During this snowy start to winter, a group of volunteers have been busy shoveling for their neighbors. Nikita Godette is coordinating a large effort in St. Paul, leading the Facebook group “Saintly City Snow Angels.”

Godette spoke to Minnesota Now producer Ellen Finn about why she thinks its important for neighbors to come together to help neighbors in the winter.

This past Saturday, people across northern Minnesota and Wisconsin saw a long flash of sparkling white and green light trail across the night sky. People captured it on video and it went viral on social media. But no one was exactly sure what it was. Maybe a meteor? A comet? Santa doing a test run with Rudolph?

MPR News Duluth reporter Dan Kraker made it his mission to find out after seeing the spectacle himself. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about what he learned about the so-called “space junk.”

A recent report from the Minnesota Chamber Foundation found the state’s economy is slipping in national rankings. The state ranks near the bottom in terms of workforce growth and net migration — which means more people are leaving the state than moving here.

Much of the growth that is happening in the state’s labor force is made up of foreign-born workers. They’ve driven 60 percent of workforce growth in recent years, according to the Chamber Foundation.

These numbers point to a different conclusion from the one President Donald Trump made recently in a dehumanizing tirade about Somali Minnesotans, when he said they “contribute nothing.”

Concordia University Economics Professor Bruce Corrie has done a lot of thinking and writing about the contributions of immigrants to the state’s economy, including as a response to the President’s comments. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about his analysis.

Parents at St. Paul Public School’s Hmong language and culture school are preparing to keep their kids at home Monday amid an ongoing dispute with the district over overcrowding concerns. The boycott on Monday takes place ahead of a Tuesday meeting where the school board will vote on next steps.

Enrollment at the PreK-8 Txuj Ci school has grown tremendously in recent years. But the district has not been able to find enough space to keep all students under one roof. That’s led to several temporary short-term solutions that have left many parents frustrated.

Tensions have boiled over to the point where some parents say they may even pull their kids from the school entirely.

Sahan Journal’s Becky Dernbach has been following the story and joined Minnesota Now to share her reporting.

Minneapolis leaders are sharing reports of racial profiling and arrests of U.S. citizens by ICE. City Council Member Jamal Osman talked with Minnesota Now about what he witnessed in a chaotic confrontation with ICE agents in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

Minnesota's survey of students shows their mental health is getting better. But for the first time the results include a look at the impact of social media use.

Plus, a local researcher may have found a new way to kill emerald ash borers and save ash trees.

Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner joined with snow totals plus details on when the next round could arrive.

And 15 years ago this week, the state was digging out of another winter storm. That one led to the collapse of the Metrodome. MPR News host Nina Moini talked to a man who was in the stadium when it happened.

Much of Minnesota woke up Wednesday buried in a fresh layer of snow. It’s a fitting scene, since this week is 15 years since one of the state’s most infamous snow events.

Early in the morning on Dec. 12, 2010, the roof fell in at what was then the Minnesota Vikings’ stadium, the Metrodome.

Minnesota Now looked back at MPR News coverage of the collapse and talked with the only person who was in the arena when it happened. Peter Eisenschenk, former building operations manager of the Metrodome, joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share what he remembers.

A shiny green beetle has transformed city streets and forests in parts of the United States. The emerald ash borer has been found in 59 counties of Minnesota and it has especially affected the southeast corner of the state.

The beetle depends on ash trees to survive and reproduce. It lays eggs into their bark. Then those eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the living tissue of the trees, eventually killing them. The larvae become beetles and fly off to other trees.

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have found several species of parasitic fungi that can interrupt this cycle by killing emerald ash borer.

Colin Peters is a Ph.D. candidate and lead author of a recent study about using these fungi to protect ash trees. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his research and what it could mean for Minnesota’s one billion ash trees.

The state released new health data Wednesday about students across Minnesota. The 2025 Minnesota Student Survey shows that students are generally reporting better mental and physical health than they did when they took the survey last, back in 2022. But they were asked about a new topic this time around: social media and screens. That was where students reported a bigger struggle.

University of Minnesota professor Jodi Dworkin studies how technology shapes child development and she helps parents navigate children's use of social media and screens. Dworkin joined MPR News host Nina Moini on Minnesota Now.

Minneapolis' Somali community continues to be on edge, following a confrontation between ICE agents and community members. It happened Tuesday afternoon in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis where a large Somali community lives. Federal agents used chemical irritants to push through a crowd that blocked their vehicles as they checked identifications of people in the area.

ICE officials say they did not make any arrests Tuesday. Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman, who represents that area, said he saw at least one young Somali person detained. The incident was the latest in an ongoing operation targeting some Somali people in the state.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Osman for more about what he saw.

The lawyers of several people detained by federal immigration authorities in the Twin Cities are suing for their release. We talked to one attorney about the case he's making on behalf of his clients.

A metro area county is using AI to answer non-emergency calls to its police line. We found out why.

We learned about a new substance use disorder treatment program designed for people who are on the autism spectrum.

As the self-driving taxi company Waymo runs tests in Minneapolis, we found out what lawmakers are saying about regulation.

A Minnesota paleontologist just made a really cool discovery. He took us back to when dinosaurs roamed the badlands.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “I’m Not Giving Up on You” by Mike Kota and our Song of the Day was “Ma and Hank Williams” by Luke Hendrickson.