The cyanobacteria puzzle

Good morning, New Hampshire, and welcome to Friday. Today, Molly Rains looks at New Hampshire’s cyanobacteria challenges and how scientists are racing to better assess the risks to human health. Also, States Newsroom’s Ashley Murray examines how tariffs are influencing voters as the midterm elections approach. And, from Stateline’s Nada Hassanein, hospital closures are not just a rural problem. Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend. — Dana

By Molly Rains

When a greenish cloud, surface scum or other suspicious algae appears in a previously clear lake, the message is clear: Stay away. As cyanobacteria blooms become more common in New Hampshire, that precaution has become common practice across the state. The reason? Cyanobacteria can produce toxins harmful to the skin, liver, nervous system, stomach and more. But not all cyanobacteria are toxic, and beneficial cyanobacteria are much more common and fill an important ecological role at the base of the food chain. Yet differentiating the two, and determining when and to what extent the organisms pose a threat to health, is a significant scientific challenge.

By Ashley Murray

A growing number of voters are planning to take their anger about affordability to the polls this midterm election, with many citing President Donald Trump’s tariffs as a culprit for rising expenses. “The real top line is that for maybe the first time ever, tariffs are a salient issue at the ballot box,” said Scott Lincicome of the libertarian Cato Institute. “You know, normally trade is a boring issue that nobody really thinks about or cares about.”

By Nada Hassanein

Urban hospitals are closing at roughly the same rate as rural ones, and the shuttered hospitals are more likely to have served communities with high poverty rates and fewer transportation options, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA.