Brendan Hoffman
Department of Homeland Security’s Janet Napolitano resigned as the agency’s director today. The former Arizona governor is leaving Washington to preside over the University of California system—a post usually held by academics. President Obama wished her luck in her new endeavor and praised her performance as chief in a statement. “The American people are safer and more secure thanks to Janet’s leadership in protecting our homeland against terrorist attacks,” it said. Napolitano has served as the DHS chief since 2009—the only woman in the position. While calling her work there “the highlight of my professional career,” she has to be more than a little psyched to finally be in charge at UC. Republicans have long criticized her for failing to secure the border, and the immigration-reform proposal she supported—which included a pathway to citizenship—was recently thwarted by a Republican-led House.