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approved by Senate
The bill would make Daylight Saving Time permanent in the U.S. year-round.
Shelby Hiens News Editor
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The Sunshine Protection Act was passed in the Senate with unanimous consent on March 15. This bill will end the commonly hated practice of changing the clocks twice a year and make Daylight Saving Time permanent across the country — if it survives in the House of Representatives and President Joe Biden gives his approval.
The bill was reintroduced by Sen. Marco Rubio and cosponsored by several colleagues on March 9 last year. “Studies have shown many benefits of a year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is why the Florida legislature voted to make it permanent in 2018. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, and give our nation’s families more stability throughout the year,” Rubio stated.
There are many benefits to having permanent Daylight Saving Time year-round. From November to March, the sun would rise and set an hour later than what we’re used to because these are the months that we observe Standard Time. If the bill is passed, daylight will be shifted forward an hour during these months and most of the U.S. will get to experience sunset after 5 p.m. near the winter solstice.
Soma Therapy Owner Jenny Helms said, “Brighter evenings in the winter could be beneficial to some people with seasonal depression, as the permanent daylight saving would make the most change in the winter.” She stated “So, if we are having more time during the day where we have more access to sunlight, that is going to decrease the rates of seasonal effective disorder.”
Experiencing daylight later in the evenings during colder months would allow those who work and go to school time to enjoy the daylight, as many people are preoccupied inside for the limited amount of daylight available during winter months.
The downside to ditching Standard Time completely is the later sunrise around the winter solstice. Many senators praise the idea of extra sunlight during winter months, but there will not actually be more daylight. If the sun sets later in the day, the sun will rise later in the morning. The change would cause sunrise to occur after 9 a.m. for some in the U.S. during January.
This could be problematic for kids going to school early in the morning and annoying for adults going to work in the dark. The alternative many have proposed is making Standard Time permanent, as they prefer to have daylight in the morning rather than the evening but still hate changing the clocks twice a year. However, supporters of the Sunshine Protection Act prefer to have daylight later in the evening so the days don’t feel so short.
courtesy Wikimedia Commons The bill would shift daylight an hour forward from what we’re used to during winter months. courtesy rubio.senate.gov
Sen. Marco Rubio reintroduced the bill on March 9, 2021.
Man with genetically modified pig heart dies
David Bennett lived with the heart of a genetically modified pig for two months before dying of unknown causes.
Logan Guthrie
Commentary Editor
David Bennett, the first man to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig, died earlier this month. 57-year-old Bennett survived for two months with the heart transplant until finally passing on.
Bennett was terminally ill and fully aware of the risk, knowing that such an experimental treatment was a long shot at best. A special dispensation had been given to the University of Maryland Medical Center physicians in order to conduct the surgery. This was due to Bennett not having met eligibility for the treatment, who had already been bedridden for weeks and had no other shot at living.
On Jan. 7 the surgery was conducted, giving Bennett the chance to spend more time with his family doing activities such as watching the Super Bowl. As time passed, however, Bennett’s condition deteriorated more and more. His death was considered a tragedy for his family and doctors alike.
According to Bennett’s surgeon, Bartley Griffith, everyone was “devastated by the loss of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end.” Griffith has gone on the record
previously stating that this surgery brings us “one step closer to solving the organ shortage crisis.” While using pig heart valves has been a common practice at this point with success, a genetically modified heart as a transplant for a human heart was never before attempted.
Other xenotransplantations, cross-species transplants, have also been done, mainly with pig organs. Back in Oct. 2021, a braindead patient with no chance of survival was given a modified pig kidney.
There were 10 modifications conducted on the pig heart prior to Bennett’s surgery, which successfully prevented hyperacute rejection based on the body seeing the tissue of the heart as foreign. If hyperacute rejection occurs, then the body will immediately begin to kill the foreign tissue. This is the most common and largest barrier of effective xenotransplantations.
The impact of Bennett’s decision is being felt. According to the medical center, “This organ transplant demonstrated for the first time that a genetically modified animal heart can function like a human heart without immediate rejection by the body.”
Investigations are still being conducted to determine what exactly caused Bennett’s deterioration and eventual death. At this time, the precise cause is not clear because his body had not rejected the transplant and, according to all tests, the pig’s heart was performing perfectly in replacement of Bennett’s own. Once the exact cause of death is determined, an assessment can be made about the extent of the surgery’s success and the prospect of such a transplant being a viable treatment.
“We extend our sincerest condolences to his family,” said Griffith. “We are grateful to Mr. Bennett for his unique and historic role in helping to contribute to a vast array of knowledge to the field of xenotransplantation.”
Bennett’s son, David Bennett Jr., said that he hopes his father’s transplant is “the beginning of hope and not the end. We are grateful for every innovative moment, every crazy dream, every sleepless night that went into this historic effort.” The two extra months that Bennett received with his family may give merit to further development of such new medical techniques.
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The Universty of Maryland Medical Center was given a special dispensation to perform the surgery.
