By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
United Airlines takes tomato juice off the menu, quickly changes it mind
Placeholder Image
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: May 21, 2018, 1:09 PM
For a brief moment, United Airlines cut the vine on tomato juice. But the company has since reversed its decision.

According to SF Gate, United Airlines passengers reacted negatively after they discovered the airline recently removed some drinks from its menu, including tomato juice, Sprite Zero and a handful of alcoholic beverages, like Jim Beam.

The airline dropped the drinks to streamline its services to flights under four hours, according to CNBC.

Tomato juice was replaced with a bloody mary mix for those wanting to make the alcoholic beverages. Those who wanted to drink tomato juice on its own, however, were left high and dry.

An insider told CNBC the change came as United faced backlash over a number of incidents earlier this year.

But passengers didnt want to say goodbye to the vegetable drink. As Mashable reported, a slew of United passenger tweeted out on social media in support of the drink.

https://twitter.com/Pulfer680News/status/994526508000555008



















United Airlines heard the complaints, though, and decided to bring the drink back.







"We want our customers to know that we value and appreciate them and that we're listening," the airline told SF Gate in a statement. "Our customers told us that they were not happy about the removal of tomato juice so we're bringing it back onboard as part of our complimentary beverage offering."

This is the second time this week that fans called for a revival that ended up happening. According to The New York Times, fans of Brooklyn Nine-Nine rejoiced when NBC decided to revive the Fox comedy. The shows cast praised fans for helping inspire NBC to pick up the show, which had been canceled last week by Fox.

Thank you to everyone for the crazy outpouring of support, star Andy Samberg wrote on Twitter. It means the world to us. It wouldnt have happened without you.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
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
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
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.