QUOTE OF THE DAY

'Let those American "hillbillies" wail before the 5,000-year-old civilization of the Chinese nation.'

Xia Baolong, one of China's leading officials overseeing Hong Kong, condemning Trump's 145% tariffs on Chinese imports. The tariffs, which also apply to Hong Kong since Washington no longer considers it a separate trading entity, are "hegemonic and shameless in the extreme," he said.

The Explainer

Tobacco industry could benefit from federal cuts

The Trump administration has made drastic job cuts across several federal health agencies. Among those cuts are offices dedicated to preventing smoking and tobacco addiction. And without federal programs to stop tobacco use, addiction rates could climb and worsen the existing public health crisis.

Why are anti-tobacco initiatives at risk?
Amid the Trump administration's slashing of federal agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services took a massive hit. One of the casualties was the Office on Smoking and Health, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The office was responsible for "projects aimed at spotting trends in tobacco use and preventing it at the national and state levels," said Stat News. At this point, the OSH is "effectively shuttered."

The OSH cuts are the "greatest gift to the tobacco industry in the last half century," said Tim McAfee, the former head of the division, to Stat News. One of the greatest successes of the office was the "Tips from Former Smokers" ad campaign. A 2025 study found the program significantly increased the number of calls to tobacco quitlines between 2012 and 2023.

"If we take our foot off the gas, what do we think will happen?" a former OSH employee said to NBC News. "Tobacco use rates will increase among youth, and fewer adults will quit. Because of that, people will die." Several states' tobacco prevention programs are funded by the CDC, putting those initiatives at risk too.

What lies ahead?
Even with health agencies' efforts, cigarette smoking "remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death" in the U.S., said the CDC. It kills more than 480,000 Americans each year. Without federal support, experts worry that progress toward preventing smoking will not just stall but potentially reverse.

According to the CDC, the number of adults in the U.S. who exclusively smoked cigarettes decreased by 6.8 million between 2017 and 2023. However, approximately 7.2 million adults started exclusively using e-cigarettes instead.

The risk is especially high among youth and teenagers. "It's inexplicable and especially harmful that these cuts are coming at a time when the FDA should be redoubling its enforcement efforts against the many illegal flavored e-cigarette products," said Yolonda C. Richardson, the president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement.

Statistic of the day

115%: The difference in mortality rates for Black infants compared to white infants, according to a Harvard University study. This marks a sharp increase from the 1950s, when the mortality rate for Black infants was 92% higher. For all other ages, the life expectancy discrepancy has improved, though Black adults still have an 18% higher mortality rate.

TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

How might tariffs affect the luxury goods market?

Despite the 90-day pause on most tariffs, 10% duties still remain, and this trade policy could have a whipsawing effect on Americans' ability to purchase offshore luxury goods. The prices of basic necessities have already bounced up and down, but the market for more high-priced items may also feel some pain. High-end clothing and luxury vehicles will likely be the most affected, especially if Trump reneges on his tariff pause.

What did the commentators say?
Fears surrounding Trump's tariffs are "dashing hopes" in the luxury industry that "wealthy Americans might help to pull it out of the biggest slump in years," said Reuters. Analysts now estimate that the global luxury market could fall by 2% in 2025. "European fashion and jewelry houses" like Louis Vuitton and Chanel had been "counting on sales growth from wealthy Americans to help offset weak demand in China."

While some of these brands are "expected to draw" on their "pricing power to shield profits from tariffs," investors are "worried that shoppers who can afford $10,000 leather handbags and gold bracelets could tighten their purse strings against a darkening economic backdrop," said Reuters. Understated luxury designs "typically sell better in a downturn when it becomes a no-no for people to flaunt their wealth," said The Wall Street Journal.

Tariffs could also be "putting America's love affair with European luxury car ownership under threat," said Business Insider. The prices of "luxury status symbols such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin" are "virtually guaranteed to rise," because even as Trump issued his 90-day pause, the "tariff on imported vehicles remains in effect."

What next?
Trump reenacting his tariffs could have drastic effects in the U.S. and globally. If the trade war "triggers a global slowdown, demand in other crucial markets will suffer," said the Journal.

