He lost his sight in Berlin. Now he helps others find independence in Florida
He remembers the interior of a Berlin taxi. The blue-ish shades around him in the hospital. Then the world running together, like paint mixing, until there was nothing left.
Lopez Masso was suddenly blind at 32.
Now, over two decades later, he has a wife and a daughter. He goes on cruises around the world. He scuba dives. He dances to music at country concerts. And he works at the Lighthouse of Broward, where he fundraises and teaches others who went blind later in life how to be independent, like him.
'I'm not just a guy that gives you a paper, a folder, a brochure,' said Lopez Masso, now 59. 'I can tell you what I went through.'
Seventeen Surgeries
When Lopez Masso lost his sight, he was a Venezuelan diplomat stationed in Germany, following in the footsteps of his father — the first Venezuelan ambassador to Germany after World War II. He had lived out his childhood in Eastern Germany, where he watched his father use politics as a means of bettering people's lives. He expected to spend the majority of his life doing the same.
He had been diagnosed with glaucoma when he was born. It didn't impede his everyday life, he said, but there was a chance he would eventually lose his vision. So in 1999, he had cornea transplant surgery.
At first, his vision was clearer than it ever had been. Then his body began to reject the transplant. He had another surgery.
His body rejected the transplant again, and again, and again. Over the course of a year and a half, Lopez Masso had 17 surgeries to restore his quickly fading vision. None of them worked.
'It was like a movie of your life that you used to see every day getting smaller and smaller,' Lopez Masso said, 'and blurrier and blurrier, until it totally disappeared.'
While Lopez Masso was on medical leave from his diplomatic position, he was laid off. His insurance was cut about half a year into his hospital stays. He was lucky to have the support of his family, he said, and a good amount of savings. His mother came to stay with him in Germany to help him recover from each surgery.
During those days, Lopez Masso couldn't sleep. He had no idea what his life would become. As soon as the doctors gave him the green light to go home, he and his mother flew back to Venezuela.
Living in Venezuela as a blind person in the early 2000s was hard, Lopez Masso said. Walking on the sidewalk was an ordeal on its own, since there were often obstacles blocking his path like parked motorcycles and potholes. As for places he could turn for help, the facility accessible to him was more of a daycare, he said, than a place to take classes and learn life skills as a blind person. Lopez Masso wanted to be self-sufficient as soon as possible, he said. He came to the conclusion that he couldn't stay at home.
He was already a U.S. green card holder due to some work he'd done there while he was a diplomat. He had a cousin in Fort Lauderdale. He decided to make the move in 2001.
The Lighthouse
Lopez Masso was initially skeptical of the rehabilitation organization his cousin had found for him: the Lighthouse of Broward. The way his cousin and his other family members talked about it seemed overly optimistic — as if everything would go back to normal once he took a few classes.
'I'm blind… I need to hold onto your arm just to go down the steps,' he told his relatives. 'And you're saying you'll take me to a place where everything's fine? Whatever, you know?'
But eventually he had to confront his other option, he said.
'Being at home, depressed, crying and probably going crazy?' Lopez Masso said. 'I didn't actually have an alternative.'
So he walked through the doors of the nonprofit in Sunrise, which serves blind people in South Florida by teaching them — at no charge — to use computers and phones for possible careers and to do daily tasks, like cooking and getting around. The nonprofit also pairs its clients with case workers to help them find jobs.
A woman interviewed him that first day to see what programs he qualified for at the Lighthouse. Lopez Masso said she was the one who soothed his cynicism.
''I'm not going to tell you that I know how you feel, because I'm not blind. But I would like to tell you that there are opportunities and ways you can recreate your life,'' she told him. 'That is the important part of the Lighthouse. They don't promise you things that are impossible.'
The organization taught him how to utilize text-to-speech aids with a computer, so he could read emails and webpages. At first, he played the automated voice slowly. Now he plays it at multiple times the normal speed, scanning quickly at the same pace as if he were reading the words on the screen in his head. He does the same with an app on his phone, which he uses to take photos of his surroundings and generate descriptions of them.
