Catch What You (May Have) Missed: Balance of Power Weekend Reads

(Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every morning? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.

From England's wealthiest region to the seaside Venezuelan community of Catia La Mar and a middle-class neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Bloomberg reporters hit the road to compile first-hand accounts of the real-world impact of government policies. Those and other stories are among our best political coverage of the past week. 

Kim Jong Un Is Masterfully Playing Trump's Game 
As Trump prepares for the most consequential negotiation of his career, Marc Champion writes that the North Korean leader's moves show a keen sense of The Art of the Deal.

How Trump Led the U.S. and China to the Brink of a Trade War
Saleha Mohsin and Andrew Mayeda have a detailed, insider account of how relations frayed between the world's two largest economies.

The U.S. isn't the only country wary of China's appetite for acquisitions. A Bloomberg survey of the European Union's 28 member states found that at least 15 governments actively or tacitly support draft legislation that would screen investments from outside the bloc.

Even England's Richest Region Is Struggling to Make Ends Meet
To understand austerity's toll on voters in the age of Brexit, Jess Shankleman and Jill Ward visited Surrey, England's richest region, and found that even there the local government can't balance its books and is stripping back public services.

In Hungry Venezuela, Soup Propels Evangelist's Presidential Run
The main attraction at Javier Bertucci's presidential campaign rally wasn't the Christian hip hop, the interpretive dancers or even the bouncy castle. It was the soup. Andrew Rosati explains why. 

Slammed Doors Just Part of the Job as Koch Group Sells Tax Cuts
Americans for Prosperity, part of the political network built and partly financed by billionaires Charles and David Koch, is spending $20 million to convince voters of the benefits of Republicans' central achievement. John McCormick traveled to Indiana to see the sales pitch first hand. 

The Real Force Behind the Brexit Talks 
The divorce negotiations has brought together a secretive English civil servant and a Shakespeare-loving German trade expert as the odd couple working to pull off the impossible. Ian Wishart profiles Olly Robbins and Sabine Weyand, who represent rival camps in the often tedious, technical talks. 

After Trump made it sound like the nondisclosure agreement his lawyer struck with an adult-film star was nothing special, Edvard Pettersson spoke to Hollywood lawyers, who told a different story. 

Costly Lessons for Leaders Eyeing China's Belt-and-Road Billions
In Asia, many are looking at Sri Lanka's experience with Beijing's infrastructure-building initiative and wondering whether the benefits might not outweigh the costs, Iain Marlow reports. 

And finally… Ever dreamed of tracking snow leopards in the Himalayas? Adam Popescu spent two weeks high in the Ladakh region in India's far north chasing a glimpse of the rare cat. “This is the Himalayas in all their isolating charm, a speck on a mountainous map where even borders are state secrets,” Popescu writes. He's got all the tips you need to know before you go. 

--With assistance from Michael Winfrey

To contact the author of this story: Kathleen Hunter in London at khunter9@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Caroline Alexander at calexander1@bloomberg.net, Karl Maier

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.