On Monday, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff flew to Moscow, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited France.

Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try and sell him on the latest version of a peace deal, which has Ukrainian input. But after a phone call between Witkoff and a Russian counterpart, Zelenskiy is trying to shore up support among European allies — both to increase pressure on Trump to align with Ukraine and to garner more military support.

On today’s Big Take podcast, national security team leader Nick Wadhams unpacks the state of play between Russia and Ukraine, the developments of the last few days and whether an end to the war could be in sight.

Read more:

• US Says Ukraine Talks Productive as Witkoff Heads to Russia
• Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
• Witkoff Discusses Ukraine Plans With Key Putin Aide: Transcript

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Ken Burns has been telling stories about America for almost 50 years. The lauded documentary filmmaker has a new series on PBS, The American Revolution, which charts the period before and after 1776. It will air internationally ahead of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.

Mishal Husain asked Burns to join the show to mark Thanksgiving, looking at today’s America through the lens of its past and the characters who made history.

02:15 - The complexity of the American Revolution

04:00 - The underdog story

07:15 - The global significance of the American Revolution

13:43 - Mishal Husain’s connection to Lexington Green

16:15 - Why Ken Burns became a filmmaker

17:55 - “My mother’s gift in a funny way was dying”

19:20 - The Ken Burns Effect

20:15 - Hollywood actors as first person narrators

21:25 - Directing Josh Brolin as George Washington

22:00 - Why Tom Hanks didn’t want to be the voice of George Washington

23:00 - Filming reenactments

24:50 - The American Revolution is not over

29:10 Working for PBS, American Public Broadcasting

32:20 What is Ken Burns grateful for on Thanksgiving?

Watch this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS

You can find the written version of this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net

Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Goldendoodles, bernedoodles, labradoodles, cockapoos, everywhere you look, it seems like doodles — those fluffy, adorable poodle mixes — are taking over sidewalks, cafes and TikTok feeds. But the ubiquity of the muppet-like canines has also come with some doggy drama.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and producer David Fox head to New Jersey to meet a breeder who’s been navigating the doodle’s rise to fame. And writer Allie Conti examines the discourse around the industry: from its loudest critics to its devoted diehards.

Read more: How Doodles Became A Billion-Dollar Business

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