What we’re reading: Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon fired, Supreme Court rejects oil companies’ appeals and more

AP

FILE – The Supreme Court is seen on Friday, April 21, 2023, in Washington. The Supreme Court on Monday, April 24, rejected appeals from oil and gas companies that are fighting lawsuits from state and local governments over whether they can be held responsible for harms resulting from global warming. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

By Walter Flanagin, Staff Writer
Published Apr 25, 2023

Supreme Court rules climate change lawsuits against five energy companies should be heard in state courts

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to hear appeals in five cases by energy companies, including BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Shell. According to Reuters, state courts are often friendlier for plaintiffs seeking to win damage awards.

According to CNBC, the municipalities of Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawaii and Rhode Island are attempting to hold businesses accountable for the effects of climate change. In state courts, the energy companies will have to defend their case in front of juries.

An attorney for Chevron called the lawsuits in state courts “wasteful” and claimed they will do nothing to “advance global climate solutions.” 

In all five cases, the companies lost in the lower courts before appealing to the Supreme Court. 

Fox News ‘parts ways’ with Tucker Carlson

Fox News announced Tucker Carlson was leaving the network on Monday. According to Reuters, Carlson’s prime-time show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” was the most popular cable news program among people aged 25 to 54. 

Last week, Fox settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. Dominion claimed Carlson’s show spread false information that Dominion voting machines swung the 2020 election in favor of President Biden.

Shares of Fox Corp. (FOXA) dropped 5% after the news broke, reported CNN.

 

CNN terminates Don Lemon

The longtime host of “CNN This Morning,” Don Lemon, was fired on Monday.

Lemon claims he first heard about the firing from his agent, and the network never told him he was fired. CNN called his retelling of the firing “inaccurate.”

 

In February, Lemon apologized to the CNN newsroom and agreed to a corporate training program after making sexist comments on-air. Lemon called Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, “past her prime,” which he defined as a woman’s 20s – 40s. CNN CEO Chris Licht called the comments “unacceptable.”

According to The New York Times, CNN had trouble booking guests who would appear on air with Lemon, and his popularity with audiences had fallen.

Minnesota police officer convicted of killing Daunte Wright released from prison

This image, provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, shows Kim Potter, the Minnesota police officer who mistook her gun for a Taser and killed Daunte Wright in 2021. Potter was released from prison early Monday, April 24, 2023. The Minnesota Department of Corrections said Potter was set free around 4 a.m. “out of an abundance of caution.” The department confirmed Friday she would be released Monday but declined to say what time out of security concerns. (Minnesota Department of Corrections via AP) (AP)

Kim Potter was released from prison before dawn Monday, according to NBC News. In 2021, the Minnesota police officer mistook her gun for a Taser and killed 20-year-old black man Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. 

ABC reported that Potter was convicted of first and second-degree manslaughter last February. She was sentenced to 16 months in prison, eight months of supervised release and a $1,000 fine. Judge Regina Chu called the sentence a “downward departure” from sentencing guidelines. 

According to Fox News, the state guideline minimum was a little over six years. Daunte Wright’s father, Aubrey Wright, called the sentence “a slap on the wrist.” 

Potter was released early in the morning “out of an abundance of caution” for her own safety.