With screens dominating much of our day-to-day lives, people are keen to know whether or not they have any effect on us – not just from the content we see, but from the light of the screen itself. Some are particularly concerned about the impact of blue light, with all sorts of accessories being peddled to us to combat its alleged effects. But does blue light actually have an impact on our health?What is blue light?Blue light is a color that’s part of the light spectrum visible to the human eye, occurring at wavelengths between 380 and 500 nanometers and making up around a third of the light that we can see.Although many people will have heard of it in the context of digital devices, we actually get the vast majority of our exposure to blue light from the Sun – screens like computers and phones give us very little in comparison.Two of the major ways that blue light is said to be potentially harmful is by damaging our eyes and preventing us from getting a good night's sleep. How much truth is there in these claims?How might blue light affect our eyes?“Blue light causes blindness”One of the main studies that headlines have latched on to is a 2018 paper from researchers at the University of Toledo. “Blue light from phone screens accelerates blindness” was the headline of a Guardian article about the study, one of many – but that’s not what the research showed at all.In this study, the team looked at how retinal, a light-absorbing compound found in the eye, responded to blue light exposure and found that there was damage to cell membranes in the cells tested.But whilst retinal is present within the human eye, the results of the study can’t be applied to us. That’s because it didn’t mimic the conditions of an actual, live human eye; all but one of the cell lines that were tested were from other parts of the body, which aren’t exposed to blue light. Retinal also doesn’t touch the cell membrane in cells that are actually in human eyes.Another study tested cells that are present within the retina, the part of the eye that senses light and converts it into electrical signals that are interpreted by the brain. The researchers found that two hours after blue light exposure, these cells had severe DNA damage, which had caused them to die.There’s a catch, however – the study was carried out in rat cells. Not only does that mean the results can’t necessarily be translated to humans, but the research being conducted in vitro means it can’t even say that much about how living rats would respond either.“Blue light causes eye strain”If you’ve ever come across an advert for a pair of blue-light filtering glasses to put on when you’re using devices, you’ll likely have noticed claims that they can help to reduce eye strain – which implies that eye strain is caused by blue light. However, there’s no solid evidence to suggest this is the case.A 2023 Cochrane review, for example, examined 17 clinical trials that compared the effects of blue-light filtering versus non-blue-light filtering lenses on eyes and found that the former “may not attenuate symptoms of eye strain with computer use, over a shortterm followup period, compared to nonbluelight filtering lenses.”What does appear to be the primary cause of eye strain after using digital devices, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is not blinking enough when we’re using them.How might blue light affect our sleep?Chatter about blue light also often involves the effect that it might have on our sleep, often with the warning that we shouldn’t be using our devices so close to bedtime because of that. But how true are such claims?     It’s a bit of a mixed bag, primarily because the area needs a lot more research. A review of 36 studies found that half of them showed tiredness and sleep efficacy were decreased by blue light exposure, but the time it took to get to sleep and its quality and duration didn’t seem to be affected.A study published at the end of last year exposed people to different types of light – dim blue, yellow, and white – and found that there was no conclusive evidence for differences between them in affecting sleepiness, actual sleep, or the body’s circadian rhythm (our sleep-wake cycle).That being said, the study’s conditions weren’t exactly as they are in real life. “This study had specifically designed the light exposure…to avoid triggering the light-sensitive cell in our eye known to be responsible for resetting our circadian rhythm, which does not match real-world lighting environments,” Dr Alexander Solomon, a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist, who wasn’t involved with the study, told Healthline.“This cell is sensitive to blue light, so saying blue light doesn’t play as much of a role is untrue. It’s simply saying a bright yellow light can affect things as much as a dim blue light.”The bottom lineAt present, the evidence for blue light being bad for us simply isn’t there, particularly when it comes to causing damage to our eyes. Its effect on our sleep might be marginally more contentious, but still, there’s not enough to support you needing to go off and spend a bunch of money on blue light glasses. If it feels like your devices are keeping you awake, there are a couple of much cheaper solutions – pop it in night mode (which is found on plenty of devices nowadays), or simply try to use them less before bed (easier said than done when there’s TikTok drama, we know).All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.  The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.  