He also learned tips to stay safe around the house without being able to see — like wearing long oven mitts that go past the elbow and using only the first two burners on a stove when he's cooking. And the instructors at the Lighthouse taught him how to use a cane, though he didn't like the unpredictability of whether he might hit someone. Now he has a guide dog, a yellow lab named Louis.
Eventually, he 'graduated' from the Lighthouse and got his first job while blind at a small autism awareness organization that eventually shut down. The Lighthouse offered him a consulting gig teaching blind people how to use computers in 2008. He took it.
He's been at the Lighthouse ever since, working his way up to vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations. Now he works with donors and government partners across the local, state and federal level to secure funding for the nonprofit. He oversees a grant writer and a marketing consultant, and a couple of boards and visual communications — he edits videos and he's in charge of all social media.
Since Lopez Masso took a leadership role eight years ago, the Lighthouse's budget has more than quadrupled to just under $9 million, CEO Ellyn Drotzer said. The organization's endowment has also grown from $4.1 million to $18 million. She attributes the majority of that growth to him.
'He treats everybody with the same level of dignity and respect,' Drotzer said. 'It's as if he's challenging you to do the same, that you should always treat blind people with this level of dignity and respect too.'
He's especially important to those who used to be high-ranking professionals before they went blind, Drotzer said.
'They find hope through his ability to overcome and come back for a second chapter and be just as successful,' Drotzer said. 'He's just remarkable. He's a paragon of what's possible.
Daily Life
Lopez Masso still surprises strangers with his capabilities, said his wife, Carla Dulzaides, recalling how nearly 20 years ago he went out of his way on their first date to open the car door for her even though she was the one driving.
Now they have a 15-year-old daughter together. They go on cruises, their most recent one to Japan. They scuba dive together on occasion, since Dulzaides is a high school marine sciences teacher and is passionate about the ocean. They live what most people would consider to be a normal life, Dulzaides said.
There are challenges, of course. When they go out to eat, the waiter always asks Dulzaides what Lopez Masso would like, as if he can't answer himself. People start to talk very loudly and slowly to Lopez Masso when they meet him for the first time, like he can't understand them. Sometimes Dulzaides thinks people assume if you can't see, you're dumb, she said.
If anything, being blind has forced Lopez Masso and his peers to be hyper-organized and 'perfect' at their jobs, Lopez Masso said — because their job opportunities are so limited. They have to be resourceful, he said.
That bleeds over into daily life, too, Dulzaides said. They both make sure everything is in its place in the kitchen, because if a spoon or a salt shaker is not in its usual spot, it will take a long time for Lopez Masso to find it again. She's careful not to move the furniture, since Lopez Masso is comfortable moving around the house without his guide dog.
It's crucial to Lopez Masso that he finds autonomy wherever he can for blind people, for both clients and himself, he said — whether that's educating their family members or helping them jumpstart a new career. He tries to show them that they don't have to rely on the Lighthouse's help forever.
'We want you here to learn, to train and then — see you later, alligator,' Lopez Masso said.
