Day 473

DOJ Indicts Southern Poverty Law Center for Hate-Group Monitoring Operations (May 2026)

In late April 2026, Trump's Justice Department obtained a federal grand jury indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on six counts of wire fraud, four counts of making false statements to a federally insured bank, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The theory: the SPLC 'defrauded donors' by using paid informants to infiltrate white supremacist and extremist groups without publicly disclosing this practice. The SPLC pleaded not guilty at arraignment on May 7–8, 2026. Legal experts described the prosecution as 'as unprecedented as it is irregular,' noting that the FBI and virtually every serious law enforcement agency routinely uses paid informants in exactly the same way. The case is widely understood as a direct attack on civil society organizations that monitor and expose far-right extremism.

U.S. Strikes on Iranian Port Cities During Active Ceasefire (May 2026)

On May 7, 2026, the United States struck civilian port infrastructure in Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, and Bandar Kargan — Iran's most critical maritime trade hubs — after a firefight in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says strikes hit residential and coastal civilian areas. A cargo vessel was struck overnight, killing one sailor and injuring ten. The attacks occurred during a still-active ceasefire, which Iran declared violated. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had already been injured in an earlier blast. A 71-square-kilometer oil spill emerged from Kharg Island in satellite imagery May 6–8, releasing an estimated 80,000 barrels of crude.

Firefight in Strait; blockade explicitly maintained despite ceasefire

Iranian forces attack three US Navy destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz; the US strikes Qeshm and Bandar Abbas in response. The naval blockade remains in effect despite the nominal ceasefire. One cargo vessel is struck and burning; one sailor killed. Iran declares the ceasefire violated.

From: U.S. Naval Blockade of Iranian Ports

US strikes Qeshm and Bandar Abbas after Hormuz firefight

After Iranian forces attack three US destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM strikes Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas. Iran says the strikes hit civilian areas in Qeshm Island, Bandar Khamir, and Sirik. A cargo vessel struck overnight catches fire, killing one sailor and injuring ten. The Kharg Island oil spill continues to grow, now confirmed at approximately 80,000 barrels.

From: U.S. Strikes on Iran's Kharg Island Oil Export Hub

Iran attacks US destroyers; US strikes Qeshm and Bandar Abbas port cities

Iranian forces attack USS Truxton, USS Mason, and USS Rafael Peralta with missiles, drones, and small boats as the destroyers transit the Strait. No US vessels are hit. CENTCOM launches retaliatory 'self-defense strikes' on Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas. Iran says the strikes hit civilian areas in Qeshm, Bandar Khamir, and Sirik. Each side claims the other fired first. A cargo vessel struck in an overnight US strike catches fire, killing one sailor and injuring ten. Iran declares the ceasefire violated. Trump maintains the ceasefire is still in effect and calls the strikes a 'love tap.'

From: Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Global Energy and Food Security Catastrophe

Border czar Homan pledges escalation: 'You ain't seen s*** yet'

White House border czar Tom Homan, speaking at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, promises 'mass deportations are coming' and pledges further escalation. Homan announces 10,000 new Border Patrol agents and states current enforcement numbers — approximately 1,200 arrests per day, 2,700 deportations per week — are only the beginning. 52% of Americans say the administration is doing too much on deportations, per a May 2026 Pew Research Center survey.

From: ICE Workplace Raids and Mass Arrests at Job Sites