Steele dossier source acquitted, in loss for special counsel Durham  —  A jury on Tuesday found Igor Danchenko — a private researcher who was a primary source for a 2016 dossier of allegations about former president Donald Trump's ties to Russia — not guilty of lying to the FBI about where he got his information.

FBI Raids Star ABC News Producer's Home  —  Emmy-winning producer James Gordon Meek had his home raided by the FBI.  His colleagues say they haven't seen him since.  —  AT A MINUTE before 5 a.m. on April 27, ABC News' James Gordon Meek fired off a tweet with a single word: “FACTS.”

Scoop: Freedom Caucus chair floats potential Ukraine peace talks probe  —  Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), the chair of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, floated to colleagues the idea of laying the groundwork for an investigation into the Biden administration's approach to Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Axios has learned.

Jim Jordan plots ‘big moments’ for GOP influence in the majority  —  Jim Jordan made his name on Capitol Hill by nudging his own party from the right while pushing Democrats even harder.  He may well return to that dynamic next year in a GOP-controlled House.

Oath Keeper testifies he was ready to die on Jan. 6 to keep Trump in office  —  WASHINGTON — A member of the far-right Oath Keepers who stormed the U.S. Capitol testified that he was ready to fight to keep former President Donald Trump in office and was preparing himself in the weeks …

Wisconsin Republican Michels walks back abortion pledge  —  The Republican running for governor in Wisconsin suggested Tuesday that he did not support enforcing the swing state's near-total ban on abortions, saying “I will never arrest a doctor” before his campaign walked back his comment.

In Documents Review, Special Master Tells Trump Team to Back Up Privilege Claims  —  “What's the expression — 'Where's the beef?'  I need some beef,” Judge Raymond Dearie, the independent arbiter, said during a conference call.  —  WASHINGTON — The special master reviewing materials seized …

Mike Bloomberg takes different approach to funding Democrats this year  —  The billionaire former presidential candidate plans to spend more than $60 million on this year's elections  —  Top Democratic donor Mike Bloomberg, a billionaire former candidate for president …

Florida father and son shoot at innocent woman they thought tried to break in home, sheriff says  —  “You don't shoot at people.  You don't leave the security of your home and go out and chase people down,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a harsh rebuke.

NHL, its workforce 84% white, sets baseline to up diversity  —  The NHL for the first time has done an internal demographic study of its staff and all 32 teams, and the results show that hockey has a lot of work to do to increase diversity at all levels.  The report released Tuesday found …

Exclusive: Bob Woodward releasing new audiobook ‘The Trump Tapes’ with eight hours of recorded interviews  —  ‘Unvarnished, profane, blunt’: CNN special correspondent on new Trump interview tapes  —  What Georgia's candidates for governor are saying about inflation  —  Obama speaks out on ‘mistake’ during his presidency

Iran has sent military trainers to Crimea to train Russian forces to use drones  —  Iran has sent military personnel to Russian-occupied territory inside Crimea to train and advise the Russian military on the use of Iranian-built drones that Moscow has used to devastating effect in its war in Ukraine …

Texas School District Distributes DNA And Fingerprint Kits To K-8 Schools  —  This month Texas public school systems are distributing DNA and fingerprint identification kits to K-8 level campuses for parents who wish to store their child's DNA.  The kits provide identification if law enforcement …

Texas Woman Nearly Loses Her Life After Doctors Can't Legally Perform an Abortion: ‘Their Hands Were Tied’  —  “I never in my wildest dreams thought that the laws I was so angry about would pose a threat to my life and prevent me from accessing safe healthcare in 2022 in the United States of America,” says Amanda Zurawski

Democrats see opening to neutralize GOP education messaging  —  A year after Republicans rode a wave of discontent about education to flip Virginia, Democrats see an opening.  —  Competitive governors' races have already attracted tens of millions of dollars in campaign ads from both parties focused …

Mastriano's Time at War College Draws Scrutiny in Governor's Race  —  Doug Mastriano, a Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, earned a Ph.D in 2013 and taught at the Army War College.  Fellow academics have assailed his scholarship and questioned his fitness for office.

Oz closing in on Fetterman in Pennsylvania Senate race  —  Republican Mehmet Oz has narrowed Democrat John Fetterman's lead in Pennsylvania's bare-knuckle Senate election, and the two candidates are now polling inside the margin of error, according to a new survey shared exclusively with POLITICO.

Bill prohibiting public drag performances to be introduced in upcoming Idaho legislative session  —  The Idaho House of Representatives conducts its business from the House chambers at the Statehouse in Boise on April 6, 2021.  (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

Warnock's gloves come off against Walker in Georgia  —  Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) is signaling that he's ready to ditch his typically restrained persona in favor of more direct attacks on his Republican opponent Herschel Walker as the Georgia Senate race enters its final stretch.

Harris hires a new head scribe  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration.  With help from Allie Bice.  —  Vice President KAMALA HARRIS has a new chief speechwriter.  —  DAVE CAVELL, who most recently wrote speeches …