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Miami Herald
14 hours ago
- Miami Herald
He lost his sight in Berlin. Now he helps others find independence in Florida
Blue was the last color Jose Lopez Masso ever saw. He remembers the interior of a Berlin taxi. The blue-ish shades around him in the hospital. Then the world running together, like paint mixing, until there was nothing left. Lopez Masso was suddenly blind at 32. Now, over two decades later, he has a wife and a daughter. He goes on cruises around the world. He scuba dives. He dances to music at country concerts. And he works at the Lighthouse of Broward, where he fundraises and teaches others who went blind later in life how to be independent, like him. 'I'm not just a guy that gives you a paper, a folder, a brochure,' said Lopez Masso, now 59. 'I can tell you what I went through.' Seventeen Surgeries When Lopez Masso lost his sight, he was a Venezuelan diplomat stationed in Germany, following in the footsteps of his father — the first Venezuelan ambassador to Germany after World War II. He had lived out his childhood in Eastern Germany, where he watched his father use politics as a means of bettering people's lives. He expected to spend the majority of his life doing the same. He had been diagnosed with glaucoma when he was born. It didn't impede his everyday life, he said, but there was a chance he would eventually lose his vision. So in 1999, he had cornea transplant surgery. At first, his vision was clearer than it ever had been. Then his body began to reject the transplant. He had another surgery. His body rejected the transplant again, and again, and again. Over the course of a year and a half, Lopez Masso had 17 surgeries to restore his quickly fading vision. None of them worked. 'It was like a movie of your life that you used to see every day getting smaller and smaller,' Lopez Masso said, 'and blurrier and blurrier, until it totally disappeared.' While Lopez Masso was on medical leave from his diplomatic position, he was laid off. His insurance was cut about half a year into his hospital stays. He was lucky to have the support of his family, he said, and a good amount of savings. His mother came to stay with him in Germany to help him recover from each surgery. During those days, Lopez Masso couldn't sleep. He had no idea what his life would become. As soon as the doctors gave him the green light to go home, he and his mother flew back to Venezuela. Living in Venezuela as a blind person in the early 2000s was hard, Lopez Masso said. Walking on the sidewalk was an ordeal on its own, since there were often obstacles blocking his path like parked motorcycles and potholes. As for places he could turn for help, the facility accessible to him was more of a daycare, he said, than a place to take classes and learn life skills as a blind person. Lopez Masso wanted to be self-sufficient as soon as possible, he said. He came to the conclusion that he couldn't stay at home. He was already a U.S. green card holder due to some work he'd done there while he was a diplomat. He had a cousin in Fort Lauderdale. He decided to make the move in 2001. The Lighthouse Lopez Masso was initially skeptical of the rehabilitation organization his cousin had found for him: the Lighthouse of Broward. The way his cousin and his other family members talked about it seemed overly optimistic — as if everything would go back to normal once he took a few classes. 'I'm blind… I need to hold onto your arm just to go down the steps,' he told his relatives. 'And you're saying you'll take me to a place where everything's fine? Whatever, you know?' But eventually he had to confront his other option, he said. 'Being at home, depressed, crying and probably going crazy?' Lopez Masso said. 'I didn't actually have an alternative.' So he walked through the doors of the nonprofit in Sunrise, which serves blind people in South Florida by teaching them — at no charge — to use computers and phones for possible careers and to do daily tasks, like cooking and getting around. The nonprofit also pairs its clients with case workers to help them find jobs. A woman interviewed him that first day to see what programs he qualified for at the Lighthouse. Lopez Masso said she was the one who soothed his cynicism. ''I'm not going to tell you that I know how you feel, because I'm not blind. But I would like to tell you that there are opportunities and ways you can recreate your life,'' she told him. 'That is the important part of the Lighthouse. They don't promise you things that are impossible.' The organization taught him how to utilize text-to-speech aids with a computer, so he could read emails and webpages. At first, he played the automated voice slowly. Now he plays it at multiple times the normal speed, scanning quickly at the same pace as if he were reading the words on the screen in his head. He does the same with an app on his phone, which he uses to take photos of his surroundings and generate descriptions of them. He also learned tips to stay safe around the house without being able to see — like wearing long oven mitts that go past the elbow and using only the first two burners on a stove when he's cooking. And the instructors at the Lighthouse taught him how to use a cane, though he didn't like the unpredictability of whether he might hit someone. Now he has a guide dog, a yellow lab named Louis. Eventually, he 'graduated' from the Lighthouse and got his first job while blind at a small autism awareness organization that eventually shut down. The Lighthouse offered him a consulting gig teaching blind people how to use computers in 2008. He took it. He's been at the Lighthouse ever since, working his way up to vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations. Now he works with donors and government partners across the local, state and federal level to secure funding for the nonprofit. He oversees a grant writer and a marketing consultant, and a couple of boards and visual communications — he edits videos and he's in charge of all social media. Since Lopez Masso took a leadership role eight years ago, the Lighthouse's budget has more than quadrupled to just under $9 million, CEO Ellyn Drotzer said. The organization's endowment has also grown from $4.1 million to $18 million. She attributes the majority of that growth to him. 