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Walmart is pulling Cosmopolitan magazine from its checkout counters. Heres why
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Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said Cosmopolitan will only be available in the magazine section of the store. - photo by Herb Scribner
Walmart will no longer sell Cosmopolitan magazine at checkout counters after a group of activists applied pressure to the retail chain over the magazines sexual nature.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a group that has spoken out against pornography and sexual content in the media, said it has been discussing with Walmart how to make the checkout aisles more family-friendly, according to Bloomberg.

Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the magazine will only be available in the magazine section of the store.

While this was primarily a business decision, the concerns raised were heard, Hargrove told Bloomberg.

Dawn Hawkins, executive director of the NCOSE, told Bloomberg she raised concerns over the magazine because Cosmo sends the same messages about female sexuality as Playboy.

"It places women's value primarily on their ability to sexually satisfy a man and therefore plays into the same culture where men view and treat women as inanimate sex objects," the NCSOE said in a statement, according to NPR. " Customers should not be forced to be exposed to this content when they are trying to check out at the store."

Walmart's decision is an incremental but significant step toward creating a culture where women and girls are valued as whole persons, rather than as sexual objects, Hawkins told Bloomberg.

Cosmopolitan bills itself as a bible for fun, fearless females, according to NPR. The magazine reportedly has 17 million adult readers per month.

The magazine started running curt sexual content on its pages in 1965, according to USA Today. The editor at the time, Helen Gurley Brown, "transformed the once family-oriented magazine into a publication for single women that along with topics on relationships, beauty, fashion and health still publishes advice and discussions on sex, USA Today's article states.

NCOSE Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach Haley Halverson said in a Facebook Live session Tuesday night that Walmarts decision will make grocery shopping a lot safer for families.

"This is one less drop of hyper-sexualized media that is going to be bombarding people in their everyday lives, which does make a difference, especially in this Me Too culture that we're living in, where we really want a culture that will respect women and ensure their dignity is understood," Halverson said.
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.