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LSU teeters on edge of bankruptcy
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With a budget crisis roiling the state capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LSU, the state's flagship college, is preparing to file the academic equivalent of bankruptcy, Bloomberg reports. - photo by Eric Schulzke
The now-defunct Corinthian College isn't the only higher-ed institution making ugly financial headlines this week. Down on the bayou, a prominent state-sponsored not-for-profit is on the brink as well.

With a budget crisis roiling the state capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LSU, the state's flagship college, is preparing to file the academic equivalent of bankruptcy, Bloomberg reports. If the drastic measure becomes necessary, it would allow the school to lay off tenured faculty and even consolidate departments.

The crisis in Baton Rouge has been playing out for years in slow motion across most states, as states have systematically disinvested in higher education, placing more and more of the burden on student tuition.

Not surprisingly, the organizations that represent college professors are not thrilled with the prospect of tenured careers facing the budget knife.

"More people (who) have the means to do so will leave Louisiana for college and get their college educations elsewhere," Jordan Kurland, associate general secretary of the National American Association of University Professors told NBC News.

By any measure, the budget numbers are daunting. As Inside Higher Ed notes, "the state faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit, and speculation of up to $300 million in cuts to higher education started appearing in news stories back in January. Since then, the worst-case scenario has only grown worse."

"Louisianas general fund contribution to higher education this year will be $924 million. But unless the legislature takes action within the next 45 days, that number plummets to $391 million for the next fiscal year, which starts in July," Inside Higher Ed adds.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's office hopes to close the budget gap with a combination of spending cuts and tightening of corporate tax breaks.

This is exactly why we proposed cutting over $500 million in corporate welfare to help protect higher education, Kyle Plotkin, Jindals chief of staff, told Bloomberg in an email. There are some corporations in our state that are paying zero in taxes and getting free taxpayer-funded checks from the state.
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.