Connect with us

U.S.

Spring Breaker Who Said, “If I Get Corona, I Get Corona,” Issues Apology

Published

3 years ago

on

  • Brady Sluder, the spring breaker who faced heavy criticism for saying he wouldn’t let the coronavirus stop him from partying, has apologized for his comments.  
  • He is urging others to follow community guidelines concerning the pandemic and wants the public to use his story as motivation to be better people. 
  • Other young adults also seem to be better understanding the importance of social distancing after five Florida college students traveling for spring break tested positive for the virus.
  • Meanwhile, in Kentucky, one young adult tested positive after attending a “coronavirus party, ” intentionally defying calls against such gatherings.  

Spring Breaker Apologizes 

By now you’ve probably seen the infamous video of Florida spring breakers vowing to party on despite the coronavirus pandemic. Well, after a flood of intense criticism and mocking, one of those partiers has apologized. 

That man is 22-year-old Brady Sluder, an Ohio native and self-described aspiring SoundCloud rapper who said, “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying.”

“You know, I’ve been waiting, we’ve been waiting for Miami spring break for a while, about two months we’ve had this trip planned, two, three months, and we’re just out here having a good time,” he continued in the viral CBS interview. “Whatever happens, happens.”

This video blew up as Florida beachgoers were slammed for ignoring social distancing guidelines aimed at “flattening the curve.” But it also came at a time when many seemed to wrongly assume that young people are at low risk of contracting the virus or being hospitalized for it. So it’s safe to say that after the clip went viral, Sluder became the face of reckless young people not taking the virus seriously. 

On Monday, he changed his tune, posting a public apology on his Instagram.

“I’d like to take this time to own up to the mistakes i’ve made and apologize to the people I’ve offended,” he wrote. Like many others, I have elderly people who I adore more than anything in the world and other family members who are at risk, and I understand how concerning this disease is for us all.”

View this post on Instagram

I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of. I’ve failed, I’ve let down, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I can’t apologize enough to the people i’ve offended and the lives I’ve insulted. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, or pity. I want to use this as motivation to become a better person, a better son, a better friend, and a better citizen. Listen to your communities and do as health officials say. Life is precious. Don’t be arrogant and think you’re invincible like myself. I’ve learned from these trying times and I’ve felt the repercussions to the fullest. Unfortunately, simply apologizing doesn’t justify my behavior. I’m simply owning up to my mistakes and taking full responsibility for my actions. Thank you for your time, and stay safe everyone. ❤️

A post shared by @ bradysluder on Mar 22, 2020 at 10:34am PDT

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

In the post caption, he added that he “can’t apologize enough.” He said he is not asking for forgiveness or pity but wants the public to use this as motivation to become better people saying, “Life is precious.”

Other Rule Breakers Test Positive for COVID-19 

It seems like Brady isn’t the only one suddenly realizing how dangerous it is to ignore social distancing recommendations. Over the weekend, the University of Tampa announced that five of its students traveling together during spring break tested positive for the virus. 

And on Tuesday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said one person in the state became infected after taking part in a “coronavirus party” with other young adults.

The partygoers intentionally got together “thinking they were invincible” and purposely defied state guidance to practice social distancing, Beshear said. “This is one that makes me mad, and it should make you mad.”

“Anyone who goes to something like this may think they’re indestructible, but it’s someone else’s loved one that they are going to hurt,” he added. “Don’t be callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that will hurt other people. We ought to be much better than that.”

“We all owe each other a duty to protect each other,” Beshear continued. “And we simply can’t have folks that are doing things like this.”

These stories, along with Sluder’s, serve as yet another reminder to practice social distancing. While research has shown that the virus poses a greater risk of death for people ages 65 and older, it can still infect healthy people of all ages.

In New York state, for example, 53% of coronavirus cases have been recorded among young people between the ages of 18 and 49, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday. There also have been “concerning reports from France and Italy” about young people becoming seriously ill, “and very seriously ill in the ICUs,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, said last week.  

Even if someone were to contract the virus with few to no symptoms, if they aren’t careful, they can end up unknowingly transmitting the virus to others.

See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (CNN) (Fox News) 

Related Topics:

U.S.

White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 9, 2023

By

 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.

White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

Continue Reading

Business

Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 8, 2023

By

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

Continue Reading

U.S.

Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 7, 2023

By

98% of nursing homes in the United States are experiencing difficulty hiring staff. 

The Labor Crisis 

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper has offered up a solution to the nursing home labor shortage: immigration. 

According to a 2022 American Health Care Association survey, six in ten nursing homes are limiting new patients due to staffing issues. The survey also says that 87% of nursing homes have staffing shortages and 98% are experiencing difficulty hiring. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) outlined in their paper that increased immigration could help solve the labor shortage in nursing homes. Immigrants make up 19% of nursing home workers.

With every 10% increase in female immigration, nursing assistant hours go up by 0.7% and registered nursing hours go up by 1.1% And with that same immigration increase, short-term hospitalizations of nursing home residents go down by 0.6%.

The Solution 

Additionally, the State Department issued 145% more EB-3 documents, which are employment-based visas, for healthcare workers in the 2022 fiscal year than in 2019, suggesting that more people are coming to the U.S. to work in health care. 

However, according to Skilled Nursing News, in August of 2022, the approval process from beginning to end for an RN can take between seven to nine months. 

Displeasure about immigration has exploded since Pres. Joe Biden took office in 2021. According to a Gallup study published in February, around 40% of American adults want to see immigration decrease. That is a steep jump from 19% in 2021, and it is the highest the figure has been since 2016.

However, more than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration and want to see it increased. But with a divided Congress, the likelihood of any substantial immigration change happening is pretty slim. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (KHN) (Skilled Nursing News)

Continue Reading