'He treats everybody with the same level of dignity and respect,' Drotzer said. 'It's as if he's challenging you to do the same, that you should always treat blind people with this level of dignity and respect too.' He's especially important to those who used to be high-ranking professionals before they went blind, Drotzer said. 'They find hope through his ability to overcome and come back for a second chapter and be just as successful,' Drotzer said. 'He's just remarkable. He's a paragon of what's possible. Daily Life Lopez Masso still surprises strangers with his capabilities, said his wife, Carla Dulzaides, recalling how nearly 20 years ago he went out of his way on their first date to open the car door for her even though she was the one driving. Now they have a 15-year-old daughter together. They go on cruises, their most recent one to Japan. They scuba dive together on occasion, since Dulzaides is a high school marine sciences teacher and is passionate about the ocean. They live what most people would consider to be a normal life, Dulzaides said. There are challenges, of course. When they go out to eat, the waiter always asks Dulzaides what Lopez Masso would like, as if he can't answer himself. People start to talk very loudly and slowly to Lopez Masso when they meet him for the first time, like he can't understand them. Sometimes Dulzaides thinks people assume if you can't see, you're dumb, she said. If anything, being blind has forced Lopez Masso and his peers to be hyper-organized and 'perfect' at their jobs, Lopez Masso said — because their job opportunities are so limited. They have to be resourceful, he said. That bleeds over into daily life, too, Dulzaides said. They both make sure everything is in its place in the kitchen, because if a spoon or a salt shaker is not in its usual spot, it will take a long time for Lopez Masso to find it again. She's careful not to move the furniture, since Lopez Masso is comfortable moving around the house without his guide dog. It's crucial to Lopez Masso that he finds autonomy wherever he can for blind people, for both clients and himself, he said — whether that's educating their family members or helping them jumpstart a new career. He tries to show them that they don't have to rely on the Lighthouse's help forever. 'We want you here to learn, to train and then — see you later, alligator,' Lopez Masso said.
Time Business News
a day ago
- Time Business News
Strepto Penicillin: History, Science, Uses, and the Future of a Life-Saving Antibiotic
The article is well researched and composed by a professional science and health writer who is also used to interpreting medical information presented in complex terms to clear and accessible language by anyone not limited to a specific background. The author has relied upon evidence-based practice since he has referred to peer-reviewed journals, literature textbooks, and reliable health organizations. The inspiration to compose this work was to enable the readers not only to acquire a technical knowledge about strepto penicillin but also have a historical and societal point of view, as it is regarded to have changed modern medicine. All the facts provided in this article have been checked cross-wise and at the end of all this checking, the reader knows that he/she is getting the best and the most updated facts. Strepto penicillin is the name that brings together two outstanding worlds of antibiotic research in science, the firstpenicillin that was found in molds and the next generation of antibiotics that is discovered in Streptomyces known as soil bacteria. Most people have heard about penicillin as the drug that transformed the field of medicine in the 20 th century but far less have heard about the significant contribution that Streptomyces species have made in the expanses of antibiotic therapy. Strepto penicillin itself is not a single drug, but an idea-one that can help span the gulf separating the fungal and bacterial esters pharmaceutical eontributions, the inspiration that brought about a pharmacopoeia of lifesaving substances. Strepto penicillin is a story quilt made of scientific discovery and industrial innovation, war-time needs, and forty years of ever-increasing research. It has a long history that intertwines with some of the most monumental events throughout the history of medicine, such as the widespread usage of antibiotics during World War II, to the advanced interventions in molecular biology popular in the 21st century. In the age of antibiotic resistance being one of the biggest challenges to the population, it would further make knowing the origins, mechanisms, and contemporary applications of strepto penicillin all the more crucial. This paper discusses the entire process, its history, structure, use, medical uses, manufacturing processes, and prospects of reducing antibiotic effectiveness in future generations with regards to the worldwide concern of retainingantibiotics usefulness to future generations. The saga of strepto penicillin started in the year 1928 when Alexander Fleming a bacteriologist of Scottish origin was something odd in his Petri dishes. In one of them, lengthening of Staphylococcus had been inhibited in the domain of one mildew community. This mold could be referred to as Penicillium notatum and it was secreting