npr--2020-07-20--Gene Therapy Shows Promise For Hemophilia, But Could Be Most Expensive U.S. Drug Ever

Gene Therapy Shows Promise For Hemophilia , But Could Be Most Expensive U.S. Drug Ever Jack Grehan , who was born with hemophilia , used to inject himself every couple of days with a protein he needs for his blood to clot .
But not anymore .
`` It 's been absolutely brilliant and life-changing for me , '' says Grehan , 26 , of Billinge in North West England .
He received an experimental gene therapy in 2017 that , at least for now , has eliminated his need for regular injections .
`` I can just go about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Based on experiences like Grehan 's , the company that developed the therapy is seeking approval in Europe and the United States to start selling the first gene therapy for hemophilia .
That 's generating excitement among patients , patient advocates and doctors .
`` Not to have to worry about hemophilia any longer — I think it 's essentially transformational for many patients , '' says Dr. John Pasi of the Royal London Hospital and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry .
Pasi led the recently published study Grehan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautious .
`` This is really exciting , but also raises a lot of questions , '' says Meg Bradbury , director of research at the Hemophilia Federation of America , a patient advocacy group .
One of the biggest questions is the possible cost .
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. of San Rafael , Calif. , the company that developed the gene therapy , says the treatment could cost as much as $ 3 million per patient , which would make it the most expensive drug ever approved .
`` It 's just outrageous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies drug prices at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York .
Company officials defend the possible price , however .
It currently costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to treat each hemophilia patient .
The gene therapy would , researchers hope , be a one-time treatment that lasts a lifetime .
`` The context is this gigantically expensive disease to treat , '' says Jeff Ajer , BioMarin 's executive vice president and chief commercial officer .
`` It 's likely that our gene therapy would save a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions . ''
Hemophilia is a relatively rare condition .
Hemophilia A , the most common form of the disease , occurs in 1 of about every 5,000 boys .
( Though girls can be born with hemophilia , too , that 's much rarer . )
People born with the condition are missing a crucial protein that their blood needs to clot .
So doing things as simple as walking can cause dangerous bleeding in their joints that eventually can be crippling .
`` It was quite difficult , because I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Grehan says .
`` So walking around was becoming more and more troublesome . ''
Grehan has a severe form of hemophilia A , which causes a deficiency in a clotting protein called factor VIII .
`` It 's the microbleeds that just sort of wear your down — not even physically but mentally , '' Grehan says .
And Grehan knew that propensity to bleed could cause even more serious , possibly fatal , complications if the hemorrhage every happened in his brain or other parts of his body .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot worse situations , '' Grehan says .
`` I consider myself quite lucky in that respect . ''
Before anything like that happened to Grehan , he learned that doctors were testing the gene therapy .
`` When I first heard about the trial I thought it was unbelievable that we were in this situation — that this even existed , '' Grehan says .
So he volunteered three years ago to let doctors infuse trillions of neutralized viruses that had been genetically engineered to carry the healthy gene he needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of weeks , Grehan could stop injecting himself with the clotting protein that he had previously needed .
In fact , the treatment dramatically cut bleeding in all 13 of the patients who got the effective dose of gene therapy determined by the study Grehan was in .
`` I think it 's amazing data actually , '' Pasi says .
`` It 's been the Holy Grail for years to be able to treat hemophilia with a gene therapy treatment .
And maybe we 're beginning to see that that was n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a realistic option . ''
It 's the latest promising development for gene therapy , which has finally started producing effective treatments for a variety of diseases after decades of setbacks .
Several other experimental forms of gene therapy are also showing promise for hemophilia , including another type of the condition , known as hemophilia B .
So far , nearly 150 patients have been treated with BioMarin 's gene therapy as part of a larger study , and the results continue to be encouraging , according to the company .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as three years .
`` For a good fraction of these people , they do n't have to even think about having hemophilia anymore , '' says Henry Fuchs , president of research and development at BioMarin .
The Food and Drug Administration has designated the treatment a `` breakthrough '' therapy and accepted the company 's application to give the gene therapy priority status for evaluation , representatives of BioMarin say .
That makes it the first gene therapy for hemophilia the agency has agreed to consider .
According to the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make its decision by Aug. 21 about whether to approve the treatment for sale .
Longer studies will be need to determine if the treatment is , in fact , a one-time , therapy for lifelong effect , experts say .
`` It seems to be working very well , but we are only at three years , '' says Dr. W. Keith Hoots , director of the division of blood diseases and resources at the National Heart , Lung and Blood Institute .
`` We need to know for sure whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And only time will tell for that . ''
Nevertheless , Bach agrees the treatment appears very promising .
Still , he questions the price tag , which would be just the latest in what appears to be an ongoing rise in the cost of the new wave of genetic therapies .
`` The clinical breakthrough is prodigious .
We should be thrilled by it , '' Bach says .
`` But the greatest innovation by the pharmaceutical industry is not the biologic breakthroughs they 're making , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from society that we could put into other things — like better benefits in Medicare , lower out-of-pocket costs for poor people , dental coverage and things like that . ''
The prices of the drugs already used to treat hemophilia are inflated , Bach argues .
Bradbury , from the Hemophilia Federation of America , agrees cost is a concern .
`` We need to make sure all those who are eligible would have access to it , '' Bradbury says .
Ajer says the company has already been negotiating with insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs .
`` Our work is not done here , but my expectation is that most of the patients who need access to therapy would be able to get it , in not a terribly long time , through their insurance system , '' Ajer says .
As someone who has had to deal with hemophilia all his life , Grehan thinks the price is reasonable .
`` I think $ 3 million for this is very cheap — because it is life-changing , '' Grehan says .
`` And if you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars a year over a lifetime , that seems worth it to me . ''

Gene Therapy Shows Promise For Hemophilia, But Could Be Most Expensive U.S. Drug Ever
Enlarge this image toggle caption Maciej Frolow/Getty Images Maciej Frolow/Getty Images
Jack Grehan, who was born with hemophilia, used to inject himself every couple of days with a protein he needs for his blood to clot. But not anymore.
"It's been absolutely brilliant and life-changing for me," says Grehan, 26, of Billinge in North West England. He received an experimental gene therapy in 2017 that, at least for now, has eliminated his need for regular injections. "I can just go about my day and not have to worry."
Based on experiences like Grehan's, the company that developed the therapy is seeking approval in Europe and the United States to start selling the first gene therapy for hemophilia. That's generating excitement among patients, patient advocates and doctors.
