A looming no-deal Brexit, another Trump smackdown: Weekend Reads

Follow Us Get the newsletter The U.K. appeared on course to crash out of the European Union without a trade deal, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling it "very, very likely." U.S. President Donald Trump's unlikely bid to overturn the Nov. 3 election victory by Joe Biden suffered an almost certainly fatal blow after the Supreme Court this week struck down two lawsuits. The biggest vaccination effort in history has begun following the U.S. decision to clear its first shot to prevent Covid-19 infections. And if you are young and wealthy in China, it's probably a good idea to start keeping a lower profile.  Dig into these and other topics with the latest edition of Weekend Reads. — Karl Maier A life-size figure depicting Johnson abseiling while waving Union Jacks outside a London restaurant on Dec. 11. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg Click here for this week's most compelling political images, and tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net. With Tories at His Back, Boris Johnson Can't Cave in on Brexit In the final days of the U.K.'s four-year divorce negotiations with the EU, the biggest barrier to a compromise by Johnson to secure a trade deal is his own Conservative Party, Joe Mayes and Kitty Donaldson write. Brexit Stockpiling Frenzy Fuels Chaos in Cross-Channel Trade The U.K.'s split from the EU is fueling a frenzied demand for goods, creating traffic snarl-ups on both sides of the English Channel. Tara Patel, Siddharth Philip and Deirdre Hipwell explain that Britain will have to adapt to new terms for dealing with its biggest trading partner.  Supreme Court Punctures Trump Dream of Overturning Election Loss Trump's effort to overturn the election results has been shattered by the Supreme Court ruling rejecting a Texas lawsuit he had christened as "the big one." The decision, Greg Stohr reports, clears the path for Biden to become the 46th president. Raffensperger, a Republican, was commenting after Trump repeated his unsubstantiated claims that Biden's victory in Georgia was the result of rigging and that top state officials hadn't done enough to overturn it.  Cloud Looms Over Biden Presidency With Son Under Criminal Probe Biden is set to take office next month with his son under federal criminal investigation, creating immediate challenges for his administration. The probe of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings involves the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service, Chris Strohm and Laura Davison report. U.S. Approves First Coronavirus Vaccine to End the Pandemic Bloomberg is tracking nine of the most promising vaccines around the globe, from national procurement deals to shots in patients' arms. By our count, 7.95 billion doses have already been allotted around the world. William "Bill" Shakespeare, 81, receives the Covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry, U.K., on Dec. 8. Photographer: Jacob King/PA Wire Borders, Bavaria and Bust-ups: Germany's Pandemic Missteps After comfortably handling the initial wave of the pandemic, Germany now lags behind many of its neighbors and faces increasing pressure to tighten restrictions before Christmas. Chris Reiter and Naomi Kresge investigate how the country's tumbles are linked to its complex and at times dysfunctional federal system. Wall Street Put Its Money on the 2020 Election's Winners While controversy continues to swirl about the U.S. elections, there's no doubt about one clear winner: Wall Street. As Joe Light, Bill Allison and Rachael Dottle Dottle reveal, Wall Street donors gave more money to Biden than to Trump and to the victorious candidates in 27 of the 33 Senate races as well as in 389 of the 435 House contests. Facebook Breakup Would Demolish Zuckerberg's Social Media Empire Facebook stands to lose much of its long-term value if the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit forces it to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, Kurt Wagner and   report. The case alleges that Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire bought the two platforms to "squelch" competitive threats. Migrant Caravans Head to U.S. Border in Early Test for Biden Two hurricanes that wrecked swathes of Central America last month have increased the number of desperate migrants planning a risky journey to the U.S. Biden has pledged to abolish many of Trump's migration policies but, as Michael McDonald and Eric Martin explain, but his advisers are keen not to signal the borders will be flung open. A young resident in the El Muelle neighborhood after Hurricane Iota made landfall in Bilwi, Nicaragua on Nov. 20. Photographer: Carlos Herrera/Bloomberg India Accuses China of Helping Rebel Groups on Myanmar Border Indian officials say China is assisting rebel groups on its border with  Myanmar, opening another front in the conflict between two nations already engaged in a deadly standoff in the Himalayas, Sudhi Ranjan Sen reports. And finally ... With Beijing targeting billionaires, the children of the ultra-wealthy have started to understand it's better not to attract attention, even if they still hoard luxury goods and order $500 bottles of champagne. With the pandemic intensifying inequality, President Xi Jinping is stepping up efforts to ensure wealth is more evenly distributed. Patrons at a nightclub in Beijing on Oct. 24. Photographer: Yan Cong/Bloomberg     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