This week, the Multnomah County Circuit Court began hearing defense motions in the County's groundbreaking lawsuit seeking to hold major fossil fuel companies accountable for the devastating 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Dome. The case alleges that decades of deception about the climate dangers of fossil fuels contributed to a deadly extreme heat event that claimed dozens of lives and imposed enormous costs on the community. As reported by The New York Times, the hearings mark an important new phase in one of the nation's most closely watched climate accountability lawsuits, with implications for similar cases across the United States.