Good things are happening! A lawsuit against Big Oil gets the green light, New Mexico expands abortion access, Biden forgives his final student loans, and California enshrines consumer protections.

Big Oil Heads To Trial

The United States Supreme Court declined to review the oil industry’s appeal of a lawsuit filed by the city of Honolulu that aims to hold the industry liable for millions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The denial is a major win for communities working to hold big oil accountable for decades of deception — and sets the ball rolling for other lawsuits filed by local governments against polluters to make their way through court. 

The Supreme Court’s Jan. 13 order will allow Honolulu to continue with its lawsuit in state court against 15 major oil and gas companies like Sunoco, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and Chevron to pay for the cost of climate damages. The energy behemoths have been fighting the lawsuit since it was first filed in 2020, arguing that the case should be thrown out because federal law, not state law, governs issues related to emissions. In 2023, the Hawaii Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision to permit the case to move to trial in state court.