"Not to have to worry about hemophilia any longer — I think it's essentially transformational for many patients," says Dr. John Pasi of the Royal London Hospital and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Pasi led the recently published study Grehan took part in.
toggle caption Jack Grehan
Others are more cautious.
"This is really exciting, but also raises a lot of questions," says Meg Bradbury, director of research at the Hemophilia Federation of America, a patient advocacy group.
One of the biggest questions is the possible cost. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., the company that developed the gene therapy, says the treatment could cost as much as $3 million per patient, which would make it the most expensive drug ever approved.
"It's just outrageous," says Peter Bach, who studies drug prices at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Company officials defend the possible price, however. It currently costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to treat each hemophilia patient. The gene therapy would, researchers hope, be a one-time treatment that lasts a lifetime.
"The context is this gigantically expensive disease to treat," says Jeff Ajer, BioMarin's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "It's likely that our gene therapy would save a lot of money — millions, perhaps many millions."
Hemophilia is a relatively rare condition. Hemophilia A, the most common form of the disease, occurs in 1 of about every 5,000 boys. (Though girls can be born with hemophilia, too, that's much rarer.) People born with the condition are missing a crucial protein that their blood needs to clot. So doing things as simple as walking can cause dangerous bleeding in their joints that eventually can be crippling.
"It was quite difficult, because I was always getting these bleeds in the ankles," Grehan says. "So walking around was becoming more and more troublesome."
Grehan has a severe form of hemophilia A, which causes a deficiency in a clotting protein called factor VIII.
"It's the microbleeds that just sort of wear your down — not even physically but mentally," Grehan says.
And Grehan knew that propensity to bleed could cause even more serious, possibly fatal, complications if the hemorrhage every happened in his brain or other parts of his body.
"Internally, there could have been a lot worse situations," Grehan says. "I consider myself quite lucky in that respect."
Before anything like that happened to Grehan, he learned that doctors were testing the gene therapy.
"When I first heard about the trial I thought it was unbelievable that we were in this situation — that this even existed," Grehan says.
So he volunteered three years ago to let doctors infuse trillions of neutralized viruses that had been genetically engineered to carry the healthy gene he needed into his liver.
Within a couple of weeks, Grehan could stop injecting himself with the clotting protein that he had previously needed.
In fact, the treatment dramatically cut bleeding in all 13 of the patients who got the effective dose of gene therapy determined by the study Grehan was in.
"I think it's amazing data actually," Pasi says. "It's been the Holy Grail for years to be able to treat hemophilia with a gene therapy treatment. And maybe we're beginning to see that that wasn't a pipe dream — that this is a realistic option."
It's the latest promising development for gene therapy, which has finally started producing effective treatments for a variety of diseases after decades of setbacks.
Several other experimental forms of gene therapy are also showing promise for hemophilia, including another type of the condition, known as hemophilia B.
So far, nearly 150 patients have been treated with BioMarin's gene therapy as part of a larger study, and the results continue to be encouraging, according to the company. Some patients having been followed for as long as four years.
"For a good fraction of these people, they don't have to even think about having hemophilia anymore," says Henry Fuchs, president of research and development at BioMarin.
The Food and Drug Administration has designated the treatment a "breakthrough" therapy and accepted the company's application to give the gene therapy priority status for evaluation, representatives of BioMarin say. That makes it the first gene therapy for hemophilia the agency has agreed to consider.
According to the company, the FDA has signaled it will make its decision by Aug. 21 about whether to approve the treatment for sale.
Longer studies will be need to determine if the treatment is, in fact, a one-time, therapy for lifelong effect, experts say.
"It seems to be working very well, but we are only at three years," says Dr. W. Keith Hoots, director of the division of blood diseases and resources at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. "We need to know for sure whether it will extend for their entire life. And only time will tell for that."
Nevertheless, Bach agrees the treatment appears very promising. Still, he questions the price tag, which would be just the latest in what appears to be an ongoing rise in the cost of the new wave of genetic therapies.
"The clinical breakthrough is prodigious. We should be thrilled by it," Bach says.
"But the greatest innovation by the pharmaceutical industry is not the biologic breakthroughs they're making," he says. "It's their ability to extract money from society that we could put into other things — like better benefits in Medicare, lower out-of-pocket costs for poor people, dental coverage and things like that."
The prices of the drugs already used to treat hemophilia are inflated, Bach argues.
Bradbury, from the Hemophilia Federation of America, agrees cost is a concern.
"We need to make sure all those who are eligible would have access to it," Bradbury says.
Ajer says the company has already been negotiating with insurance companies and government programs to cover the costs.
"Our work is not done here, but my expectation is that most of the patients who need access to therapy would be able to get it, in not a terribly long time, through their insurance system," Ajer says.
As someone who has had to deal with hemophilia all his life, Grehan thinks the price is reasonable.
"I think $3 million for this is very cheap — because it is life-changing," Grehan says. "And if you're going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year over a lifetime, that seems worth it to me."


npr--2020-07-20--UAE Joins Growing List Of Nations That Have Sent Spacecraft To Mars

UAE Joins Growing List Of Nations That Have Sent Spacecraft To Mars It seems everyone is interested in Mars these days .
For decades , sending probes to the red planet was the exclusive purview of the United States and the Soviet Union , and later Russia .
But in 1998 , Japan made an attempt , which ended in failure , followed by the European Space Agency , then China ( also unsuccessful ) in 2011 , and two years later , India .
Now , the United Arab Emirates has sent one , too : an orbiter named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first interplanetary space shot .
`` The UAE is now a member of the club and we will learn more and we will engage more and we 'll continue developing our space exploration program , '' UAE Space Agency chief Mohammed Al Ahbabi told a joint online news conference at Japan 's Tanegashima Space Center , where the $ 200 million mission lifted off at 5:58 p.m .
ET Sunday , riding a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket after nearly a week of weather delays .
Approximately an hour after launch , Hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , separated from its housing and deployed its solar panels .
It will spend the next seven months on its journey to Mars .
`` Years of hard work and dedication have paid off in a big way , '' UAE 's ambassador to the U.S. , Yousef Al Otaiba , said shortly after the launch during a virtual watch party .
`` This is a huge accomplishment , but it 's just the beginning . ''
Al Otaiba said the liftoff `` made me feel immense pride . ''
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet should go around feeling proud of what his country has managed to accomplish today , '' he said .
The UAE hopes the mission will spur the oil-rich country 's science and technology .
The orbital probe is designed to gather comprehensive data about the thin atmosphere of Mars .
`` The purpose was not only to get to Mars by 2021 and have valid scientific data coming out of the mission that is unique in nature and no other mission has captured before , '' Sarah Al Amiri , deputy project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mars Mission , said earlier .
