After years of denying responsibility for the opioid crisis, major drugmakers are trying out a bolder defense in a trial that just kicked off in California: downplaying the severity of the crisis itself. This week, we’re breaking down the big trial and this new strategy, plus: Accusations that Bayer is running a “pay-to-appeal scheme” to help beat cancer litigation about Roundup weedkiller; A crash of a self-driving Tesla highlights legal uncertainty over who should be held liable for automated car wrecks; and a Morrison & Foerster staffer pleads guilty to spending more than $400,000 of firm money on personal products like “butt-enhancing trunks.”