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Trump, Putin, North Korea: Your Weekend Briefing

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Here’s what you need to know about the week’s top stories.
Here are the week’s top stories, and a look ahead.
1. In an encounter that lasted hours longer than planned, President Trump pressed President Vladimir Putin of Russia, above, on Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Putin denied the claims, and the Russians called the meeting a win.
The men were attending the Group of 20 summit meeting in Hamburg, Germany, where the U. S. found itself isolated on issues from trade to climate change. The 19 other members broke decisively with Mr. Trump by signing a policy blueprint for meeting their goals in the Paris climate accord.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday hoping to protest peacefully against the G-20 meeting, after two consecutive nights of clashes between the police and demonstrators .
Mr. Trump is headed to France next week for Bastille Day, and he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron.
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2. In North Korea, Kim Jong-un called the intercontinental ballistic missile his country launched on July 4 a “gift package” to the U. S. The missile seemed capable of hitting Alaska and Hawaii.
The escalation is a crisis for the Trump administration, spurring the U. S. to seek sanctions and to test-fire missiles with South Korea, above, hinting at war.
But even limited scenarios of an attack on the North point to staggering civilian casualties and the prospect of nuclear warfare .
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3. A r ogue Venezuelan police officer warned of a “new phase” of an insurrection against President Nicolás Maduro as a mob s tormed the nation’s opposition-dominated National Assembly on Wednesday, leaving lawmakers and journalists bloodied. Government troops did not react during the attack.
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4. Back in Washington, the fight over health care resumes on Capitol Hill. Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, above, known for his prowess in bending the Senate to his will, is facing a great predicament: rallying enough support for the floundering Republican health care plan.
One unlikely holdout, Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, represents a state that President Trump won handily.
Medicaid, which is critical for millions of Americans, many of whom are disabled, would be at risk under G. O. P. proposals to repeal Obamacare.
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5. Five states are still without a budget. Several states managed to overcome budget impasses this past week.
In Illinois, lawmakers and officials cheered the end of the longest state budget impasse in American history.

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