‘Nerves of steel’: She calmly landed the Southwest flight, just as you'd expect of a former fighter pilot … The pilot's voice was calm yet focused as her plane descended with 149 people on board.  —  “Southwest 1380, we're single engine,” said Tammie Jo Shults, a former fighter pilot with the U.S. Navy.

Fresno State professor stirs outrage, calls Barbara Bush an ‘amazing racist’  —  A Fresno State professor called former first lady Barbara Bush an “amazing racist” who raised a “war criminal,” and expressed no concern that she could be fired or reprimanded for her outspokenness on social media.

GOP alarmed by tax law's falling poll numbers, privately blame Trump  —  President Trump is undermining voter support for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with erratic messaging after it was gaining popularity, alarming Republicans counting on the law to save the party's vulnerable House majority.

Hannity's rising role in Trump's world: ‘He basically has a desk in the place’  —  The phone calls between President Trump and Sean Hannity come early in the morning or late at night, after the Fox News host goes off the air.  They discuss ideas for Hannity's show, Trump's frustration …

Pompeo nomination runs into more U.S. Senate Democrat opposition  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday he will oppose President Donald Trump's nomination of Mike Pompeo as secretary of state, making it unlikely …

How Tony Podesta, a Washington Power Broker, Lost It All  —  The Democratic lobbyist had money, connections and a rarified art collection.  Then came a divorce, Paul Manafort and Donald Trump, and his world came crashing down  —  Brody Mullins and Julie Bykowicz  —  Tony Podesta was in line to be king of K Street.

The Hill says goodbye to 50 Most Beautiful  —  After nearly 15 years, The Hill is bidding a beautiful bye-bye to its annual 50 Most Beautiful list.  —  While it's had a remarkably gorgeous run, The Hill team feels the time has come for 50 Most Beautiful to be added to that big, beautiful list in the sky.

Trump accuses Stormy Daniels of ‘a total con job’ with artist's sketch … Donald Trump has said Stormy Daniels is pulling “a total con job” by promoting an artist's sketch of a man she says threatened her to keep silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump years ago.

Right-Wing Extremists Guilty In Terror Plot Against Muslim Refugees  —  Attorneys argued the Trump-backing trio had were radicalized by “chaos news,” and wrongfully targeted by the feds for “locker room talk.”  —  WICHITA, Kan. Three right-wing militiamen from rural Kansas were found guilty …

Comey: ‘The Republican Party has left me and many others’  —  Former FBI Director James Comey was a registered Republican for most of his life, but now he believes “the Republican Party has left me and many others.”  —  “I just think they've lost their way and I can't be associated with it …

Senate panel moving ahead with Mueller bill despite McConnell opposition  —  (R-Iowa) said his committee will take up legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller  —  despite opposition from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  —  (R-Ky.).  —  “They got together …

Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer endorses Kevin de León in his insurgent bid against Sen. Dianne Feinstein  —  Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer is endorsing state Sen. Kevin de León in his insurgent challenge to fellow Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein …

In Pro-Trump Tennessee, Democrats Count on a Familiar Face to Flip a Senate Seat  —  KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — President Trump won 92 of Tennessee's 95 counties in the 2016 election, making this state a seemingly daunting target for Democrats hoping to flip a seat in the Senate.

Island-wide blackout hits Puerto Rico; officials probe cause  —  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — An island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday as the U.S. territory struggles with an increasingly unstable power grid nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System  —  The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, provides the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable monetary and financial system.  —  the Fed  —  & Events  —  Policy  —  & Regulation  —  Systems  —  Research  —  & Communities

Meghan McCain Confronts Comey: ‘J. Edgar Hoover is Rolling Over in His Grave’ Over Book Details  —  Dressed in pearls and a blood-red pantsuit, The View's conservative co-host Meghan McCain arrived fired up and ready to go for the show's special guest on Wednesday morning, former FBI Director James Comey.

Scott Pruitt Has Become Ridiculous  —  The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher.  It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section.  —  Despite stiff competition, Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency …

Cuomo grants parolees the right to vote  —  Appealing to his left flank, Gov. Cuomo announced Wednesday that he's signed an executive order to give convicted felons on parole the right to vote.  —  “In this state, when you're released from prison and you're on parole, you still don't have the right to vote …

Starbucks' Howard Schultz “ashamed” after controversial arrest of two black men  —  Starbucks will be closing its stores and corporate offices on May 29 for company-wide racial bias training.  The announcement comes in response to public protests and calls to boycott the coffee chain …

Here's where New Yorkers think upstate New York is … Cynthia Nixon's primary challenge to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) has meant wading into tricky, controversial waters.  Take, for example, her interview with the New York Times Magazine over the weekend.  Sure, she advocated the legalization …

‘It Smells Like Death’: Alabama Town Endures NYC ‘Poop Train’  —  A stinking trainload of human waste from New York City is stranded in a tiny Alabama town, spreading a stench like a giant backed-up toilet - and the “poop train” is just the latest example of the South being used as a dumping ground for other states' waste.

Mattis Wanted Congressional Approval Before Striking Syria.  He Was Overruled.  —  WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urged President Trump to get congressional approval before the United States launched airstrikes against Syria last week, but was overruled by Mr. Trump …

De Blasio's rat-killing demonstration is a complete disaster  —  One wily rat made NYCHA look like a Mickey Mouse operation Tuesday in Brooklyn.  —  Mayor de Blasio and workers from the Housing Authority were outwitted by the rodent during a press event at a Bushwick project …

Tennessee lawmakers punish Memphis for removing statues  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Republican-dominated House in Tennessee voted Tuesday to punish the city of Memphis for removing Confederate monuments by taking $250,000 away from the city that would have been used for a bicentennial celebration next year.

Senatorial attack on the First Amendment  —  On April 11, 11 Democratic senators and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders  —  sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai requesting that the proposed merger between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media be denied.

How To Spot A Deepfake Like The Barack Obama-Jordan Peele Video  —  This “deepfake” video starring Jordan Peele as Barack Obama shows how easy it's getting to create convincing audio and video fakes.  Here's how to fight back. … You're looking at the future of fake news and propaganda.

California has eight of 10 most polluted U.S. cities  —  A new study be The Health Effects Institute explains that most of the world is breathing air deemed dangerous by The World Health Organization.  Tony Spitz has the details.  Buzz60  —  Forget the Golden State.  California should be called the Smoggy State.

How Trump's NASA Nominee Used a Nonprofit He Ran to Benefit Himself … Rep. James Bridenstine (R-Okla.) is a former Navy pilot with virtually no management experience in any large organization.  But the Oklahoma Republican has been tapped by President Donald Trump to take over the National Aeronautics …

Freedom Caucus seeks to make McCarthy pay to become speaker  —  The Freedom Caucus is prepared to exact a price from Kevin McCarthy if he wants to be the next speaker of the House — three years after foiling his first bid for the job.  —  A POLITICO survey of about 20 of the conservative …

As opponents debate, Kay Ivey dog-whistles ‘Dixie’  —  Kay Ivey insists she's too busy being governor to debate her Republican challengers.  Instead, she's taking her message directly to the people of Alabama, 30 seconds at a time, in paid political advertising that conveys the warmth and charm …

No, Republican Presidents Aren't Responsible For Most Of America's Debt  —  New York Times columnist David Leonhardt recently wrote a widely shared article arguing that Democrats were the party of fiscal responsibility while Republicans were nothing more than profligate spenders and reckless tax cutters.