• Dec. 6, 2025, 10:35 AM ESTBy Freddie ClaytonThe…
  • Dec. 6, 2025, 8:00 AM ESTBy Jing Feng…
  • Russia Launches Drone Strike on Ukraine as Talks…
  • Dec. 6, 2025, 4:45 AM ESTBy Alexander SmithLONDON…

Be that!

contact@bethat.ne.com

 

Be That ! Menu   ≡ ╳
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Contact Us
  • Politics Politics
☰

Be that!

Russia Launches Drone Strike on Ukraine as Talks Continue

admin - Latest News - December 6, 2025
admin
0 views 26 secs 0 Comments



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian drone strikes burned down a railway station in central Ukraine and hit residential and commercial buildings near Kyiv, killing at least one person. It comes as talks between the U.S. and Ukraine to try to end the war enter their third day.



Source link

TAGS:
PREVIOUS
Dec. 6, 2025, 4:45 AM ESTBy Alexander SmithLONDON — Europe faces “crunch time” on the war in Ukraine, a former European president told NBC News, as the continent battles internal division, Russian threats and open hostility from the United States. Leaders on the continent are feeling “genuine fear and distrust regarding the United States,” Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who led Estonia for a decade until 2016, told NBC News in an interview Thursday. But he also warned that Europe’s internal division “ultimately shows the weakness” of the bloc, and he feared what might happen “unless we start getting our act together.”His comments came hours before European powers held urgent negotiations Friday on how to keep Ukraine’s war effort alive and before President Donald Trump published his National Security Strategy that spelled out in black and white Washington’s dissatisfaction toward many of its partners across the pond.Trump had already left Europe out of this week’s negotiations between his envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Finding itself sidelined, the European Union is trying to formulate its own proposal: using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort. Even that, however, is facing opposition from Belgium, fearing Russian retaliation.Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meets with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Tuesday.Kristina Kormilitsyna / Pool / AFP – Getty ImagesPutin on Thursday reiterated his goal to take eastern Ukraine “by force” unless his unwavering demands are met. He spoke after his predecessor, the hawkish Dmitry Medvedev, said using Russian money to aid Ukraine would be tantamount to a “casus belli” — or an act justifying war — a common Kremlin refrain of his during the 45-month conflict.“It’s crunch time, I think, for Ukraine and for Europe,” said Ilves, who served two stints as foreign minister before taking Estonia’s top job.For Europe, this is about more than just Ukraine; they worry any peace that favors Putin will embolden him to attack and meddle elsewhere on the continent, which has seen an uptick in drone incursions and cyberattacks over the past year. His war machine is making slow progress on the battlefield but suffering heavy casualties. Kyiv, meanwhile, is running low on money and resources, while suffering a manpower shortage and facing allegations of governmental corruption.
NEXT
Dec. 6, 2025, 8:00 AM ESTBy Jing Feng and Maya HuterAmerican small businesses are trimming their payrolls, just as the busy holiday shopping season ramps up. Companies with fewer than 50 employees shed 120,000 jobs in November, according to data from payroll processing giant ADP. The sharp drop comes just ahead of a month that, for many small businesses, is the most pivotal sales period of the year.“The labor market is not weak but it is weakening, and the first to crack is small establishments,” ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said on a conference call Thursday. She noted that high inflation, wavering consumer spending, tariffs and broader economic uncertainty have all contributed to the pressure on smaller businesses. But the data doesn’t capture the whole story for small business owners, many of whom are agonizing over how to do right by employees they care deeply about, and still keep the lights on. Cautious consumers While some small businesses are actively laying off workers, as the November data showed, others are making more subtle personnel decisions, such as pausing new hiring or simply not replacing workers who leave. “Those little changes at the margin are actually adding up,” said ADP’s Richardson.Hanna Scholz is president of Bike Friday, a manufacturer of custom bicycles in Eugene, Oregon. She said that while she has not had to lay off any employees, her total headcount has fallen this year by three, down from 24 to 21 because some long-time employees left for health reasons. Scholz pointed to weaker consumer demand as the primary reason behind her decision not to replace them.Bike Friday, a manufacturer of custom bicycles in Eugene, OreGoogle mapsScholz says her American customers are pulling back on spending as uncertainty around the rising cost of living weighs on them. Meanwhile, sales to her smaller — but generally more affluent — group of customers in Asia have remained strong. “If there’s uncertainty, it’s normal human behavior to slow down big purchase decisions… And bikes are not seen as totally essential,” she said.Consumer confidence fell sharply in November, with the Conference Board registering its lowest metric in seven months. Survey respondents cited inflation, tariffs and the government shutdown as factors contributing to their growing anxiety about their economic outlook. For Scholz, not replacing the three workers who left has enabled her to partially offset the weaker U.S. demand.At the very least, she said, “it slows the bleeding.”Soaring costsStuart Leventhal, owner of Down to Earth Living, a decor and furniture store in Pomona New York, is also facing a drop in customer demand. He says shoppers have been more cautious with their spending decisions recently. And while they’re still buying, they are often opting for fewer pieces or pushing their purchases into next year. But softer consumer spending is only one of several challenges facing Leventhal’s small business. Holding on to his beloved, long-time employees, he said, has come at a steep price: Sharply lower profits.Leventhal estimated that he’s taken a 10% cut in profitability this year, rather than let go of any of his workers.