http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:03:14 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/04/senate-rejects-first-effort-trump-1-8b-settlement-fund/stories/20260604125 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/04/senate-rejects-first-effort-trump-1-8b-settlement-fund/stories/20260604125#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:05:46 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/04/senate-rejects-first-effort-trump-1-8b-settlement-fund/stories/20260604125 WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans cleared the first hurdle on Thursday as they are struggling to pass legislation to fund President Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies, narrowly beating back a Democratic effort to permanently block Trump from creating a $1.776 billion settlement fund for payouts to allies who claim they were persecuted by the government. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) pauses for questions from reporters before votes on the immigration enforcement funding package June 4 at the Capitol in Washington. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) heads to the chamber before votes on the immigration enforcement funding package June 4 at the Capitol in Washington. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security during a hearing on the Fiscal 2027 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington on June 3. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/04/tyco-agrees-10-million-settlement-wisconsin-pfas-water-contamination/stories/20260604120 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/04/tyco-agrees-10-million-settlement-wisconsin-pfas-water-contamination/stories/20260604120#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:18:50 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/04/tyco-agrees-10-million-settlement-wisconsin-pfas-water-contamination/stories/20260604120 MADISON, Wis. — The manufacturer of a firefighting foam that contaminated the water supply in northeastern Wisconsin with PFAS chemicals for decades agreed to a $10 million settlement with the state, the governor and attorney general announced on Thursday. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers delivers his State of the State address at the Wisconsin State Capitol on Feb. 17 in Madison, Wis. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/02/trump-housing-regulator-pulte-acting-director-national-intelligence/stories/20260602121 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/02/trump-housing-regulator-pulte-acting-director-national-intelligence/stories/20260602121#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:01:50 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/02/trump-housing-regulator-pulte-acting-director-national-intelligence/stories/20260602121 WASHINGTON — President Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting director of national intelligence — elevating a real estate scion with no clear national security credentials to a key post as the United States remains at war with Iran. Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte walks outside the White House on Sept. 2, 2025, in Washington. Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte speaks with reporters at the White House on Sept. 2, 2025, in Washington. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 23, 2025, in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/02/trump-reconsidering-1-8b-fund-source-says-as-justice-department-temporarily-paus/stories/20260602100 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/02/trump-reconsidering-1-8b-fund-source-says-as-justice-department-temporarily-paus/stories/20260602100#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:32:07 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/02/trump-reconsidering-1-8b-fund-source-says-as-justice-department-temporarily-paus/stories/20260602100 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is reconsidering whether to move forward with a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate his allies, a person familiar with his thinking said Monday, as the Justice Department also said it would temporarily pause the program's implementation in compliance with a court order. Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump are pictured at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/01/pentagon-transgender-troops-military-service-appeals-court/stories/20260601078 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/01/pentagon-transgender-troops-military-service-appeals-court/stories/20260601078#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:23:28 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/06/01/pentagon-transgender-troops-military-service-appeals-court/stories/20260601078 WASHINGTON — A Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges ruled on Monday in another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda. U.S. Army soldiers cross a floating bridge on the Imjin River during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise March 20, 2025, in Yeoncheon, South Korea. U.S. Army soldiers wait to board their CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex on March 19, 2023 in Pocheon, South Korea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing on the budget request for the Department of Defense, on May 12 in Washington. The Pentagon is seen May 19 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/31/pentagon-pushes-battlefield-ai-some-military-leaders-urge-caution/stories/20260531125 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/31/pentagon-pushes-battlefield-ai-some-military-leaders-urge-caution/stories/20260531125#comments Sun, 31 May 2026 13:36:58 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/31/pentagon-pushes-battlefield-ai-some-military-leaders-urge-caution/stories/20260531125 TAMPA, Fla. — The Trump administration is pushing to unleash the power of artificial intelligence for the U.S. military while facing calls to put up guardrails around the rapidly developing technology from some companies — and even notes of caution from top leaders in uniform. .U.S. Navy Adm. Frank Bradley testifies before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 28. Pages from the Anthropic website and the company's logo are displayed on a computer screen in New York on Feb. 26. FILE - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on May 12 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/bondi-lawmakers-questions-trump-epstein-files-release/stories/20260529110 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/bondi-lawmakers-questions-trump-epstein-files-release/stories/20260529110#comments Fri, 29 May 2026 23:35:38 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/bondi-lawmakers-questions-trump-epstein-files-release/stories/20260529110 WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer questions Friday on President Donald Trump’s involvement in the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files as she defended the Trump Administration’s actions before House lawmakers scrutinizing the process. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives for her deposition at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill, on May 29 in Washington. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi, center, arrives for her deposition at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill, on May 29 in Washington. Victims of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, from left, Liz Stein, Dani Bensky, Sharlene Rochard, Marina Lacerda and Andrea Sterling, are seen before former Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives for her deposition at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 29 in Washington. ) https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/trump-aides-iran-war-deal-situation-room/stories/20260529109 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/trump-aides-iran-war-deal-situation-room/stories/20260529109#comments Fri, 29 May 2026 23:33:53 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/trump-aides-iran-war-deal-situation-room/stories/20260529109 WASHINGTON — President Trump held a White House Situation Room meeting with his advisers as he pondered moving forward with a deal to extend the Iran ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the agreement has not been finalized. A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 2. People cross an intersection in front of a billboard showing a portrait of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 28. Men ride on their motorbike at the historic neighborhood of Oudlajan in Tehran, Iran, on May 28. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/judge-says-kennedy-center-board-broke-law-trump-name-building-blocks-closure/stories/20260529103 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/judge-says-kennedy-center-board-broke-law-trump-name-building-blocks-closure/stories/20260529103#comments Fri, 29 May 2026 19:40:37 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/29/judge-says-kennedy-center-board-broke-law-trump-name-building-blocks-closure/stories/20260529103 WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen following a media tour intended to show building damage on April 22 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/abc-stations-call-fcc-early-call-license-renewal-unconstitutional/stories/20260528125 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/abc-stations-call-fcc-early-call-license-renewal-unconstitutional/stories/20260528125#comments Thu, 28 May 2026 23:06:12 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/abc-stations-call-fcc-early-call-license-renewal-unconstitutional/stories/20260528125 WASHINGTON — Local TV stations owned by ABC across the United States blasted the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday for launching an “unlawful, arbitrary and unconstitutional” early review of their broadcast licenses as a dispute between the network and the Trump-controlled agency intensifies. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas on March 27. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/federal-judge-refuses-to-block-trump-order-to-create-federal-voter-list-and-limi/stories/20260528092 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/federal-judge-refuses-to-block-trump-order-to-create-federal-voter-list-and-limi/stories/20260528092#comments Thu, 28 May 2026 13:58:28 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/federal-judge-refuses-to-block-trump-order-to-create-federal-voter-list-and-limi/stories/20260528092 A federal judge has declined to halt President Donald Trump’s executive order creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, clearing the way for potential sweeping changes in how American elections are run shortly before this year's midterm elections. A tray of mail-in ballots is seen at King County Elections headquarters on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, in Renton, Wash. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/jill-biden-says-she-worried-joe-biden-was-having-a-stroke-during-2024-debate/stories/20260528088 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/jill-biden-says-she-worried-joe-biden-was-having-a-stroke-during-2024-debate/stories/20260528088#comments Thu, 28 May 2026 12:51:12 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/28/jill-biden-says-she-worried-joe-biden-was-having-a-stroke-during-2024-debate/stories/20260528088 Former first lady Jill Biden says former President Joe Biden’s performance in his 2024 debate against Donald Trump “scared me to death,” and she worried her husband was having a stroke. In an interview with CBS, former first lady Jill Biden says she feared Joe Biden had stroke during the 2024 CNN Presidential debate against Donald Trump. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/us-years-replenish-stockpiles-advanced-weapons-iran-war-analysis/stories/20260527102 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/us-years-replenish-stockpiles-advanced-weapons-iran-war-analysis/stories/20260527102#comments Wed, 27 May 2026 21:08:13 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/us-years-replenish-stockpiles-advanced-weapons-iran-war-analysis/stories/20260527102 WASHINGTON — U.S. military contractors need at least three years to replenish stockpiles of three key weapons systems used heavily in the Iran war, according to an analysis released Wednesday, adding to concerns that American forces would have limited firepower in any future conflict with China. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing on the budget request for the Department of Defense on May 12 in Washington. Acting Under Secretary of Defense and Comptroller Jules Hurst III, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine arrive to testify at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing on the budget request for the Department of Defense on May 12 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/trump-iran-negotiating-midterm-elections-war-strategy/stories/20260527103 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/trump-iran-negotiating-midterm-elections-war-strategy/stories/20260527103#comments Wed, 27 May 2026 21:08:50 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/trump-iran-negotiating-midterm-elections-war-strategy/stories/20260527103 WASHINGTON — President Trump asserted on Wednesday that Iran is “negotiating on fumes” and insisted that November’s midterm elections won’t make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict that’s spurred unease across the global economy. President Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on May 27 in Washington. President Trump, next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on May 27 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/coast-guard-looks-send-divers-new-bahamas-waters-search-lynette-hooker/stories/20260527120 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/coast-guard-looks-send-divers-new-bahamas-waters-search-lynette-hooker/stories/20260527120#comments Thu, 28 May 2026 01:46:58 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/coast-guard-looks-send-divers-new-bahamas-waters-search-lynette-hooker/stories/20260527120 The U.S. Coast Guard has asked Bahamian officials for permission to send divers to new locations in its search for Lynette Hooker after investigators found inconsistencies between her husband’s location data and his statements to investigators about where to search for his wife, a U.S. official familiar with the investigation told CNN. Lynette Hooker was last seen by her husband, who says she fell out of a dinghy, a small, open-top boat, while making their way back to their yacht "Soulmate" on April 4. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/ice-detainees-dying-suicide-alarming-rate-investigation-finds/stories/20260527101 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/ice-detainees-dying-suicide-alarming-rate-investigation-finds/stories/20260527101#comments Wed, 27 May 2026 20:58:57 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/27/ice-detainees-dying-suicide-alarming-rate-investigation-finds/stories/20260527101 Brayan Rayo Garzon was distraught. Detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he was on his fourth day of isolation in a Missouri jail as he battled the fevers and chills of the coronavirus. In this image from video provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee Brayan Rayo Garzon looks towards a surveillance camera in the Phelps County jail in Rolla, Mo., on April 7, 2025, shortly before he died by suicide. Adriana Garzon, mother of Brayan Rayo Garzon who died by suicide while in ICE custody in April 2025, stands next to a photo of Rayo that reads 'On earth, my warrior; in heaven, my angel' in Spanish in Garzon's home in St. Louis on May 1. Adriana Garzon, mother of Brayan Rayo Garzon who died by suicide while in ICE custody in April 2025, sits in front of a collection of family photos in St. Louis on May 1. This photo provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows a note written in Spanish by Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee Brayan Rayo Garzon asking for a phone call with his mother, while he was in the Phelps County jail in Rolla, Mo. A photo of Brayan Rayo Garzon who died by suicide while in ICE custody in April 2025, is displayed in his mother's apartment in St. Louis. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/26/cornyn-texas-senate-runoff-with-trump-backed-paxton/stories/20260526104 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/26/cornyn-texas-senate-runoff-with-trump-backed-paxton/stories/20260526104#comments Tue, 26 May 2026 22:03:06 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/26/cornyn-texas-senate-runoff-with-trump-backed-paxton/stories/20260526104 PLANO, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the latest contest where President Donald Trump sought to defeat an incumbent he saw as not sufficiently loyal. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, listens to State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a campaign event in Lubbock, Texas, on May 19. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to supporters at a campaign event in McKinney, Texas, on May 19. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/26/south-carolina-senate-rejects-trumps-call-redraw-congressional-map/stories/20260526103 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/26/south-carolina-senate-rejects-trumps-call-redraw-congressional-map/stories/20260526103#comments Tue, 26 May 2026 22:03:43 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/26/south-carolina-senate-rejects-trumps-call-redraw-congressional-map/stories/20260526103 COLUMBIA, S.C. — President Trump’s push to reshape congressional districts ahead of the November elections suffered a double setback Tuesday, as South Carolina senators declined to do so and a federal court blocked a Republican-backed map in Alabama. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., center, joined by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, stands with members of the Congressional Black Caucus during an event outside the Capitol in Washington on May 19. Republican South Carolina Sen. Richard Cash speaks during a session on redistricting May 26 in Columbia, S.C. Republican South Carolina Sen. Carlisle Kennedy, left, Democratic Sen. Ronnie Sabb, middle, and Republican Sen. Jeff Zell, right, watch a video during a session on redistricting May 26 in Columbia, S.C. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., stands with members of the Congressional Black Caucus during an event outside the Capitol in Washington on May 19. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/24/oldest-pearl-harbor-survivor-keeping-memory-surprise-bombing-alive-106/stories/20260524139 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/24/oldest-pearl-harbor-survivor-keeping-memory-surprise-bombing-alive-106/stories/20260524139#comments Mon, 25 May 2026 01:00:11 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/24/oldest-pearl-harbor-survivor-keeping-memory-surprise-bombing-alive-106/stories/20260524139 CENTERVILLE, Mass. — On the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, the country's oldest living survivor of the Japanese bombing was far below deck helping repair one of the boilers of the USS St. Louis. Freeman K. Johnson, a 106-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, listens to a question during an interview at his home on May 6 in Centerville, Mass. Freeman K. Johnson, a 106-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, holds up his dog tag on May 6. Freeman K. Johnson, a 106-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, looks down at his flat cap. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/24/bystander-serious-condition-after-fatal-shooting-near-white-house-checkpoint/stories/20260524137 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/24/bystander-serious-condition-after-fatal-shooting-near-white-house-checkpoint/stories/20260524137#comments Sun, 24 May 2026 23:04:04 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/05/24/bystander-serious-condition-after-fatal-shooting-near-white-house-checkpoint/stories/20260524137 A bystander who was struck by gunfire after a man fired on a checkpoint outside the White House and was fatally shot by U.S. Secret Service officers remained in serious but stable condition Sunday. U.S. Secret Service Police officers place crime scene tape after a copper jacket of a bullet was found near the scene of a shooting close to the White House on May 24. A copper jacket of a bullet is found near the scene of a shooting. Blue tape is pictured around a possible bullet strike near the shooting scene near the scene of a shooting close to the White House.