A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama handed the Trump Justice Department a major victory over New York Democrats this week that is probably a preview of yet another victory when Boulder County, Colorado, faces producers in the Supreme Court this fall.

New York engineered this fight in December 2024, when Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Climate Change Superfund Act. This ordered fossil-fuel producers and refiners to pay $75 billion into a state fund over 25 years, with each company’s bill based on the global greenhouse-gas emissions attributed to its products.

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