While Trump has claimed tariffs will turbocharge American manufacturing, most companies say that "high costs will keep them from moving manufacturing back to the U.S.," according to a CNBC survey. Even if manufacturing does move back, 81% of the companies surveyed "expect automation to be favored over workers."

Good day 🐻

… for matchmaking. England's Paignton Zoo hopes the recent arrival of a second binturong, or bearcat, could "spark a romance between the two animals," said the BBC. The elusive mammals, which have an "unmistakable popcorn scent," face rising threats in the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia.

Bad day 🔦

… for unity. Politicians who exhibit "dark" personality traits contribute to increased polarization among citizens, according to a study recently published in the European Journal of Political Research. Politicians who scored high on the so-called Dark Triad — narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism — were associated with greater hostility toward political opponents among their followers.

Puzzles

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The Week recommends

Stellar only-at-night adventures

Noctourism, or nocturnal tourism, is about enjoying experiences after dark, when temperatures are cooler, crowds thin and new opportunities arise. Moonlight moments can include traditional options, like viewing the northern lights, or more adventurous moves, like the ones below.

Watch the fireflies in Okinawa, Japan
When the sun goes down, the magic begins in Okinawa. Half of Japan's 50 firefly species can be found here, and the Halekulani Okinawa hotel offers guests a chance to see them with its Discover the Island's Glow adventure. At sunset, a naturist guides participants through Yambaru National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and into a mangrove forest. The night ends with the guide playing soothing songs on a sanshin, a three-stringed instrument that originated in Okinawa.

Hunt for truffles in Piedmont, Italy
Truffle hunters in the know always set out at night, as "fungus-sniffing dogs have fewer distractions" and soil aeration makes the delicacy "more fragrant," said Vogue. Visitors can arrange an after-hours excursion through the Italian Truffle Hunting Association.

Go on a night safari in Zambia
Night safaris (pictured above) have a different feel than their daytime counterparts. After the sun sets, the excursion is about seeing and also "listening, which is a less appreciated part of the safari experience," Stephanie Vermillion, the author of "100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Adventures After Dark," said to the BBC. Zambia is filled with spaces to see "big cats, elephants and other remarkable creatures," including at Kafue, Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa national parks.

Poll watch

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Canadians consider the U.S. to be unfriendly or an enemy, according to a YouGov survey. This is up 14 points from February. The poll of 993 adults also found that 61% of Canadians are participating in boycotts of American companies, up 8 points from February.

INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Is paying to file your taxes a scam?'
Alex Falcone at Time
Paying for the "privilege of paying taxes is bonkers," says Alex Falcone. Americans "shouldn't have to pay a private company to complete legally mandated paperwork" and "shouldn't have to fill out paperwork at all. The government has most of the same information you have." The "stalwartly frugal among you might be among the small percentage of Americans who file for free." The "fact that the toll collectors allow some people to pass their gate for free is part of the scam."

'Magical thinking about a miracle mineral'
Zeynep Tufekci at The New York Times
If anti-fluoride bills pass, "what will occur is no mystery," says Zeynep Tufekci. More children's teeth "will rot, which will cause pain, social stigma, impaired development and lifelong health problems and raise the costs of their medical care." The "worst effects will fall on disadvantaged children, the kids who don't have access to frequent dentist visits." The effects of all this "will emerge slowly but surely, over many years, and persist long after this administration."

'Is the Supreme Court about to make police violence much worse?'
Robyn Nicole Sanders at Slate
The Constitution "does not arrive at the scene of the crime in time to stop the killing," says Robyn Nicole Sanders. But an "underexamined Supreme Court case, Barnes v. Felix," could "close the door on the postmortem reckoning, leaving the Constitution as a distant echo." It will "determine how the law defines accountability in the exercise of state power, whether the Constitution arrives at the scene of police violence to cradle the dying or wraps itself around the one who pulled the trigger."

WORD OF THE DAY

echinoderm

An animal classification that includes starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. Sunflower sea stars, a massive endangered type of echinoderm, recently started spawning spontaneously at an Alaska aquarium. It's a major step in recovering the species that's "key for maintaining healthy kelp forests," said the Los Angeles Times.

Military control of border lands could circumvent law