By DAVID A. LIEB, Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer. The proposed settlement comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear arguments on Bayer’s assertion that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of Roundup without a cancer warning should invalidate claims filed in state courts. That case would not be affected by the proposed settlement. Related Articles Driver fleeing ICE officers crashes, killing a Georgia teacher, authorities say Federal judge rules Kilmar Abrego Garcia can’t be re-detained by immigration authorities To aficionados, fungi are freaky, mystical and overlooked. They’re helping scientists learn more New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras, the indulgent conclusion of Carnival season There was ‘a bridge called Jesse Jackson’ across decades of civil rights advocacy But the settlement would eliminate some of the risk from an eventual and uncertain Supreme Court ruling — both for Bayer and for patients seeking damages. Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, disputes the assertion that the weedkiller’s key ingredient, glyphosate, can cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But the company has warned that mounting legal costs are threatening its ability to continue selling the product in U.S. agricultural markets. “Litigation uncertainly has plagued the company for years, and this settlement gives the company a road to closure,” Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said Tuesday. The proposed settlement was filed in St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri, home to Bayer’s North America crop science division and the state where many of the lawsuits have been brought. The settlement still needs the court’s approval. ...read more read less