a substance that killed many bacteria but did not have any effect to human cells. It was an observation that led to the dawn of an era of the antibiotics and it would not be until over a decade later that after further research, penicillin became widely available. The Second World War saw penicillin move out of the laboratory as a curiosity into heavy industrial need as penicillin could be used in treating bacterial infections in soldiers. Production on a large scale was made possible via collaborations between the British and American scientists who improved on the fermentation process as well as discovering high yield strains of Penicillium. As the war progressed penicillin was being heralded as a miracle drug, which was saving lives which would have otherwise succumbed to infection in the likes of pneumonia, septicemia and wound infections. Although the discovery of penicillin happened in the fungal kingdom, the success of penicillin encouraged the scientists to look elsewhere in seeking other antibiotic-producing organisms. It was in this search that they went to the soil and thus found Streptomyces which is a genus of bacteria that is naturally very diverse in the formation of antimicrobial compounds. Streptomycin produced by Streptomyces griseus was one of the first and most meaningful ones and turned into the first curative agent against tuberculosis. The fact that these discoveries overlapped gives rise to the concept of a strepto penicillin. Although penicillin is not produced by Streptomyces, feats in antibiotic production, purifications, and modifications discovered in the research of streptomyces contributed to the processes of penicillin derivatives development. Such derivatives would frequently have superior stability, extended antibacterial spectra, or be able to resist attack by bacterial enzymes that would normally inactivated penicillin. The combination of both fungal-derived and Streptomyces-modelled innovation provided greatly increased amounts of antibiotics in the toolbox of doctors and hospitals all over the world. The core of strepto penicillin like analogs is the four-membered cyclic amide (the beta-lactam monomer) that is essential to the mechanism of their antibacterial agents. This ring enables connection of such bacteria enzymes as penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) to the antibiotic. The assembly of peptidoglycan layer structure of the bacterial cell walls is due to these enzymes. Blocking of PBPs prevents the bacteria to develop a healthy cell wall thus exposing the bacteria to osmotic pressure which eventually destroys the bacteria by rupturing it. Certain derivatives of strepto penicillin have chemical alterations to the beta-lactam ring or the side chains so it can be more active against resistant bacteria, more acid stable (stomach acid) or able to penetrate the outer membranes of gram-negative bacteria. Such inventions would not have been possible without the cross-fertilisation between fungal penicillin research and the chemical creativity of streptomyces antibiotic production. Strepto penicillin mechanism is a focused biochemical attack that focuses on some of the places most basic to the life of bacteria–the cell wall. The bacteria cannot survive without this wall as it keeps the structure intact and guards them against their surroundings. Strepto penicillin attaches irreversibly to PBPs and thus blocks cross-links between chains of peptidoglycan, providing the wall with strength. In the absence of this structure, the bacteria cannot hold their shape and uphold against pressure leading to their demolishment. The mode of action is especially potent against gram-positive bacteria, which have their thick layers of peptidoglycan more exposed to the antibiotic. Nevertheless, when selected strepto penicillin derivatives are carefully chemically modified, they can also attack gram-negative bacteria, which have an outer membrane in addition to that of gram-positive bacteria, and can frequently exclude antibiotics. Strepto penicillin is widely used medically and its applications include a very wide array of bacterial diseases. It is administered in respiratory medicine as a cure against pneumonia and bronchitis wrought by vulnerable bacteria. Dermatologically it is used in skin and soft tissue infections, such as cellulitis and erysipelas. The disease is used in cardiology to prevent or treat bacterial endocarditis, and in neurology it is used in the management of bacterial meningitis using certain formulations. In addition to these, strepto penicillin may also form the basis of combination therapy as a strategy to combat other infections which might be caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria. It also has a place in operative treatment where it is used as a prophylactic measure and aids in minimizing the danger of postsurgical infections. This stability and adaptability of this family of antibiotics have contributed to its use as a foundation of how infectious diseases are treated today. Although its importance is both historical and up to date, strepto penicillin, like all antibiotics, is exposed to the same issue as bacteria are resistant to it. Some bacteria have developed defense mechanisms after decades of exposure with the most widespread being the creation of beta-lactamases the enzymes that cleave through the beta-lactam ring making the antibiotic useless. PBPs of other bacteria have changed to prevent the antibiotic to bind successfully. To solve these problems, pharmaceutical researchers invented beta-lactamase inhibitor, where beta-lactamase can be used together with strepto penicillin to ensure protection against enzyme degradation. Nevertheless, these measures have their limits, too, and new resistance systems still appear. That is why it is crucial to use antibiotics