It’s the Most Dangerous Day of the Year – Top 3 Takeaways – March 9th, 2026
Takeaway #1: History’s Failed Energy-Saving Experiment
From the perspective of energy policy, regulations, and related governance, how many things that we were doing as a country in 1918 are things that should be done exactly the same way today? Do you think we should operate militarily the way we did in 1918? That probably wouldn’t work out so well. How about healthcare – should public policy from 1918 be the way we operate things today? Probably wouldn’t work out so great. How about the financial markets and commerce policy? Education? The environment? Civil rights? I could keep going but you get the idea. Over the past 108 years we’ve changed the way we operate effectively everything in our society based on the maturation of the country into the world’s leading superpower, technology, improved knowledge and opportunity. Yet there’s still one major piece of public energy policy that impacts almost all Americans in a meaningful way multiple times a year – and is based on the exact same considerations as were in play 108 years ago – but that no longer exist today... It’s 1916, World War I is raging, and Germany and Austria decide to institute a time change for the purpose of saving energy. The U.S. jumps on the bandwagon in 1918, flipping the switch on March 31st for the same reason. Post-war, we ditch it—until FDR resurrected it in 1942 as “War Time” (sounds dramatic, huh?). It’s repealed again in ’45, only to return in 1974 with the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act. The pitch? Same as before...Save energy! Fast forward to 2017, when a mega-study of 44 analyses conducted by JP Morgan determined that the annual energy savings for time changes had been...(drum roll): a whopping… 0.3%. Cue the sad trombone. And guess what? As we’ve become more energy efficient, a la cars increasing from 24.9 MPG in 2017 to over 28 today, and renewables now accounting for nearly 23% of total energy generation in the United States...the tiny perceived benefit is likely non-existent. So, we go through this twice a year unscientific process where we determine one day a year has 25 hours, and another, yesterday – had 23 hours.
Takeaway #2: Today is the Most Dangerous Day of the Year
Hold onto your coffee, or drink an extra cup, because today’s not just annoying for many people—it’s downright dangerous. Thanks to yesterday’s time change, Monday’s full of additional risks. Studies show a 24% spike in heart attacks compared to a typical Monday—yep, your ticker’s mad about losing that hour. Feeling blue? Clinical depression cases surge by 11% on this day, effectively for many struggling with depressive symptoms the time changes pushes them over the edge. Strokes? Up 8%. Immune system function? Down 3%, leaving you ripe for whatever bug is floating around. And if you’re driving...it makes sense to be especially cautious today. Fatal car crashes are typically 6% higher today. Workplace injuries, miscarriages for pregnant women— basically name your malady and they’re all higher today... and it’s all because we’re pushed our body through this unscientific time warp once again. Other than that, happy Monday!
Takeaway #3: Why Do We Keep Doing this to ourselves?
Seriously, why are we still doing this? The energy-saving excuse hasn’t made sense since the ’70s and based on the overall data – probably not even then. It’s not as nuts as, say, opening borders to relocate criminal illegal immigrants with taxpayer cash, or now shutting down the Department of Homeland Security because of a desire by many to abolish ICE... but it’s close. Both are masochistic messes that keep hurting us. In Florida, we’ve been attempting to end this for years. It was eight years ago that Florida’s legislature passed the Sunshine Protection Act—signed into law by then-Governor Rick Scott—to ditch time changes and bask in permanent Daylight Saving Time... Which was determined in JP Morgan’s study at the time as the best fit for our health and our economy. The catch was and has been that the federal government has to change the law in order for Florida’s law to take effect. Enter then-Senator Marco Rubio, who grabbed the torch in 2018 to beg Congress for a federal blessing. His Sunshine Protection Act went nowhere in the Senate for two sessions. In 2022, Rubio, teamed up with Senator Rick Scott (the ex-gov who signed Florida’s bill) and struck gold: The Senate passed it unanimously with a voice vote. One step from Biden’s desk, one step from ending this nonsense. Then… crickets. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shrugged it off as being...“not a priority”, and let it die.
Each new Congress hits reset on all bills that weren’t passed previously, so here we are in 2026: Starting over but Scott’s remains at it, reintroducing the bill with 16 co-sponsors—10 Republicans, 7 Democrats, spanning 15 states. When he reintroduced it last year I asked if it’s got legs this time. His take? “I’m hopeful. We’ve gotta lock the clock”. President Trump has said he wants it locked too. But another year has gone by with no change in sight. Senator Scott will join on tomorrow’s show, and I’ll get an update from him then. Will this be the last time we suffer through? It could be if Congress passes this thing finally.