The Hudsonian

Squatters, a term used to describe someone who takes over the ownership of someone’s house by staying in their house long enough to be considered a resident, allegedly took over the home of Colorado Springs residents this past week. William and Arlene Towns, a couple well into their 70s, are now fighting what they are considering to be squatters to win back their home of 50 years.

Squatters have become legal trouble nationwide, people who find loopholes in property law by staying in a house for over a month. By definition, once they stay in the house for over a month and get mail delivered, they are the legal tenants of the property.

This is especially difficult to deal with for landlords, as they now have to go through the eviction process. This tale is no different for William and Arlene. 

     “Living on a fixed income, William and Arlene cannot afford the extravagant legal costs, while the squatters receive free legal aid,” says a GoFundMe post, supporting William and Arlene. The squatters have also been accused of running the water and lights unnecessarily to give the Towns “skyrocketing utility bills”. 

     The squatter was originally presumed to be a homeless lady, offering to do chores, with whom William had trusted. The daughters state that the lady had “taken advantage of our dad and his compromised mental state and now has moved many of her belongings into his home.” The couple is currently living off of their social security checks, hoping that the law will do them justice. 

Photo Credits: Yahoo! News

New York State just crushed its expectations for solar power as stated in the 2019 State Climate Law. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (or NYSERDA), stated that they installed 6 Gigawatts of solar energy, which crushed their expectations by a year. 

The NYSERDA has been trying to produce cleaner and more efficient energy since the State Climate Law was introduced. “This is not only a huge benefit to consumers, a huge benefit to our environment but also a huge benefit to our economy,” President and CEO Doreen Harris states. These new solar farms have not only produced $9.2 billion in private investments but also created over 14,000 jobs nationwide.

This giant influx of energy has powered over 1 million homes in New York State. With solar energy being clean, this is a huge win for environmentalists and climate change activists. The NYSERDA has claimed that they expect to distribute 10 Gigawatts of solar power by the year 2030.

The NYSERDA is doing its best to make New York State a healthier and cleaner place, by producing cleaner energy more and more every day.

The transition into a ‘low-carbon future’ would be critical in the fight against climate change and global warming. In accordance with the State Climate Law, the NYSERDA is striving to make dramatic changes in the economy, environment, and people, by cleaning up the world one state at a time. 

     You can read more about the NYSERDA by scanning the QR Code here: 

     Three of the world’s largest tobacco companies, Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco (BAT), and Japan Tobacco—have reached a tentative settlement of C$32.5 billion (US$23.6 billion) to resolve a massive class-action lawsuit brought by nearly 100,000 Canadians. These individuals, many suffering from severe health conditions linked to smoking, accused the companies of failing to accurately inform them of the deadly risks of tobacco for decades, despite knowing the dangers.

     The settlement comes after a nearly decade-long legal battle in Quebec, where the tobacco giants were originally ordered to pay billions in damages in 2015. The lawsuit claimed that the companies failed to properly warn consumers about smoking’s health risks, with some plaintiffs alleging they had developed life-threatening diseases like lung cancer and emphysema due to decades of misleading advertising and lack of clear warnings. Philip Morris, BAT, and Japan Tobacco have agreed to pay the staggering settlement, but are finding themselves in deeper controversy surrounding how they’ll fund it.

     “This is an important step toward resolving this matter and focusing on the future,” said Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International​. What Olczak didn’t mention, and what is fueling this controversy, is that the settlement will be funded through current and future sales of tobacco products in Canada, essentially forcing future smokers to pay for the damage caused by past smoking.

     Critics have slammed this arrangement, calling it a slap on the wrist for companies that continued to profit despite the massive health risks associated with their products. Jacob Shelley, a professor at Western University, pointed out that the settlement “missed the chance to incorporate stronger policy terms” that could have curbed or slowed the tobacco industry’s harmful practices​.

     The plaintiffs now have until December 2024 to accept or reject the deal, which is expected to receive final approval by mid-2025 if accepted.

     While the settlement may seem like a victory for the plaintiffs, some say it’s a financial band-aid that allows

the tobacco industry to walk away relatively unscathed, still able to market and sell its deadly products. The tobacco companies appear eager to move on, with Imperial Tobacco Canada stating it supports the framework of the deal, which will be paid out over several years.

The plaintiffs, many of whom are elderly or dealing with severe health issues, had long fought for justice, accusing the companies of knowingly selling products that caused irreversible harm. 

“This is about holding them accountable for decades of lies,” one plaintiff said when the settlement was first proposed. However, with the tobacco companies funding the settlement through future sales, some wonder if any real accountability has been achieved—or if this is just another calculated move by an industry that has dodged responsibility for years.

This settlement, one of the largest of its kind in Canadian history, highlights the enormous toll smoking continues to take on public health, and raises the question: Will this be enough to force meaningful change or just another payday for Big Tobacco?