wisely as a method of antibiotic stewardship and make their use based on the real necessity only, in order to maintain their effectiveness. Industrial scale production of strepto penicillin is a mix of microbiological growth, chemical engineering and pharmaceutical processing. The first step of this process would involve developing either Penicillium or Streptomyces strain in a controlled fermentation environment that would result in the production of antibiotic substances. After the fermentation interacting with the culture broth, the antibiotic is isolated, and is stripped off impurities and is then modified chemically in case of need to form certain derivatives. Genetic engineering is becoming a large part of most modern pharmaceutical plants, which makes them well equipped to optimize their production strain, giving them an increased yield and a more predictable chemistry. This guarantees that the end product drug has high standards of quality and safety before being availed at hospitals and pharmacies. The future of strepto penicillin will have to rely on both innovation and responsibilities. Regarding practical innovation, scientists are working on synthetic biology to come up new structures of beta-lactams which the bacteria will have never seen. It has the potential to develop antibiotics that will go round current resistance systems. Targeted delivery systems Another area of possible discovery is so-called nanoparticle carriers; this is where strepto penicillin is transported to the infection site so it has a maximum effect and a minimum impact on beneficial bacteria in the body. In its side of responsibility the global health organizations are insisting on rigid use of antibiotic stewardship. This implies not only prescribing strepto penicillin and analog drugs sparingly but also training the society on full antibiotics satisfaction and prevention of overuse of the medication. It is only through the scaling back of sharp science and considerate utilization that we can be sure reaching into the future that strepto penicillin will continue to be effective in curbing bacterial infections. Strepto penicillin itself is not an individual or isolated medication but is a classification that can be used to describe derivatives of penicillin affected by or synthesized using techniques based on the Streptomyces bacteria bacteria. It totals the foundation of the classical production of penicillin with the advancements that came with the observation about other antibiotics producing microorganisms. Most regular penicillin is derived from Penicillium mold, but strepto penicillin derivatives can be developed as a mutant with increased stability, or wider antibacterial activity, or resistance to bacterial enzymes. These advances commonly are based upon chemical tactics initially discovered in the analysis of antibiotics created by Streptomyces. No, it is not able to cure all kinds of bacterial infections. It works on the premise of the infection causing bacteria being vulnerable to the medicine. Other infections and in particular the ones caused by resistant gram-negative bacteria might necessitate the use of antibiotics of other classes altogether. Strepto penicillin, as all antibiotics, may have a side effect. These can be anything as mild as nausea, diarrhea, rashes and include serious cases of allergies in others. Anaphylaxis is quite a serious medical condition that needs prompt treatment, albeit rarely. The prevalence of strepto penicillin antibiotic resistance is one of the limiting factors to the use of strepto penicillin freely in many situations. Resistant bacteria degrade the drug using enzymes or change the proteins they use to make up their cell walls in such a way that the antibiotic cannot attach itself to them. This makes it very important that one takes antibiotics responsibly and only under the professional advice. It is quite safe to use strepto penicillin during pregnancy in most incidence but a health practitioner should always decide whether to use it or not after comparing the risks and the benefits involved. The safety may also depend on a specific formulation and the health of a patient. Strepto penicillin is the product of medical innovation blending both the older success story of penicillin and the new opportunities with new discoveries about Streptomyces. It has already helped to save numerous lives and remains one of the pillars that helps in fighting against bacterial infections. Nevertheless, the increasing issue of antibiotic resistance acts as a constant reminder of the fact that this weapon has to be used sparingly. With further science, the tale of strepto penicillin will keep developing itself through the dualism of innovation and stewardship. Formulation of new derivatives, utilization of novel delivery techniques and mobilization of healthcare providers and general population to adhere to prudent use can help ensure that this spectacular antibiotic sustains its life-saving potential into generations to come. Not only in hospitals and clinics has strepto penicillin left a mark but also as a greater achievement of mankind in comprehending and utilizing the chemistry of nature to the good of the society. It warns us not to be surprised where the solutions to some of the world most health complications might be found; whether it is a mold growing on an unused Petri dish or a bacteria growing in the ground. Much still needs to be done to fight the diseases that are infectious, yet strepto penicillin, with furthers research and responsible distribution and collaboration of global health care options, will continue as an ally in human health protection for generations to come. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
The Hill
4 days ago
- The Hill
Daylight saving time: Will this be the last time we ‘fall back?'
