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How Utah became a player in the 2016 election
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National media outlets from around the nation have put an increased emphasis on Utah, a traditionally red state that hasnt voted for a Democrat since 1964 but doesnt overwhelmingly support the current GOP nominee, Donald Trump.

In fact, as BuzzFeeds McKay Coppins reported, Trump and his campaign have struggled to lock down Utah completely, saying that the state may not tie itself to the Republican Party in upcoming elections because of the damage thats been done.

Trump, however, still leads the state in the most recent polls.

The pollsters at FiveThirtyEight, meanwhile, give third-party candidate Evan McMullin a 12.7 percent chance of winning the state, as he sits at an average 28 percent of the vote. Much of this is due to McMullin spreading a #NeverTrump and true conservative message.

CNN talked to independent candidate McMullin on Monday morning, highlighting how the candidate has a chance to win Utah.

All of these news events are why Utahs been called a battleground state (by CNN, the Washington Post and NBC News) and a strange swing state.

So how did we get to this point? Heres a look at our reports about all the events that have helped shape the Beehive State into a battleground for the 2016 election.

Rumors started to swirl that 2012 Republican Party nominee Mitt Romney, who lost the 2012 election to President Barack Obama, would make a run for the presidency.

Jan 21: Mitt sounds like a candidate at Salt Lake speech

June 29: Mitt Romney says family still wants him to run for president

June 30: Hal Boyd: Why Mitt Romney's family, supporters still want him to run

Instead, Romney decided to speak out against Donald Trump, who started to make a heavy impact in the polls.

March 3: Mitt Romney: Trump is 'a phony, a fraud'

June 29: Romney 'dismayed' by presidential choices, won't run as independent

June 30: Mitt Romney still taking on Donald Trump over releasing tax returns

Polls showed that Utahns didnt favor Trump, supporting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz over all other GOP nominees in the Utah caucus.

March 22: Cruz wins big in Utah over Kasich, Trump

Then Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate who has his headquarters in the state, became more popular.

Aug. 1: They're telling us there's a chance: Could Utah help land Libertarian in White House?

Political pundits and commentators suggested that Romney might endorse Johnson because of the former Massachusetts governors friendship with Johnsons running mate, Bill Weld.

July 28: If Mitt Romney endorsed Gary Johnson, Utah could very well become a swing state

It was around this time that Johnsons popularity began to surge in Utah, despite some conflicting words about religious freedom and the LDS Church.

Aug. 8: Who is Gary Johnson? Some frustrated Utah voters looking at Libertarian candidate

Aug. 2: Gary Johnson may have upset Utah Mormons, but here's how he still plans to win their votes

Aug. 8: Poll: Trump leads Clinton in Utah; Libertarian Johnson surging

Sept. 7: Gary Johnson and Hillary Clinton are essentially tied in Utah

Utah became something of a swing state.

July 30: National conversations taking place about 'Utah, the great swing state'

Eventually, all three national candidates submitted op-eds to the Deseret News.

Gary Johnson submitted first.

Aug. 2: Exclusive: Gary Johnson: Clarifying my views on religious freedom, Mormons

Followed by Hillary Clinton.

Aug. 10: Exclusive: Hillary Clinton: What I have in common with Utah leaders

And then Trump.

Aug. 15: Exclusive: Donald Trump: Utah can help make America great again

If that wasnt enough, BYU grad Evan McMullin announced that he would make a Hail Mary bid for the presidency.

Aug. 8: Hal Boyd: BYU grad set to launch Hail Mary bid for the presidency

Aug. 8: BYU grad launches last-minute campaign for president

Aug. 25: Evan McMullin campaign hitting, missing presidential ballot deadlines

Oct 14: This is Evan McMullin's slim but entirely possible chance at the presidency

Oct. 14: Presidential candidate Evan McMullin running to win, start new conservative movement

Slowly, McMullin gained more attention.

Aug. 16: Evan McMullin's Mormon faith addressed in interview with Fox News

Aug. 22: Why would Evan McMullin run for president? Washington Post writer tells the story

Oct. 3: Independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin using Mitt Romney email list to raise money

Oct. 26: WATCH: ABC's 'Nightline' follows Evan McMullin around the Salt Lake Valley

Oct. 31: Here's what Evan McMullin did as an undercover CIA agent

McMullin shared an op-ed with the Deseret News once his popularity began to rise.

Sept. 9: Exclusive: Evan McMullin: I'm running for president to give voters someone they can support proudly

As did a number of other surrogates and supporters of the candidates.

In early October, after some disparaging remarks by Trump about women were released, the Deseret News published an editorial calling on the GOP nominee to "resign his candidacy."

And now, Utahs remains a hard state to call, though polls seem to have leveled out and shown a Trump lead.

Nov. 3: 3 new polls point to Trump winning Utah; 2 put McMullin in 3rd place

Nov. 4: New poll shows voter uncertainty about Trump lead in Utah

Nov. 7: Presidential campaigns making final pitches to Utah voters

What will happen? We will know soon.
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.