The pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $700 million to settle lawsuits brought by more than 40 state attorneys general over its asbestos-laced talcum powder, which has been linked to cancer. As part of the settlement, J&J will permanently end the production, sale and marketing of all products containing talcum powder. In 2018, a Reuters investigation found the pharmaceutical giant knew as early as 1971 that some of its talcum powder contained dangerous levels of asbestos, but covered up its findings about the deadly carcinogen.