Good Friday morning. I'm Anna Palmer and welcome to your Politico Playbook audio briefing. Stay tuned after

the show for a message from the embassy of Japan. And I'm Jake Sherman. As President Trump was getting

ready to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan yesterday, he told reporters that his administration was

abandoning its plan to shave nearly $18 million from the Special Olympics. This came after

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Trump's

campaign defended the decision, even though Congress was ready to completely ignore it. Noticably

absent from last night's events in Michigan, Congressman Justin Amash, who represents Grand Rapids,

the airport where Trump landed and the arena where he rallied are both in Amash's district.

Burgess Everett has the latest on health care.

He snagged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a brief interview.

This is what McConnell had to say on Trump's health care efforts.

I look forward to seeing what the president is proposing and what he can work out with the

speaker.

He added, I am focusing on stopping the Democrats Medicare for None scheme.

Meanwhile, Paul Demko reports that the Trump administration suffered another Obamacare blow in court,

losing its second battle this week after a federal judge ruled that the administration's efforts

to expand the availability

of health plans that don't meet the coverage rules of the Affordable Care Act is a deliberate

and illegal end run around the federal health care law. Our colleagues on the political

health care team have an exclusive. They report that key Trump health official, CMS administrator,

Sima Verma, is spending millions of dollars on GOP-connected consultants. South Korean President

Moon J.N. is coming to Washington, April 11th, and Gabby Orr has the latest on Trump's post-Muller

...