http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:11:56 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/venezuelan-security-guard-pulled-alive-8-days-twin-quakes/stories/20260702104 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/venezuelan-security-guard-pulled-alive-8-days-twin-quakes/stories/20260702104#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:40:25 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/venezuelan-security-guard-pulled-alive-8-days-twin-quakes/stories/20260702104 CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela — Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier. Khaterine Roa cries as members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department search for survivors at a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 30. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/02/trump-administration-smart-wall-us-mexico-border/stories/20260702101 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/02/trump-administration-smart-wall-us-mexico-border/stories/20260702101#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:17:19 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/02/trump-administration-smart-wall-us-mexico-border/stories/20260702101 PHOENIX — For decades, all that separated the U.S. from Mexico was barbed wire. Surveillance technology used by various law enforcement sit on a tower at the border wall in 2025, in Douglas, Ariz. Army soldiers look at the border wall next to a surveillance vehicle during the visit to the U.S. and Mexico border by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Sunland Park, N.M., in 2025. Concertina wire lines the interior of a border wall separating Tijuana, Mexico, from the United States, in 2025, in San Diego. Migrants walk past large buoys being used as a floating border barrier on the Rio Grande in 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/02/religious-offerings-3-18/stories/20260702006 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/02/religious-offerings-3-18/stories/20260702006#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/02/religious-offerings-3-18/stories/20260702006 ■ The Ursuline Sisters of Toledo have transferred the leadership of their community to the Sisters of St. Francis in Sylvania. An aerial view from a drone shows the steeple of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Toledo in 2024. In the background is Lucas County Courthouse. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/russia-lands-heavy-strikes-ukraines-capital-killing-least-21/stories/20260702128 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/russia-lands-heavy-strikes-ukraines-capital-killing-least-21/stories/20260702128#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:12:24 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/russia-lands-heavy-strikes-ukraines-capital-killing-least-21/stories/20260702128 KYIV, Ukraine — Russia hammered Kyiv in an 11-hour drone and missile attack overnight into Thursday morning, killing at least 21 civilians in the city and injuring scores more in what Moscow said was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities. A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 2. A residential apartment building is seen damaged after a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 2. A woman walks past a burning apartment building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 2. People look at the site of a Russian missile strike that hit a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 2. Smoke rises over the city center after a Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 2. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/02/finding-freedom-from-heat-july-4th-will-be-challenge-eastern-us/stories/20260702127 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/02/finding-freedom-from-heat-july-4th-will-be-challenge-eastern-us/stories/20260702127#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:02:14 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/02/finding-freedom-from-heat-july-4th-will-be-challenge-eastern-us/stories/20260702127 CONCORD, N.H. — Gaining freedom from the heat will be a challenge for the eastern U.S. heading into the long Fourth of July weekend, prompting some communities to cancel, postpone or otherwise alter their Independence Day plans. A vendor pulls out a bottle of water from a tank using dry ice to keep it cold, during a heat wave at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on July 2. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/bloodier-stalingrad-casualties-russia/stories/20260702100 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/bloodier-stalingrad-casualties-russia/stories/20260702100#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:03:36 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/02/bloodier-stalingrad-casualties-russia/stories/20260702100 Russia’s decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now cost the country some 450,000 lives, according to a new study that estimates the war’s total casualty numbers to have surpassed 2 million. The research by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates Russia has suffered 1.4 million casualties. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/01/trump-theodore-roosevelt-presidential-library-north-dakota-badlands/stories/20260701109 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/01/trump-theodore-roosevelt-presidential-library-north-dakota-badlands/stories/20260701109#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:01:42 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/01/trump-theodore-roosevelt-presidential-library-north-dakota-badlands/stories/20260701109 MEDORA, N.D. — President Trump visited North Dakota on Wednesday to see the newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, a massive facility exploring the life of America’s 26th president. President Donald Trump arrives on the Freedom 250 train July 1 in Medora, N.D., for an opening ceremony at the Theodore Roosevelt President Library. President Trump listens as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speaks during a ceremony to present Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor that was in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, to be kept on display at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, in Medora, N.D., on July 1. President Trump presents Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor that was in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. President Trump speaks at Burning Hills Amphitheatre during the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening ceremony. Roughrider re-enactors wait for President Trump's arrival at the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. President Trump tours the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right and Robbie Lauf, executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. President Trump leaves the stage after speaking at the Burning Hills Amphitheater during the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening ceremony. Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump listen as President Trump speaks at Burning Hills Amphitheatre during the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening ceremony. President Trump tours the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right, and Robbie Lauf, executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. President Donald Trump departs after presenting Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor that was in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/01/ship-runs-aground-strait-of-hormuz/stories/20260701138 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/01/ship-runs-aground-strait-of-hormuz/stories/20260701138#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:15:18 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/01/ship-runs-aground-strait-of-hormuz/stories/20260701138 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz while using a route not approved by Iran, state television in Tehran reported Wednesday. The vessel was identified as a foreign container ship, with no other details. A group of people stands in shallow water as a cargo ship appears anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 30. An Israeli soldier work on a tank near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel on July 1. An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man poses for a photo beside Israeli and Lebanese flags at a memorial site on the border with Lebanon in northern Israel on July 1. An Israeli flag hangs on a damaged building in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel on July 1. An Israeli soldier directs an APC near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel on July 1. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/01/extraordinary-heat-clash-revelry/stories/20260701136 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/01/extraordinary-heat-clash-revelry/stories/20260701136#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:08:48 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/01/extraordinary-heat-clash-revelry/stories/20260701136 Multiday warnings of extreme heat landed in New York, Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday as sultry weather pushed east just ahead of Fourth of July celebrations in a region that revels in its role as a historic hub of U.S. independence. Children reach for cold bottles of water from U.S. National Park Police Officer R. Douglass as they wait in line for the ferris wheel at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on July 1 in Washington. People cross 15th Street Northwest as a National Guard Humvee blocks the roadway on July 1 in Washington. Visitors wait to enter the Washington Monument on July 1 in Washington. Stephanie McCallister holds a cold bottle of water to her husband Don McCallister's neck as they wait in line for the ferris wheel at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on July 1 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/07/01/65-lucas-county-residents-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/stories/20260701125 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/07/01/65-lucas-county-residents-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/stories/20260701125#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:09:32 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/07/01/65-lucas-county-residents-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/stories/20260701125 The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department has reported an outbreak of a rare gastrointestinal disease not native to the country. The Toledo Lucas County Health Department building in shown in downtown Toledo in 2019. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/30/who-flies-american-flag-holidays-who-never-flies-one/stories/20260630108 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/30/who-flies-american-flag-holidays-who-never-flies-one/stories/20260630108#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:35:40 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/30/who-flies-american-flag-holidays-who-never-flies-one/stories/20260630108 DETROIT — Jerry Esters proudly displays the American flag each day on his Detroit home. A few miles away, Yvonne Pistochini says there is no scenario under which she would allow the Stars and Stripes to cast its shadow where she lives. Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025. Jerry Esters stands in front of American flag outside his Detroit home on June 9. Linda and Greg Cunningham fly the American flag outside their Pontiac, Mich., home on June 10. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/30/us-envoys-arrive-qatar-meetings-iran-tensions-high-over-hormuz/stories/20260630107 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/30/us-envoys-arrive-qatar-meetings-iran-tensions-high-over-hormuz/stories/20260630107#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:24:24 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/30/us-envoys-arrive-qatar-meetings-iran-tensions-high-over-hormuz/stories/20260630107 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for talks with mediators about the implementation of an initial deal to end the war in Iran, an official said. Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, listens as President Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meet in the Oval Office at the White House on June 24 in Washington. Children wade in the water with cargo ships at anchor in the background and a fisherman nearby, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 30. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/30/supreme-court-strikes-down-limits-on-party-spending-in-federal-elections/stories/20260630097 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/30/supreme-court-strikes-down-limits-on-party-spending-in-federal-elections/stories/20260630097#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:50:40 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/30/supreme-court-strikes-down-limits-on-party-spending-in-federal-elections/stories/20260630097 WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday erased limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, striking down a federal election law that is more than 50 years old. The U.S. Supreme Court is seen June 29 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/29/supreme-court-lisa-cook-job-upholds-other-trump-firings/stories/20260629104 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/29/supreme-court-lisa-cook-job-upholds-other-trump-firings/stories/20260629104#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:25:27 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/29/supreme-court-lisa-cook-job-upholds-other-trump-firings/stories/20260629104 WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday dramatically expanded presidential power, upholding President Trump’s firings of the heads of independent federal agencies with one important exception: the Federal Reserve. Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook leaves the Supreme Court in Washington on Jan. 21. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/29/u-s-iran-pause-strikes-but-disagree-over-next-steps-on-talks/stories/20260629070 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/29/u-s-iran-pause-strikes-but-disagree-over-next-steps-on-talks/stories/20260629070#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:04:55 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/29/u-s-iran-pause-strikes-but-disagree-over-next-steps-on-talks/stories/20260629070 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Trump said Monday on social media that Iran had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts, although one of Iran's top negotiators said no further talks had been scheduled after attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend challenged negotiations to end the war. A woman walks past a welcoming billboard featuring Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian along a roadside in Islamabad, Pakistan June 23. