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What it takes to be middle class in each state
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Americans are gearing up for the next presidential election, which means we'll be hearing a lot about candidates' plans to boost the middle class. - photo by JJ Feinauer
"Will Hillary Clinton fight hard enough for the middle class?" economist and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich asked earlier this month in the Christian Science Monitor. Reich served under former President Bill Clinton.

But Reich isn't alone in his interest toward Hillary's middle-class policies. There are others who fear focusing too much on the most popular political demographic could be bad for the country, and Clinton's campaign.

"Thanks to the economic volatility of the last several years, and thanks to the fact that many of those who imagine themselves to be part of the middle class have been disproportionately impacted by the recession compared to their ostensibly middle class compatriots," The New Republic's Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig wrote shortly after Clinton's candidacy announcement. "A sense of belonging in the middle class no longer correlates with the socioeconomic stability of a spot in the middle."

The shrinking of the middle class has been a major element of concern during the recession and the recovery and Clinton isn't the only politician to argue that the middle will see a resurgence if the candidate is elected.

"With the jobless rate at 5.5 percent, the 18 Republican White House hopefuls who gathered this weekend in the key early primary state of New Hampshire faced the challenge of arguing the country needs new economic stewardship even as the worst of the downtown has passed," Reuters' James Oliphant and Andy Sullivan wrote Sunday.

That strategy seems to be a focus on lessening "middle class uncertainty."

According to a report from the Pew Charitable Trust last month, the middle class (defined as "those making between 67 percent and 200 percent of the states median income") has shrunk in each of the 50 states since 2000.

Here, we've compiled a list, using data from the Pew Charitable Trust and Business Insider, that shows how much it takes in each state to be considered part of every politician's favorite income bracket: The middle class.
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.