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Jeff Flake chooses 'country over party,' tweets picture of $100 check to Roy Moore's opponent
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Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has been openly opposed to President Donald Trump and who has announced that he will not run for re-election, said he hopes Mitt Romney will run for Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch's seat and how his Mormon optimism plays into his thought process during an interview in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14, 2017. - photo by Herb Scribner
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., just took another stand against Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore.

Flake tweeted a photo Monday of a $100 check with the caption, Country over party.

Flake, who isnt running for re-election in 2018, signed signed the check to Doug Jones, a Alabama Democrat running for the Senate, with the phrase country over party.

The check comes as the Republican National Committee announced it would again support Moore, who has been accused of sexual assault decades ago, The Washington Post reported. The RNC previously withdrew its support from Moore.

Similarly, President Donald Trump gave his support to Moore last week, CNN reported.

Flake said Trump was wrong in supporting Moore.

"I do think the president is wrong here. I think it will have negative impacts for the party in the long term," he said, according to CNN.

Jones and Moore will face off in a special election next week. Recent polls suggest Jones leads Moore by 4 points.

Flake previously told the Deseret News in an exclusive Q&A that he hoped to honor country over party, and that Democrats arent the countrys enemies.

People, at some point, will value actually electing somebody who governs, who recognizes what policies you have to adapt or positions you have to take, that you have to reach across the aisle and Democrats are not your enemies, theyre just on the other side politically, he said. Theyre not evil. I think that well come to that realization, the party will. But theyre not there right now. And I think theyll come to recognize that anger and resentment are not a governing philosophy, and thats kind of what were seeing now. People will realize that. I hope its sooner rather than later.

Flake has long spoken out against Trump, oftentimes being his biggest critic. Flake said in his retirement speech from Congress that he didnt support Trump in the slightest.

Flake even spoke out against Trump in his new book, writing that Republicans need to feel comfortable standing up to the president.
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.