Johnson & Johnson on trial over opioids, Huawei hits back at US restrictions, and more top news

The news professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

The first state trial against a pharmaceutical opioid maker is underway in Oklahoma, with Johnson & Johnson accused of fueling the opioid epidemic. In a multi-billion dollar lawsuit, prosecutors claim the drugs giant carried out deceptive marketing campaigns for painkillers and underplayed the risks of addiction. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Sunday reached an $85 million settlement with Oklahoma, while Purdue Pharma settled in March. More than 40 other states have filed lawsuits against drug companies relating to the epidemic. • Here’s what people are saying.

Huawei is moving forward with its lawsuit against Washington, claiming officials failed to provide evidence that it poses a security threat. The U.S. government had enacted a defense-policy measure limiting federal spending on the company's products. “Politicians in the U.S. are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company,” said Song Liuping, Huawei’s chief legal officer, adding that recent moves against the company set "a dangerous precedent" that will harm billions of consumers. • Here’s what people are saying.

Altice is jumping on the bandwagon of cable companies offering bargain-priced wireless plans, joining Comcast and Charter Communications, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing anonymous sources. Altice’s plans will likely cost $20 to $30 a month per phone and run on Sprint’s mobile network. In an era of cord-cutting, cable companies hope cheap wireless plans will entice existing customers to stick around. • Here’s what people are saying.

MacKenzie Bezos has promised to donate at least half the $37 billion she will receive in her divorce settlement from the world’s richest person — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She is the latest to sign the Giving Pledge, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, which has more than 200 participants from 23 countries who have committed to donating roughly half their wealth, either while living or in their wills. The Amazon chief hasn’t signed on but praised MacKenzie’s move. Here’s what people are saying.

Uber drivers are making extra cash working for house flippers, The Wall Street Journal reports. Drivers are being recruited through apps like DealMachine to scout on a company’s behalf for dilapidated properties, scouring the gentrified suburbs of cities such as Atlanta and Chicago in their downtime. The trend points to the institutionalization of house flipping, once the domain of amateur investors and now dominated by increasingly tech-driven companies. • Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: As workaholism becomes more prevalent, reward your employees for the quality of their work, not the quantity of hours worked, says Alistair Cox, chief executive at Hays.

“Review how you measure success and assess candidates for promotion — are your long-standing processes rewarding the right things? If not, it’s time for a rethink.”

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