NBC News and the New York Post examine ending Daylight Saving Time

I foreshadowed today's topic in Wall Street Journal and CBC examine ending penny production.

Based on the Canadian experience, ceasing to mint pennies might actually be a good idea. Chalk that up to a stuck clock being right twice a day, and Hoover Cleveland is definitely a stuck clock. The other issue he might be right on? Ending Daylight Saving Time, which will be a subject for next month.

It's time, pun intended, to return to the topic of Daylight Saving Time with NBC News covering the proposal in last December's Donald Trump vows to end daylight saving time.

President-Elect Trump says he'll work to end daylight saving time, arguing it is costly and inconvenient. NBC News' Sam Brock reports.

These are the same arguments against switching the clock in general and Daylight Saving Time in particular since Spring ahead, although it's probably not good for you from March 12, 2017, eight years ago. That was the fifth most read entry during the seventh year of the blog, showing how popular the topic is and how unpopular changing the clock has become.

The New York Post updated the subject this week as the newspaper explained Here's why Trump wants to get rid of Daylight Saving Time.

Will Donald Trump get rid of the clock-changing that comes with Daylight Saving Time?

President Donald Trump has vowed to work with the Republican party to eliminate the daylight savings time, calling it “ inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation” in a December 2025 Truth Social post in the days before he took office.

Proponents of scrapping March and November clock changes have argued that the biannual transitions of “spring forward” and “fall back” disrupt sleeping patterns and negatively affect mental and physical health.

Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that have locked their clocks, following standard time throughout the whole year.

The NY Post included a lot more polling data as well as the history of Daylight Saving Time than NBC News, but it was about as optimistic that "locking the clock" could happen. Since then, Hoover Cleveland himself has tempered expectations, as TODAY reported as it asked Is Daylight Saving Time worth it? Debate rages on.

It’s that time of year again where clocks are springing forward on Sunday as part of Daylight Saving Time — and people are sharing their strong thoughts about the time change. Could the new Trump administration eliminate the twice-yearly practice? NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for TODAY.

It's not exactly "a 50-50 issue," but it certainly is divided, which Hoover Cleveland has finally realized. It continues my frustration, which I expressed in The pros and cons of permanent Daylight Saving Time: "I just want the twice a year time changing to stop. I'll go with whatever the rest of you decide. Just make a decision!" That doesn't appear to be any closer now than in 2023. Until that happens, spring ahead.

That's my twice-yearly rant, which I skipped last year. Stay tuned for International Women's Day.

ABC News and TODAY on 'locking the clock' as Daylight Saving Time begins

I concluded Invasive species riding plastic debris from Fukushima 11 years later by telling my readers "Stay tuned as Daylight Saving Time begins tomorrow, a practice Colbert says 'is not helpful and has no upside.'" Anyone who has been reading my blog for the past decade knows that I used to like Daylight Saving Time, but have become much less of a fan of switching the clocks back and forth. My readers also know that I'm not alone in thinking and feeling that way. ABC News reported on that sentiment, asking Daylight Saving Time: Make it permanent?

ABC News’ Will Ganss has details on the new effort in Washington to stop changing the clocks.

That's a succinct yet very thorough summary of the bad health and safety effects of changing times and of the level of support for ending the practice.

NBC News' TODAY had even more on the topic in It's That Time Of Year Again: Inside The Daylight Saving Time Debate.

On Sunday morning, clocks in 48 states will spring forward, causing millions to lose a precious hour of sleep but gaining more sunlight in the evening. The adjustment to the time has many sounding off on whether it’s worth the trouble, including sleep scientists who say by not moving clocks forward, the sunrise and sunset stays in line with our circadian rhythm. NBC’s Joe Fryer reports for TODAY.

Between the two reports, both Senate sponsors got their say, showing that support for "locking the clock" is bipartisan. Also, TODAY gave more time to the pro-Standard-Time side of the debate, which also needs to be aired. As the TODAY clip mentioned, the U.S. tried "permanent" Daylight Saving Time in 1974 and didn't like it. I remember walking to school before sunrise growing up in Southern California and found it a strange experience. It would be worse here in Michigan, where the sun wouldn't rise until 9:00 A.M. during early January. Ugh.

Whether we like it or not, the time is changing tonight. Let's see how long that lasts.

Lawmakers introducing and passing bills to stop changing clocks as Daylight Saving Time begins

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins tomorrow and, as I have for the past few years, I'm documenting efforts to stop the switching back and forth between DST and standard time because of the time change's deleterious health effects. Today, I'm sharing news from Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Since I live in Michigan, I begin with WXYZ's Michigan lawmaker introduces bill to end Daylight Saving Time changes.

Get ready to lose an hour this weekend as Daylight Saving Time is almost here, but if one state lawmaker has her way, it could be the last chance in Michigan.

State Representative Hoitinga cited health reasons for ending DST, which WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids covered in Studies: Daylight Saving time can lead to health issues.

We'll spring forward overnight into Sunday. Could that loss of sleep hurt your heart?

Joe LaFurgey promised another segment about state lawmakers introducing bills to either stay off DST or make it permanent. He and WOOD-TV delivered with Time to change time change? Michigan senator says yes.

Daylight saving time takes effect early Sunday morning, meaning you'll lose an hour of sleep as we spring ahead.

Hoitinga said she was looking for a State Senator to support her legislation. She might already have one in Jeff Irwin, who I know from covering him for the now-defunct Examiner.com and who I last wrote about when he proposed legalizing marijuana six years ago. I hope they find a way to work together across the partisan divide.

Follow over the jump for stories about ending the switching back and forth from outside Michigan.

Time names the public servants who testified at the impeachment hearings 2019's Guardians of the Year

I concluded Time names Greta Thunberg Person of the Year for 2019 with a program note.

