Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for May 14, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks resigned today. In a statement, he left out any mention of the turmoil at DHS, but did suggest that he was looking forward to retirement: “Now is my time to enjoy family and life.”

• Banks had faced questions about his behavior at the agency. While in a previous management role, Banks had “bragged” to colleagues about paying for sex with prostitutes in other countries, the Washington Examiner reported last month.

Jack Schlossberg is attempting to bat down accusations that his erratic behavior has thrust his congressional campaign into chaos. The New York Times published a deeply reported story this morning that contained a number of brutal anecdotes, including a poorly timed nap that left aides stunned.

• Schlossberg, in a subsequent interview on CNN, responded in baffling fashion: “I got four words for the pundits trying to understand our strategy: follow the bouncing ball.”

THE ADMINISTRATION

Trump administration officials insisted that Kash Patel’s trip to Hawaii last summer was all business — but behind the scenes, the embattled FBI director was taking a “VIP” snorkeling excursion around the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, The Associated Press reports.

Pentagon leadership caught senior military officials off guard when it canceled a planned deployment of more than 4,000 troops to Poland, The New York Times reports.

• The timing struck the officials as odd: Many service members and a large chunk of their equipment had already arrived in the country.

THE HILL

Rep. Frederica Wilson has not voted for nearly a month — and some Democrats are mulling a run to replace the 83-year-old Floridian should she decide not to seek an eighth term.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters today that Wilson is “recovering from a procedure” and he expects she’ll return “shortly.”

Naval Operations Chief Daryl Caudle told the House Armed Services Committee that without supplemental Iran war funding, the force will face operational cuts to training and personnel as early as this summer.

The Senate approved a resolution by voice vote that prevents members from getting paid during future shutdowns, starting after this year’s midterms.

Rep. Max Miller is suing his ex-wife — the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno — and her legal team for defamation after she made allegations of domestic abuse. Miller said the allegations of misconduct, which include accusations of him throwing boiling water at her in front of their child, have damaged his reputation.

THE DISTRICT

The Department of the Interior released its plan to renovate the century-old East Potomac Golf Links into a “championship-quality” 18-hole course.

• The design, which is different from a version reported by The Washington Post earlier this month, would keep green space at the tip of Hains Point — but it remains unclear whether a bike path stretching around the peninsula would remain open.

SMOKE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Brett Bachman, Kelly Poe and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.