Steffen's Segments

By Eleanor Steffen As temperatures drop below zero, the motivation of students to commute to class drops with it. With the semester just beginning, there is no time to waste. Now for the news. Chill-out:  On Tuesday, the first day of the spring semester at the University of Minnesota, cold weather advisories were issued in response to the sub-zero temperatures, according to CBS News . The temperature dipped as low as 18 degrees below zero in Tuesday morning's earliest hours.  School is in session:   According to MPR , school districts across the Twin Cities area delayed or cancelled classes on Tuesday. Despite the cancellations in the area and across the state, most classes at the Minneapolis university carried on as normal.  You live and layer-n: As not all institutions were disrupted by the weather, KNSI warned Minnesota residents on how to prepare for the cold. For a cold weather advisory, the station suggests that Minnesotans "dress appropriately" and ensure tha...

By Eleanor Steffen A top international human rights court has ruled that a French woman who refused sex with her husband is not at fault for their divorce, despite a previous ruling in a French court years earlier. On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights determined that the woman's "sexual freedom" and "right to bodily autonomy" overrode the supposed marital obligation that her husband argued were violated, says the Guardian . In 2012, a French court ruled that the woman, referred to as H.W., was responsible for the deterioration of her marriage as a result of her lack of physical intimacy with her husband, according to NPR . Furthermore, her appeals were denied by both appeals court and the court of cassation, says NPR . The ECHP's ruling, supported by two French feminist organizations, is substantial in the fight for women's rights in France, according to the Guardian . Eyes are now on France's judicial system and their approach to cases vi...

By Eleanor Steffen Following the vacancy of a Democratic House member last week, there was unrest in the Minnesota House of Representatives that resulted in the involvement of the state's Supreme Court. Petitions from both parties were presented to the court, seeking confirmation on the amount of seats needed to establish a quorum in the wake of a vacancy, says the Associated Press . The GOP currently holds a seat advantage of 67-66. On Friday, the court ruled that 68 seats are the standard requirement for a quorum, favoring the Democratic position, says KSTP . This will put an end to the DFL boycotts of House sessions and restrict the GOP's unexpected majority advantage, the station asserts . Republicans such as GOP leader Lisa Demuth criticize the court's ruling, calling it "an attack on the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches," according to the Associated Press .