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WASHINGTON (AP) — The chair of the Democratic National Committee informed party leaders on Monday that the DNC will choose his successor in February, an election that will speak volumes about how the party wants to present itself during four more years of Donald Trump in the White House. Jaime Harrison, in a letter to members of the party’s powerful Rules & Bylaws Committee, outlined the process of how the party will elect its new chair. Harrison said in the letter that the committee will host four candidate forums — some in person and some virtually — in January, with the final election on Feb. 1 during the party’s winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland. The race to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, while an insular party affair, will come days after Trump is inaugurated for a second term. Democrats' selection of a leader after Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 loss will be a key starting point as the party starts to move forward, including addressing any structural problems and determining how to oppose Trump. Members of the Rules & Bylaws Committee will meet on Dec. 12 to establish the rules for these elections, which beyond the chair position will include top party roles like vice chairs, treasurer, secretary and national finance chair. The committee will also use that meeting to decide the requirements for gaining access to the ballot for those top party roles. In 2021, candidates were required to submit a nominating statement that included signatures from 40 DNC members and that will likely be the same standard for the 2025 campaigns. “The DNC is committed to running a transparent, equitable, and impartial election for the next generation of leadership to guide the party forward,” Harrison said in a statement. “Electing the Chair and DNC officers is one of the most important responsibilities of the DNC Membership, and our staff will run an inclusive and transparent process that gives members the opportunity to get to know the candidates as they prepare to cast their votes.” Two Democrats have announced campaigns for chair: Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a vice chair of the national party, and Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor and current commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Other top Democrats are either considering a run to succeed Harrison or are being pushed by party insiders, including former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke; Michael Blake, a former vice chair of the party; Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin; Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan and a former Chicago mayor; Sen. Mallory McMorrow, majority whip of the Michigan Senate, and Chuck Rocha, a longtime Democratic strategist. The next chair of the committee will be tasked with rebuilding a party demoralized by a second Trump victory. They will also oversee the party’s 2028 nominating process, a complex and contentious exercise that will make the chair central to the next presidential election. Harrison, of South Carolina, made clear in his letter to the rules committee that the four forums hosted by the party would be live streamed and the party would give grassroots Democrats across the country the ability to engage with the process through those events. He also said he intends to remain neutral during the chair election. This story has been corrected to show that McMorrow is a senator, not a representative.
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The political post that ended a partnership between Fuzzies Burgers and Peabody Heights Brewery may have been shared to a personal account, but the ensuing backlash has quickly turned into a public liability for two Baltimore businesses. On Tuesday, hours after Peabody Heights it would stop hosting the smashburger vendor following a pro-Donald Trump post by Fuzzies co-owner Josh Vecchiolla, Vecchiolla issued a statement saying his own views had been misconstrued as those of his business. “One of our owners’ personal views was shared and mistakenly interpreted as a political endorsement by Fuzzies Burgers, and for this reason it was quickly removed,” the statement said. “We want to be clear, Fuzzies does not endorse any political ideology, but we respect everyone’s opinion — it makes all of us stronger.” But in an increasingly polarized nation, business and public relations experts say the line between personal opinion and public stance has blurred. On a national scale, comments from executives have resulted in consumer outcry — and sometimes boosted sales. “It’s all public,” said Matt McDermott, the president of Humble and Wallop, a Hampden-based marketing firm. “If you’re going to put yourself out there as the owner of a business, you don’t have the luxury of separating your personal views from your business’s.” The controversy started late last week when Vecchiolla posted a photo of Trump to his personal Instagram account. Under an image of the president-elect raising a fist after a July assassination attempt was a caption celebrating his recent electoral victory. “The people have spoken, take it on the chin like an adult,” Vecchiolla wrote. A screenshot of the post made its way to Reddit, where members of the online community weighed in with their own takes. Many on the site urged a boycott of Fuzzies, while others argued the backlash was a sign of “cancel culture.” Vecchiolla soon deleted his Instagram account. By then, however, Peabody Heights customers were calling on the Abell brewery to cut ties with Fuzzies over the political post. Peabody commenting in over the weekend, saying it would “engage with the owners of Fuzzies Burgers to determine a constructive way forward” and highlighting its commitment to “fostering a safe and inclusive space for women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color.” Tuesday, the brewery said it would end its relationship with the burger stand, which also has a stall at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and two roving food trucks. The decision prompted another wave of reactions: Backlash from Fuzzies supporters, as well as praise for Peabody Heights. “Peabody Heights Brewery lost my support ... Too woke to support Freedom of speech. Sad what this country has become,” wrote one Facebook user. “Kudos to Peabody Heights Brewery for caring about inclusiveness! You are definitely a class act!” said another. One commenter was more pragmatic, summing up the business implications: “The market speaks. Period.” Americans can expect to see more of these tussles creep into the marketplace amid a tense political climate, some experts say. “Four years ago, I don’t think this would have happened,” said Stacey Lee, a professor of law and ethics at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. “I think you are now seeing people