`` But more importantly , it was about developing the capabilities and capacity of engineers in the country . ''
If it succeeds , Hope will be a technological triumph for the UAE .
If it fails , however , it will at least be in good company .
Half of the nearly 60 spacecraft sent to Mars since 1960 have been failures – either complete losses , or `` partial failures . ''
As NPR 's Joe Palca reported last week , China and the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missions this month or early next .
Hope should reach Mars in February – in time to mark the 50th anniversary of UAE independence .

UAE Joins Growing List Of Nations That Have Sent Spacecraft To Mars
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jon Gambrell/AP Jon Gambrell/AP
It seems everyone is interested in Mars these days.
For decades, sending probes to the red planet was the exclusive purview of the United States and the Soviet Union, and later Russia. But in 1998, Japan made an attempt, which ended in failure, followed by the European Space Agency, then China (also unsuccessful) in 2011, and two years later, India.
Now, the United Arab Emirates has sent one, too: an orbiter named Hope. It's the country's first interplanetary space shot.
"The UAE is now a member of the club and we will learn more and we will engage more and we'll continue developing our space exploration program," UAE Space Agency chief Mohammed Al Ahbabi told a joint online news conference at Japan's Tanegashima Space Center, where the $200 million mission lifted off at 5:58 p.m. ET Sunday, riding a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket after nearly a week of weather delays.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/AP Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/AP
Approximately an hour after launch, Hope, or "Amal" in Arabic, separated from its housing and deployed its solar panels. It will spend the next seven months on its journey to Mars.
"Years of hard work and dedication have paid off in a big way," UAE's ambassador to the U.S., Yousef Al Otaiba, said shortly after the launch during a virtual watch party. "This is a huge accomplishment, but it's just the beginning."
Al Otaiba said the liftoff "made me feel immense pride."
"I think every Emirati on the face of the planet should go around feeling proud of what his country has managed to accomplish today," he said.
The UAE hopes the mission will spur the oil-rich country's science and technology.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
The orbital probe is designed to gather comprehensive data about the thin atmosphere of Mars.
"The purpose was not only to get to Mars by 2021 and have valid scientific data coming out of the mission that is unique in nature and no other mission has captured before," Sarah Al Amiri, deputy project manager and science lead for the Emirates Mars Mission, said earlier. "But more importantly, it was about developing the capabilities and capacity of engineers in the country."
If it succeeds, Hope will be a technological triumph for the UAE. If it fails, however, it will at least be in good company. Half of the nearly 60 spacecraft sent to Mars since 1960 have been failures – either complete losses, or "partial failures."
As NPR's Joe Palca reported last week, China and the U.S. are also expected to launch new Mars missions this month or early next.
Hope should reach Mars in February – in time to mark the 50th anniversary of UAE independence.


npr--2020-07-20--Breaking Into The Close-Knit World Of Country Music, While Keeping Distant

Breaking Into The Close-Knit World Of Country Music , While Keeping Distant The early experiments in COVID-19-era concerts have been watched closely , because the stakes are clearly high on both sides of the coin : the possibility of salvaging lost musical livelihoods has to be balanced against any potential exposure risks for all involved .
So far , country acts seem to have outpaced those in other genres when it comes to experimenting with live show layouts , from those that separate pods of attendees in vehicles or outdoor suites to those that let audience members cram in shoulder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , old , pre-pandemic days .
But concerts are n't the only career-furthering events that the Nashville industry has been going without .
Another type of gathering routinely happens out of public view , its function to promote new acts and new music to industry gatekeepers , tastemakers and professional peers .
Often , a small bar or venue will be rented out for these boozy , schmoozy shindigs .
It 's about getting face time , as opposed to FaceTime , so artists will work the room making friendly conversation .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're likely to have a publicist by their side providing guidance and making introductions.Of course , lockdown brought those rituals to a halt too , but attempts to safely ( and resourcefully ) replace them have begun .
Country success tends to require staunch participation in the Nashville community .
That 's one of the many reasons that Lil Nas X 's winking , cowboy-burlesquing , hip-hop virality seemed so out of step with country music 's establishment , at least initially — he pulled it off without them .
Today 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of once geographically , culturally and stylistically disparate and distinct threads being woven into a consolidated , popular ( and artificially whitewashed ) format , with its business and creative infrastructure and towering historical narrative staunchly headquartered in Nashville .
It 's not easy to launch and sustain a recording and touring career in this world without winning over some of its major players , securing the approval , opportunities , institutional support and media coverage they have to give .
Performing know-how matters , but so does being eager and personable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do serve a real purpose : The albums that were released rather than postponed just after the nation went into quarantine — which included established names at pivotal points in their careers , like Ashley McBryde , Sam Hunt , Kelsea Ballerini and Maddie & Tae , and promising country-pop newbie Ingrid Andress — likely forfeited some of the recognition they might have gotten if plans to promote them in person had n't been canceled out of necessity .
It 's no wonder that record label , management and publicity staff are seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the release of the debut country single by Shy Carter — a biracial , Memphis-bred , singer-rapper who had a decade of pop-R & B , hip-hop and country songwriting credits and guest spots under his belt , but was new to the Warner Nashville roster — a label rep emailed with the offer of an `` At-Home Artist Visit . ''
The proposed scenario involved Carter giving some sort of brief performance on a flatbed truck that would be parked in front of my residence .
I was too curious , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the act it was meant to introduce , to decline .
As it turned out , what rolled up in front of my house around lunchtime that Friday was n't an industrial hauler at all — just a shiny , silver pickup .
A guy who identified himself as Carter 's brother hopped out the passenger side first , followed by Carter himself , both of them extending greetings .
I asked Carter how many stops he 'd already covered on his mini-tour that day .
This was only his second , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the visit .
The driver walked to the back of the truck , lowered the tailgate and slid a small portable PA onto it , while Carter 's sole live accompanist swung his legs over the side of the truck bed and perched there , balancing an acoustic guitar on his lap .
The remaining two members of the entourage , one of them a publicist , emerged from a second vehicle , keeping a respectable distance on the sidewalk .
A few neighbors walked over and spread out in the yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fabric face masks , but Carter removed his to sing into a microphone , revealing a luminous smile .
He was a seasoned and charismatic enough entertainer to seem entirely unfazed by the awkwardness of serenading me from my sidewalk .
He started off with the single `` Good Love , '' a tune whose broad , breezy optimism could be heard as social or romantic .
Over the backing track 's beat and the guitarist 's strumming , Carter applied suavely understated syncopation to his vocal cadence , bobbing as he sang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before launching into his second and final selection , a rendition of Charlie Puth 's wispy , 2015 pop hit `` One Call Away , '' which Carter had co-written , and now took in an appealing , southern-soul direction .
He waved his arms and held his mic in the air during the next-to-last refrain , encouraging crowd participation .
When he reached the final line , he sang , `` I 'm only one , '' then interrupted himself to playfully interject `` if you want me to come do a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finished `` call away '' with a short vocal run .
There was more beatboxing , and an invitation to everyone present to dance along .
Then the mobile busking session was over .
Carter chatted amiably with me across the grass while his crew packed up , and I let him know I appreciated the work-day diversion .
Before getting back in her car , his publicist reminded me to be on the lookout for the single .
As industry-facilitated first impressions go , it was downright effective .
I detected a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debut album from Gabby Barrett .
Hailing from a Pittsburgh suburb , Barrett is one of the very few new , female acts to crack the code of country radio programming practices that have long been demonstrably biased against women .
Her first single , `` I Hope , '' a satisfyingly simmering emotional revenge fantasy , scaled Billboard 's Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts in April on the strength of its streaming and airplay numbers , and her label , the same one as Carter 's , considered her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ singer , she could be sultry or commanding and athletic , capable of occasionally flying up to a Mariah Carey-style whistle register , and was schooled on the big , bold-faced gestures of gospel , R & B and country-pop .
The momentum Barrett had already built was too precious to squander .
To that end , I was invited to take part in a weekday afternoon , small-group Zoom session the week her album , Goldmine , dropped .
In the days leading up to the virtual function , two mysterious boxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I 'm told , contained an Amazon Echo Studio smart speaker , part of a cross-promotional initiative ( it stayed in the box and was returned unused ) .
The second package was n't to be opened until we were all video conferencing with Barrett ; this would be a Q & A with interactive props .
Cris Lacy , the Warner A & R executive serving as moderator , offered a bit of clarification .
`` I do wan na let you know that everything in the box was selected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for the champagne . ''
Having turned 20 just a few months before , Barrett was n't yet of sparkling wine-selecting age .
In front of a small audience of institutional and media gatekeepers who 'd logged on from far-flung locations , Lacy emphasized her belief in Barrett and prompted the young singer to talk about a variety of topics , all of them indicating her readiness for the Nashville spotlight .
Obligingly , Barrett described her early performing start and the decade of experience she 'd already accumulated , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading reveals she was one of the few white voices in a predominately Black church ensemble ) , a precocious regional entertainer tackling wide-ranging covers with backing tracks and a 2018 American Idol finalist who drew comparisons to Carrie Underwood .
Even after that television exposure , Barrett let us know she had to continue to hustle on tour and make inroads working with recognized Music Row writers and producers before landing her record deal .
She expressed gratitude for the ways the industry had welcomed her already .
Lacy sought to highlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how she pulled off a last-minute vocal fix for her album during quarantine by singing into her phone and zeroed in on subtleties that no one else heard during the mixing process .
Lacy marveled that Barrett chose to rewrite a song that had long been in her live repertoire , `` Jesus & My Mama , '' so that the version on her album would better reflect her spiritual commitment .
Now it was time for us to rummage around in our boxes of trinkets ( all in shiny gold wrapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme ) and locate the pendant with two tiny , entwined hoops — a sort of Venn diagram of faith and family — that corresponded with the tune .
When the topic shifted to her hit `` I Hope , '' we could see her holding up a small , rectangular item on screen .
`` I went with a matchbox just because the song 's a very fiery song and it just gives off that flame-red vibe , '' she explained .
There was a blue tea light to go with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featuring Charlie Puth , a Bible for `` Got Me , '' a devotional ballad featuring the acoustic worship duo Shane & Shane , and a little tin emblazoned with horses and containing vanilla fudge for her current single , `` The Good Ones , '' in tribute to the steadiness of her Texan husband , Cade Foehner .
We participants played along , searching for the right items on cue and , when it was our turn , chiming in with questions of our own .
Several people warmly congratulated Barrett on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put a sociable gloss on a promotional exchange .
New release events are considered important rituals even for established acts — like Kip Moore , a heartland rocker whose reputation evolved from radio hit-making to making an earnest display of seeking meaning on his increasingly self-sufficient song cycles .
Moore 's fourth album , Wild World , was coming out , so he and his team planned one of the industry 's few in-person gatherings in recent memory .
Not at a Nashville spot , but a small-town drive-in movie theater 45 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in advance , along with logistical information that showed they 'd put a lot of thought into how to minimize contact .
( Moore also had a public show booked for a shuttered prison-turned-venue in August , but when photos circulated of a mask-less , packed-in crowd watching Chase Rice play the place in June , Moore 's date was canceled . )
The biggest barrier to the release event was simply getting to the theater .
The drive was roughly half interstate and half two-lane country road , passing a few strip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cow pastures .
We were instructed to tune our radios to the theater 's frequency of 87.9 , to hear Moore 's latest playing on repeat , and drive toward a pop-up tent where we could open our trunks and let gloved , masked staffers place sanitized bags of merch ( a Moore bandana and CD ) and snacks ( bottled water , popcorn and Twizzlers ) inside , without contact .
After parking in neat rows between wooden posts , we were encouraged to stay in our vehicles .
Bathroom access was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most attendees complied , although a few congregated to chat .
At least one put the bandana — emblazoned with `` Shoulda been an OUTLAW , '' a big-talking line from the song `` Southpaw '' — to immediate use as a face covering .
Two women who arrived together spread a towel on the roof of their small SUV and climbed up for an elevated view of the show .
The screening of Moore 's short documentary was to start as soon as the sun went down .
To add a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , satellite radio personality Storme Warren and Moore served as emcees .
They perched on stools on a small stage set up behind the cars , the camera aimed at them beaming its feed onto the screen .
Moore explained that he 'd had to scrap his initial plans to shoot a musical travelogue and instead get most of the footage during his first week quarantining at the rock climbers ' lodge he and friend built in Kentucky 's Red River Gorge .
`` If your car stereo sucks , this is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he quipped , acknowledging that the arrangement did n't allow the level of hobnobbing access that such a shindig ordinarily would .
`` I do n't know if you 're smiling in your cars right now , but I hope y'all love this . ''
The movie was full of bucolic scenery .
Sitting on his porch one misty morning , Moore mused about his introverted contentment with isolation : `` I could sit in this rocking chair and drink coffee and read books all day . ''
Then he was in motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car or on a skateboard , scaling rugged rock faces with a couple of close friends .
A shot of him shirtless elicited an appreciative shout from the occupant of a nearby vehicle .
