‘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.

The day outspoken Barbara Bush regretted speaking her mind  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Barbara Bush leaned over the seat on Air Force Two and glared at me.  It was 1984, and her husband, Vice President George Bush, was running for re-election with President Ronald Reagan.

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 …

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.

Bob Corker: No, Really, Trump is Gonna Kill The Iran Nuclear Deal … Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned on Wednesday that President Donald Trump will “absolutely” withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in less than a month.

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 …

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.

New House FEC Reports: Rating Changes in 7 Districts  —  Speaker Paul Ryan's retirement plans could complicate the House GOP's fundraising math.  In 2017, Ryan's joint fundraising committee brought in $44 million and transferred $32 million to the NRCC.  His exit could leave GOP donors skittish.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

A flaw-by-flaw guide to Facebook's new GDPR privacy changes  —  “Just click accept, ignore those settings”  —  Facebook is about to start pushing European users to speed through giving consent for its new GDPR privacy law compliance changes.  It will ask people to review how Facebook applies data …

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 …

Mike Pence's “Art of the Deal”  —  What was most surprising about President Trump's irritation with Vice President Mike Pence's pick for national security adviser is how rarely the two men betray any friction.  —  Why it matters: No one inside the White House has navigated Trump and the watch …

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 …

Stormy Daniels' Penthouse Reveal: Plans to Donate $130K to Planned Parenthood in Trump and Cohen's Names … In addition to her 60 Minutes sit-down with Anderson Cooper and appearance on The View this morning, Stormy Daniels will grace the cover of Penthouse magazine.

Student activist David Hogg calls for boycott of Vanguard and BlackRock over gunmaker ownership  — David Hogg led a successful advertiser boycott of Fox television's Laura Ingraham's show last month after Ingraham publicly mocked his college acceptances.  — BlackRock and Vanguard …

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.

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 …

Can guns and Trump turn out Florida's youth vote?  So far, not so much.  —  Voter registration among young Floridians is down or flat in most large counties  —  TAMPA ­— University of Tampa junior Casey Bauer believes this is the year that his peers will make a difference at the polls.

‘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.

Sanctions Flap Erupts Into Open Conflict Between Haley and White House  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump was watching television on Sunday when he saw Nikki R. Haley, his ambassador to the United Nations, announce that he would impose fresh sanctions on Russia.

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.

Arizona Senate moves to change rules for replacing members who die or resign  —  Not sure how laws are created in Arizona?  Here's a brief overview.  Wochit  —  CONNECT  —  PHOENIX (AP) — The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature is moving to ensure that ailing Sen. John McCain's seat …