Happy Monday! Welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Let’s break down the latest news.
Supreme Court Takes Up Major Climate Change Case…The Supreme Court is hearing a major climate case that could determine whether cities and states can sue oil companies over the costs of climate change. Boulder, Colorado, argues Exxon Mobil and Suncor misled the public about the climate risks of their products and should help cover rising costs from wildfires and other climate impacts. The oil companies argue climate policy belongs to the federal government. The case could affect more than two dozen similar lawsuits nationwide—and with Justice Samuel Alito recusing himself, the court could potentially split 4-4.
Common Sense Takeaway: Interesting, and honestly fair. If communities are spending millions dealing with wildfires, drought and other climate disasters, companies accused of misleading the public about the risks of their products SHOULD be responsible for the level of damage that they cause to public health and the greater good. This could set an interesting precedent moving forward.
Paxton Admits He Can’t Control His Own Message…Texas GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton reportedly told donors that he has little control over the messaging surrounding his campaign, amid concerns that Trump-aligned forces are shaping his image. “I don’t have ability to change anything. So I have to live with whatever I’ve got. So it is a challenge,” Paxton said. He also said Trump’s recent Texas convention “dropped our numbers,” adding, “Right now, yeah, not good.” A recent New York Times/Siena poll has Paxton trailing Democrat James Talarico by 6 points.
Common Sense Takeaway: YIKES. An October surprise for Paxton, who spent his campaign attacking the Washington establishment and positioning himself as a Trump ally/outsider. Now he’s telling donors he has little control over his own messaging and that Trump’s Texas event hurt his numbers. I’m not sure if there is a worse message that a Republican candidate from Texas could send.
Cornell Fraternity Faces Renewed Scrutiny….New records reviewed by ABC News show fraternity members at Cornell allegedly engaged in efforts to contain allegations of sexual assault and protect their reputations after an October 2024 incident. The woman involved initially described herself as confused about what happened before later reporting the incident as a “gang rape.” Messages reviewed by ABC News appear to show fraternity members discussing how to respond, while one allegedly tried to persuade a witness that she was lying. Two students were expelled and others suspended following Cornell’s investigation.
Common Sense Takeaway: Nothing says innocent like trying to contain and cover-up what happened. Looks like these fraternity men saw the writing on the wall, and thought they could persuade people, namely sorority sisters of Jane Doe, to help them cover up their actions. Unfortunately for them, all of their cover-up efforts were ALSO saved and shared. Not the brightest over there in Chi Phi at Cornell.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. See you tomorrow.
— Ally