become even freer expressing their opinions,” Lee said. “There will be a lot of examining of the messaging that is coming out of all types of businesses and institutions as people begin to orient around what the next four years is going to look like.” On a national scale, some corporations have already dipped a toe in the political pool, to mixed results. Goya Foods faced a boycott from liberals, but also a , after CEO Bob Unanue in 2020. Conservatives for an advertising campaign featuring transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney and at Target for its . Partisanship is becoming a more and more important part of identity in the U.S., said Flavio Hickel Jr., an assistant professor of political science at Washington College. “People are increasingly likely to think of themselves as Republican or Democrat,” he said. While consumers may not have cared much about the political affiliations of a restaurant owner in the past, “the moment is too hot right now,” Hickel said. “The election is still very raw for many people, and there might be a sense of Trump supporters doing a victory lap that just rubs people the wrong way.” Some companies bake political statements into their core mission. Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, for instance, is known for taking progressive stances on the environment and social justice issues. Chick-fil-A closes its stores on Sundays and has opposed same-sex marriage, reflecting its founder’s Southern Baptist beliefs. Lee said businesses that venture into the political arena should have a solid understanding of their customer base. And when there is controversy, large corporations usually weather the storm more easily than small companies. “For small businesses, you are the face of your business,” she said, “and your PR department is much smaller.” In general, “corporations want to have the broadest base possible,” Hickel said. But this presidential election cycle forced business leaders to grapple with the growing partisan gulf. , including Mark Cuban, Magic Johnson and the former leaders of 21st Century Fox, American Express, Starbucks and Yahoo, signed a letter endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. The world’s richest man, Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk, to Trump’s campaign. Others hedged their bets, avoiding overt endorsements while currying favor with candidates behind the scenes. The billionaire owners of the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times their newspapers not to endorse a candidate for president, sparking anger from customers who en masse. Despite allowing Trump to make a campaign stop at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, the fast-food giant saying the event shouldn’t be interpreted as an endorsement. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, a Democrat, wrote on the firm’s website that he . A social media firestorm is the last thing a small restaurant wants to face in an already challenging business climate. That’s why John Maroon advises his clients to keep their opinions to themselves. “I think, in the polarizing state of our nation, if a business owner decides they want to make public political statements they’ve got to ask themselves what’s the value: Why am I doing it, what’s the upside, what’s the downside,” Maroon, the president of Columbia-based communications agency Maroon PR, said. “I would argue that in today’s world there’s not a lot of upside for business owners to be making huge political statements one way or another.” If the political hot take is already out of the bag, both he and McDermott said they would advise clients to let the controversy blow over. “When you start continuing to issue statements you extend the life of the story,” Maroon said. “If Fuzzies were my client, I would tell them just wait,” said McDermott. “Typically, as we’ve seen in the past, a large segment of their audience doesn’t care.” Both agreed that Peabody Heights was thrust into a difficult position by the Trump post. McDermott thinks the brewery made the right decision to listen to its core customer base and cut Fuzzies loose. “They had to respond to something that they had no control over initially,” he said. “I’d imagine they have a much younger audience, and a higher percentage of these folks are on social media.” The saga “is a fascinating example of how politics is seeping into so many aspects of our social and economic lives,” said Hickel. “It’s kind of a sad story.”Hugel and Medica join forces to boost botulinum toxin sales in Middle East, North Africa
Thanasi Kokkinakis commented on Novak Djokovic ’s fans on social media during a conversation with Denis Shapovalov ahead of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown. The Australian player claimed that a portion of Djokovic’s followers "are abusing you" when it comes to supporting the Serbian star. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is one of the most marketable athletes in the world, with a massive global fan base. His accomplishments in tennis have earned him sponsorship deals with prestigious brands like Lacoste, Asics, Head, and most recently, Qatar Airways. "You know they're Djokovic fans" Wherever Djokovic goes, he is warmly welcomed by tennis fans, and this enthusiasm has spilled over to social media, where supporters from all over the world express their admiration for him. Recently, Kokkinakis participated in a conversation with Shapovalov and Dominic Thiem to promote the UTS, and one of the topics the Australian touched on was Djokovic's fanbase. According to the 2022 Australian Open doubles champion, Djokovic’s fans are easily recognizable by their use of a crocodile emoji, which signifies their connection to Lacoste, one of Djokovic's main sponsors. Kokkinakis stated that these fans are often the ones "abusing you" online. "The tennis Twitter, if you like Djokovic, like, everyone in their little Lacoste emojis, these little crocodiles, they're there for you. You know what I mean," Kokkinakis told Shapovalov. "You know they're Djokovic fans because they got a little crocodile on their thing, and they're abusing you, dude. And they're not even Serb, but they're abusing you," he added. Later in the conversation, Kokkinakis joked about Djokovic's rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the different treatment Djokovic received during his early days on the Tour. "Federer was like really welcoming, especially like when you're younger. Same as Rafa. But then Novak was like, F***, this guy doesn’t lose and just drinks juices all day," Kokkinakis said. Kokkinakis cooked the worst fanbase in Tennis Twitter #Nolefam pic.twitter.com/tY2lqcFbfw This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.No. 7 Tennessee 78, UT Martin 35First dog-friendly cruise scheduled for 2025. Organizers hope it turns into a recurring event.None
Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump
