Tobacco had been cultivated and smoked by Native Americans for centuries before Christopher Columbus introduced it to Europe. Jane Pauley reports on how growing tobacco became America's first cash crop – and ingrained in the nation's culture for generations.

Tobacco, first cultivated and used by Native Americans, became a major economic force after its introduction to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Its cultivation sustained early British colonies such as Jamestown and played a role in funding the Revolutionary War, though it relied heavily on the labor of enslaved Africans. The invention of the cigarette rolling machine in the late 19th century made tobacco a mass-market product, and by the mid-20th century, nearly half of Americans smoked. However, landmark health reports in the 1960s and 1980s linked smoking to serious diseases and addiction, leading to a decline in smoking rates and increased social stigma. Today, tobacco farming and smoking have significantly decreased in the U.S., with many Americans turning to other habits, such as frequent phone use.

America's first cash crop

And now another chapter in the story of these United States. Tobacco had been cultivated and smoked by Native Americans for centuries. Introduced in Europe by none other than Christopher Columbus, tobacco eventually became a sensation. Profits from its sales would sustain Britain's fledgling colony at Jamestown and help fund the Revolutionary War. But growing tobacco is notoriously labor-intensive, and that labor was initially done mostly by enslaved Africans. In fact, until the invention of the cotton gin, most Africans brought to the New World worked on tobacco plantations. In 1881, a Virginian named James Bonsack patented the cigarette rolling machine, which helped turn tobacco into a mass-market consumer good. Tobacco companies shipped millions of packs of cigarettes to American G.I.s during both World War I and II. And by the 1950s, 45% of Americans smoked. It is the judgment of the committee that cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate. That began to change in 1964, when the Surgeon General released a landmark report linking smoking to cancer and heart disease. Two decades later, another report found that smoking was, in fact, addictive. Of course, in recent years, smoking, once considered glamorous, has become increasingly stigmatized and banned in places like restaurants, even on airplanes, where it used to be commonplace. I don't like to smoke when I'm out eating, enjoying myself. What about people that like to smoke when they're having a drink and eating? It's too bad for them. Today, the U.S. grows a fraction of the tobacco it did 75 years ago. Fewer Americans smoke, and we're living longer than ever. But in many ways, we've simply replaced one addiction with another. These days, rather than reaching for a smoke, a lot of us just reach for our phones instead.

International condemnation and pressure from allies have done nothing to stop Israel's plan to displace the people of northern Gaza. Israel on Saturday (August 16) said it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israeli military prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Anchorage

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Washington

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San Juan

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East Coast of the United States

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President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska for a high-stakes summit over ending the war in Ukraine. Nancy Cordes and Margaret Brennan have coverage and analysis.

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U.S. President Donald Trump indicated in an interview that he hoped to push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward a second meeting but acknowledged there was a chance Friday’s meeting would not succeed.

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London

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U.S. President Donald Trump said he would ask the Republican-controlled Congress to extend federal control of Washington's city police force beyond 30 days, escalating his campaign to exert presidential power over the nation's capital.

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Geneva

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America's NATO allies stood firmly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the face-to-face meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The European leaders showed a united front that there should be no peace deal without Ukraine's involvement.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must improve conditions for detainees at New York's 26 Federal Plaza, a judge ruled Tuesday.

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Breakdown