On Friday morning, CNN News Central investigated the Arizona school system and how it has been impacted by school choice. Instead of reporting the undeniable flaws of the public school system, correspondent René Marsh tried her best to focus on the religious and Trump-affiliated groups which have caused an alleged “civil rights issue” by simply staying true to Biblical sexual ethics. The target was the Dream City Christian School, affiliated with the pro-Trump organization Turning Point USA, a school whose “website underscores a far-right Christian viewpoint, promising to combat morally bankrupt and liberal ideology, including critical race theory, evolutionism, and gender identification. And it's partially funded by taxpayer dollars like many private schools in the US, students at Dream City can use state money to pay for private education.” Marsh stated: A CNN investigation found Dream City Christian received more taxpayer money than 95% of the private schools in the state voucher program. A total $1.3 million, last year, according to data CNN obtained. That's despite anti-LGBTQ mandates in the parent handbook stating faculty must believe and parents must agree to their children being taught that homosexual behavior is sinful and offensive to God and rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God.     She went on to interview those who have opposed the legislation, one professor called it “a civil rights issue” that a Christian school teaching Christian ethics would receive taxpayer money and others worried for the future of the public school system. What is not explained are the problems that the public school system has perpetuated, and how with the opportunity, Arizonans will continue to leave, allowing for greater educational opportunities for their children. ESA can now be accessed by 100 percent of K-12 students in Arizona, and as a result the state “made progress in closing the gap with a nation-leading rate of growth for low-income students,” according to the Daily Signal.  Marsh’s glaring mistake was ignoring the many facts that support school choice as a beneficial policy. Arizona has already seen the value of its Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program, claiming education is not one size fits all, and parents should have options. Parents are now able to afford sending their children to a school of their choosing regardless of its religious or political affiliation, which is Marsh’s major objection. School choice is sweeping the country as more and more parents have become fed up with the poor educational system and its liberal agenda. Public schools closing may become a real problem as parents may send their children to Christian schools with government funds, but if the Department of Education and schools don’t shape up, no CNN pity story will save them.   The transcript is below, click “expand” to read: CNN News Central 6/21/2024 7:55:30 AM EST   SARA SIDNER: All right, a new CNN investigation has found that some religious schools in Arizona including a school that has partnered with a Trump-aligned advocacy group, are being partially funded by taxpayer dollars. Some of those funds are going to unregulated private schools that don't face the same standards as public schools or have the same anti discrimination protections. And this move has in part contributed to the closure of public schools in the state. CNN's René Marsh has this interesting story. [Cuts to Video] DONALD TRUMP: Hello, Phoenix!  RENE MARSH: Phoenix mega church, the setting for recent Donald Trump campaign rally.  TRUMP: You have to have choice also in education, you're going to have choice in education.  MARSH: The same mega church has partnered with the Trump aligned political group Turning Point USA to educate students at this private school, Dream City Christian  CHARLIE KIRK: Dream City Christian School. A Turning Point academy MARSH: Its website underscores a far-right Christian viewpoint, promising to combat morally bankrupt and liberal ideology, including critical race theory, evolutionism, and gender identification. And it's partially funded by taxpayer dollars like many private schools in the US, students at Dream City can use state money to pay for private education. A CNN investigation found Dream City Christian received more taxpayer money than 95 percent of the private schools in the state voucher program. A total $1.3 million, last year, according to data CNN obtained. That's despite anti-LGBTQ mandates in the parent handbook stating faculty must believe and parents must agree to their children being taught that homosexual behavior is sinful and offensive to God and rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God. SAMUEL ABRAMS: It’s a civil rights issue –  MARSH: Professor Samuel Abrams studies school privatization  ABRAMS: –because there's no way for any school system to operate whereby public money is funding such discrimination. That's reprehensible. MARSH: Two years ago, Arizona was the first of nearly a dozen states to go to a universal voucher system where families can use public funds regardless of income. Reds states are leading the charge, fueled by a backlash over COVID closures at public schools and a major campaign funded in part by a handful of conservative billionaires pushing for more public dollars for private education. TOMMY SCHULTZ: There have been more gains made in the last few years of the school choice movement than there were in the prior 30. MARSH: The American Federation for Children, founded by former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has led the way by opposing anti-voucher candidates. Tommy Schultz is CEO. SCHULTZ: We've been involved in more than 2,000 state legislative races and overall, we've had a 75 percent successful win rate. We've utterly changed the narrative and this issue of school choice has been a deciding factor in so many elections across the country. MARSH: This school year vouchers cost taxpayers in Arizona hundreds of millions of dollars more than anticipated, funneling public money to unregulated private schools that don't face the same educational standards as public schools. SCHULTZ: I would submit that school choice is the best government funded anti-poverty program that's out there  MARSH: But although vouchers have long been pitched this way as a means to help disadvantaged students in public schools. A CNN analysis found that Arizona's program is disproportionately benefiting students in richer communities. As the state’s private schools like Dream City get a windfall and tax dollars. Public schools are seeing declining enrollment and shrinking budgets.  WOMAN #1: It hurts the neighborhood. People bought into this area with the fact that we have a school, now obviously we don’t have a school. MARSH: Families and teachers said goodbye at Sunset Canyon Elementary, one of three schools shutting down in its district after hundreds of kids moved to vouchers, those school officials say lack of affordable housing and lower birth rates are also to blame. … 8:00:05 AM EST MARSH: Advocates are sounding the alarm that the future of public schools is at stake. BETH LEWIS: Our schools have been so underfunded for so long that there really wasn't any cushion in those school budgets, even the smallest amount of movement is going to destabilize that and our public schools simply cannot hold. 

A man in Chicago beat a home intruder with a large frying pan, and the altercation was caught on the man's surveillance video. Jason Williams said his security app notified him of a potential break-in at his residence on Thursday at about 3:30 p.m. So, after rushing home he armed himself with the closest weapon he had at hand: a large frying pan.'He’s lucky the cops came. I was putting a good beating on him.. he owes me a new [f]rying pan!' The 45-year-old confronted the intruder and used the pan to chase him out of his home on the 3400 block of West Parker. Video shows the home intruder running out of the front of the home and jumping over the steps in an attempt to get away from Williams who is following after him and swinging the frying pan at him. After the two are out of frame, pounding noises can be heard on the footage. Moments later, police arrived and arrested the alleged intruder, who they said was a 33-year-old man. They transported him to the Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was treated. He was assessed to be in good condition. Police said Williams refused treatment but opted to press charges against the intruder. The video was obtained and published by the Law and Crime Network on its YouTube video channel. Williams posted about the altercation on his account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "I just caught a f***ing burgler in my house. Holy s***.:. Almost killed him,Hit him with a frying pan! Got him!!!" he posted with a photograph of the frying pan he used. He then posted a photograph of the man being loaded into an ambulance. "Here’s the guy that tried to burgler me. He’s lucky the cops came. I was putting a good beating on him.. he owes me a new [f]rying pan!" he wrote. "Got some good licks inside and the back," he added in a third tweet with the surveillance video. "Keystone cops theme should be added for laughs. I’m ok. Guys gonna have a headache tomorrow and was taken away by the ambulance."There are over 100,000 robberies and burglaries in Chicago every year, according to the Law and Crime Network. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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