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It's Your Week. 'Doomed optimism' and other Ukraine perspectives

Sallee Ann Harrison   | Paste BN

"What’s the right way to cope with the creeping realization that everything you love, you hold dear, maybe laid to waste by bombs and artillery fire overnight?," writes Romeo Kokriatski, a New Yorker who returned to his native Ukraine after the Euromaidan. 

"Ukrainians have dealt with the possibility in their own way – calm, mostly, a sense of 'doomed optimism,' as one commentator put it."

I'm Sallee Ann, and this is Your Week, a newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers. 

In their own words

The Paste BN Opinion desk has been curating and sharing stories from Ukrainians following Russia's full-scale invasion.

Their stories are told in text, audio and video to fully capture the scene.

One story is from one of our very own staffers, graphics journalist Karina Zaiets.

"I woke up in my hotel in Lviv, Ukraine, at 7:50 from the sound of air sirens and I went downstairs, and I asked the hotel staff (about it). But I was told that it’s probably training because nobody said anything," she told us.  

"And so I went outside and there was a message translating throughout the city that you need to seek shelter, help the elderly and stock up on food and water, but also stay calm. But a lot of people were walking on the streets. … They seemed calm and some of them had backpacks with them. There were also huge lines near ATMs of people waiting to withdraw cash and big lines near pharmacies as well."

Zaiets was able to cross safely into Poland. You can hear her tell her story here.

If you want more information on how to help people in Ukraine, we have also compiled this resource guide.

More analysis on Russia and Ukraine: 

From national to local, your USAT subscription gets you more

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Here's how to read them:

When you sign in to your Paste BN account on desktop, go to the eNewspaper (under the "Hi, Name") and on the right you'll see a "Universal" icon. From here you can choose the publications to read.

If you are on the Paste BN print edition app, you'll need to make sure it's updated, then click on "editions." You'll see a drop-down box with Paste BN and other titles available. You can see past editions of the newspapers, too, up to 30 days. 

This is where we'd hit a Staples "That was easy" button. But if you need help, don't hesitate to email me (salleeann@usatoday.com). It's my mission to help you get the most out of your subscription.

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A little levity

Our new columnist Rex Huppke started at Paste BN this week. And what a week it's been. He started by comparing Wordle to the Jan. 6 insurrection, and then did not mince words when it came to Vladimir Putin.

Here's a little more from Huppke, in his own words:

"Hi, my name is Rex. I write a humor(ish) column three times a week, and my hope is the columns will help Paste BN readers who might also be asking “Does everything seem kinda weird, or is just me?” feel seen. Or maybe the columns will help you laugh at something ridiculous. Or maybe think a little more about something serious.

"I was with the Chicago Tribune for 19 years before starting up here, I remain based in Chicago and I’m excited to get to know a new audience.

"You can find me on Twitter at @RexHuppke and can reach my via email at rhuppke@usatoday.com. My lab-mix rescue dog, Rosie, is my writing partner, and I rarely feel confident that I have any idea what I’m doing, though I would never admit that publicly … Oops."

And thank you

Our journalism is made possible thanks to subscribers like you. Thank you for continuing to support us with your subscription.

See you next week!

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