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Face Mask Exemption Cards Are Fake, Department of Justice Warns

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  • A picture that went viral on social media shows a card that appears to grant an individual an exemption from wearing face masks in public.
  • That card incorrectly cites the American with Disabilities Act and mentions penalties from a fraudulent organization, The Freedom To Breathe Agency.
  • On June 24, The Department of Justice issued a statement clarifying the cards are not endorsed by the department in any way.

Face Mask Exemption Card

The Department of Justice confirmed on Wednesday that a card claiming to exempt someone from wearing a face mask in public was not backed back the government, despite claims to the contrary.

Photos of a small ID shaped card are swirling around social media that state the card bearer is “exempt from any ordinance requiring face mask usage in public.” It goes on to detail that wearing a mask “posses a mental and/or physical risk to me.”

As far as why the bearer is exempt, it claims, “under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you.”

The card goes on to detail that violating the ADA could result in penalties of up to $75,000 for a first violation, and upwards of $150,000 for subsequent violations. It also features the seal of the Department of Justice, indicating that the government agency endorses the card. The cards ends with the line, “DENYING ACCESS TO YOUR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION WILL BE ALSO REPORTED TO FTBA FOR FURTHER ACTIONS.” 

The latest version of the Face Mask Exempt Card

Debunking the Exemption

To make it clear, the card carries no authority and is fake. A few standout red-flags are the fact that it gets the name of the ADA wrong; it’s the “Americans with Disabilities Act”, not Disability.Additionally, it spells “poses” as “posses,” although there have been updated versions of the card that fix these issues.

Another feature that indicates it’s not a card issued by the government is the mention of the FTBA, which stands for the Freedom to Breathe Agency; a distinctly non-governmental organization. The associated website listed, www.ftbagency.com, doesn’t actually work.

Screenshot of ftbagency.com taken June 26, 2020.

These fake exemption documents are not exactly new. In fact, these cards are actually just the latest version making rounds on sites like Facebook, and the tactic has been around since municipalities first issued face-coverings ordinances in order to combat COVID-19. 

This version is from as far back as March 18, 2020.

While people have printed out the cards, they carry no authority, and the Department of Justice even issued a statement to clarify this after the FTBA card went viral.

“The Department of Justice has been made aware of posting or flyers on the internet regarding the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the use of face masks due to COVID-19 pandemic, many of which include the Department of Justice’s seal,” the agency wrote.

“These postings were not issued by the Department and are not endorsed by the Department.”

Does the ADA Still Apply?

For some, questions still may remain regarding whether or not portions of the card are correct, such as the implication that a business can’t deny service to someone refusing to wear a face mask due to a medical condition.

According to the ADA National Network, which is a network funded by the US Department of Education and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the ADA does protect people with disabilities from being denied “public accommodations.” Most businesses fall into that category, though, there are exceptions that would apply during the coronavirus pandemic.

The organization writes states on its website, “The ADA expressly provides that a public accommodation may exclude an individual if that individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be mitigated by appropriate modifications in the public accommodation’s policies or procedures or by the provision of auxiliary aids.”

Not wearing a mask greatly increases the chances that a carrier of COVID-19 could spread the virus and pose a serious risk to public health, especially if the carrier is still in the virus’ incubation period, when symptoms might not be clearly present.

Recent research published in The Lancet showed that not wearing a mask puts the risk of transmitting the virus at 17.4%. With the use of a mask or respirator, the risk of transmission dropped over five-fold down to 3.1%.

See what others are saying: (Today) (Daily Dot) (CNN)

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White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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 “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)

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

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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)

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Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages

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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)

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