AI Summary
5 min readSupreme Court Opens with Climate Case, Cornell Audio Emerges, and Democrats Show Surprising Strength in Midterm Polls
The Supreme Court kicked off its new term with a case that could determine whether oil companies can be sued for climate change damages — and the arguments revealed a deeply divided eight-justice bench. Meanwhile, newly obtained audio recordings from a Cornell University fraternity case capture one of the accused men describing the night in question, and new polling suggests Democrats are competitive in states Donald Trump won by double digits just two years ago.
The Supreme Court's Climate Question
The first case of the term, Suncor v. Boulder, asks whether cities and counties can hold energy companies liable for climate-related damages. The city of Boulder and Boulder County argue they face monumental costs from global warming — not just wildfires and drought, but also buckling streets, business interruptions from smoke, and a massive outbreak of mountain pine beetles that are killing iconic ponderosa pines across Colorado's foothills.
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of Start Here
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:38) **Supreme Court Opens Term with Climate Case** - The court hears arguments in *Suncor v. Boulder*, a major case about whether oil companies can be sued for climate change damages.
- 2 (07:08) **Oil Companies Fight Back; Court Divided** - Energy companies argue the lawsuit is "preposterous," while the justices show sharp disagreement over jurisdiction.
- 3 (13:12) **Cornell Fraternity Case: Secret Recordings Revealed** - ABC News obtains audio of a phone call between the alleged victim, Jane Doe, and a fraternity brother she accuses of orchestrating a gang rape.
- 4 (17:11) **Fraternity's Internal Damage Control** - Records from Cornell's investigation show fraternity leaders trying to contain the allegations rather than investigate them.
- 5 (20:31) **Midterm Election Landscape: A "Red Undertow"** - With four weeks until Election Day, polls show Democrats competitive in traditionally Republican states, driven by President Trump's unpopularity and economic discontent.
- 6 (26:10) **One Last Thing: The Box Office Battle** - Avengers: Endgame reclaims the all-time box office record from Avatar through a re-release, highlighting Hollywood's reliance on proven IP.
- 7 Standout Quotes
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
The U.S. Supreme Court begins its fall term by considering an environmental suit against oil companies. Voice recordings show Cornell student “Jane Doe” confronting the man she accused of orchestrating a gang rape. And several polls show Democrats pulling even - or even ahead - in red states’ Senate races.
AP Photo/J.Scott Applewhite
We're excited to share that Start Here has been nominated for four Signal Awards. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to vote for Start Here in the Signal Listener's Choice Awards. Every vote helps, and it only takes a minute: https://abcaudio.com/signalawards (Thank you!!)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from this podcast
Start Here →