“We’re a good employer and we like to protect our people,” said Leventhal.Down to Earth Living, a decor and furniture store in Pomona, N.Y.Google mapsBut Down to Earth Living is also facing another cost it didn’t have to worry about this time last year: Shouldering part of the added tariff costs for its largely imported inventory, rather than passing them on directly to consumers.”We can’t take much more than we’re absorbing now,” he said.The rising costs of importing merchandise and materials with new tariffs is taking a toll on businesses across the country, both large and small. But small businesses tend to have much less of a financial cushion to absorb them.On the other side of the country from Leventhal’s furniture shop, Lacie Carroll-Marsh has seen the cost of imported products soar this year at her Snohomish, Washington craft candle company, Malicious Women.The candle jars and packaging she uses are imported from Taiwan, where there is now a 20% customs tariff tacked on the their wholesacost.The soy wax she uses is produced in the U.S., but Carroll-Marsh now pays nearly 12% more for her wax than she did last year. A distributor told her that part of the reason for this was a severe labor shortage on soy farms caused by the deportation and departure of immigrant farm workers.Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has overseen an unprecedented crackdown on undocumented immigrants. He has also moved to restrict legal immigration.More than 527,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported from the U.S. this year, according to data through October from the Department of Homeland Security. Another 1.6 million immigrants have left the United States voluntarily since January, the department estimates.The exact number of farmworkers who have been deported or have chosen to leave the country is difficult to pin down, because many of these workers move seasonally and get paid under the table. But as of 2022, more than 40% of hired crop farmworkers were undocumented, according to the Department of Agriculture.The toughest choicesCarroll-Marsh has owned and operated Malicious Women since 2017. But so far this year, she’s had to lay off 17 out of her 31 employees. “Most of my employees have been with me, five, six, seven years,” she said. “I know their kids. We’ve gone camping together. We have Christmases together. And it hurts. There’s tears on both sides.” Carroll-Marsh pays her employees an average of $24 an hour, and some make up to $30. She doesn’t want to pay them any less. “In order to get good employees and keep good employees, we have to pay them,” she said.In addition to hourly wages, the health insurance costs that Carroll-Marsh pays to cover her employees are going to become “completely out of reach” next year, she said. Snohomish, Wash., craft candle company, Malicious Women.Google maposStarting in February, her monthly contribution per employee is going to jump from $728 to $1,400.Affordable Care Act subsidies in place since the Covid-19 pandemic are set to expire on December 31, following a prolonged government shutdown over the issue. This means health insurance premiums for millions of Americans will spike in the new year. Unless sales dramatically recover in the coming months, Carroll-Marsh said she may have to lay off three more employees. “We are on a skeleton crew,” she said. “Every single member of my retail team is working at the warehouse.”Blame gamesAs small businesses struggle around the country, policymakers and advocacy groups in Washington are eager to blame the other side for the growing economic pain.The Main Street Alliance, a liberal-leaning network of 30,000 small-business owners, said Trump and his fellow Republicans are responsible for the difficult conditions for small businesses. “Trade wars, healthcare cuts, and tax breaks for big corporations have left Main Street businesses struggling to hire and grow,” Richard Trent, the group’s executive director, told NBC News. The White House and Trump administration officials, meanwhile, say the bad news for small businesses is a temporary blip, not a long term trend.“President Trump promised to bring prosperity back to Main Street with an America First agenda that benefits every small business, just as he did in his first term,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. “In addition to slashing regulations and lowering energy costs, the Trump administration signed the largest Working Families Tax Cut in history to unleash unprecedented growth for small businesses with a permanent 20% small business tax deduction and full expensing of equipment investments.”President Donald Trump delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs as Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick holds a chart during an event in the Rose Garden entitled “Make America Wealthy Again” at the White House on April 2.Brendan Smialowski / AFP – Getty ImagesCommerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed the idea that tariffs were a cause of small businesses’ shrinking payrolls.“The democratic shutdown hurt the numbers. And then remember, as you deport people, that’s going to suppress private job numbers of small businesses,” he said in an interview Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”“I think this is just a near term event,” said Lutnick, referring to the job losses at small businesses. “You’ll see, as the numbers come through over the next couple of months, you’ll see that all pass. And next year, the numbers are going to be fantastic,” he said.Jing FengJing Feng is a producer at NBC News covering business and the economy. Maya HuterMaya Huter is an associate producer at NBC News covering business and the economy.
Related Post
October 1, 2025
Oct. 1, 2025, 5:05 PM EDTBy Monica Alba, Laura Strickler, Dareh Gregorian and Amanda TerkelWASHINGTON — A number of federal agencies are putting out messages blaming Democratic senators for the current government shutdown, in a sharp break from how departments have handled shutdowns in the past. Traditionally, agencies provide information on the status of the funding lapse and what services won’t be available, but stay away from partisan talking points. Some civil servants, who are supposed to be nonpartisan, are being encouraged to push out the messages as well. The Department of Labor sent a message to all employees Wednesday morning, suggesting a potential out-of-office notification: Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume. The department offered a similar message about employees who must continue working throughout the shutdown. A civil servant at the Department of Health and Human Services said their boss suggested they put up an out-of-office message that had this line: “Unfortunately, Democratic Senators are blocking its passage in the Senate, which has led to a lapse in appropriations.” Not all agencies are sending out this guidance. Employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Justice Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development said they did not get suggestions like the one given to employees at the Department of Labor. We’d like to hear from you about how you’re experiencing the government shutdown, whether you’re a federal employee who can’t work right now or someone who is feeling the effects of shuttered services in your everyday life. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services referred NBC News to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not return a request for comment. The Department of Labor also did not respond. “What this administration is doing is unprecedented, illegal and flat-out wrong,” said Max Stier, CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. “I’ve been deeply engaged in our federal government for over 30 years and there is nothing that has come close. Federal employees who are furloughed are still subject to the same legal and ethics rules, and there is no excuse for this behavior. The administration should not be using federal employees or federal resources to wage a political battle.”Congress failed to reach a funding agreement late Tuesday night, leading to a shutdown that is expected to last at least through the week. While Republicans have full control of the federal government, including the White House and majorities of both chambers of Congress, they don’t have the 60 votes needed to end debate on legislation in the Senate and move bills forward without Democratic votes. Democrats want to include provisions to extend health care funding, as well as assurances that President Donald Trump won’t keep unilaterally withholding spending directed by Congress.Federal employees will not be paid during the shutdown — even if they’re deemed essential to operations and have to continue working. Approximately 750,000 employees will be furloughed, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Members of Congress and President Donald Trump will continue to receive paychecks. The Trump administration’s messaging on the shutdown extends to federal government websites as well. Visitors to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s site are greeted with a large red banner that reads: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.”In case visitors missed the message, a large pop-up box then appears: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.”“Due to the Democrat-led shutdown, website updates will be limited until full operations resume,” reads the message on the State Department’s site. The undersecretary for management at the State Department also sent a letter criticizing Democrats to all employees on Tuesday: “Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands. If Congressional Democrats maintain their current posture and refuse to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded before midnight on September 30, 2025, federal appropriated funding will lapse.” Both the Forest Service and the Treasury Department also now have messages up on at the top of their websites blaming Democrats and the left for the shutdown.And VetResources, which the Department of Veterans Affairs bills as “a weekly newsletter for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors,” sent an email to subscribers Wednesday blaming Democrats for any gap in resources.“President Trump opposes a lapse in appropriations, and on September 19, the House of Representatives passed, with the Trump Administration’s support, a clean continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21,” the newsletter reads. “Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands. During the current lapse in funding, the vast majority of VA benefits and services will continue uninterrupted, but the government shutdown is not without consequences to VA.”The messages have already raised questions about their ethics and legality.A former senior counsel at the Housing Department told NBC News that the agency’s message on its website likely violates the federal code of conduct for employees.“There’s no universe where that is acceptable or advisable under the code of conduct,” said Donald Sherman, who’s now executive director of the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The code says “employees shall act impartially” and without preferential treatment, he said. “This agency is meant to service every American, whether they’re right or left or have no political views whatsoever,” and now the first thing people see on the site is about “political ideology.”The group Public Citizen filed a complaint against HUD, saying the message on its website violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from using their official capacities to affect or interfere with elections. A HUD spokesperson defended the site on Tuesday, telling NBC News, “The Far Left is barreling our country toward a shut down, which will hurt all Americans. At HUD, we are working to keep critical services online and support our most vulnerable. Why is the media more focused on a banner than reporting on the impact of a shutdown on the American people?” A HUD official also pushed back on Hatch Act questions, saying the message was carefully worded so as not to name a specific party or politician, but rather an ideology. The watchdog group Democracy Defenders Fund on Wednesday sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office urging an investigation into HUD. “The purpose of HUD’s website is to help Americans find affordable housing and protect their rights. It is not a campaign website or a tool to advance a political party’s agenda,” said Virginia Canter, the group’s ethics and anticorruption chief counsel and director. “The Trump administration, however, turned a government agency website into a partisan billboard. It’s an abuse of power, a waste of taxpayer money, and appears to be a flat-out violation of the law.”Monica AlbaMonica Alba is a White House correspondent for NBC News.Laura StricklerLaura Strickler is the senior investigative producer on the national security team where she produces television stories and writes for NBCNews.com.Dareh GregorianDareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.Amanda TerkelAmanda Terkel is politics managing editor for NBC News Digital.Abigail Williams, Allan Smith, Kelly O’Donnell, Ryan J. Reilly, Courtney Kube, Steve Kopack and Michael Kosnar contributed.
November 12, 2025
Bob Ross paintings auctioned to help fund public TV
October 2, 2025
Hawaiian volcano erupts for the 34th time
November 21, 2025
Trump brushes off Mamdani's recent 'fascist' comment
Comments are closed.
Scroll To Top
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Contact Us
  • Politics
© Copyright 2025 - Be That ! . All Rights Reserved