Songs that received the wiry , full-band treatment on Moore 's album were rendered as acoustic ruminations in the film .
At its emotional center was one , titled `` Payin ' Hard , '' that he sang in raspy , rapt a capella , sat next to a fire : `` My life 's a credit card , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm payin ' hard . ''
He paused before continuing his stoic consideration of actions ' consequences : `` I 'll live with that , sleep with that , and I 'll make my peace and die with that , yeah . ''
The audience clapped and honked at the end of the documentary , and Moore and Warren returned to the screen .
`` Do you recognize that sound ? ''
Warren asked his interviewee with feigned amazement .
`` It 's called applause . ''
During their conversation , Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restless , soul-searching type .
`` I think I 'm understanding myself more now than I ever have , '' he declared .
It was also a chance for him to reframe the music he 'd written and recorded for Wild World .
That work happened long before lockdown , but he looked at it as preparation for this forced pause in professional activity , since he 'd already settled on the theme of `` finding the joy in simplicity . ''
The sentiment resonated , because so many of us had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But pulling off an event like that , one that broke from tried-and-true templates , did n't seem simple at all .

Breaking Into The Close-Knit World Of Country Music, While Keeping Distant
Enlarge this image toggle caption Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images
The early experiments in COVID-19-era concerts have been watched closely, because the stakes are clearly high on both sides of the coin: the possibility of salvaging lost musical livelihoods has to be balanced against any potential exposure risks for all involved. So far, country acts seem to have outpaced those in other genres when it comes to experimenting with live show layouts, from those that separate pods of attendees in vehicles or outdoor suites to those that let audience members cram in shoulder to shoulder, just like the good, old, pre-pandemic days.
But concerts aren't the only career-furthering events that the Nashville industry has been going without. Another type of gathering routinely happens out of public view, its function to promote new acts and new music to industry gatekeepers, tastemakers and professional peers. Often, a small bar or venue will be rented out for these boozy, schmoozy shindigs. It's about getting face time, as opposed to FaceTime, so artists will work the room making friendly conversation. If they're new to the game, they're likely to have a publicist by their side providing guidance and making introductions.Of course, lockdown brought those rituals to a halt too, but attempts to safely (and resourcefully) replace them have begun.
Country success tends to require staunch participation in the Nashville community. That's one of the many reasons that Lil Nas X's winking, cowboy-burlesquing, hip-hop virality seemed so out of step with country music's establishment, at least initially — he pulled it off without them.
Today's centralized country music industry is the result of once geographically, culturally and stylistically disparate and distinct threads being woven into a consolidated, popular (and artificially whitewashed) format, with its business and creative infrastructure and towering historical narrative staunchly headquartered in Nashville. It's not easy to launch and sustain a recording and touring career in this world without winning over some of its major players, securing the approval, opportunities, institutional support and media coverage they have to give. Performing know-how matters, but so does being eager and personable.
So the events where up-close access happens do serve a real purpose: The albums that were released rather than postponed just after the nation went into quarantine — which included established names at pivotal points in their careers, like Ashley McBryde, Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini and Maddie & Tae, and promising country-pop newbie Ingrid Andress — likely forfeited some of the recognition they might have gotten if plans to promote them in person hadn't been canceled out of necessity. It's no wonder that record label, management and publicity staff are seeking innovative stopgaps.
Just over a week before the release of the debut country single by Shy Carter — a biracial, Memphis-bred, singer-rapper who had a decade of pop-R&B, hip-hop and country songwriting credits and guest spots under his belt, but was new to the Warner Nashville roster — a label rep emailed with the offer of an "At-Home Artist Visit." The proposed scenario involved Carter giving some sort of brief performance on a flatbed truck that would be parked in front of my residence. I was too curious, about both the extravagance of the scheme and the act it was meant to introduce, to decline.
As it turned out, what rolled up in front of my house around lunchtime that Friday wasn't an industrial hauler at all — just a shiny, silver pickup.
A guy who identified himself as Carter's brother hopped out the passenger side first, followed by Carter himself, both of them extending greetings. I asked Carter how many stops he'd already covered on his mini-tour that day. This was only his second, he reported brightly, implying the specialness of the visit.
The driver walked to the back of the truck, lowered the tailgate and slid a small portable PA onto it, while Carter's sole live accompanist swung his legs over the side of the truck bed and perched there, balancing an acoustic guitar on his lap. The remaining two members of the entourage, one of them a publicist, emerged from a second vehicle, keeping a respectable distance on the sidewalk. A few neighbors walked over and spread out in the yard to watch.
We were all wearing fabric face masks, but Carter removed his to sing into a microphone, revealing a luminous smile. He was a seasoned and charismatic enough entertainer to seem entirely unfazed by the awkwardness of serenading me from my sidewalk.
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He started off with the single "Good Love," a tune whose broad, breezy optimism could be heard as social or romantic. Over the backing track's beat and the guitarist's strumming, Carter applied suavely understated syncopation to his vocal cadence, bobbing as he sang. He did a playful beatboxing interlude before launching into his second and final selection, a rendition of Charlie Puth's wispy, 2015 pop hit "One Call Away," which Carter had co-written, and now took in an appealing, southern-soul direction. He waved his arms and held his mic in the air during the next-to-last refrain, encouraging crowd participation. When he reached the final line, he sang, "I'm only one," then interrupted himself to playfully interject "if you want me to come do a show at your porch," and finished "call away" with a short vocal run.
There was more beatboxing, and an invitation to everyone present to dance along. Then the mobile busking session was over. Carter chatted amiably with me across the grass while his crew packed up, and I let him know I appreciated the work-day diversion. Before getting back in her car, his publicist reminded me to be on the lookout for the single. As industry-facilitated first impressions go, it was downright effective.
I detected a bit more urgency to the rollout of the debut album from Gabby Barrett. Hailing from a Pittsburgh suburb, Barrett is one of the very few new, female acts to crack the code of country radio programming practices that have long been demonstrably biased against women. Her first single, "I Hope," a satisfyingly simmering emotional revenge fantasy, scaled Billboard's Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts in April on the strength of its streaming and airplay numbers, and her label, the same one as Carter's, considered her a real commercial contender. As a singer, she could be sultry or commanding and athletic, capable of occasionally flying up to a Mariah Carey-style whistle register, and was schooled on the big, bold-faced gestures of gospel, R&B and country-pop. The momentum Barrett had already built was too precious to squander.
To that end, I was invited to take part in a weekday afternoon, small-group Zoom session the week her album, Goldmine, dropped. In the days leading up to the virtual function, two mysterious boxes arrived at my house. The first, I'm told, contained an Amazon Echo Studio smart speaker, part of a cross-promotional initiative (it stayed in the box and was returned unused). The second package wasn't to be opened until we were all video conferencing with Barrett; this would be a Q&A with interactive props.