(NEXSTAR) — It can be hard to imagine the dark, cold nights of November when you're in the throes of August, but believe it or not, we're not far from those drearier days. That means we're also not far from the biannual tradition you either appreciate, despise, or otherwise forget about: the changing of the clocks for daylight saving time. You don't have to rush to check your calendar; we're several weeks from November 2. But not long ago, it seemed the U.S. may have been gearing up to treat it like any other Sunday. Within the last several months, bills to 'lock the clocks' have been introduced, a Senate committee hearing has been held, and even President Donald Trump has weighed in on the discussions. Nonetheless, introduced bills have stalled, no more hearings have been held, and the need to set your clocks (in most states) back an hour remains. 'Tariff rebates' proposed: How would they work? So what does the future of the biannual changing of the clocks look like for the U.S.? So far, a lot like its past. More than a century ago, the U.S. temporarily observed permanent daylight saving time — setting the clocks forward an hour without setting them back a few months later — during World War I. It lasted roughly a year and returned during World War II. That then set off decades of states and cities deciding what time to observe without much guidance. There was a brief reprieve from the chaos when Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, formalizing when the country was on daylight saving time and standard time. A few years later, we tried permanent daylight saving time during an energy crisis, only for it to lose favor and be ditched. Since the mid-1970s, we've changed our clocks twice annually. Most recent efforts targeting the practice — primarily led by Congressmen from Florida — have focused on putting the country back on permanent daylight saving time, a move many health experts disagree with. As in years past, the Senate and House bills to do as such have received bipartisan support and been passed off to committees, only to stall out. What would change if daylight saving time became permanent? The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation did hold a hearing in April that examined 'the various issues around whether the country should continue 'springing forward' and 'falling back' each year with time.' Witnesses who support permanent daylight saving time and an alternative, permanent standard time, shared their opinions, and the bill advanced out of committee. It still needs a revote in the Senate, a spokesperson told Nexstar. 'Americans are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year — it's an unnecessary, decades-old practice that's more of an annoyance to families than a benefit to them,' Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) previously said while introducing his Sunshine Protection Act alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced companion legislation in the House. 'President Trump and the American people are on board with locking the lock, and now it's time we pass the Sunshine Protection Act to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.' 'It's clear that Americans want to do away with changing their clocks twice a year, and my bill will end this outdated practice,' Rep Buchanan said in a statement to Nexstar. 'We've had very promising conversations with House leadership, Energy and Commerce committee members and the Trump team about holding hearings and acting on my bill this Congress. It's clear that public support and political headwinds are on our side, and I look forward to my bill becoming law.' Some states, meanwhile, have taken it upon themselves to enact legislation that would put them on permanent daylight saving time — in most cases, however, they need Congress's approval. Only two states observe year-round standard time, an option afforded them by Congress' 1966 Uniform Time Act. States cannot opt for permanent daylight saving time. In most cases, the states standing on that side of the clock have introduced or passed measures calling on Congress to enact permanent daylight saving time or outlining conditions in which the state would observe daylight saving time permanently, typically based on actions by Congress or neighboring states. Why experts say keeping standard time is 'undeniably' better for us A House bill to give states the power to observe daylight saving time all year has been introduced and referred to committee. Multiple other states, however, have seen legislation introduced during their current legislative sessions to observe permanent standard time or exempt it from daylight saving time. Such bills in Arkansas, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia have failed to pass already this year. Legislation to observe permanent daylight saving time in Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia was also unable to pass. Some states have not considered clock-locking legislation, either this year or in recent history. That includes Michigan, New Hampshire, and New Mexico. In the last five years, no related proposals have been brought forth in the District of Columbia or Rhode Island.
