Stories from January 23, 2022

Sunday evening snow; cold temps linger through Wednesday
We’ll see periods of snow Sunday evening, then the main weather feature for the first few days of the week will be the cold temperatures. We have your forecast details.
U.S. draws down Ukraine embassy presence as war fears mount
The State Department on Sunday ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion.
St. Paul police say a woman died after being found badly beaten in a home in the city early Sunday. A man believed to be the woman's husband is in custody.
Why Tonga is opting for 'contactless' humanitarian aid
It's a pandemic predicament. Tongans are desperate for help after the volcanic eruption — but with only one recorded case of COVID-19 in their island nation, they’re also eager to keep the virus out.
Sarah Palin's defamation suit against the New York Times gets its day in court
Jury selection begins Monday in the former Alaska governor's case. A 2017 New York Times editorial wrongly connected an ad from her political action committee to the shooting that wounded Rep. Gabby Giffords.
Photos: World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater
Teams of sculptors from around the world worked for several days along the St. Croix River in Stillwater to transform giant blocks of snow into works of art.
Biden's predecessors could have felt his first-year pain
Yet these early reversals haven't always been crippling. On the contrary, three of the past four presidents elected — and five of the past eight — have recovered from shaky starts to win re-election.
Why rapid COVID tests aren't more accurate, and how scientists hope to improve them
Recent research — and plenty of anecdotes — suggest some rapid tests may be less sensitive at detecting the omicron variant if you don't have symptoms. Here's how researchers hope to make them more effective.
A prehistoric eruption may help recalibrate our timeline of human origins in Africa
Some of the oldest human remains ever unearthed are the Omo 1 bones found in Ethiopia. For decades, their precise age has been debated, but a new study may have the answer.
Why humans are losing the race against superbugs
A new report in The Lancet finds that in 2019, antibiotic-resistant bacteria killed 1.2 million people — more than were killed by malaria or HIV/AIDS. The problem is mounting in lower-income nations.
Photos: U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis
The annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships are back on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, with dozens of teams playing on more than two dozen rinks constructed on the frozen lake.