http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Sun, 12 Jul 2026 04:01:43 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/07/12/utoledo-study-suggests-intestinal-inflammation-can-be-alleviated-by-stress/stories/20260704005 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/07/12/utoledo-study-suggests-intestinal-inflammation-can-be-alleviated-by-stress/stories/20260704005#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/07/12/utoledo-study-suggests-intestinal-inflammation-can-be-alleviated-by-stress/stories/20260704005 Low-grade stress increases resilience and the chance of survival. That phenomenon can give hope to an overworked PhD student, said University of Toledo professor Matam Vijay-Kumar, and was also shown by his team of researchers to apply to the cells that line the digestive tract. “If some person is never exposed to any stress,” Mr. Vijay-Kumar explained, “if you get a small kind of stress, you cannot tolerate it.” In the same way, he said, low-grade stress to a cell can help it “survive better.” In a study published this spring in the Gut Microbes journal, Mr. Vijay-Kumar and his team of researchers found that a derivative of the compound enterobactin — which is known to disrupt cell energy production — can actually strengthen the mucosal barriers in the gut.  The results suggest that the enterobactin derivative, which is known as 2, 3-dihydroxybenzoic acid or 2, 3-DHBA, could potentially be used to treat colitis, or inflammation of the large intestine. That condition is primarily brought on by infection or by inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. University of Michigan professor Tom Schmidt, who studies the gut microbiome, explained that enterobactin is “made up of multiple copies of the same small molecule” 2, 3-DHBA. It is produced by bacteria in the gut, such as E. coli. “When I started my career in 2013,” Mr. Vijay-Kumar said, “I found enterobactin very interesting.” His research ultimately led to a 2017 study showing that the bacteria inhibits all functions of neutrophils. Neutrophils are white blood cells known as the first responders to invading bacteria and fungi, helping to remove threats and promote healing. Mr. Vijay-Kumar said his team, led by UToledo postdoctoral researcher Vinita Kushwaha, thought that enterobactin would “aggravate” existing intestinal damage in mice that were treated with dextran sulfate sodium, or DSS, to induce epithelial harm.  But instead, the 2, 3-DHBA form of enterobactin alleviated intestinal inflammation, increasing the strength of junctional proteins that seal contents of the gut lumen, where food is digested and absorbed, from the bloodstream. It also prompted the regeneration of mucus-producing goblet cells, which help protect intestinal lining. “It is kind of very surprising result for us,” Mr. Vijay-Kumar said. “We were scratching our heads.”  Those observed effects of enterobactin relate to mitohormesis, the process by which disrupting a cell’s energy-making capabilities strengthens its function. Mr. Vijay-Kumar said mitohormesis is still a “nascent concept” that is not well understood.  The prefix “mito-” in “mitohormesis” refers to mitochondria, the cell powerhouses that produce energy. Studies such as Mr. Vijay-Kumar’s show that when mitochondrial activity is inhibited — in this case by enterobactin — adaptive responses strengthen cell function. Mr. Schmidt explained that the enterobactin inhibits mitochondrial activity by pilfering iron that the human cell needs to function. “The bacterium is capturing iron that it needs for growth,” he said. “It’s sequestering it so that the mitochondria don't have access to it. And so they quit respiring, they quit consuming oxygen.” But the stress brought on to the mitochondria by the enterobactin derivative in Mr. Vijay-Kumar’s study strengthened epithelial cell function. “One of the thoughts that the study had was maybe that by slowing mitochondrial respiration, basically slowing how the cells make energy, that potentially could help to reduce inflammation,” said Dr. Allen Lee, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan. Enterobactin and its derivatives have a long way to go, however, before they might be used in medication. “Moving to human clinical trials is a big step,” Mr. Schmidt said.  Dr. Lee said that while the study suggested the existence of a “new avenue for treating these complex conditions like inflammatory bowel disease that kind of harnesses the power of the microbiome,” the path was “still very early days.” Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Typically, treatment for the chronic conditions involves “trying to suppress the inflammation,” Dr. Lee said. “There are definitely a lot of treatments for IBD,” he added. “In the last 10, 15 years, there's been kind of an explosion of different biologics and small molecule inhibitors that have kind of come out into the market.” “Do they help everyone? No,” Dr. Lee continued. “There are some patients who either don't respond to these treatments or they lose response to treatments, and those are some of the patients that potentially may need surgery down the line.” Symptoms of Crohn’s disease, which can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, may vary, but Dr. Lee said that ulcerative colitis patients will “almost universally” suffer from diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Professor Matam Vijay-Kumar speaks about his recently published research on enterobactin and gut bacteria on June 25 in his office at the University of Toledo's health science campus. Professor Matam Vijay-Kumar speaks about his recently published research on enterobactin and gut bacteria on June 25 the University of Toledo's health science campus. Professor Matam Vijay-Kumar speaks about his recently published research on enterobactin and gut bacteria on June 25 the University of Toledo's health science campus. Professor Matam Vijay-Kumar speaks about his recently published research on enterobactin and gut bacteria on June 25 the University of Toledo's health science campus. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/07/12/cyclospora-s-history-shows-it-s-complicated-to-trace/stories/20260706075 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/07/12/cyclospora-s-history-shows-it-s-complicated-to-trace/stories/20260706075#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/health-and-well-being/2026/07/12/cyclospora-s-history-shows-it-s-complicated-to-trace/stories/20260706075 In 1996, an unusual intestinal illness swept across the country. It was the first major outbreak of cyclospora, a foodborne and waterborne parasite that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. As the number of infected people rose to 1,500 across 20 states, scientists rushed to discover the origins of the disease.  Investigators first suspected strawberries from California. They were wrong. The actual source, it turned out, sat a thousand miles away, at a handful of raspberry farms in Guatemala, where they washed their berries in untreated water. It took weeks to trace the culprit, relying on a combination of surveys, interviews, and supply chain records. Thirty years later, the same mystery is playing out again. Since June, cyclospora cases have mounted as officials initially confirmed cases spreading into 18 states, including a growing outbreak of hundreds in Lucas County. No single restaurant, farm, or water source immediately emerged as the cause. Investigators are searching. Cyclospora doesn’t announce itself quickly. Symptoms can take more than a week — sometimes two — which means that by the time a case gets reported, the possibilities for what might have led to exposure are manifold. “The further you get from the exposure to the illness, it just makes it harder,” says Don Schaffner, a food microbiologist at Rutgers who has tracked the parasite since the first Guatemalan outbreak. “People’s memories fade.”  Cyclospora, the microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, spreads when people consume water or food, especially fresh fruit, contaminated with feces harboring the parasite. Its symptoms are similar to those of other common intestinal illnesses, like food poisoning or stomach bugs: diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.  The exact number of cyclosporiasis infections is difficult to determine, partly because the parasite does not get flagged on standard stool tests used for illnesses with similar symptoms. It requires its own specialized examination. Bacteria are relatively easy to identify, but parasites, like cyclospora, can’t be cultured in a lab.  “It’s not common enough that we just routinely test for it,” Mr. Schaffner said. To further complicate matters, many people don’t develop symptoms of cyclosporiasis until one to two weeks after they were initially infected, making it harder for epidemiologists to determine the source of the parasite. For the same reason, health experts are uncertain when the spread of the infection might subside.  “It’s possible that all of the contaminated food could have run its course at this point,” says Brandon Palinski, the director of innovation, quality, and informatics at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. “But we still might see cases continue to pick up, because it could’ve been two weeks ago that they were contaminated.”  The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department is sharing information with other departments around the state and in Michigan, where the first case was identified on June 22. The department has tracked infections across northwest Ohio.  “We work with our state partners and local businesses to look at what foods everyone has eaten and where they might be coming from to narrow down the commonalities,” Mr. Palinski added. But for now, he said, “it’s a scattershot.”  Cyclospora outbreaks are not entirely uncommon in North America. The parasite is most common in tropical regions with limited water treatment, but it has frequently made its way to the United States through imported produce. It isn’t always food, either. William Schaffner, an infectious disease physician at Vanderbilt Health, once investigated an outbreak that was later traced to a poorly maintained motel pool, where children swallowing murky water fell ill. Water, food, and international travel, he said, are the three main categories investigators look at first.  Still, large outbreaks on a national scale are rare, and it’s unusual for any one source of produce to make an outbreak grow as fast as it has this past month. Michigan, for example, typically has 50 cyclospora cases a year. Between July 2 and July 6, though, the state reported 300 cases, and now it’s over 1,200. And with cases being investigated in more than two dozen states, this outbreak is unusual.  “It’s not like one single restaurant or store is causing all of this,” Mr. Palinski says. “It’s pretty clear that something abnormal is going on with this outbreak.”  But some experts think that the visibility of the outbreak might be contributing to the growing number of reported cases. People who might otherwise write off a stomach bug are seeing news coverage and recognizing their own symptoms, then going to the doctor and getting tested. Don Schaffner says that the visibility of this cyclospora outbreak in the news may be padding the case counts without necessarily reflecting new infections.  William Schaffner offers a similar explanation. As doctors notice more confirmed cases, they become more likely to test the next patient with unexplained diarrhea, when they otherwise would not have thought to offer the test. Cyclosporiasis, he noted, also occurs every year in a “smoldering fashion,” typically swelling in the spring and summer. Except this year, the outbreak seems to be a larger one.  The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water before and after handling raw fruits and vegetables, and washing the produce itself under running water. Mr. Palinski added that Toledoans should seek out medical advice as soon as they suspect they may be infected. Cyclospora can be treated with antibiotics. “You might think it’s just a stomach bug or food poisoning, but this can persist for a month or more in some individuals, with recurring lapses,” Mr. Palinski said. “You might feel better, then feel sick again. And with the main symptoms being water and even explosive diarrhea, it’s not something that you want to deal with long-term. It’s a disruption to anyone’s life.” Brandon Palinski, director of innovation, quality, and informatics at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, speaks in an interview about the cyclospora parasite at the health department in Toledo on July 6. Brandon Palinski, director of innovation, quality, and informatics at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, shows a photo of the cyclospora parasite at the health department in Toledo on July 6. Brandon Palinski, director of innovation, quality, and informatics at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, speaks in an interview about the cyclospora parasite at the health department in Toledo oon July 6. