The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is considering a “handful” of candidates for what is seen as the second most influential job at the U.S. central bank, its directors said on Friday, as political pressure mounts to choose someone who breaks with past precedent. William Dudley, a key architect of the Fed’s crisis response and a core policymaker, plans to step down as New York Fed president by mid-year, hastening an unprecedented leadership transition at the central bank. Because it is the most powerful Fed job not chosen by the White House, Democrats and activists see Dudley’s departure as a chance to diversify the ... (full story)