☕ The new COVID strain, explained.

Good morning!

It is Elon Musk’s last official day at work at the White House - but he has certainly left his mark over just 129 days. We’re expecting to hear from Musk and President Trump in a final press conference from the Oval Office this afternoon.

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Some headlines from this morning:

A federal appeals court has temporarily reversed a decision to suspend Trump administration tariffs while it considers the case. The U.S. Court of International Trade had previously ruled to halt all tariffs imposed using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). However, appeals court judges told government lawyers that tariffs would remain in force during their review. President Trump condemned the original suspension as the "harshest financial ruling ever leveled on [the U.S.]" His allies criticized the three judges who invalidated the tariffs, calling them activists.

Hamas will reject the ceasefire deal proposed by the U.S. and accepted by Israel, saying it doesn't meet their core demands for ending the war. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff proposed Israel cease military operations in Gaza for 60 days and release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 10 live hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the deal on Thursday. Hamas said the proposal falls short of their requirement for a permanent end to hostilities.

Former New York City police commissioner Bernard B. Kerik has died at age 69 after a private battle with illness. Kerik was praised for coordinating the response to 9/11 alongside then-mayor Rudy Giuliani. Both men rushed to the Twin Towers immediately after they were struck and became trapped in debris in a nearby building. Kerik's later career was marked by controversy, including his resignation as Secretary of Homeland Security nominee one week after his appointment due to allegations of extramarital affairs, tax fraud, and corruption.

Texas 13-year-old Faizan Zaki has won the U.S. Scripps National Spelling Bee, correctly spelling "éclaircissement" — a French word meaning enlightenment or clarification. Zaki came close to winning last year but fell short in a spell-off, where the final two competitors were given 90 seconds to correctly spell as many words as possible. This year, he claimed the top prize.

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The ban will apply to areas including beaches, public parks, gardens, sports facilities, bus shelters, and around schools.

It will come into effect nationwide on 1 July.

The ban does not apply to vapes or outdoor cafes and bars.

The details

In an exclusive interview with French newspaper Ouest France, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said: “Where there are children, tobacco must disappear”.

The BBC reports breaking the rules will result in a €135 ($AU238) fine.

In 2023, 27% of French adults were smokers. For comparison, between 2022-2023, 11% of Americans aged 18 and above were classified as smokers.

Vautrin also plans to lower the nicotine level in vaping products and reduce the number of flavours available.

She added she isn’t ruling out a ban on smoking for people under 18, potentially following the UK, which has proposed making it illegal for those born after 2008 to ever buy cigarettes.

U.S. smoking

In the U.S., 28 of the 51 states have banned smoking in public places, including restaurants, workplaces, and bars.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, smoking kills 480,000 Americans every year and in 2018 cost the U.S. health system over $600 billion.

Data collected by the CDC shows smoking rates are higher among white people, men, people with lower incomes, and people aged between 45 and 64.

A decades-long study by Gallup has found that smoking rates have stabilized after decades of steady decreases since smoking was first linked to lung cancer in the 1950s.

The Gallup study shows that since reaching a historic high of 45% of all U.S. adults, smoking rates have not risen above 20% since 2015.

I’ve got 2 minutes

A new COVID-19 variant spreading rapidly in China has been detected in travelers entering the U.S.

The variant, known as NB.1.8.1, is now the most prevalent strain of the virus in China. The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring its global spread.

While the variant hasn't caused more severe symptoms, analysis shows it spreads more easily than previous strains. Cases in the U.S. remain minimal, so the CDC isn't yet tracking its spread domestically.

What are COVID-19 variants?

COVID-19 first reached the U.S. in late 2019, leading to nationwide lockdowns and over 1.2 million deaths.

Like all viruses, COVID-19 changes and mutates as it spreads. This creates new variants with different characteristics from earlier strains.

In 2021, the Omicron variant caused widespread concern because it spread more efficiently than the original COVID-19 strain. Although the original Omicron no longer exists, the CDC currently tracks many of its subvariants across the United States.

What we know about NB.1.8.1

NB.1.8.1 is a subvariant of Omicron.

It was first detected in late April, though its country of origin is unknown. As of May 18, the WHO was tracking over 500 cases across 22 countries.

Public health experts say the variant doesn't cause more severe disease, but warn its increased infectiousness could lead to more cases and potentially more serious complications.

How was it detected in the U.S?

The CDC runs a program that randomly screens incoming travelers for infectious diseases. The tests are voluntary.

All known U.S. cases of NB.1.8.1 were found through these screenings. The variant hasn't been detected elsewhere in the country.

Do vaccines still work?

Yes. Because NB.1.8.1 is part of the Omicron family, current COVID-19 vaccines still protect against severe disease.

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