Lasting change

[Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( Donald Trump’s foreign policy has often appeared chaotic, with abrupt changes of course and big plans that never materialized. But it has had a [material effect](. Take the Middle East. Paid Post Directed by John Maggio and based on a best-selling book by David E. Sanger, The Perfect Weapon explores the rise of cyber conflict as the primary way nations now compete with and sabotage one another. The Perfect Weapon premieres Oct 16 on HBO Max. [Learn more](. Sponsor Content by HBO When the president arrived in the White House, Islamic State was terrorizing the world while ruling over swaths of Iraq and Syria, the Arab-Israeli conflict was the region’s defining political schism, and the Iran nuclear deal had put America’s Arab allies on the defensive. Four years on, all of that has changed. Trump didn’t just pull the U.S. out of the Iran pact. He’s been a big friend to Israel and pushed back against Congressional efforts to take a harder line on Saudi Arabia and Turkey. And he’s brought Israel and Gulf Arab states closer together. As he trails in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, leaders who’ve arguably benefited from his time in office will be pondering what a Joe Biden presidency might mean for them. As [Ivan Levingston](, [Zainab Fattah]( and [Vivian Nereim]( explain, the biggest worry for Israel and Gulf Arab states is the U.S. will rejoin the Iran accord. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt may face more of the traditional American scolding over human rights and a restoration of the diplomatic norms bypassed by Trump. Still, Biden probably won’t want to want to jeopardize the thaw between Israel and Arab countries. And there are few votes for any U.S. leader in re-engaging in conflicts there. Even if Trump is voted out, his impact on the Middle East may stick.  — [Rosalind Mathieson]( A man photographs the sign outside the Trump Heights settlement in Golan Heights on July 3. Photographer: Amir Levy/Getty Images Tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net. Global Headlines [Echo chambers?]( | Trump’s refusal to hold a virtual debate with Biden after his hospitalization for the coronavirus has created one of the stranger events of the 2020 campaign — separate town halls before different audiences in different cities at the same time. It could be one of Trump’s last opportunities to reverse his slide in the polls. - The concurrent hour long events start at 8 p.m. New York time with Trump on NBC and Biden on ABC. Campaign 2020 There are 19 days until the election. Here’s the latest on the [race for control]( of the White House and Congress. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from outside witnesses during the final day of hearings on Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination. Democrats, who have little recourse to stop her appointment, yesterday [pressed Barrett]( for her views on Trump’s suggestion the election be delayed and his claim he has “an absolute right to pardon” himself should the need arise. She declined to answer both. Other developments - [Biden Raises $383 Million in September, Breaking Monthly Record]( - [Trump Demands Joe Biden Release Documents on ‘Business Dealings’]( - [Republicans Battle Each Other, Democrats in Tossup Georgia Races]( Sign up to receive daily election updates as a direct mobile notification on Twitter. Simply [click on this link]( and like the tweet. [Coming up empty]( | Whipsawed by Trump’s changing positions and hobbled by the diverging agendas of the top Republican and Democrat in Congress, Washington has fallen short of delivering more stimulus for the ailing economy before the election. Now, as [Billy House]( and [Laura Davison]( explain, voters will help decide what happens next. [Panic stations]( | The pandemic continues to surge in Europe with Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic reporting [record virus]( infections. France imposed a 9 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew in Paris and other big cities, while [London will move]( to “Tier 2” restrictions from Saturday, barring households from mixing indoors. European authorities are struggling to slow the virus without resorting to the national lockdowns that decimated economic activity in the second quarter. [Act of defiance]( | Thai anti-government protesters plan a fresh rally today despite a state of emergency announced by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha in the capital. Tens of thousands broke through police lines yesterday in a march to Prayuth’s office, an escalation of demonstrations that began in [early July](. A special cabinet meeting tomorrow will approve the emergency decree. [Stalled trade]( | With hundreds of trucks stuck at Nigeria’s border with Benin and curbs on foreign participation in the retail trade in Ghana, protectionism is on the rise for West Africa’s economic powerhouses. As [Tope Alake]( and [Ekow Dontoh]( write, such actions are undermining Africa’s vision for a continental free-trade agreement. What to Watch - U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told European Union leaders last night he’s disappointed by the slow progress of Brexit trade talks, saying [he’ll decide]( when a leaders’ summit [wraps up tomorrow]( if it’s worth continuing to work for a deal. - Russia [is set to miss]( its target to produce 30 million doses of an experimental Covid-19 vaccine this year due to setbacks maintaining the serum’s stability while expanding output. - Nigeria’s army said it’s ready to help authorities maintain [law and order]( amid protests against police brutality that have left at least 10 people dead. [And finally]( ... Torched trucks, hunger strikes — the campaign for compensation by Chile’s indigenous Mapuche people for their land taken in the timber-producing south has intensified. As [Eduardo Thomson]( explains, Chileans are voting this month whether to ditch their constitution, a legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship in the 70s and 80s, and draft a new one. And that could pave the way for reparations. A Mapuche woman plays a drum as riot police use water cannons to disperse demonstrators in Santiago on Sept. 4. Photographer: Martin Berneti/AFP via Getty Images   Like Balance of Power? [Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com](, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters.  You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022