Business
Bayer proposes plan to pay over $7B to settle Roundup cancer lawsuits
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson joins ‘The Claman Countdown’ to detail the escalating Roundup weedkiller legal fight, and what it means for consumers, farmers and America’s food security.
Bayer is proposing a $7.25 billion plan to settle thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weedkiller caused cancer — a high-stakes effort to cap years of mounting legal exposure that will pressure the company’s finances in the near term.
“This is a choice for speed and containment over a protracted legal battle,” CEO Bill Anderson said Tuesday, describing the agreement as a pivotal step toward limiting long-running litigation tied to the herbicide.
Bayer said it is increasing its total litigation reserves to nearly $12 billion and expects about $6 billion in legal payouts in 2026 alone — enough to push free cash flow into negative territory this year.
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“Under the proposed class settlement agreement, the largest of the annual payments would be funded this year,” CFO Wolfgang Nickl said. “Therefore, we are expecting a negative free cash flow in 2026.”
Bayer’s Roundup is shown for sale in Encinitas, California, June 26, 2017. (Reuters/Mike Blake/File Photo)
To finance the resolution, the company has secured an $8 billion loan facility.
The German pharmaceuticals and agriculture giant said its Monsanto unit filed a proposed nationwide class settlement in St. Louis that would create a long-term compensation program for people who say they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup at home or on the job.
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The plan would fund payouts through capped annual payments over as many as 21 years. People exposed to Roundup before mid-February 2026 who have already been diagnosed – or who receive a diagnosis within 16 years after court approval – could qualify. Payments would be determined by a tiered system based on exposure and medical factors, with some individuals potentially receiving up to about $198,000 or more.
Bayer AG CEO Bill Anderson. (Henning Kaiser/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Bayer is facing about 65,000 plaintiffs in U.S. courts. The deal requires a judge’s approval and enough participation from claimants. The company can walk away if too many opt out.
“We would anticipate that the vast majority – almost all – the plaintiffs will opt in,” Anderson said. “If it doesn’t work that way, then we don’t have a deal in the end.”
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It does not admit wrongdoing and maintains that regulators, including the EPA, have found glyphosate safe when used as directed.
Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a case that could limit future lawsuits by determining whether federal labeling law overrides state-level failure-to-warn claims – a decision that could reshape the company’s long-term legal risk.
Bottles of Monsanto’s Roundup are seen for sale at a retail store in Glendale, California, on June 19, 2018. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
“A decision in our favor would address cases not covered by the settlement, including significant adverse pending judgments,” Anderson said, adding that the high court review is critical to the company’s broader litigation containment strategy.
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For consumers and farmers, Roundup remains widely available. But for Bayer, the proposed settlement and the pending high court decision represent a pivotal effort to contain litigation costs and stabilize its balance sheet after years of uncertainty.
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Former federal prosecutor Andrew Cherkasky discusses Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s landmark social media addiction trial on ‘Varney & Co.’
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court in a landmark trial over claims that social media platforms harm children, marking his first time answering youth safety allegations before a jury.
The bellwether lawsuit, K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms, Inc., et al., was filed by a 20-year-old California woman identified by her initials. She alleges that Meta and other social media companies engineered their platforms to hook young users, fueling her depression and suicidal thoughts, and is seeking to hold the companies accountable.
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Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta, arrives at a court in Los Angeles to testify in a landmark trial over social media addiction. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube deny the allegations, citing years of expanded safety features and parental controls as part of their defense. The tech titan is expected to point to other factors in K.G.M.’s life, highlight their investments in youth safety and argue they should not be held responsible for harmful content uploaded by users.
A verdict for the plaintiff could set a precedent for holding tech companies responsible for harmful design decisions, despite years of successfully invoking Section 230’s content liability shield — a federal law that largely shields online platforms from lawsuits related to user-posted content. A rejection of that defense could pave the way for similar lawsuits nationwide, exposing Meta and other tech companies to billions in potential damages and pressuring them to redesign their platforms.
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This is a developing story; check back later for updates.
Business
(VIDEO) Canada Rallies Past Czechia 4-3 in Overtime Thriller to Advance to Men’s Hockey Semifinals
Mitch Marner scored the overtime winner 1:22 into the 3-on-3 extra period, lifting top-seeded Canada to a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Czechia in the men’s ice hockey quarterfinals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday, avoiding a stunning early exit and advancing to Friday’s semifinals.
Trailing 3-2 with under four minutes left in regulation, Nick Suzuki tied the game at 3-3 with 3:27 remaining on a deflection off a Devon Toews shot. Marner’s backhander in sudden-death sealed the win after Canada overcame an early deficit and the loss of captain Sidney Crosby to injury.
Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring for Canada in the first period, but Czechia responded with goals from Lukas Sedlak and David Pastrnak to take a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Nathan MacKinnon tied it on the power play in the second at 12:16, assisted by Connor McDavid, who extended his Olympic points record to 11 with two helpers in the game.
Ondrej Palat put Czechia back ahead 3-2 in the third with a hash-mark strike off a Martin Necas pass, but Canada’s relentless pressure — outshooting Czechia 41-24 overall — forced overtime. Goaltender Jordan Binnington earned the win with key saves, including during a tense third-period push.
The victory avenged a closer-than-expected rematch after Canada’s dominant 5-0 group-stage win over Czechia on Feb. 12. Czechia, which scraped into the quarters with a qualification-round win over Denmark, pushed the tournament favorites to the brink with strong goaltending from Lukas Dostal and physical play.
