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Critics worry about flawed, goofy plan to divide California into 3 states
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Last week, venture capitalist Tim Draper and his supporters announced victory after they submitted enough votes to appear on Californias midterm elections ballot. - photo by Herb Scribner
Skeptics remain unsure about splitting California into three separate states.

Recently, venture capitalist Tim Draper and his supporters announced victory after they submitted enough votes to appear on Californias midterm elections ballot, meaning people will have an opportunity to vote for California to split into three.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become three states: California, North California and South California, assuming Congress also approves the decision.

But the backlash is everywhere for Draper and his supporters, according to USA Today. Both sides of the aisle have spoken out against the plan. A new survey similarly says about 17 percent of voters approve the idea.

Joe Rodota, the founder and co-manager of OneCalifornia, which directly opposes the move, told USA Today the move is flawed, goofy, and difficult to take seriously.

Shaun Bowles, a political science professor at the University of California-Riverside, told USA Today the way the states were drawn might affect how people see the potential split.

Its almost like one of those gerrymandered electoral districts we sometimes see. Or maybe a better analogy is that, under this proposed plan, the state is divided into districts, like in 'The Hunger Games' and we are seen as the Farming District, he said, speaking specifically of the Southern California region.

Cal 3 spokeswoman Peggy Grande said in response that she isnt worried about the proposed Southern California state. She said that area has the best opportunity to grow.

Were not worried that Southern California will suffer. In fact, we believe they will have the greatest opportunity for growth and improvement, she said. California is broken and cant be fixed on the path that were on, its too big to function and govern.

Critics have worried for months about whether splitting California is a good idea. They worry that theres no clear process on how to divide states since the last time it happened was during the Civil War.

Republicans are also worried about splitting the state. California, more often than not, runs blue and would likely add three Democratic Party delegates to Congress, at the least, according to Bloomberg.

Voters will have a chance to accept or reject the idea in November.

But this isnt Drapers first attempt to divide California. Back in 2014, he spent nearly $4.9 million to collect signatures for a split but nothing came of it back then, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Similarly, a group wanted to re-establish California as New California in January. The move didnt go according to plan.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.