Russia-born Minnesotans express solidarity with Ukraine

'Devastating and appalling,' the community is speaking out against the invasion 

View in Browser | Listen Good morning, Our early morning wintry mix in eastern Minnesota is moving out and we'll have a partly sunny, mild day across the state. Highs 15 to 21 north, to mid-30s to lower 40s south. Find the latest on Updraft. 'Devastating and appalling': Russia-born Minnesotans express outrage at Ukraine invasion With the invasion of Ukraine now in its second week, Minnesotans with Russian ties say they're growing increasingly concerned about friends and relatives in their home country. They fear that the toll of international economic sanctions will fall hardest on their loved ones. Many also say they support Ukraine and oppose Russian President Putin's attack on the country. "I hope that the world is going to squeeze Putin and he's going to stop. I hope that he still has part of his brain telling him that he needs to stop," says the owner of Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul, Marina Liberman.  After she posted a message of solidarity with a photo of a Ukrainian flag on the restaurant's Facebook page, Liberman faced some anti-Russian trolling. They even included demands that she remove "Moscow" from her restaurant's name.   But Liberman says she's received many more messages of support. [Continue Reading] As audit fever hits Minnesota lawmakers, state auditor 'overloaded' Dozens of audit requests have been pitched to the Legislative Auditor on topics in the headlines, but the auditor doesn't have the capacity to tackle most of them. From nutrition aid to rental assistance to the controversial Southwest light rail project, the urgent requests for deep dives into programs are piling up. Nearly four dozen audit ideas have been put forward by lawmakers, with more coming from advocacy groups and citizens. "I have received direct letters. I have read about things in a press release. And I have had bills that have directed us to do work," new Legislative Auditor Judy Randall  said recently as she discussed the rising workload for her staff of about 50 evaluators and accountants.  [Continue Reading] What else we're watching: To mask or not to mask: That's the question. Last week, St. Paul and Minneapolis dropped their mask mandates. And under new CDC guidelines, most Americans no longer need to wear masks or social distance. Coming up at 9 a.m., host Angela Davis talks with infectious disease specialists about the new guidelines for masking, and what to weigh when deciding whether to wear a mask. Art to evoke a winter's night — or a warming globe. This week's Art Hounds recommend "Thermal" a dance, audio and visual art installation at the American Swedish Institute; Open Eye Theatre's "Once Upon a Winter's Night" with puppets and live music; and "The Dragon Who Liked to Spit Fire" at St. Louis Park's Sabes Jewish Community Center, bringing a classic picture book to the musical stage. Biden's infrastructure package promises $10 billion for Minnesota/Wisconsin roads and bridges. Both states have already pledged to use some of that money to replace the 61-year-old Blatnik Bridge connecting Duluth and Superior. President Biden's his $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending package also includes $1 billion help accelerate the cleanup of dozens of polluted sites around the Great Lakes, including the St. Louis River estuary between the two cities. – Jiwon Choi, MPR News Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe today! SPONSOR   Connect With Us MPRnews.org MPRnews on iOS MPRnews on Android Podcasts from MPR News Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe today. Preference Center ❘ Unsubscribe You received this email because you subscribed or it was sent to you by a friend. This email was sent by: Minnesota Public Radio 480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN, 55101