Cris Lacy, the Warner A&R executive serving as moderator, offered a bit of clarification. "I do wanna let you know that everything in the box was selected by Gabby," she said, "except for the champagne." Having turned 20 just a few months before, Barrett wasn't yet of sparkling wine-selecting age.
In front of a small audience of institutional and media gatekeepers who'd logged on from far-flung locations, Lacy emphasized her belief in Barrett and prompted the young singer to talk about a variety of topics, all of them indicating her readiness for the Nashville spotlight. Obligingly, Barrett described her early performing start and the decade of experience she'd already accumulated, as a soloist in a gospel choir (further reading reveals she was one of the few white voices in a predominately Black church ensemble), a precocious regional entertainer tackling wide-ranging covers with backing tracks and a 2018 American Idol finalist who drew comparisons to Carrie Underwood. Even after that television exposure, Barrett let us know she had to continue to hustle on tour and make inroads working with recognized Music Row writers and producers before landing her record deal. She expressed gratitude for the ways the industry had welcomed her already.
Lacy sought to highlight Barrett's perfectionistic drive, asking her about how she pulled off a last-minute vocal fix for her album during quarantine by singing into her phone and zeroed in on subtleties that no one else heard during the mixing process. Lacy marveled that Barrett chose to rewrite a song that had long been in her live repertoire, "Jesus & My Mama," so that the version on her album would better reflect her spiritual commitment.
Now it was time for us to rummage around in our boxes of trinkets (all in shiny gold wrapping, in accordance with Barrett's color scheme) and locate the pendant with two tiny, entwined hoops — a sort of Venn diagram of faith and family — that corresponded with the tune. When the topic shifted to her hit "I Hope," we could see her holding up a small, rectangular item on screen. "I went with a matchbox just because the song's a very fiery song and it just gives off that flame-red vibe," she explained. There was a blue tea light to go with the remix of "I Hope," featuring Charlie Puth, a Bible for "Got Me," a devotional ballad featuring the acoustic worship duo Shane & Shane, and a little tin emblazoned with horses and containing vanilla fudge for her current single, "The Good Ones," in tribute to the steadiness of her Texan husband, Cade Foehner.
We participants played along, searching for the right items on cue and, when it was our turn, chiming in with questions of our own. Several people warmly congratulated Barrett on her album before signing off, helping put a sociable gloss on a promotional exchange.
New release events are considered important rituals even for established acts — like Kip Moore, a heartland rocker whose reputation evolved from radio hit-making to making an earnest display of seeking meaning on his increasingly self-sufficient song cycles. Moore's fourth album, Wild World, was coming out, so he and his team planned one of the industry's few in-person gatherings in recent memory. Not at a Nashville spot, but a small-town drive-in movie theater 45 minutes east. They sent a special ticket in advance, along with logistical information that showed they'd put a lot of thought into how to minimize contact. (Moore also had a public show booked for a shuttered prison-turned-venue in August, but when photos circulated of a mask-less, packed-in crowd watching Chase Rice play the place in June, Moore's date was canceled.) The biggest barrier to the release event was simply getting to the theater. The drive was roughly half interstate and half two-lane country road, passing a few strip malls that gave way to churches and cow pastures.
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We were instructed to tune our radios to the theater's frequency of 87.9, to hear Moore's latest playing on repeat, and drive toward a pop-up tent where we could open our trunks and let gloved, masked staffers place sanitized bags of merch (a Moore bandana and CD) and snacks (bottled water, popcorn and Twizzlers) inside, without contact. After parking in neat rows between wooden posts, we were encouraged to stay in our vehicles. Bathroom access was limited to one person at a time. Most attendees complied, although a few congregated to chat. At least one put the bandana — emblazoned with "Shoulda been an OUTLAW," a big-talking line from the song "Southpaw" — to immediate use as a face covering. Two women who arrived together spread a towel on the roof of their small SUV and climbed up for an elevated view of the show.
The screening of Moore's short documentary was to start as soon as the sun went down. To add a necessary live component and enable limited interaction, satellite radio personality Storme Warren and Moore served as emcees. They perched on stools on a small stage set up behind the cars, the camera aimed at them beaming its feed onto the screen.
Moore explained that he'd had to scrap his initial plans to shoot a musical travelogue and instead get most of the footage during his first week quarantining at the rock climbers' lodge he and friend built in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. "If your car stereo sucks, this is going to be a long night," he quipped, acknowledging that the arrangement didn't allow the level of hobnobbing access that such a shindig ordinarily would. "I don't know if you're smiling in your cars right now, but I hope y'all love this."
The movie was full of bucolic scenery. Sitting on his porch one misty morning, Moore mused about his introverted contentment with isolation: "I could sit in this rocking chair and drink coffee and read books all day." Then he was in motion, winding down country roads in a car or on a skateboard, scaling rugged rock faces with a couple of close friends. A shot of him shirtless elicited an appreciative shout from the occupant of a nearby vehicle.
Songs that received the wiry, full-band treatment on Moore's album were rendered as acoustic ruminations in the film. At its emotional center was one, titled "Payin' Hard," that he sang in raspy, rapt a capella, sat next to a fire: "My life's a credit card, play now, pay later, and I'm payin' hard."
He paused before continuing his stoic consideration of actions' consequences: "I'll live with that, sleep with that, and I'll make my peace and die with that, yeah."
The audience clapped and honked at the end of the documentary, and Moore and Warren returned to the screen. "Do you recognize that sound?" Warren asked his interviewee with feigned amazement. "It's called applause."
During their conversation, Moore reiterated his presentation of himself as a restless, soul-searching type. "I think I'm understanding myself more now than I ever have," he declared. It was also a chance for him to reframe the music he'd written and recorded for Wild World. That work happened long before lockdown, but he looked at it as preparation for this forced pause in professional activity, since he'd already settled on the theme of "finding the joy in simplicity."
The sentiment resonated, because so many of us had been trying to do the same thing. But pulling off an event like that, one that broke from tried-and-true templates, didn't seem simple at all.


npr--2020-07-20--The Republican National Committee Says It Has A Record $100 Million On Hand

The Republican National Committee Says It Has A Record $ 100 Million On Hand The Republican National Committee raised nearly $ 37 million in June , almost $ 10 million more than in each of the two months before , according to figures shared first with NPR .
The RNC says June 's haul leaves it with a record $ 100 million cash on hand .
