News from Ukraine

Since the February edition of NPR Fangirl, a lot has happened: Ukraine and Russia are at war, and the whole world is watching and feeling the consequences to an extent.

Perhaps you’re inundated with news coming out of Ukraine, whether you watch cable news, follow publications on Instagram, or listen to NPR. Maybe you’ve tuned out entirely because it’s too stressful and heartbreaking, and that’s understandable.

If you are in the place to consume news on the happenings in Ukraine, here are some recommended places to go and things to read from NPR Fan Girl.

• The Kyiv Independent — This newly launched, English-language publication is based in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, written and run by Ukrainian journalists. The Independent has an ongoing GoFundMe campaign and Patreon page that you can support at any time.

• State of Ukraine — A daily NPR podcast breaking down what’s going on in Ukraine from reporters on the ground. Episodes are no more than 10 minutes in length so that you can quickly digest the most important story of the day.

• The Daily — The renowned New York Times podcast has reported on the war almost every day since February 22. These episodes are lengthier (30-50 minutes) but go more in-depth than NPR’s State of Ukraine if you’re looking for more detailed stories.

• Eight Heartbreaking Stories of Ukrainians Who Fled to Romania — This story (no audio) comes from The New Republic, a century-old left-leaning, intellectual publication. I would start with this story for people looking to read more human stories than those about politics and the acts of war itself.

• Thousands of Russians have fled, afraid a new Iron Curtain will fall — This March 10 episode of NPR’s Fresh Air dives into life in Russia right now, Putin’s authoritarianism, and why many Russians are fleeing.

Other News From the NPR-Sphere

The latest journalist to announce their departure hits hard. In a letter to his colleagues and listeners, Sam Sanders, host of It’s Been a Minute, announced on March 1 that he is leaving NPR. After a 12-year stint, Sanders will be heading over to New York Magazine, where he will launch the flagship culture podcast for its art imprint Vulture later this spring. I’m happy that I’ll still get to hear Sam’s voice but will miss him on NPR. It’s impossible to narrow down my favorite episodes of It’s Been a Minute, so take a listen to some of his most recent, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly.

• The trouble with defining antisemitism (27 minutes)

• Jackass star Johnny Knoxville has nothing left to prove (33 minutes)

• Trayvon, ten years later (32 minutes)

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