Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️

Last year, I met a Mexican athlete who told me an incredible story—that he’d been kidnapped in 2023 and forced to compete for his life in a secret tournament of cartels. Once I started reporting, the story only got more surreal. For the May issue: theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/…

Some personal news: After nearly eight fantastic years, today is my last day at @WSJ. Next month I'm starting with @nytimes to cover cybersecurity, intelligence, and more. I'm thrilled to be joining such an excellent team, and can't wait to get started.

They sat down. They talked. And there's a significant, though seemingly unofficial, policy concession on the table. Negotiators say they aren't close to ending the DHS shutdown, but there's at least some movement. w/ @mychaelschnell ms.now/news/lawmakers…

It wasn't "super secret." It may not have even been classified. But Markwayne Mullin's international travel as a House member was one of the most surprising issues in an unusually tense hearing today. w/ @lilliebnews ms.now/news/markwayne…

NEW: Senator Markwayne Mullin is seeking to swap "Sen." for "Sec.", testifying today in front of his colleagues for DHS' top spot. The frame to look at today thru, from me + @jackfitzdc for @MSNOWNews: ms.now/news/markwayne…

Schumer confirms Dems sent a new DHS proposal to WH- but says they have outstanding issues: “The key issues of warrants when you bust in someone's house, the key issue of identity, of police, no masks. They haven't budged on those. They’ve got to get serious.”

'St. Paddy's Day' is usually preferred over 'St. Patty's Day.' 'Paddy' is the shortened form of the original Irish spelling of 'Patrick,' which is 'Pádraig.' 'Patty' is the shortened form of 'Patricia.'

3/16: Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area will have EARLY DEPARTURE. All employees must depart no later than 2:00 PM ET. opm.gov/policy-data-ov…

This will be a long week in the Senate. And it's a fight over the filibuster, as much as the SAVE Act itself. w/ @KevinJFrey ms.now/news/trump-top…

A longer DHS shutdown, and longer TSA lines, haven't pushed lawmakers closer to a resolution on the department's shutdown. But it has made them angrier. ms.now/news/airport-l…

Katie Britt, the top DHS appropriator, to me on her opposition to the Dems proposal to fund all non-ICE/CBP agencies: “We are not going back to Biden’s open borders. We are happy to have a conversation about a pathway forward. But if Democrats won’t sit down with us, it’s showing you who’s playing you right now. They’re playing you.”

Scoop: Kevin Warsh will meet with senators this week as he seeks their approval to become chairman of the Federal Reserve, according to three people familiar with the plans. news.bgov.com/bloomberg-gove…

As the Iran war wages on, Dems in Congress are growing increasingly frustrated w/ what the Trump admin is sharing with them. @RepJoeMorelle told me you don't get much more in classified briefings “than you would by watching MS NOW or CNN." w/ @MEPFuller ms.now/news/congress-…

"The White House has had a moral blindness when it comes to Putin and Russia," @RepDonBacon says of Russia's support of Iran. ms.now/news/russian-s…

"More will come out," Sen. Kennedy says when asked about his criticisms of Kristi Noem.

I’ve been asked if I would support Sen. Mullin as Noem’s replacement. The answer is a resounding NO. The rot in DHS is deep, much deeper than any individual. It’s a question of policy not personnel. The Senate should not consider any DHS Secretary nominee until DHS and ICE are reined in.

Senator Markwayne Mullin is a great guy and a great choice to lead DHS, restore competence, and refocus efforts on quickly distributing disaster aid, keeping the border secure, and targeting violent illegal immigrants for deportation. Another big positive: he likes dogs.

The newest angle in DHS funding talks: Republicans say there's a higher risk of terrorist attacks after the Iran strikes. The argument isn't even winning over Democrats, who have already offered to fund agencies other than ICE and CBP. ms.now/news/gop-iran-…

Senate GOP blocked a res to curb Trump’s military authority in Iran, sending a clear message: GOP members are — for the moment — unwilling to put a check on Trump's operation & there’s little Dems can do about it now. w/ @KevinJFrey @jackfitzdc @MSNOWNews ms.now/news/trump-ira…

47-53, Sen. Tim Kaine's Iran war powers resolution comes up short on a procedural vote. A win for Trump. ms.now/news/trump-ira…