Top Democratic governors, including Minnesota’s Tim Walz, California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’s J.B. Pritzker are urging Congress to reject legislation that would shield oil and gas companies from climate-related lawsuits, arguing taxpayers should not bear the costs of pollution.

«Communities all across our nation, in red states and blue states, have suffered and face staggering costs from fires, floods, storms, and heat waves that, according to scientists, are becoming more destructive as a result of the burning of fossil fuels,» reads a letter penned by 10 Democrat governors.

The top state leaders, along with Democrat attorneys general, are pushing Congress to reject the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, arguing it would protect oil and gas industries by granting immunity from lawsuits at the expense of taxpayers. Republicans argue the bill protects American energy from lawsuits that could bankrupt the industry, lead to job loss and drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline.

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«Such a guide is sorely needed as litigation involving climate science only grows in prevalence and urgency in our courts. Furthermore, the chapter’s removal does not change the scientific reality of climate change,» wrote more than 20 attorneys general in their letter to Congress.

Jason Isaac, American Energy Institute CEO, told Fox News Digital that this is a «coordinated legal campaign to bankrupt lawful American energy producers through junk litigation.»

«These companies legally produced the energy that heats and cools homes, powers hospitals, and fuels the American economy — and now a coalition of activist attorneys general and climate advocacy groups want to make them pay retroactively for doing exactly that,» said Isaac.

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Climate activists attend a rally to end fossil fuels, in New York, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023.  (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

The act was first introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., in April. If passed, the act would clear over a dozen lawsuits filed against oil and gas industries brought by local and state governments.

«After many failed attempts to enact EU-style climate measures, activists have turned to suing energy companies in a thinly-veiled effort to impose a global carbon tax through the courts,» Civitas Institute research director Michael Toth told Fox News Digital. 

«This climate lawfare threatens to hijack the federal government’s authority over matters that bear directly on our national security.»

California sued several major oil companies in 2023 as part of a broader Democratic effort to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate change. The lawsuit, which remains tied up in litigation, reflects Gov. Gavin Newsom’s longstanding opposition to the fossil fuel industry despite California being one of the nation’s largest oil-producing states.

«These companies knew about the catastrophic consequences of fossil fuels. They covered it up. Suppressed scientific data. Spent millions to cast doubts on climate science. Time for them to pay,» Newsom wrote on X at the time.

The letters from Democratic members and attorneys general come as the Supreme Court will hear a case in their fall term on ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy brought on by officials in Boulder, Colorado.

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Governor Gavin Newsom speaks onstage during the NYT Climate Forward 2025 at The Times Center. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images for NYT)

More than 70 House Republicans are urging the Supreme Court to reject the bid to hold major oil companies liable for climate change damages, calling the lawsuit a costly «war on American energy,» Fox News Digital previously reported.

The case would decide whether federal law preempts localities from seeking relief for alleged climate damages in state courts. Boulder sued ExxonMobil and Suncor in 2018, alleging they contributed to climate change and misled the public about its risks.

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Alliance for Consumers Executive Director O.H. Skinner told Fox News that elected officials need to «push back against climate lawfare, stopping left-wing activists from using their woke lawfare playbook to push unpopular political beliefs through the courts.»

«These activists push a woke agenda that hurts consumers by driving up costs and limiting what is on store shelves for consumers. This is the Biden playbook all over again,» said Skinner.

Tens of thousands of far-left protesters flooded the streets and clashed with police in the Germany city of Erfurt on Saturday as they protested the conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Videos showed police beating back agitators with batons and deploying anti-riot ordnance as the demonstrators chanted against the country’s conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a massive political rally.

Police said over 30,000 people attended the demonstrations, according to the Associated Press (AP), and people could be seen carrying signs reading «Stop AfD Nazis» and «For Diversity, Against Nazis.»

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Despite the tense clashes caught on video, police told news outlets the demonstrations have been «mostly peaceful,» and claimed they’ve recorded approximately 100 law violations, mostly due to graffiti.

The protests coincided with AfD’s party conference and leadership elections during which the party, the second largest parliamentary group in Germany’s Bundestag parliament, re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party co-leaders.

The mass demonstrations delayed AfD’s vote, prompting Chrupalla to criticize the method in which agitators expressed their dissatisfaction.

Thousands of demonstrators flooded a German city on July 4, 2026, blocking major roads and disrupting public transport, in a bid to shut down the annual congress of the conservative AfD party. (RALF HIRSCHBERGER / AFP via Getty Images)

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«There are no peaceful seated blockades. There are no democratic roadblocks. Nor are there any gangs of thugs who deserve the harmless label ‘civil society.’ These troublemakers are the last resort of our political rivals,» Chrupalla said, according to the AP.

Protesters gather before a party convention of Alternative for Germany, or AfD in Erfurt, Germany, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Chrupalla also accused the protesters of acting anti-democratically. «They believe they have a monopoly on democracy. To these demonstrators I say: this democracy is just as much our democracy as it is yours.»

A spokesperson for local antifascist group widersetzen explicitly claimed that the group’s intention was to block AfD’s party convention.

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«The AfD pursues fascist policies: It wants mass deportations and terror on the streets. At the same time, however, it doesn’t solve a single real problem,» widersetzen spokesperson Lena Raupach told the AP. «It pursues policies that benefit the rich, not ordinary citizens. And we at widersetzen want a society in which all people have equal opportunities and equal security. We want a society based on solidarity.»

