New Hampshire

Fact-check: Sununu claims cyanobacteria are ‘not toxic’ • New Hampshire Bulletin

Published

2 years ago

September 6, 2024

Fact-check: Sununu claims cyanobacteria are ‘not toxic’ • New Hampshire Bulletin

While bloom notices piled up ahead of Labor Day weekend, Gov. Chris Sununu claimed at an Executive Council meeting held in Wakefield last week that cyanobacteria are “not toxic.” But scientists have found that cyanobacteria, especially blooms, frequently produce toxins.

“This is not toxic. This does not kill people,” Sununu said to Robert Scott, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services. “Right? That’s not what this issue is. I think some dogs, I think they’ve been warned that … dogs shouldn’t eat it or something like that if they’re in the water.”

“Please make sure that people understand this is not some deadly bacterial bloom that should shut down beaches or anything like that,” Sununu told the commissioner. He said cyanobacteria was “a yucky, slimy thing” but that the department’s messaging on the issue was “terrible.”

On Sununu’s claim that cyanobacteria aren’t toxic: “That’s wrong,” said Jessica Volan Trout-Haney, an aquatic ecologist at Dartmouth who studies cyanotoxins. “… There are, you know, occasionally species that don’t produce toxins, but almost every time we measure for cyanotoxins in bloom conditions, they are present. So if there are cyanobacteria there, they’re almost always producing toxins. It’s very consistent.”

Cyanotoxins, of which there are different kinds, can cause rashes, fevers, headaches, mouth blisters, vomiting, acute liver damage, and more, according to DES, and “long-term exposure can harm the liver and central nervous system.” They can also kill pets.

Trout-Haney said that “almost every strain or species of cyanobacteria produces cyanotoxins.” The level of those toxins varies, she said, and cyanobacteria produce more toxins when blooming. These toxins cannot be detected by the eye; there must be testing to know if they’re present.

On its Healthy Swimming Mapper, where it tracks cyanobacteria blooms and fecal bacteria, DES “advises lake users to avoid contact with the water in the vicinity of areas experiencing blooms” and keep pets and livestock out of the water. Sununu’s frustration with DES was voiced in a conversation about a bloom on Lake Winnipesaukee, as first reported by InDepthNH.org.

“When the state is putting out these alerts, that is because there’s bloom conditions; it’s above a certain threshold that’s deemed safe,” Trout-Haney said. “And that’s based on the studies that we’ve conducted that look at cyanotoxin production with growth. So when there’s a bloom, that means there’s a lot of growth, and that means there’s more toxins, and they’re also generally producing more than one type of toxin.”

While cyanobacteria play an important role in ecosystems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “excessive growth of cyanobacteria can lead to ‘blooms’ that can cause ecological and human health concerns.”

“Some cyanobacteria are able to produce highly potent toxins, known as cyanotoxins, that can lead to a variety of health problems for both human and aquatic species,” the agency said, pointing to examples such as “abdominal, neurological, and skin issues.”

There is still much to learn about the impact of cyanobacteria on human health, said Kathryn L. Cottingham, a Dartmouth professor and researcher.

What we do know, she said: “We know that some cyanobacteria produce toxins, that some of those toxins accumulate in our livers and cause cancers, that some of those toxins are neurotoxins that can impact our brains, and that it’s really hard to know just looking at something what’s happening with the toxins.”

How to stay safe

Some activities pose more risks than others. Direct contact with the bloom and ingesting that water, such as through swimming, are the main things to avoid, Trout-Haney said.

“I take the precautionary principle,” Cottingham said. “If I see a bloom, I want to stay out of it. I want to keep my dog out of it.”

“Every year, there are pets that do die from ingesting cyanobacteria toxins,” Trout-Haney said. Pets can drink the water while swimming in a bloom or lick harmful toxins off of themselves when they come out of the water, she said.

People with compromised immune systems, children, and older people are more at risk, she said.

Shallow areas of the water tend to be less safe, Trout-Haney said, because it’s warmer and there’s less mixing. Cyanobacteria thrive in warm, sunny, nutrient-rich environments. Often, there are blooms on the shore of the lake, but the middle of the water body is clear, she said.

“If you’re driving your boat through a bloom, that’s probably fine,” Trout-Haney said, but “it’s probably wise to minimize your time right in that bloom area, and go to an area that is less bloom heavy.”

As for other activities, “if you are spending a lot of time right next to a bloom, there’s a possibility that you’re inhaling cells. We measure cells coming out of the water and into the air pretty regularly,” she said. “But how much of an impact that actually has on your long term health? You know, that’s where … there’s a lot still unknown.”

And for anglers, “the safest thing to do is if you’re in a big bloom area … (is) move outside of that area to collect fish that you’re going to consume,” Trout-Haney said.

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Related Topics:climate change cyanobacteria Department of Environmental Services environment Featured Gov. Chris Sununu health safety

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New Hampshire

Cher’s son heads to court over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home

Published

2 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Cher’s son heads to court over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home

The son of Cher is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a hearing over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home earlier this month.

It was the second arrest in a matter of days for Elijah Allman, 49, of Malibu, California, who was detained Feb. 27 after allegedly acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire. It was unclear if Allman had any connection to either St. Paul’s School or the home in Windham, New Hampshire.