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/france-records-additional-deaths-extreme-heat-european-records/stories/20260628110 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/france-records-additional-deaths-extreme-heat-european-records/stories/20260628110#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2026 14:11:46 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/france-records-additional-deaths-extreme-heat-european-records/stories/20260628110 BERLIN — France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on earth and countries there need to do better to protect their citizens. People refresh in a fountain after the Angelus noon prayer celebrated by Pope Leo XIV from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican on June 28. People shelter from sun with umbrellas as they wait for the Angelus noon prayer celebrated by Pope Leo XIV from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican, on June 28 A couple walks by a public fountain on a torrid day, as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for parts of the country, in the coming days in Bucharest, Romania, on June 27. A prolonged heat wave with high temperatures exceeding caused significant damage to the tram infrastructure in Leipzigv Germany on June 27. Thousands of fans are celebrating at a concert by techno star Paul Kalkbrenner on the Heiligengeistfeld while a water cannon is in operation on June 27 in Hamburg, Germany. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/06/28/gerald-keller-obituary/stories/20260626093 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/06/28/gerald-keller-obituary/stories/20260626093#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/06/28/gerald-keller-obituary/stories/20260626093 Gerald “Jerry” J. Keller, a longtime Toledo firefighter and building contractor, died June 19 at his Toledo home. He was 90. Gerald "Jerry" J. Keller, 90, a longtime Toledo firefighter and building contractor, died June 19 at his Toledo home. Gerald "Jerry" J. Keller, 90, a longtime Toledo firefighter and building contractor, died June 19 at his Toledo home. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/an-early-heat-wave-hits-europe-in-photos/stories/20260628108 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/an-early-heat-wave-hits-europe-in-photos/stories/20260628108#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2026 12:22:04 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/an-early-heat-wave-hits-europe-in-photos/stories/20260628108 Millions of people across Europe are sweltering under an early-season heat wave this week as temperatures climb to unusually high levels. A girl cools off in a public fountain in Vilnius, Lithuania, on June 26. Hundreds of people gather in a public pool in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 27. A Fiaker horse carriage rider cools his horses on a hot summer day in the city center of Vienna, Austria, on June 27. Workers deliver water bottles to a restaurant next to Galata bridge on a summer day in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 26. People refresh in front of a water-sprinkling cannon brought by Rome's municipality to relieve tourists visiting the Colosseum and Roman Forum as temperatures reach record highs, in Rome, on June 26. People use parasols to protect themselves from the sun as they queue outside a shop in London on June 26. A worker drinks water as he sets up a stage for the upcoming Ironman triathlon, Frankfurt, Germany, on June 25. Faithful shelter from the hot sun as Pope Leo's XIV arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican on June 24. A person cools off at Trocadero fountain near the Eiffel Tower during a heat wave in Paris on June 24. The thermometer of a drugstore shows the temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) as temperatures reach record highs, in Rome on June 24. A man on a train wipes sweat from his face on a hot day in London on June 24. A man takes shelter in the shade of a street board to protect himself from the sun in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 24. A girl wearing a traditional outfit uses a hand held battery powered fan to cool down on a hot day during an event marking summer solstice at the Dimitrie Gusti Village Museum in Bucharest, Romania, on June 24. Workers remove scaffolding during a period of high temperatures in Antwerp, Belgium, on June 24. A man shelters from the sun as he crosses Westminster Bridge as a heat wave is predicted in London on June 23. Newly couple of spouses shelter for the hot sun as they wait to meet Pope Leo's XIV during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican on June 24. A worker drinks water on a construction site during high temperatures in Boulogne Billancourt, outside Paris, on June 24. Visitors shield themself from the sun with umbrellas as they walk in the garden of the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, during a heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on June 22. People refresh at a fountain as temperatures reach record highs, in Rome on June 24. People walk under a passageway at Yeni mosque during a hot day in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 22. Two young women refresh under a water mister in Lille, northern France, on June 22. A couple walks by a public fountain on a torrid day, as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for parts of the country, in the coming days in Bucharest, Romania, on June 27. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/iran-attacks-bahrain-kuwait/stories/20260628107 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/iran-attacks-bahrain-kuwait/stories/20260628107#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:57:52 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/06/28/iran-attacks-bahrain-kuwait/stories/20260628107 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran launched drone and missile attacks Sunday targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to U.S. airstrikes that hit the Islamic Republic, and threatened a “complete halt” in negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa share a word after their meeting, at Al-Sakhir Palace near Zallaq, Bahrain, on June 25. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/06/28/lupus-activist-raises-awareness/stories/20260627003 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/06/28/lupus-activist-raises-awareness/stories/20260627003#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/06/28/lupus-activist-raises-awareness/stories/20260627003 Rachelle Roy went years knowing something was wrong, but nothing her doctors tried helped. Rachelle Roy stands outside Ottawa Park's Liz Pearson Shelter, recounting the growth of her efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Lupus Foundation of America. She founded Toledo's annual Walk to End Lupus, which began with a small tent on the park's lawn but is now sponsored by the foundation and occupies the shelter. Rachelle Roy stands outside Ottawa Park's Liz Pearson Shelter. Rachelle Roy stands outside Ottawa Park's Liz Pearson Shelter. Rachelle Roy stands outside Ottawa Park's Liz Pearson Shelter.