AfD, while fighting accusations of extremism from citizens and center-left and center-right politicians in the country’s ruling coalition, rejects the notion that it is extreme, arguing it is «being used as a political instrument by mainstream parties,» according to the AP.

The party has been experiencing a historic surge in popularity in recent years, grabbing over 20% of the national vote in federal elections in 2025 with an eye on capturing even more in the next election. Some federal polls have the party ranked as the most popular in the country today.

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«We will win. Maybe we’ll be able to govern alone soon,» Chrupalla said Saturday. «That would send the right message to the enemies of democracy out there who wanted to prevent our party convention from taking place.»

Partygoers widely support the conservative moment fashioned by President Donald Trump and the party shares similar stances on social, cultural and domestic issues as the Trump administration, particularly on immigration. Perhaps inspired by Trump’s trademark slogan, one party conference attendee Saturday could be seen sporting a «Make Germany Great Again» hat.

A man is wearing a «Make Germany Great Again» cap at the convention center. The AfD’s national party convention will take place on July 4 and 5 at the Erfurt Convention Center. (Martin Schutt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Sedena confirmó que el proceso de subasta internacional del avión presidencial continúa avanzando conforme al cronograma establecido, con la participación de empresas interesadas y bajo un esquema que, según la institución, busca garantizar la transparencia y el cumplimiento de la normativa vigente.

A través de un comunicado oficial, la dependencia detalló que siete empresas, tanto nacionales como extranjeras, ya retiraron las bases de la subasta, un requisito indispensable para participar en el proceso mediante el cual el Estado hondureño busca vender la aeronave presidencial.

La subasta internacional está programada para desarrollarse el 10 de julio de 2026, fecha en la que las empresas interesadas podrán presentar sus ofertas conforme a los procedimientos establecidos por la Dirección Nacional de Bienes del Estado.

Como parte de los preparativos, la Secretaría de Defensa informó que actualmente se desarrollan las inspecciones técnicas del avión, las cuales fueron organizadas bajo un calendario que contempla la atención de una sola empresa por día.

Según explicó la institución, este mecanismo tiene como finalidad garantizar un proceso ordenado, brindar igualdad de condiciones a todos los potenciales oferentes y permitir que cada empresa realice una revisión detallada del estado de la aeronave antes de presentar una propuesta económica.

La dependencia indicó que estas inspecciones forman parte de las etapas previas contempladas en el procedimiento de subasta internacional y se desarrollan conforme a las disposiciones legales vigentes.

Otro de los avances informados por la Secretaría de Defensa es la integración oficial del Comité de Subasta, organismo encargado de supervisar el desarrollo del proceso.

De acuerdo con el comunicado, la conformación del comité responde a lo establecido en el Reglamento de Organización y Funcionamiento de la Dirección Nacional de Bienes del Estado, normativa que regula los procedimientos para la administración y disposición de bienes estatales.

El comité será coordinado por la Dirección Nacional de Bienes del Estado e integrado por representantes de la Gerencia Administrativa y de la Auditoría Interna de la Secretaría de Defensa Nacional.

Asimismo, la institución informó que fueron convocados, en calidad de invitados y conforme a la ley, representantes del Tribunal Superior de Cuentas (TSC) y de la Procuraduría General de la República (PGR), quienes ejercerán labores de veeduría durante el desarrollo del proceso.

La participación de estos organismos busca fortalecer los mecanismos de control y vigilancia para garantizar que la subasta se lleve a cabo con apego a la legislación hondureña.

En su pronunciamiento, la Secretaría de Defensa reiteró que todas las actuaciones relacionadas con la venta del avión presidencial se desarrollan bajo criterios de legalidad y transparencia.

La institución señaló que la Dirección Legal de la dependencia ha brindado información sobre los alcances del procedimiento con el propósito de mantener informada a la ciudadanía respecto al desarrollo de la subasta internacional.

Además, sostuvo que todas las etapas del proceso cumplen con los requisitos establecidos por la normativa que regula la administración de bienes del Estado.

El comunicado enfatiza que la conformación del Comité de Subasta, las inspecciones técnicas y la participación de organismos de control forman parte de las medidas implementadas para asegurar un procedimiento transparente.

La subasta internacional del avión presidencial forma parte del proceso impulsado por el Gobierno para enajenar la aeronave mediante un mecanismo abierto a empresas nacionales e internacionales.

Hasta el momento, la Secretaría de Defensa no ha revelado los nombres de las siete empresas que retiraron las bases de participación ni ha informado sobre el monto base establecido para la venta del avión.

No obstante, la institución aseguró que el cronograma continúa desarrollándose conforme a lo previsto y que las inspecciones técnicas seguirán realizándose antes de la recepción formal de las ofertas.

De mantenerse el calendario establecido, el próximo 10 de julio se llevará a cabo la subasta internacional, en la que las empresas interesadas competirán por la adquisición de la aeronave presidencial bajo la supervisión de las autoridades competentes y los organismos de veeduría.

La Secretaría de Defensa concluyó reiterando su compromiso de cumplir estrictamente con las leyes y reglamentos aplicables, asegurando que todo el procedimiento se desarrollará bajo los principios de transparencia, legalidad y manejo responsable de los bienes del Estado.