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Why did someone dress up as the Monopoly guy at this Senate hearing?
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Many will notice the similarity between the protester and Rich Uncle Pennybags, the main character from the board game Monopoly. - photo by Herb Scribner
The Monopoly guy has arrived in Washington.

A person dressed in a black top hat with a bushy white mustache and wearing a monocle appeared during the Senate Banking Committee hearing on the Equifax data breach Wednesday afternoon.

Many will notice the similarity between the man and Rich Uncle Pennybags, the main character from the board game Monopoly, according to CNBC.

As The Hill reported, many captured the person and posted pictures on social media.

The Monopoly man at the hearing was staged by a protest group, who wanted to draw attention to forced arbitration, which has been called a get-out-of-jail-free card for banks, according to one protest group.

Forced arbitration is the idea of a company forcing a consumer or employee to resolve any conflict in arbitration, waiving their right to sue.

Americans for Financial Reform, Public Citizen and their allies all delivered Monopoly inspired cheat cards to 100 Senate offices as a part of this protest, according to a press release.

The Monopoly protester, Amanda Werner of Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen, wore the outfit, handing out Get-out-of-jail-free cards at the hearing, too.

The Senate has hoped to push back against a rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to slow the use of arbitration clauses. The House voted to kill the rule.

"Arbitration is a rigged game," Werner said, according to CNBC. "Bank lobbyists and their allies in Congress are trying to overturn the CFPB's rule so they can continue to rip off consumers with impunity."

The hearing actually dealt with the credit rating agency Equifax that announced in September that data from more than 143 million had been stolen. Hackers lifted names, dates of births and Social Security numbers, among other pieces of personal credit information.

Terms and conditions to resolve claims against Equifax included an arbitration clause, which is meant to prevent people from suing the company, or joining together for a lawsuit, CNN Money reported.

Former Equifax CEO Richard Smith testified before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday, saying that a forced arbitration clause was not designed to be applied to the breach, according to CNN Money.

As CNN reported, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) didnt see how Smith could see the move as fair.

"I can't understand why you think for those 145 million in that case that forced arbitration is unfair, but in other uses in your company you think it's fair," he 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.