MPR News Update

MPR's chief meteorologist offers a good reason to get up before sunrise between Wednesday and Feb. 20. "A rare planetary alignment not seen in 10 years will produce a dazzling sky shown in the pre-dawn sky," writes Paul Huttner on Updraft.
The season's coldest air mass so far, and likely winter's best arctic punch, arrives this weekend with 40 below windchills and about 60 subzero hours from Saturday into Monday. Here's how to stay warm in subzero weather.
A Minnesotan may not claim the $1.5 billion in Powerball winnings, but several state funds hit the jackpot. In case you didn't hear, winning Powerball tickets were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee.
The latest effort to enhance security in and around the state Capitol is a bomb-sniffing dog named "Matka." She's a Hungarian vizsla.
In the middle of the desert in Kenya, there's a place with a population the size of Minneapolis, called Dadaab. It's no ordinary city.
Good morning! Partly cloudy today with a high of about 4 degrees. Think happy thoughts to get you through this bitterly cold stretch -- like what you would do if you win the massive Powerball lottery. If you decide to play, state lottery officials have a reminder: Play within your budget. | Forecast
To get, and keep, students on track, teachers are trying a different method of classroom management called No-Nonsense Nurturing. | Education
Good morning! Light snow today with a high of about 36. Tomorrow -- the plunge. We enter subzero territory this weekend. If the cold weather doesn't have you shaking in your boots, check out some free winter activities on Saturday. Learn to ice fish, cross-county ski and snowshoe at Winter 4Play MSP, a celebration of winter fun at Snelling Lake Beach in Fort Snelling State Park. | Forecast
The newest "Star Wars" Monopoly game featured Finn, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader — but not the latest film's heroine, Rey. Hasbro says it will add her to the game later this year.
DJ Brian Oake was named co-host of The Current's Morning Show today. The Twin Cities radio veteran officially joins the show on Monday, March 7. Until then, catch him at 89.3 or listen online Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m.