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Why housing costs are out of reach for millions of Americans
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When it comes to the modern American economy, location is everything. But a good location means higher housing costs. - photo by JJ Feinauer
When it comes to the modern American economy, location is everything. As recent studies have shown, your zip code makes a huge difference when it comes to upward mobility and career opportunities.

But according to City Lab's Richard Florida, the best locations also have housing costs that are spiraling ever upward. The average recent graduate, according to Florida, simply can't afford to live in the areas where their training will suit them best.

The reason for this, according to Florida, is housing costs have outpaced inflation and income.

"This effect has been particularly acute in superstar cities like New York, where incomes fell by 8 percent between 2000 and 2011, while rents increased by 7 percent," Florida explained. "While housing affordability has long been an issue for the poor, concern has crept up the income ladder in the last couple of years."

But Florida's analysis is concerned primarily with rental costs in major cities. So what about those who wish to buy a home? It seems as if that may be too far out of reach for many Americans as well.

"Even creditworthy borrowers are having difficulty securing a mortgage to buy a home," Fortune magazine's Chris Matthews wrote last month. Even though buying a home makes sound economic sense after living in a city for about two years, Matthews wrote, the fallout from the 2008 housing crises has made lenders "gun shy about getting involved in residential real estate."

What has happened, then, is the price of buying a home has outpaced wage increases, much like rental costs. So even though it might make financial sense to purchase instead of rent, lenders are wary of the massive gap between how much is needed for a mortgage and how much homebuyers can actually afford.

For that reason, the Urban Institute recently shined a light on a new method to keep rising housing costs at bay, almost like a third way for the housing market, wedged between buying and renting.

"For individuals and families who dont struggle to pay their monthly bills, but find homeownership out of reach, shared equity can provide the bridge to their first home," UI's Brett Theodos and Rob Pitingolo wrote on April 29.

According to Theodos and Pitingolo, shared equity makes it so "the market cost of the home is shared between the buyer and the entity administering the program," which eases the burden of cost on the buyer. This, they argue, may be our best bet to curbing housing costs in the coming decades.
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.