Allman remains in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections in what is called preventive detention, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.

Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, faces two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it .

In the incident at the prep school, Allman was charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime.

At about 7 p.m. that day, Concord police responded to reports that Allman was disturbing people in the dining hall of St. Paul’s School. After charging Allman, police said he was released on bail as his case works through the court system.

Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working. It was unclear from the court records if Allman has an attorney.

In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman struggles with mental health issues and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.

The petition from the singer and actress said Elijah Allman is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.

A few weeks later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.

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New Hampshire

Senate panel endorses reporting exemption for players on New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

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Senate panel endorses reporting exemption for players on New Hampshire Fisher Cats

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New Hampshire

Possible 2028 Democratic White House contenders weigh in on Iran with New Hampshire voters

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Possible 2028 Democratic White House contenders weigh in on Iran with New Hampshire voters

As the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran overtakes the foreign policy debate in Washington, two Democratic governors with potential 2028 presidential aspirations — Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear — recently traveled to New Hampshire, introducing themselves to the state’s famously engaged voters. The two weighed in on the war and both criticized and questioned President Trump’s strategy and endgame.

“If a president is going to take a country into war, and risk the lives of American troops and Americans in the region, he has to have a real justification and not one that seems to change every five to 10 hours,” Beshear told CBS News after a Democratic fundraiser in Keene.

“This President seems to use force before ever trying diplomacy, and he has a duty to sell it to the American people and to address Congress with it,” Beshear continued. “He hasn’t done any of that. In fact, it appears there isn’t even a plan for what success looks like. He’s gone from regime change to strategic objectives and now is talking about unconditional surrender, which isn’t realistic where he is.”

Beshear also said he thought that Congress should have reined in Mr. Trump’s war powers.

“He is trying to ignore Congress. He’s trying to even ignore the American people,” Beshear said.

He went on to note that the president’s State of the Union address took place “three — four days before he launched this attack,” and Mr. Trump “didn’t even have the respect to tell the American people the threat that he thought Iran posed to us.”

Last week, both the House and the Senate failed to pass resolutions to limit Mr. Trump’s war powers and stop him from taking further military action against Iran without congressional support.

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks with voters in Keene, New Hampshire, on March 7, 2026.

Anne Bryson

For Newsom, the war with Iran constitutes part of a broader criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At an event last Tuesday in Los Angeles, Newsom had compared Israel to an “apartheid state.” Later, in New Hampshire, he sought to clarify his comment.

“I was specifically referring to a Tom Friedman [New York Times] column last week, where Tom used that word of apartheid as it relates to the direction Bibi is going, particularly on the annexation of the West Bank,” Newsom explained during a book tour event Thursday night in Portsmouth. “I’m very angry, with what he is doing and why he’s doing it, what he’s going to ultimately try to do to the Supreme Court there, what he’s trying to do to save his own political career.”

Friedman wrote that at the same time that the U.S. and Israel are prosecuting a war in Iran, within Israel, Netanyahu’s government has undertaken efforts to annex the West Bank, driving Palestinians from their homes; fire the attorney general who is leading the prosecution against Netanyahu for corruption; and block the government’s attempt to establish a commission to examine the failures that led up to the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Jews by Hamas.

CBS News has reached out to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment.

On Iran, Newsom said, “I’m very angry about this war, with all due respect, you know, not because I’m angry the supreme leader is dead. Quite the contrary. I’m not naive about the last 37 years of his reign. Forty-seven years since ’79 — the revolution,” Newsom said. “But I’m also mindful that you have a president who still is inarticulate and incapable of giving us the rationale of why? Why now? What’s the endgame?”

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with political commentator Jack Cocchiarella at an event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on March 5, 2026.

Anne Bryson

Many attendees at Newsom’s book event said that the situation in Iran is a top-of-mind issue for them, too. Some said they’re “horrified” by what is happening.

29-year-old Alicia Marr told CBS News she decided to attend Newsom’s event because of his social media response to the war with Iran.

“There was one spot left, and I decided to pick it up, and it was due to his response to the war, that it is just unacceptable, and I would agree with that,” Marr said.

While some voters like Marr are eager to hear about where potential candidates stand on foreign policy, many at Newsom’s event said they care most about how potential candidates plan to address domestic issues.

“I’m more focused on getting the middle class back on track and fighting the oligarchy, and I’m less invested in international issues,” said Anita Alden, who also attended Newsom’s event,

“I wouldn’t call myself America first, but we have so many problems at home that are my priority,” she told CBS News.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who may also be weighing another White House bid, told Fox 2 Detroit last week that she “unequivocally opposes” the Trump administration’s military action in Iran and urged Congress to take action.

“If we want to stop Donald Trump with this random decision that he has arrived at, then Congress must act, and Congress must act immediately. The American people do not want our sons and daughters to go into this unauthorized war of choice,” Harris said.

Mr. Trump has lashed out against Democrats who have pushed back on his Iran strategy, calling them “losers” last week and arguing that they would criticize any decision he made on Iran.

“If I did it, it’s no good. If I didn’t do it, they would have said the opposite, that you should have done this,” the president said.