Fortune Editors CEO Daily: On Boeing and China

Brexit Extension

The odds of a no-deal Brexit just shot up again, with the news that British Prime Minister Theresa May has asked the EU for only a short Brexit extension past the end of next week. This would mean the options of a fresh referendum or general election, both of which take time to organize, are off the table. The remaining two options are her twice-rejected deal, for which she may not be able to command a majority on her third attempt, and no deal. But what will the EU say to her request? Sky News

Roundup Verdict

A second U.S. jury has found Bayer/Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller to be a contributing factor in someone's cancer, and Bayer's shares are tanking—down more than 12%. The same jury still needs to establish Bayer's liability, though, along with potential damages. Bayer: "We are confident the evidence in phase two will show that Monsanto's conduct has been appropriate and the company should not be liable for [Edwin] Hardeman's cancer." Reuters

Google Fine

Google has been hit with a third EU antitrust fine, totaling $1.69 billion, this time relating to the terms it imposed for a decade on Adsense for Business users. Meanwhile, Google is trying to appease EU antitrust authorities by giving Android users in the bloc an explicit choice about which browser and search engine to use. This relates to behavior that earned Google one of its previous fines. Fortune

FAA Chief

The Federal Aviation Administration may finally have a chief for the first time in about a year, after President Trump nominated former Delta flight operations boss Stephen Dickson. The president previously considered his personal pilot for the post, according to reports. If confirmed by the Senate, Dickson would join the FAA at a time when the agency is under serious fire over its vetting of Boeing's grounded 737 Max planes. Fortune

VW CEO

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is in a very precarious position after he told managers last week that "EBIT macht frei," or "profits will set you free" auf Englisch. The phrasing seemed to be a play on "Arbeit [work] macht frei," the cynical words that adorned the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Nazi jokes really don't go down well in Germany, and investors are now seriously questioning Diess's future. Financial Times

Fox Cuts

Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets is now completed, and thousands of jobs are likely to go in order to achieve the $2 billion in cost savings that CEO Bob Iger has promised in order to make the company more competitive with Netflix. Bloomberg

German Takeovers

Germany's government reportedly wants to create a state-owned fund to foil takeovers of major companies by outsiders. China is a major factor here, having taken over companies such as robot-maker Kuka and tried to buy a stake in power grid operator 50Hertz. The new fund would acquire stakes alongside private investors, or so the plan goes. Reuters

Chinese Debt

Chinese companies last year made record defaults on their debts, and the defaults seem set to continue this year. What's to blame? Tight credit conditions and China's economic slowdown. DBS analysts: "The default wave is extending into 2019… Given the reduced risk appetite and huge maturing volume, the outlook is poor." CNBC

This edition of CEO Daily was edited by David Meyer. Find previous editions here, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters here.