LOCAL
The St. Paul non-profit, Listening House, is helping homeless people find employment and receive income. They will earn weekly paychecks for cleaning out areas of the city. Originally they were only cleaning sidewalks, skyways and parks. However, the program has branched out and now they are picking up litter at the Metro Transit Green Line stations.
(Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune)
This month was the 15th year of service for the Northstar commuter rail service between Minneapolis and Big Lake. However, the big milestone was overshadowed by the question of if the Northstar will ever connect to St. Cloud. In 2019 before the pandemic, the Northstar hosted around 767,000 rides daily, but during the pandemic they lost over 90% of their riders. Even after the pandemic the Northstar hasn’t jumped back to it’s pre-pandemic levels of daily commuters.
(Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune)
NATIONAL
In the wake of President-elect Donald J Trump’s crackdown policy, Immigrants across the U.S are looking to get ahead, whether it is getting a green card or full citizenship. Deportation in the U.S is a normal thing, but there hasn’t been a mass deportation, like what is planned, since the 1950s.
(Source: The New York Times)
Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, who is Florida’s surgeon general, has decided that Florida will stop putting fluoride in water. Due to it possibly hurting children and their IQ.
(Source: The New York Times)
INTERNATIONAL
Israeli Rabbi, Zvi Kogan, was abducted and killed in the U.A.E. sparking outrage in Israeli officials who claimed the death was an act or terrorism. Zvi Kogan worked in Abu Dhabi as part of a movement to conduct jewish outreach around the world. On Sunday, the Israeli government reinstated a travel warning to the U.A.E.. This all comes as tensions in the middle east are at an all time high.
(Source: The New York Times)