelves to moderate alcohol intake while providing a similar taste experience. "Even two years ago," Shufelt said that there was "very little availability and awareness." Now the category is on the cusp of a "big societal breakthrough," the CEO said.

The increasing availability of non-alcoholic beer and spirits comes as studies suggest drinking rates have decreased among young Americans. Gallup data published in August also indicates a shift in perception of alcohol. The report said 45% of Americans view alcohol as bad for health, which is a 6% increase from the year before and 17% increase since 2018.

Dozens of celebrities have spoken out about their sobriety in recent years, with some even establishing their own non-alcoholic drink brands, including Katy Perry's De Soi, Blake Lively's Betty Buzz, and Tom Holland's Bero.

Shufelt said the availability of quality alternatives has given consumers the ability to drink non-alcoholic beer without changing their lifestyles.

Leaning into moderation

Both Athletic Brewing's CEO and Heineken USA's chief executive, Maggie Timoney, told BI that as more options are sold in bars and stores, buying behavior is leaning toward moderation over strict sobriety.

Shufelt said 80% of Athletic Brewing customers still drink alcohol, suggesting that most of its customer base isn't traditionally sober.

Heineken's Timoney pointed to NielsenIQ data from 2023 that indicated over 93% of non-alcoholic consumers also purchased alcohol, a 13% jump from the year prior.

The shifting mindset toward drinking can be seen in trends like Dry January, which has evolved for some into the more flexible approach of "Damp January," in which participants cut down on their alcohol intake for the month without fully eliminating it. Some have credited the less drastic approach for helping them moderate their alcohol consumption after the monthlong challenge ends.

Timoney said evolving attitudes toward non-alcoholic beverages stems in part from a desire to participate in occasions where others are drinking.

"It's linked to the health and wellness macro trend," the Heineken executive said, as well as occasions, "because people still want to have a sense of belonging."

Both companies have been making non-alcoholic beer for more than half a decade. Athletic Brewing was launched in 2018. In 2019, Heineken, which has experimented with non-alcoholic beer in the past, launched the non-alcoholic Heineken 0.0 in the US.

Over the last few years, other non-alcoholic drink companies like Free Spirits and Spiritless joined the space. Now, there are a number of non-alcoholic brands making the option to enjoy a mocktail or beer-like drink more widespread.

Athletic Brewing's Shufelt said that the proliferation of non-alcoholic options has expanded "menus and occasions" and has created excitement in the adult beverage industry.

Milan Martin, the CEO of Free Spirits, told BI the rise of participants in Dry January and the decline in some alcoholic drink sales isn't a sign that the alcohol industry "is in trouble" or that it's "going away."

"It's just that people are now just drinking more mindfully and more with an eye to moderation because they have the data," Martin said.

'Bars and restaurants are leaving a lot of money on the table'

While the sale of non-alcoholic beer and spirits has grown in recent years, the segment is still a fraction of overall alcohol sales.

Shufelt said the relative availability of non-alcoholic options is "probably the biggest friction" in people regularly buying the products. He said that Athletic Brewing products are on less than 10% of restaurant menus in the US and as he sees it, "bars and restaurants are leaving a lot of money on the table."

Martin said that for those looking to drink moderately, it can be challenging "if they have to go out of their way to try your product or keep drinking your product."

In an effort to reach more consumers, Heineken plans to expand its 0.0 brand across two major US convenience retailer chains and launch a 12-pack of the non-alcoholic beer bottles for the first time this year.

Timoney told BI that while stigmas around non-alcoholic beer are "easing, they still remain a hurdle."

A Heineken study released on January 2, conducted in collaboration with a professor at the University of Oxford, surveyed 2,413 Americans. The study found that 16% of those in the US said they felt the need to justify their choice of low- or no-alcohol drinks at social gatherings, and 13% said they concealed those choices due to social pressures over the past year.

"Often, the hesitation comes from outdated perceptions— people assume it won't taste like beer," the CEO said. "But the reality is, once they try it, they're amazed."

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In this episode of Apple @ Work, I talk with Jose Moreno from Neulight about using AI tools in K-12 education.

Qualcomm has launched a new platform that will put Copilot+ PCs in reach of more people. Snapdragon X, the latest addition the brand's Snapdragon X Series that also include the X Elite and the X Plus, comes with Qualcomm's 8-core Oryon CPU and an integrated Adreno GPU. The company says it can run up to 163 percent faster than its competitors' comparable platforms, that its neural processing unit can run AI tasks on device more efficiently and that it enables a lengthy (even multi-day) battery life. 

There are apparently over 60 computer models powered by the platform in development and in production at various manufacturers already, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo. These companies are expected to launch the first batch of Snapdragon X products early this year, with more than 100 models coming by 2026. 

The devices will be priced in the $600 range, making them a viable option for a lot of people looking to buy a new computer. They won't be just laptops either — Qualcomm says buyers can expect Snapdragon X-powered mini PCs, as well, and will announce more details soon. The company believes Snapdragon X devices will be a "good solution for students, freelance workers and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop."