May 19, 2026 - Gov Brief Today

What Happened Today – May 18, 2026

May 19, 2026 by George Bounacos

Civil Rights Memorial fountain at Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama

Maya Lin designed the Civil Rights Memorial outside Southern Poverty Law Center headquarters in Montgomery, Alabama. Texas AG Ken Paxton opened a state investigation of the group Monday. (Photograph by J. Williams, public domain)

Trump dropped his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS Monday in exchange for a $1.776 billion fund he controls. The move came 48 hours before a federal judge’s deadline requiring Trump’s side to explain whether a sitting president can legally sue agencies he runs. Now Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, … Read more