Supreme Court gears up for new term with major cases on climate change, guns

The Supreme Court opens its new term on October 5 with a docket that includes climate change, immigration policy under President Trump and gun rights. Several disputes tied to Trump's second-term agenda are also waiting in the wings and could be decided by summer 2027 if the justices take them up, according to CBS News.

The opening session centers on Boulder, Colorado, and its county, which sued Suncor Energy and Exxon Mobil in state court over climate harms. The justices must decide whether federal law blocks such a suit, which targets the sale and allegedly deceptive marketing of fossil fuels and seeks money damages. The companies argue a loss would amount to a carbon tax that could "bankrupt" the industry. Boulder counters that states may address local harms and that the companies sought review too early. Justice Samuel Alito is sitting out without explanation; his 2025 disclosure lists stock in ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66.

On Nov. 3, the court turns to Catholic preschools in Colorado. The Archdiocese of Denver asked for relief from the state's universal preschool nondiscrimination requirements, was denied, and sued under the First Amendment. A federal district court and the 10th Circuit ruled for the state.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →