Mexico awaits first female president

Mexico’s first female president takes office today [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. Claudia Sheinbaum takes office today as Mexico’s first female president, with [as many questions as answers]( about the kind of administration she’ll run. She hasn’t had it easy since scoring a landslide victory in June. Her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, used the time to push through a set of controversial constitutional bills that changed the political landscape. Through it all, [she remained loyal to AMLO]( as the now-former president is known. Business leaders shocked at his overhaul of the judiciary would have liked her to come out with a clear line to soothe the markets, as would the military. She didn’t and instead repeated the official mantra that all was well. Many are waiting for her inauguration speech to learn where she truly stands on key issues. WATCH: Hundreds of protesters broke into Mexico’s Senate as lawmakers were debating AMLO’s proposal to overhaul the judiciary. Sheinbaum is walking a tightrope. She can’t afford to break from AMLO or his more contentious policies, nor does she seem to want to. But her cabinet appointments suggest she may be more market-friendly and likely to speed the transition to clean energy in the oil-producing nation. In that sense, Sheinbaum’s in a similar bind to US Vice President Kamala Harris, seeking to succeed her boss and mentor while forging her own leadership path. She faces equally pressing decisions. Mexico’s business community [is desperate for signs]( from Sheinbaum that she’ll help attract foreign investment by addressing water, security and power issues that plague the country’s north. Then there’s the growing security crisis: AMLO leaves behind the bloodiest administration on record, with nearly 200,000 homicides during his presidency and criminal cartels running rampant. A new US president will doubtless present [a fresh set of challenges](. Many Mexicans hope that during her speech Sheinbaum thanks AMLO and makes it clear that from here on out, it’s her show and she needs the space to operate freely. Only time will tell if the former president will grant it to her. — [Andrea Navarro]( Claudia Sheinbaum. Photographer: Stephania Corpi/Bloomberg Global Must Reads Israel sent soldiers into southern Lebanon following days of intense air strikes, escalating its weeks-long [drive to weaken Hezbollah]( and raising the risk of a wider regional conflict in defiance of international calls for a cease-fire. The Iran-backed militant group, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday, responded by firing rockets into central Israel. Israeli shelling near the border with Lebanon today. Source: AFP/Getty Images NATO was reeling a few years ago after being slammed by Donald Trump and characterized by French President Emmanuel Macron as suffering “brain death.” Now, after it expanded to counter the threat from Russia, the challenge of maintaining the Cold War [alliance as a geopolitical force]( is in the hands of Dutchman Mark Rutte, who became secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization today as the 32-nation defense pact enters a pivotal period. Business chiefs are the most pessimistic about Britain’s economy since late 2022, when the country was reeling from the fallout of Liz Truss’s short spell as Conservative prime minister, amid fears of [looming tax hikes]( and workplace regulations from the new Labour government. The administration in neighboring Ireland, flush with cash from tax receipts from multinational firms, will present [a giveaway budget]( today to woo voters ahead of an election. Hurricane Helene’s trail of destruction across the US southeast presented Trump and Harris with a crucial political test just five weeks before Election Day, altering campaign plans and dragging politics into the emergency response. With more than 100 people dead and hundreds unaccounted for, the natural disaster in a region that includes two swing states comes during an [already tight presidential election](. Veronica Dragalin, a former US federal prosecutor who heads the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office in Moldova, says almost a dozen staff resigned rather than confront the vetting process demanded by the European Union as part of the former Soviet country’s bid to join the 27-nation bloc. The fact that so many were wary of [clearing that ethics hurdle]( speaks volumes about the challenges Dragalin faces in fighting corruption within the judiciary, let alone outside it. Dockworkers have walked out of every major port on the US East and Gulf coasts, marking the beginning of a [strike that could ripple]( through the world’s largest economy and cause political turmoil just weeks before the election. Ukrainian prosecutors said at least seven civilians [were killed]( and three others injured in a Russian artillery attack on the southern city of Kherson. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his two sons may seek roles in the Senate as the family [fights for political influence]( in the 2025 midterm elections, amid a widening rift with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Libya is preparing to restore oil production after two rival governments in the North African country overcame differences that caused the [flow of petroleum to be halted]( or disrupted last month. Washington Dispatch While today’s debate between the two vice presidential candidates, JD Vance and Tim Walz, will likely be contentious, [with splashes of the vitriol]( that has characterized the 2024 campaign, voters may not come away with [a dramatic moment]( to be replayed in their memories — and on their screens. Yet one such moment did occur — in October 1988 during the debate with Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana, the Republican vice presidential nominee, and Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, his Democratic opponent. When Quayle asserted that he had “as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did,” Bentsen shook his head and turned to him with a searing response: “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” Wild applause immediately erupted. As much as that rebuke is remembered — partly because it’s revived every four years — it didn’t change the course of the election. The following month, Michael Dukakis and Bentsen lost to George HW Bush and Quayle. One person to watch today: Former President Jimmy Carter, who left office in 1981, turns 100. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day Trump has touted baseline 20% tariffs on all imports, and as much as 60% if they come from China, [threatening American trade]( with the world’s second-biggest economy. Bloomberg Economics says that using a World Trade Organization model, a maximal version of Trump’s tariff plan would wipe 0.8% from US gross domestic product and push prices up 4.3% by 2028 if China alone retaliates. And Finally After doubling over the past two decades, the population of Rwanda’s capital is expected to do so again over the next quarter of a century as rural citizens continue to flood urban centers. The runaway expansion makes Kigali one of the fastest-growing cities globally while [creating a challenge]( for developers and planning authorities. To maximize space, they’re building apartments in double- and triple-story blocks for prospective owners who value standalone homes but have limited means to buy them. The population of Kigali roughly doubled in the past two decades. Photographer: J. Countess/Getty Images More from Bloomberg - [Next China]( for dispatches from Beijing on where China stands now — and where it’s going next - Check out our [Bloomberg Investigates]( film series about untold stories and unraveled mysteries - [Next Africa]( a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed - [Economics Daily]( for what the changing landscape means for policymakers, investors and you - [Green Daily]( for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance - Explore more newsletters at [Bloomberg.com](. 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