`` This unprecedented support has allowed us to build the biggest and most sophisticated Party infrastructure in modern political history , which will be critical to victory up and down the ballot on November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement , while also praising President Trump .
Monday is the deadline for presidential campaigns and parties to file their detailed monthly campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission .
Already , they 've revealed many top-line numbers .
On July 1 , the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , announced that it , combined with the Democratic National Committee and affiliated committees , had outraised Trump , the RNC and affiliated committees in June and over the quarter .
Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to money in the bank .
As of June 30 , they had $ 295 million cash on hand .
But Biden 's team has been making up ground rapidly and ended June with a combined $ 242 million cash on hand , according to campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon .
The nearly $ 37 million that the RNC raised in June includes transfers from other committees .
How much was transferred wo n't be clear until the FEC report is filed later Monday .
The party raised $ 27 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A DNC spokesperson did n't release the organization 's numbers in advance of the filing , but on Sunday teased that its FEC report `` will show the DNC has blown past how much we raised at the same point in 2016 '' and that it just had its `` single best online fundraising quarter in the history of the organization . ''
The Trump campaign and the RNC are closing in on $ 1 billion raised this campaign cycle , an indication of just how expensive the 2020 fight for the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to be .
These numbers reflect a limited return of in-person fundraising for Trump and the RNC in June , after going more than two months without in-person events because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The fundraisers were relatively small , with 25 attendees each and safety protocols that included testing every attendee for the coronavirus .
And they raised a lot of money .
For a fundraiser at a private home in Dallas , each couple donated $ 580,600 to Trump Victory , a joint fundraising committee with the RNC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A fundraiser at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster , N.J. , brought in $ 250,000 per attendee .
What does all this money buy ?
The RNC and Trump 's campaign now boast an army of more than 1,500 paid field organizers and other staff members in targeted states .
The party is also investing heavily in legal battles with Democrats over voting laws .
And it is going to need the party infrastructure to turn out voters if current polling trends hold .
Trump is trailing Biden nationally and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Republican National Committee Says It Has A Record $100 Million On Hand
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
The Republican National Committee raised nearly $37 million in June, almost $10 million more than in each of the two months before, according to figures shared first with NPR.
The RNC says June's haul leaves it with a record $100 million cash on hand.
"This unprecedented support has allowed us to build the biggest and most sophisticated Party infrastructure in modern political history, which will be critical to victory up and down the ballot on November 3rd," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement, while also praising President Trump.
Monday is the deadline for presidential campaigns and parties to file their detailed monthly campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission. Already, they've revealed many top-line numbers.
On July 1, the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, announced that it, combined with the Democratic National Committee and affiliated committees, had outraised Trump, the RNC and affiliated committees in June and over the quarter.
Trump and the RNC still maintain an advantage when it comes to money in the bank. As of June 30, they had $295 million cash on hand. But Biden's team has been making up ground rapidly and ended June with a combined $242 million cash on hand, according to campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon.
The nearly $37 million that the RNC raised in June includes transfers from other committees. How much was transferred won't be clear until the FEC report is filed later Monday. The party raised $27 million apiece in April and in May.
A DNC spokesperson didn't release the organization's numbers in advance of the filing, but on Sunday teased that its FEC report "will show the DNC has blown past how much we raised at the same point in 2016" and that it just had its "single best online fundraising quarter in the history of the organization."
The Trump campaign and the RNC are closing in on $1 billion raised this campaign cycle, an indication of just how expensive the 2020 fight for the White House and control of Congress is shaping up to be.
These numbers reflect a limited return of in-person fundraising for Trump and the RNC in June, after going more than two months without in-person events because of the coronavirus pandemic. The fundraisers were relatively small, with 25 attendees each and safety protocols that included testing every attendee for the coronavirus. And they raised a lot of money. For a fundraiser at a private home in Dallas, each couple donated $580,600 to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee with the RNC, the Trump campaign and 22 state parties. A fundraiser at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., brought in $250,000 per attendee.
What does all this money buy? The RNC and Trump's campaign now boast an army of more than 1,500 paid field organizers and other staff members in targeted states. The party is also investing heavily in legal battles with Democrats over voting laws.
And it is going to need the party infrastructure to turn out voters if current polling trends hold. Trump is trailing Biden nationally and is behind in key swing states.


npr--2020-07-20--Lawmakers Are Far Apart On A New Coronavirus Relief Bill. Here Are 5 Sticking Points

Lawmakers Are Far Apart On A New Coronavirus Relief Bill .
Here Are 5 Sticking Points Congress returns from a summer recess Monday as many states experience spikes in confirmed coronavirus cases .
State governments face a precipitous drop in revenue , parents and teachers are debating how kids will return to school in the fall , and millions of unemployed workers face the prospect of their pandemic assistance running out at the end of the month .
But there have been zero negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the contours of what should be in another relief bill .
Pelosi pushed again last week for the $ 3 trillion HEROES Act the House passed more than two months ago .
But that bill , which was approved largely along party lines , was ignored by McConnell — and also met with a veto threat by the president .
McConnell insists he 's writing the next bill on his own and has indicated he 's looking at something significantly smaller — around $ 1 trillion .
Senate Democrats have n't heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source on a call with the Democratic caucus last week , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said he would only engage in talks if House Democrats were included .
McConnell is expected to unveil his proposal early this week , according to an aide familiar with the leader 's plans .
After discussions with Senate Republicans at a lunch on Tuesday , the bill could be rolled out if the GOP conference backs the blueprint .
He has repeatedly said no bill would pass without liability protection related to everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
`` Nobody should have to face an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of the pandemic we already have related to the coronavirus , '' McConnell said last week when visiting a health care facility in his home state .
President Trump agrees there needs to be more aid , and has repeatedly insisted that schools need to be back in person in the fall .
He was n't an active negotiator in talks on the previous packages , but last week , a White House spokesperson said the president is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is something he 's previously said he wanted but it has n't gained significant support from members of his own party or from Democrats , according to aides from both parties .
In a Fox News Sunday interview , Trump said he would consider vetoing a bill that did not have a payroll tax cut in it .
Pelosi dismisses GOP efforts to scale down a package from the ambitious plan the House passed .
`` If we do n't put money in the pockets of the American people with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be much worse , '' Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill last week .
Leaders from both parties maintain they want to approve a deal and send it to the president to sign before they head out for an August recess , which marks the final campaign push before the November elections .
Pelosi has said she will `` absolutely '' delay the start of recess in order to get something in place , but there are several major policy areas where both sides would need to move .
Here are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance benefits and added a $ 600-per-week benefit to help those impacted by the pandemic , but that boost in assistance expires on July 31 .