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/11/trump-administration-subpoenas-journalists-security-concerns-air-force-one/stories/20260711107 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/11/trump-administration-subpoenas-journalists-security-concerns-air-force-one/stories/20260711107#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:50:56 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/11/trump-administration-subpoenas-journalists-security-concerns-air-force-one/stories/20260711107 Four New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding a Qatari-gifted jet serving as the new Air Force One have been subpoenaed by the Justice Department, the news outlet reported early Saturday. Subpoenas suggest that the Trump administration is trying to find out who leaked to the Times before the news organization reported this past Wednesday that President Donald Trump left Turkey this week on the old Air Force One over security concerns from the Secret Service. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/11/china-evacuates1-million-typhoon-bavi/stories/20260711106 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/11/china-evacuates1-million-typhoon-bavi/stories/20260711106#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:33:53 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/11/china-evacuates1-million-typhoon-bavi/stories/20260711106 TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chinese authorities evacuated more than one million people on Saturday and issued high alerts as eastern China braced for Typhoon Bavi, which has brought strong winds and rain to Japan's southern islands and Taiwan. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a security person cordons off the coastal area ahead of Typhoon Bavi's expected arrival in Shitang Town of Wenling City, eastern China's Zhejiang Province, on July 10. People struggle with umbrella in a rain caused by Typhoon Bavi in Taichung, Taiwan, on July 11. People make their way in a rain caused by Typhoon Bavi in Taichung, Taiwan, on July 11. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/10/unclaimed-airstrikes-target-iran-after-us-attacks-raising-questions-of-who-launched-them/stories/20260710076 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/10/unclaimed-airstrikes-target-iran-after-us-attacks-raising-questions-of-who-launched-them/stories/20260710076#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:01:15 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/10/unclaimed-airstrikes-target-iran-after-us-attacks-raising-questions-of-who-launched-them/stories/20260710076 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — No one claimed responsibility Friday for airstrikes that hit Iran after the United States said it finished its attacks, leaving questions about who else may be targeting the Islamic Republic. A man waves an Iranian flag during funeral ceremonies for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran on July 5. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/10/detainees-tell-their-lawyer-ice-officer-shot-houston-driver-passenger-window/stories/20260710092 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/10/detainees-tell-their-lawyer-ice-officer-shot-houston-driver-passenger-window/stories/20260710092#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:24:29 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/10/detainees-tell-their-lawyer-ice-officer-shot-houston-driver-passenger-window/stories/20260710092 HOUSTON — Three men inside a van who witnessed the fatal shooting of the driver by an immigration officer in Houston said the Mexican man was shot through a passenger window and that the officer was never threatened, a lawyer who has spoken with them said Friday. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia speaks during a press briefing regarding her conversation with Acting ICE Director David Venturella outside her office in Houston on July 10. Congressman Al Green reads a version of a letter he wrote during a news briefing outside the office of Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia in Houston on July 10. A photograph of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is passed to the front during a news conference July 8 in Houston. Candles are lit during a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a federal immigration agent a day prior, July 8 in Houston. Neighbors cheer as marchers walk past during a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a federal immigration agent a day prior, July 8 in Houston. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/10/as-the-country-turns-250-retired-judges-hit-the-road-to-defend-judicial-independence/stories/20260710078 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/10/as-the-country-turns-250-retired-judges-hit-the-road-to-defend-judicial-independence/stories/20260710078#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:22:04 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/10/as-the-country-turns-250-retired-judges-hit-the-road-to-defend-judicial-independence/stories/20260710078 On Friday, a group of retired judges will step off a tour bus in a ritzy Michigan suburb after three days of barnstorming through corn fields, cities and coal towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania. They carry with them a message. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/09/israel-shared-intelligence-iranian-plot-assassinate-trump-sources-say/stories/20260709119 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/09/israel-shared-intelligence-iranian-plot-assassinate-trump-sources-say/stories/20260709119#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:10:04 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/09/israel-shared-intelligence-iranian-plot-assassinate-trump-sources-say/stories/20260709119 Israel shared intelligence with the United States that Iran had recently devised a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, two sources familiar with matter told CNN, adding another layer of tension as a cease-fire deal between the countries comes under strain. Trump said he’d recently learned of a new list that ranked him as Iran’s top assassination target. