OCTOBER 6, 2019

Your Weekend Briefing

By remy tumin and judith levitt

Here are the week's top stories, and a look ahead.

Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times

1. It was another extraordinary week of developments in the impeachment inquiry.

President Trump publicly called on China to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Mr. Trump and his attorney general have now solicited assistance in discrediting the president's political opponents from Ukraine, Australia, Italy and, according to one report, Britain.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied that there was any quid pro quo in his dealings with Ukraine, but a new batch of text messages suggested that his own representatives saw things differently.

Meanwhile, House Democrats subpoenaed the White House for a vast trove of documents and requested more from Vice President Mike Pence related to "any role you may have played" in the Ukraine matter.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed the impeachment inquiry and the political drama around it as a "silly gotcha game." Members of his department will testify before the House this week. Here's what else happened in the inquiry.

Eric Thayer for The New York Times

2. Joe Biden, torn over how to respond to President Trump's continuing allegations against his son, is perhaps at the most vulnerable point of his candidacy.

In interviews with more than 50 Democratic strategists, lawmakers and lobbyists, a portrait emerged of a campaign facing challenges on all sides, and a candidate struggling to reconcile his protectiveness for his family and meeting the moment.

In other 2020 news, Bernie Sanders was released from the hospital after having a heart attack this past week; Mr. Biden and Elizabeth Warren are on a collision course in the latest polls; and new fund-raising totals came in. Here's what else happened.

Have you been keeping up with the headlines? Test your knowledge with our news quiz. And here's the front page of our Sunday paper, the Sunday Review, from Opinion and our crossword puzzles.

David Mcnew/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

3. Immigrants will be denied visas if they cannot prove that they have health insurance or the ability to pay for medical care, the Trump administration said.

"Immigrants who enter this country should not further saddle our health care system, and subsequently American taxpayers, with higher costs," President Trump wrote on Friday. The proclamation, which has been in the works for months, will become effective Nov. 3.

Looking ahead in Washington: In its first full term since the arrival of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court is preparing to issue blockbuster decisions on divisive issues in a presidential election year. Our Supreme Court expert previews five big cases to watch.

Amr Nabil/Associated Press

4. Weeks after the Middle East seemed on the verge of war, Saudi Arabia and Iran are seeking ways to ease tensions.

The countries have taken steps toward indirect talks, a remarkable turnaround prompted by President Trump's refusal to retaliate against Iran for the attack on Saudi Arabia. Above, the remains of Iranian weapons used to attack Saudi oil facilities last month.

In response, Saudi Arabia decided to seek its own solution to the conflict. That could subvert Mr. Trump's effort to build an Arab alliance to isolate Iran.

Elsewhere in the region, Iraqi security forces have repeatedly turned their weapons on fellow Iraqis this past week, killing at least 91, and wounding more than 2,000, as tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters have taken to the streets.

Pool photo by Tom Fox

5. A white former Dallas police officer was sentenced to 10 years for murdering her unarmed black neighbor. At the end of the trial, the judge gave her a Bible and a hug, igniting a debate about the limits of compassion.

Some saw the striking moment between a black female judge and a white former officer as an extraordinary example of humanity; others have criticized it as inappropriate, biased and potentially unconstitutional.

"We don't get handshakes, we don't get hugs, we don't get Bibles," said Christopher Scott, a black man who spent nearly 13 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. "They just say, 'We're sorry for what happened to you and you are a free man to go.'"

Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times

6. A surprising new study released this week found that eating less red meat may not make you healthier, faulting nutrition studies. But what the study didn't say is that its lead author has past research ties to the meat and food industry.

Bradley Johnston, an epidemiologist who led the analysis, said he was not required to report his past relationship, which was as recent as 2016, with a powerful industry trade group.

The new report stunned scientists and public health officials because it contradicted longstanding nutrition guidelines. Many medical groups said they would keep their guidelines despite the findings.

Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

7. Tango, Argentina's prime cultural export, is getting a feminist makeover.

A group of activists is trying to make the dance style less dogmatic about traditional gender roles, and more assertive about rooting out sexual harassment and assault.

"Tango is a caricature of the patriarchy," said one instructor who has helped draft guidelines on how to bring the dance into the modern age.

Victor Llorente for The New York Times

8. "A lot of gnarly guys set the mood."

There are no prizes, no money is at stake, but for amateurs and professionals, the annual "Live at Olympic Stadium" event captures the spirit of skateboarding ahead of its debut at the 2020 Tokyo games. Think of it as the anti-Olympics, one organizer said.

In less esoteric sporting events, the M.L.B. playoffs are underway. In the American League on Saturday, the New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins; the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Houston Astros.

Today, the Atlanta Braves play the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers play the Washington Nationals. Both series are tied.

Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.

9. How well do you know the Joker's laugh?

Joaquin Phoenix, above, is the latest actor to play Batman's cackling archnemesis, Joker. His predecessors include Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill and Jared Leto. Can you tell whose devious laugh is whose? Take our quiz.

The colors of the laugh differed for every actor. Some of them explained how they created that distinct cackle.

Jessica Lehrman for The New York Times

10. And finally, check out one of our Best Weekend Reads.

This week we looked at the state of the middle class through four family budgets, spoke to DaBaby, above, this year's inescapable, breakout rapper, took a road trip across Cuba, and more.

For more ideas on what to read, watch and listen to, may we suggest these 9 new books our editors liked, a glance at the latest small-screen recommendations from Watching and our music critics' latest playlist.

It's apple season on the East Coast. Maybe one of these apple recipes will sweeten your week.

Your Weekend Briefing is published Sundays at 6 a.m. Eastern.

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