The debate over daylight saving time

Good morning and happy Friday. Daylight saving time starts on Sunday, so we’re delving into the pros and cons over whether it should change. But first, here’s what else is going on:

• President Trump postponed his 25 percent tariffs on some Canadian and Mexican goods for a month, backtracking after stocks nosedived. Markets continued to fall anyway.
• Physicians at Mass General Brigham, the state’s largest private employer, feel uncertain and unheard amid layoffs and restructuring.
• As the Bruins look to make the most out of a disastrous season, here are 10 players Boston could target before today’s trade deadline.?

Today’s Starting Point

At 2 a.m. on Sunday, clocks across the country will jump forward an hour as daylight saving time begins. The daylight saving debate has raged ever since Congress set it up in 1966. Some favor making it permanent. Others prefer year-round standard time, the hours we have right now. And still others defend the current system. Today’s newsletter explains.

Daylight saving forever

Proponents of year-round daylight saving argue that it would boost the economy, as Americans spend their extra hour of light later in the day shopping or dining out. It could also reduce crime and make us healthier. Shifting the clock — both “springing forward” in the spring and “falling back” in the fall — messes with people’s circadian rhythms, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Standard time year-round

Others favor permanent standard time. Beyond safer morning commutes, some health experts argue that lighter mornings and darker evenings would better match the body’s natural cycles. Hawaii, most of Arizona, and several US territories have year-round standard time.

What’s next?

The status quo also has defenders. Splitting the year gives the best of both approaches, they say, by avoiding too-early summer sunsets and kids going to school in winter darkness. Americans are also split. A recent Gallup poll found that while 54 percent oppose daylight saving time, 40 percent still approve.

So no matter the arguments, any nationwide change in either direction seems unlikely to happen soon.

Points of Interest

Massachusetts: Boys and men in the state lag girls and women in life expectancy, reading, and more, a study found.?

The Nation: An unvaccinated person in New Mexico tested positive for measles after their death. An outbreak is ongoing in nearby West Texas.

The World: Pope Francis, weak and breathless, thanked people for their prayers in an audio message recorded at the hospital where he’s recovering from pneumonia.

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