Divided by vaccines

[Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( Covid-19 is enlisting an increasingly valuable ally: a divided public. A lack of respect for requirements to wear masks, avoid large gatherings, and test regularly have long undermined efforts to curb the pandemic. But as [James Paton]( and [Robert Langreth]( report, the battle is also being hobbled by a failure to ensure poor countries have enough vaccines and that people in richer nations take the trouble to get the shots. European governments are moving toward requiring proof of vaccinations to be able to go to restaurants, hotels, cinemas, and travel on trains and planes. Yet, the so-called “green passes” have [sparked]( protests, most notably in France, with demonstrators saying they infringe on personal freedom. In the U.S., the idea of requiring vaccinations is politically [explosive](, with polls showing almost half of Republicans saying they are unlikely to get shots. A disinformation [campaign]( amplified by social media about how the shots don’t work, impair fertility and can alter DNA has contributed to a slowdown in inoculations as the U.S. battles another surge of cases fueled by the more transmissible delta variant. In the world’s less developed areas, a lethargic international effort to ensure adequate supplies of vaccines will give the virus space to mutate into new, possibly more virulent strains. The public is tired of Covid — more than 4 million deaths, almost 200 million cases, a disrupted way of life and a loss of $15 trillion in global output in the worst peacetime recession since the Great Depression. Yet the inequitable distribution of doses and the reticence among millions to be vaccinated mean it’s not going away anytime soon. — [Karl MaierÂ]( Protesters against the “green pass” in Paris. Photographer: Kiran Ridley/Getty Images Europe Click [here]( to follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and and tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net. Global Headlines Multiple snags | The bid to craft a bipartisan U.S. infrastructure plan [hit]( obstacles that pushed Senate negotiators past another deadline to reach a deal. While the White House and some Democrats expressed confidence that an accord would eventually be struck, a resolution is for now elusive. Initial ruling | A Hong Kong court handed down [guilty]( verdicts in the first trial under national security legislation imposed by Beijing, with Tong Ying-kit convicted of incitement to secession and engaging in terrorist activities by three judges selected from a panel chosen by Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Nearly 140 people have been arrested under the law, including much of the former pro-democracy opposition in the Legislative Council. - [Read how]( China’s tightening grip has fueled warnings of an end to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub, but is yet to produce a clear investor exodus. New model | China’s [crackdown]( on its tech giants signals a new era of harsher oversight that companies won’t be able to avoid by registering in the Caymans or hiring in California, [Austin Carr]( and [Coco Liu]( report. After spending years emulating Silicon Valley, the world’s second-biggest economy is now officially charting its own course. - A [rout]( in Chinese shares in the crosshairs of Beijing’s regulatory curbs extended into the bond and currency markets today as rumors swirled that U.S. funds are offloading China and Hong Kong assets. China’s national carbon market, seen as a key tool to help the world’s top polluter curb emissions, is being [hampered]( by limited early access for small companies and doubts over data quality, sources say. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [Liquidation Risk is Real As Xi Reshapes Big Tech: Shuli Ren]( - [The First and Last Best Hope of the Arab Spring: Bobby Ghosh]( - [Humanity Can’t Seem to Break Out of This Doom Loop: Opinion Wrap]( Rebuilding trust | North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in agreed to [restore]( relations after an extended stalemate in nuclear talks. They released what appeared to be coordinated statements today calling for reconciliation, pledging to reopen hotlines that had been silent for a year after Kim’s regime blew up a liaison office funded by Moon’s government. Location issues | A massive new oil refinery — a [favored]( project of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for his home state of Tabasco — is being built in a zone the state oil firm had promised to protect, [Max de Haldevang]( exclusively reports. Lopez Obrador has promised to revive debt-laden Pemex as a driver of the Mexican economy, and sees the Dos Bocas refinery as critical to delivering energy security for the country. Sponsored Content By combining the power of artificial intelligence, mobile tech, and psychology with the empathy of over 1,000 personal coaches, Noom helps people to change their long-term habits and achieve sustainable weight loss. Want to eat real food and still lose weight? [Try Noom for life-changing results](. Noom What to Watch - Tunisia’s president said he fired the prime minister and suspended parliament to [restore]( order and retake the country from “thieves,” dismissing claims he orchestrated a coup in the Arab Spring’s birthplace. - A sustained fall in virus cases in the U.K. is being cautiously [welcomed]( by scientists, though there’s no consensus on what’s behind it. - Tanzanian authorities took main opposition party leader Freeman Mbowe to court over [terrorism]( and economic sabotage charges yesterday, denting hopes for political reconciliation. And finally ... Texas won two new congressional [seats]( because of a surge in the population of people of color, who vote more often for Democrats. But the state’s Republicans will benefit because they’ll draw the maps allocating political power for the next decade. As [Margaret Newkirk]( and [Greg Stohr]( explain, they will use gerrymandering to try to benefit White Republicans. Opponents of proposed voting restrictions at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Photographer: Tamir Kalifa/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