Time bestowed three other titles, Athlete of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and Guardians of the Year.  I plan on posting videos about all of them as the week progresses.  Stay tuned.

I continue with today's video, TIME Guardians Of The Year: The Public Servants.

Nonpartisan public servants who exposed the evidence that prompted the impeachment of a President are Time's Guardians of the Year.

I already gave my readers a funny look at the witnesses in Meyers and Colbert take closer looks at last week's impeachment hearings.  It is time I presented a more serious look at the people who provided the substance for the articles of impeachment.  Thanks to Time Magazine, I was able to.

Congratulations to the recipients of this honor and thank you for your service to our country.  May it not be in vain.

Time names Greta Thunberg Person of the Year for 2019

I trolled Kunstler's readers in a comment to Cascading Cat Litter about Greta Thunberg.

My choice for the Nobel Peace Prize is Greta Thunberg, who started the Youth Climate Strike.  Better her than Assange or even the student activists from Parkland, Florida.

That didn't happen, as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize.  However, she did earn an honor that would have worked just as well for the purpose.  Watch TIME 2019 Person Of The Year: Greta Thunberg.

Greta Thunberg is the face of a global youth-led climate movement.

Congratulations, Greta!  Not only are you the Person of the Year, you are the youngest to ever be named for this title.  May you and your youthful followers continue to raise people's awareness and prompt action on the climate.

Time bestowed three other titles, Athlete of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and Guardians of the Year.  I plan on posting videos about all of them as the week progresses.  Stay tuned.

Celebrate achievements in diplomacy, science, economics, and literature on Nobel Prize Day 2019

Happy Nobel Prize Day!  I begin this year's observance the same way I did last year, with the winner of the Peace Prize.  Watch DW News (Deutsche Welle or German Broadcasting) answer Nobel Peace Prize 2019: Who is Abiy Ahmed?

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been announced as the winner of this prestigious award for his work to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea. Ahmed was up against around 300 nominees. The Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement in Oslo. Earlier this week, the Nobel prizes in the fields of Medicine, Physics, Chemistry and Literature were also awarded.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Ahmed and thanks to the Nobel Prize committee to get me to write about East Africa, a region I have generally and probably unjustly ignored.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the laureates.

Majority of Americans want to stop changing their clocks twice a year

I closed Fall back for the end of Daylight Saving Time even though it affects health and increases traffic accidents by writing "Americans are getting tired of switching back and forth between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time, having decided Daylight Saving Time sucks."  WMTW-TV in Portland, Maine reported the depth of that dislike in Majority of Americans want to do away with daylight saving time.

A new poll finds a majority of Americans want to get rid of daylight saving time all together.

70% of Americans are tired of switching the clocks back and forth, while only 30% want to keep doing it.  Americans don't agree yet on which time to stay on, Standard or Daylight Saving.  However, that hasn't stopped states from trying to please their residents by stopping the back-and-forth.  Unfortunately, it literally requires an act of Congress to finish the job.  Follow over the jump for reports about three states that have voted to stop the twice-annual changeover and five more that are considering doing so.

Fall back tonight, even if it may not be good for you, either

Tonight is the end of Daylight Saving Time, so remember to fall back, at least for those devices that don't do so automatically.  In the meantime, enjoy this clip I promised eight months ago in Spring ahead for Daylight Saving Time 2016!>

All of us will get our missing hour back in November.  Just wait.  I'll even have another fake movie trailer for it.

Here it is, Daylight Saving - Movie Trailer.

This November, they call it Daylight Saving but the thing that needs saving...is us! WHAT TIME IS IT?! #DaylightSavingMovie

It turns out that, not only can Daylight Saving Time be inconvenient, but that falling back can be almost as bad for people as springing ahead.  Newsy has the story in Daylight saving time could be bad for your brain.

Researchers found setting the clock back for winter led to a spike in depression for some people.

I used to like Daylight Saving Time, but I'm beginning to wonder if the dozen states considering getting rid of it have the right idea.

Stay tuned for Entertainment Sunday.  As I did for Halloween, I'll put the topic up for a vote--movie trailers, "The Walking Dead," or "Westworld."

Colony collapse disorder: Student sustainability video festival 44

It's time to resume where I left off in Bottled water: Student sustainability video festival 43 with the next installment in this series, two videos about honeybees and colony collapse disorder.  First, TIME Explains: Why Bees Are Going Extinct.

The bees are dying and we're to blame. TIME's Bryan Walsh explains colony collapse disorder, and why bees are on the verge of extinction.

Next, TomoNews US reported Neonicotinoids banned in EU: How they harm bees.

The EU has voted to ban the use of three of the most widely used neonicotinoid pesticides over fears they are linked to a decrease in bee populations across the continent.

Neonicotinoids are a popular type of insecticide, because they are highly effective against many kinds of insects, but thought to be harmless to other animals. It was previously thought that bees were not affected by neonicotinoids.

Seed is treated with neonicotinoid pesticide, then coated with talc. The pesticide persists in the environment and in the plants, including the pollen, which bees carry back to the hive. Neonicotinoids bind irreversibly to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of an insect's central nervous system. It is claimed that once exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides, bees have trouble finding their hives and suffer a range of other detrimental effects, eventually resulting in the collapse of the hive.

The EU pesticide ban will only cover three kinds of neonicotinoids used on flowering crops that are attractive to bees and will last for a period of two years.

I have shared two videos from my students about colony collapse disorder, Student sustainability video festival 19: Singing Honey Bees and Disappearing bees and Doctor Who: student sustainability video festival 33.  These videos put the topic right up there with bottled water, nuclear disasters, and the Pacific Garbage Patch as popular subjects for talks with good videos.

Stay tuned for more videos in this series along with the monthly meta.