Stories from December 26, 2022

One more cold night then a much warmer pattern develops
Temperatures will slip to near zero and just below across most of Minnesota Monday night but it will be the last one for a while. Temperatures will be near normal, in the 20s Tuesday and above freezing for most by Wednesday.
GOP stumbles with independents contributed to midterm woes
Republican House candidates nationwide won the support of 38 percent of independent voters in last month's midterm elections, VoteCast showed. That's far short of the 51 percent that Democrats scored with the same group in 2018 when they swept into power by picking up 41 seats.
A wet December has been helping alleviate drought conditions
With the shift to wetter than normal conditions in November and December, slow progress has been made on drought conditions across much of Minnesota. Above normal precipitation looks to continue in the near to medium forecast range.
Where to hear music in the Twin Cities on New Year’s Eve
As we close the book on 2022, here are 10 music events throughout the Twin Cities to celebrate the start of 2023. For even more New Year’s Eve options, check The Current’s Gig List for additional shows you can take in on Dec. 31.
Holiday sales up 7.6 percent despite the squeeze of inflation
Holiday sales rose this year as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure.
Sunshine returns Monday; milder pattern sets in
Clouds decrease early Monday giving way to sunshine. Highs will range from the single digits to teens. Temperatures warm more, in the teens and 20s Tuesday. Above freezing highs move in midweek.
Climate activists are fuming as Germany turns to coal to replace Russian gas
Germany is firing up coal plants and importing liquefied natural gas to shore up energy supplies. Activists are carrying out increasingly disruptive protests, gluing themselves to roads and runways.
Minnesota changes environmental review to measure climate impacts
Climate activists say the changes, which have been in the works since 2019, are long overdue. Developers will need to calculate their projects’ carbon footprint and methods they considered to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.