Crosby left early after a hit from Radko Gudas, limping off and not returning — a concern for Canada as it prepares for the semifinals against the lowest remaining seed. McDavid’s performance continued his dominance, tying the NHL-era Olympic points record in a single Games.
Canada improves to 4-0-0-0, while Czechia ends its campaign at 1-1-1 in the knockout stage. The Canadians dominated possession but faced resilient defending from Czechia, which blocked shots and countered effectively.
The quarterfinals wrapped with Finland vs. Switzerland (12:10 p.m. ET) and U.S. vs. Sweden (3:10 p.m. ET) following Slovakia’s earlier 6-2 win over Germany. Semifinals are set for Friday, Feb. 20, with the gold-medal game Sunday, Feb. 22.
Canada’s path to a potential 10th Olympic men’s hockey gold remains on track despite the scare. Coach Jon Cooper praised the team’s resilience: “We showed character when it mattered most.” Marner, celebrating his OT heroics, called it “a battle we needed to win.”
The win keeps the star-studded Canadian roster — featuring McDavid, MacKinnon, Suzuki, Celebrini and others — alive in pursuit of gold, with the semifinals promising another high-stakes clash.
In this episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, we’re joined by Royal Bank of Canada Chief Economist Frances Donald, who explains the K-shaped economy.
We discuss how Walmart has hit a trillion-dollar market capitalization despite consumer sentiment near record lows.
Plus, we talk about what could be hiding the true health of U.S. households, from front-loading purchases ahead of potential tariffs to buy-now-pay-later programs.
🎧 Listen to the podcast here or 📹 watch the video clip below:
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Aryan Dutt, the 22-year-old Dutch off-spinner, delivered a standout performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, claiming 2/19 in four overs against defending champions India on Feb.18, including the prized wicket of world No.1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma for a third consecutive duck in the tournament. His economical spell helped Netherlands restrict India to 193/6 before the Dutch fell short by 17 runs, but Dutt’s control in the powerplay earned praise as the pick of the bowlers.
Born in The Hague to Punjabi-Indian heritage, Dutt has emerged as a key figure in the Netherlands’ associate-nation cricket renaissance, blending tall-frame leverage with sharp spin to trouble top international lineups.
Here are 10 key things to know about Aryan Dutt, the rising star whose recent exploits highlight the growing depth of Dutch cricket.
- Early Life and Heritage Aryan Dutt was born May 12, 2003, in The Hague, Netherlands. His father hails from Punjab, India, with his parents migrating to the Netherlands in the 1980s. Raised in The Hague, Dutt grew up immersed in a multicultural environment that fueled his passion for cricket through local clubs.
- Youth Development at Voorburg CC Dutt honed his skills in the productive Voorburg Cricket Club academy, one of the Netherlands’ premier development programs. Initially viewed as a triple-threat — opening the batting and bowling before specializing in off-spin — he transitioned fully to spin, capitalizing on his 6-foot frame for extra bounce and revs.
- International Debut at 18 Dutt made his senior debut for the Netherlands in June 2021 during a T20I series against Scotland. He quickly established himself in limited-overs formats, earning spots in both ODI and T20I squads by leveraging economical spells and middle-order contributions.
- Breakout in 2023 World Cup During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Dutt opened the bowling in several matches, showcasing maturity beyond his years. His performances against full-member nations helped Netherlands secure notable upsets and boosted his profile on the global stage.
- T20 World Cup 2026 Heroics In the Feb. 18, 2026, clash with India in Ahmedabad, Dutt struck early: clean-bowling Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck on the third ball and later dismissing Ishan Kishan in unusual fashion (ball off arm onto stumps). Finishing with 2/19 in four overs, he dominated the powerplay, denying India boundaries for long stretches and earning acclaim as Netherlands’ standout bowler.
- Career Stats and Rankings As of February 2026, Dutt has taken 27 T20I wickets at an average of 22.93, with strong economy rates in high-pressure games. In ODIs, he ranks around No. 44 among bowlers, while sitting at No. 57 in T20Is and No. 87 as an all-rounder. He has scored 127 T20I runs at a strike rate reflecting utility batting.
- All-Round Capabilities Though primarily an off-spinner, Dutt’s early career saw him open batting and bowling in youth cricket. He contributes handy lower-middle-order runs and has taken key catches in the field, adding versatility to the Dutch lineup alongside players like Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek.
- Social Media Presence Dutt maintains an active Instagram account (@aryan.dutt) with over 11,000 followers, sharing glimpses of training, matches and personal moments. Posts from the 2026 T20 World Cup highlight his calm demeanor and team spirit amid big-stage pressure.
- Role in Netherlands’ Rise As an associate nation, Netherlands relies on talents like Dutt to punch above their weight. His ability to exploit turning conditions and control run rates has been crucial in competitive matches against India, Sri Lanka and others, helping elevate Dutch cricket’s profile in ICC events.
- Future Outlook At just 22, Dutt is poised for further growth with potential domestic league opportunities and continued ICC tournaments. His recent spell against India’s star-studded batting order signals he could become a mainstay in global T20 cricket, inspiring the next generation of Dutch players of South Asian descent.
Dutt’s performance against India — including dismissing the tournament’s top-ranked batter — underscores his rising stature, even in defeat for Netherlands. As the T20 World Cup progresses toward the Super Eight and beyond, expect the young spinner to remain a focal point for associate cricket enthusiasts.
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