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/trump-plan-triumphal-arch-wins-early-approval-key-federal-agency/stories/20260709114 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/trump-plan-triumphal-arch-wins-early-approval-key-federal-agency/stories/20260709114#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:07:07 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/trump-plan-triumphal-arch-wins-early-approval-key-federal-agency/stories/20260709114 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's plans to build a skyline-altering arch in the nation's capital won initial approval Thursday from a key federal commission, but its members put off a decision on whether a federal law that limits building heights should be applied to this project. Visitors walk at the Great American State Fair with the triumphal arch model and the U.S. Capitol, in the background, on July 8 in Washington. A model of the proposed triumphal arch, and the ferris wheel are seen at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on July 7 in Washington. Memorial Circle, where President Donald Trump has proposed building an arch to commemorate the United States' 250th anniversary, the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial are seen from the Washington Monument on July 9 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/former-olympian-pleads-not-guilty-reflecting-pool-damage-case/stories/20260709104 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/former-olympian-pleads-not-guilty-reflecting-pool-damage-case/stories/20260709104#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:51:31 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/former-olympian-pleads-not-guilty-reflecting-pool-damage-case/stories/20260709104 WASHINGTON — A former Olympic canoe racer pleaded not guilty on Thursday to deliberately damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a politically charged case that his defense attorneys and other Trump Administration critics have derided as an abuse of prosecutorial power. Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, left, listens as his attorney Norman Eisen, right, speaks after he pleaded not guilty to allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, July 9 in Washington. Workers pick up trash along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on July 7 in Washington. Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, center, and his attorney Norman Eisen, left, walk to a car following a court appearance, where he pleaded not guilty to allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, July 9 in Washington. Nadine Seiler arrives in an inflatable frog costume, to support former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, before he arrives at D.C. Superior Court on July 9 in Washington. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/replace-graham-platner-maine-ballot-democrats/stories/20260709103 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/replace-graham-platner-maine-ballot-democrats/stories/20260709103#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:42:57 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/09/replace-graham-platner-maine-ballot-democrats/stories/20260709103 PORTLAND, Maine — Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the race after a sexual assault allegation. Voter cast their Maine primary ballots at the Civic Center on June 9 in Augusta, Maine. In this combination of photos taken in Augusta, Maine news conferences, Nirav Shah, left, speaks April 28, 2020, and Troy Jackson speaks, Jan. 17, 2023. This photo provided by Jordan Wood's campaign shows Maine Senate candidate Jordan Wood May 5, 2026. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination June 9 in Blue Hill, Maine. The headquarters for former Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Graham Platner is quiet Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Ellsworth, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/07/09/outbreak-of-diarrhea-causing-parasite-grows-to-more-than-1-000-cases/stories/20260709093 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/07/09/outbreak-of-diarrhea-causing-parasite-grows-to-more-than-1-000-cases/stories/20260709093#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:58:04 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/07/09/outbreak-of-diarrhea-causing-parasite-grows-to-more-than-1-000-cases/stories/20260709093 NEW YORK — Nearly 1,000 people in Michigan have been diagnosed with a parasitic infection that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea, making it the largest such outbreak in state history and one of the nation’s largest in years. This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/07/09/bonnie-tyler-who-topped-the-charts-with-epic-total-eclipse-of-the-heart-has-died-at-75/stories/20260709083 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/07/09/bonnie-tyler-who-topped-the-charts-with-epic-total-eclipse-of-the-heart-has-died-at-75/stories/20260709083#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:51:28 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/07/09/bonnie-tyler-who-topped-the-charts-with-epic-total-eclipse-of-the-heart-has-died-at-75/stories/20260709083 Bonnie Tyler, the gravelly voiced, Grammy-nominated Welsh pop star best known for singing the chart-topping power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983, and seeing new generations succumb to its bombastic charms during solar and lunar eclipses, has died. She was 75. Singer Bonnie Tyler performs her song "Believe in Me" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden on May 17, 2013. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/09/us-and-iran-exchange-intensifying-fire-across-the-mideast-threatening-the-interim-deal-to-end-war/stories/20260709082 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/09/us-and-iran-exchange-intensifying-fire-across-the-mideast-threatening-the-interim-deal-to-end-war/stories/20260709082#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:53:59 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/09/us-and-iran-exchange-intensifying-fire-across-the-mideast-threatening-the-interim-deal-to-end-war/stories/20260709082 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East. The coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried through a tightly packed crowd as mourners jostle to reach and touch it outside the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq, early July 9. 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, June 30. A mourner holds a portrait depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, top, and his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as mourners wait for the funeral procession for the elder Khamenei outside the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq, July 8. The coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried through a crowd of mourners at the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq, early July 9. The flower petal-covered coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried above mourners reaching out to touch it outside the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq, early July 9. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/09/holy-trinity-greek-orthodox-parish-priest-larry-legakis/stories/20260709011 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/09/holy-trinity-greek-orthodox-parish-priest-larry-legakis/stories/20260709011#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/09/holy-trinity-greek-orthodox-parish-priest-larry-legakis/stories/20260709011 The Rev. Larry Legakis doesn’t like leaving work. The Rev. Larry Legakis reflects on his time at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Toledo. He is moving to a parish in Metro Detroit after leading Holy Trinity for 12 years. The Rev. Larry Legakis reflects on his time at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Toledo. The Rev. Larry Legakis at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Toledo. The Rev. Larry Legakis at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Toledo. The Rev. Larry Legakis reflects on his time at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Toledo. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/09/religious-offerings-congregation-b-nai-israel-celebrates-160-years/stories/20260702005 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/09/religious-offerings-congregation-b-nai-israel-celebrates-160-years/stories/20260702005#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:15:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/religion/2026/07/09/religious-offerings-congregation-b-nai-israel-celebrates-160-years/stories/20260702005 ■ Congregation B’nai Israel celebrates Sunday its 160th anniversary. Congregation B'nai Israel. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/08/graham-platner-drops-maine-senate-bid-clearing-way-democrats-pick-new-nominee/stories/20260708115 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/08/graham-platner-drops-maine-senate-bid-clearing-way-democrats-pick-new-nominee/stories/20260708115#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:36:26 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/nation/2026/07/08/graham-platner-drops-maine-senate-bid-clearing-way-democrats-pick-new-nominee/stories/20260708115 Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner said in a video statement Wednesday he was suspending his campaign, clearing the way for Democrats to select a new candidate to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the most important contests of November’s midterm elections. The state Democratic Party will now have two weeks to put forward a replacement candidate for Graham Platner. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/08/us-launches-strikes-iran/stories/20260708080 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/08/us-launches-strikes-iran/stories/20260708080#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:10:51 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/08/us-launches-strikes-iran/stories/20260708080 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar sounded missile alert sirens early Thursday morning warning of an Iranian attack after the United States launched a new round of airstrikes targeting Iran. In this photo released by Iran's Supreme Leader's office, mourners carry the coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during funeral prayers held as part of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Holy Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran, July 7. An Iraqi Shiite soldier chants on the eve of funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei outside the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq on July 7. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/08/trump-flies-back-old-air-force-one-qatari-gifted-jet/stories/20260708107 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/08/trump-flies-back-old-air-force-one-qatari-gifted-jet/stories/20260708107#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2026 20:43:05 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/07/08/trump-flies-back-old-air-force-one-qatari-gifted-jet/stories/20260708107 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump flew home from a NATO summit in Turkey on an old baby blue Air Force One plane instead of the new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet he arrived in, a surprise swap that came as the U.S. and Iran once again began trading strikes. Airforce One sits on the tarmac before U.S. President Donald Trump departs following the NATO summit at Ankara International Airport in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8. Staff lay a carpet on the tarmac before President Donald Trump exits Air Force One upon arriving for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7. President Donald Trump speaks during a media conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8. Air Force One carrying President Donald Trump arrives for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/07/08/galen-girdle-obituary-entertainer-comedy/stories/20260708082 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/07/08/galen-girdle-obituary-entertainer-comedy/stories/20260708082#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:43:18 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/deaths/2026/07/08/galen-girdle-obituary-entertainer-comedy/stories/20260708082 Galen Grindle, known for his quick wit and versatility as an entertainer who performed as Johnny Ginger, died Sunday at the Genoa Retirement Village in Genoa, Ohio. He was 92. Galen Grindle Galen Grindle