Trump's act is ‘old and tired’, says his own former national security adviser  —  John Bolton is latest ex-White House official to condemn former boss and says Republicans are ready for a ‘fresh face’  —  John Bolton, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has described …

Newsom Told the White House He Won't Challenge Biden  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom has won three elections in five years in America's largest state, is apoplectic about his party's messaging defects and follows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the right-wing media ecosystem with a zeal …

9 Democrats and 8 Republicans form bipartisan majority in Alaska Senate  —  All nine Democrats and eight of the 11 Republicans elected to the Alaska Senate are forming a bipartisan majority coalition, they said Friday, just two days after the deadline for Alaska election officials to receive ballots …

Taiwan's President Steps Down as Leader of Ruling Party After Drubbing in Local Elections  —  Opposition Kuomintang wins several key mayoral races in results that add to political uncertainty as China looms  —  TAIPEI—Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen relinquished her seat as head …

U.S. grants Chevron license to pump oil in Venezuela  —  Sanctions were eased following a government-opposition agreement on humanitarian aid and further discussions on elections.  —  The Biden administration said on Saturday it would lift a key oil sanction against Venezuela …

The Week's Best Cartoons 11/26  —  As a heavy Twitter user for the past 6+ years, forgive me for all the cartoons about Twitter.  It has been an important place to share news and opinions, and it's hard to watch it overrun with trolls, especially its CEO.  But there was other political news, which you'll find covered below.

Deadly Xinjiang fire stokes discontent over China's covid restrictions  —  The delayed emergency response to a deadly fire has sparked protests calling for an end to months of lockdowns in Xinjiang, the tightly controlled region of northwestern China, and fueled a nationwide outcry …

Kevin McCarthy could face a floor fight for speaker.  That hasn't happened in a century.  —  The last time a vote for speaker went to multiple ballots on the House floor was in 1923.  The longest was 133 ballots over two months.  —  Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is struggling to secure …

At Protests, Guns Are Doing the Talking  —  Armed Americans, often pushing a right-wing agenda, are increasingly using open-carry laws to intimidate opponents and shut down debate.  —  Across the country, openly carrying a gun in public is no longer just an exercise in self-defense …

They Were Surrogates.  Now They Must Raise the Children.  —  In Cambodia's weak legal system, surrogacy exists in a gray market, endangering all involved when political conditions suddenly shift and criminal charges follow.  —  Hannah Beech, who has covered Southeast Asia for more than 20 years …

Western sanctions catch up with Russia's wartime economy  —  When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched last month a new council for coordinating supplies for the Russian army, he seemed to recognize the scale of the economic problems facing the country, and his sense of urgency was palpable.