Both sides agree states will need more money to keep paying assistance , but the additional weekly payment is where Democrats and Republicans part ways .
McConnell argues that renewing that full payment is a disincentive for the jobless to return to work , because for many people , the combined benefits are more in weekly wages than they would receive if they go back to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the CARES Act in March in direct payments for Americans — $ 1,200 or less for individuals , depending on their income level .
Families received more — up to an income cap — and also were eligible for $ 500 per child .
Pelosi signaled Democrats could accept some amount lower than the $ 600 benefit if there were other provisions giving government aid , like another round of checks .
`` The whole package will depend on what we do also for direct payments , which are so essential , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at McConnell 's insistence that there is a red line that any new bill include legal protections for a broad array of businesses , hospitals , workers and K-12 schools and universities .
Instead , she argues that worker protections that Democrats added for Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations are the preferred way to address that .
`` That is their protection , '' she said .
`` It 's their best defense . ''
McConnell has been working with Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn , a former prosecutor , on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the White House last week .
According to the draft , obtained by NPR , the measure would include a temporary shield from lawsuits related to the pandemic from December 2019 through 2024 .
The House-passed bill provided roughly $ 1 trillion to state and local governments .
In recent weeks , many states have warned they are facing decisions about cuts to key services , as tax revenues have plummeted with many businesses closed or operating at reduced levels .
McConnell has acknowledged some state aid is needed , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and many Republican lawmakers say any new money has to be funneled for items directly related to the virus , not to paying down deficits in the states .
Pelosi and other Democrats warn that without more help , states will have to lay off first responders or cut education budgets , which are tight with new demands related to the coronavirus .
4 .
Help for schools to reopen McConnell shifted his emphasis in the last couple of weeks to note that the next package will not only need to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include help for schools .
The HEROES Act includes $ 100 billion to fortify school districts ' budgets as they work to buy personal protective equipment and other equipment and technology for remote learning , as needed .
Separately , Democrats included more money for schools in an infrastructure bill they approved recently .
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden rolled out his own proposal for what schools need , including an additional $ 30 billion .
But as coronavirus cases spike in some regions and schools reevaluate plans to bring students back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money should be conditioned on schools returning to full-time , in-person schedules .
The Paycheck Protection Program , which provided loans to small businesses , was one the most popular federal components of the $ 2 trillion CARES Act enacted in March .
The money went quickly , and Congress approved more for the program , but issues about transparency and some larger businesses getting the money raised concerns about how to structure any additional assistance .
5 other things to watch this week : 1 .
Trump 's plan for the suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , he 'd be `` discussing our one plan on suburbia , but that 's one of many , many different plans . ''
Trump has been pitching `` law and order '' and `` local '' control over zoning laws , and issuing dire warnings about what Democrats would do to `` our beautiful and successful suburbs '' as a way to try and scare and appeal to whites in the suburbs .
Why the focus on the suburbs ?
Consider that in 2016 Trump won the suburbs narrowly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting trounced by 25 points among voters there , according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll .
2 .
House hearing on COVID-19 vaccines : Also Tuesday , a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee holds a hearing on the efforts to develop coronavirus vaccines .
Witnesses include AstraZeneca Vice President Mene Pangalos , Johnson & Johnson Head of Clinical Development Macaya Douoguih and Moderna President Stephen Hoge .
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday on PBS NewsHour that he 's still `` cautiously optimistic '' that a vaccine will come online by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2021 .
3 .
Preparations for the 2020 election : On Wednesday , the Senate Rules and Administration Committee holds a hearing about preparations states are taking for the 2020 elections .
Witnesses include two Republican secretaries of state , Tre Hargett of Tennessee and West Virginia 's Mac Warner .
Hargett has resisted making mail-in voting available to all voters .
In March , Warner said every voter would be receiving an absentee ballot application in the mail , something Trump has criticized other election administration officials in other states for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the widest margin of any state in 2016 .
4 .
Back to school ?
The House holds a hearing Thursday on reopening schools .
The White House blocked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield from testifying , according to Democrats on the House education committee .
`` It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students , parents , and educators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The White House says Redfield has testified multiple times before Congress in the last few months .
5 .
Federal moratorium on evictions expires Friday : According to one survey , 30 % of Americans missed housing payments at the beginning of June .
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit , several states and the federal government banned evicting people .
The federal eviction ban expires Friday .
Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif , on the short list to be Biden 's running mate , introduced a bill last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in that time , not allow landlords to raise rents or report missed payment to credit reporting agencies .
A yearlong ban on rental evictions is in Democrats ' coronavirus relief bill .
Quote of the weekend : '' You know , I gave a little blood for the right to vote , almost died on that bridge in Selma .
I 'm not going to stand by and see the people take the vote from us .
We have to use it .
If we fail to use it , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis , the former congressman and civil rights icon who died Friday , as quoted by NPR 's Don Gonyea at a church in Cincinnati , Ohio , in 2018

Lawmakers Are Far Apart On A New Coronavirus Relief Bill. Here Are 5 Sticking Points
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images
Congress returns from a summer recess Monday as many states experience spikes in confirmed coronavirus cases.
State governments face a precipitous drop in revenue, parents and teachers are debating how kids will return to school in the fall, and millions of unemployed workers face the prospect of their pandemic assistance running out at the end of the month.
But there have been zero negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and they remain very far apart on the contours of what should be in another relief bill.
Pelosi pushed again last week for the $3 trillion HEROES Act the House passed more than two months ago. But that bill, which was approved largely along party lines, was ignored by McConnell — and also met with a veto threat by the president.
McConnell insists he's writing the next bill on his own and has indicated he's looking at something significantly smaller — about $1 trillion. Senate Democrats haven't heard any details and, according to a source on a call with the Democratic caucus last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would engage in talks only if House Democrats were included.
McConnell is expected to unveil his proposal early this week, according to an aide familiar with the leader's plans. After discussions with Senate Republicans at a lunch on Tuesday, the bill could be rolled out if the GOP conference backs the blueprint.
He has repeatedly said no bill would pass without liability protection related to everyone from health care workers to businesses to schools.
"Nobody should have to face an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of the pandemic we already have related to the coronavirus," McConnell said last week when visiting a health care facility in his home state.
President Trump agrees there needs to be more aid and has repeatedly insisted that schools need to be back in person in the fall. He wasn't an active negotiator in talks on the previous packages, but last week, a White House spokesperson said the president is pushing again for a payroll tax cut. That is something he's previously said he wanted, but it hasn't gained significant support from members of his own party or from Democrats, according to aides from both parties. In a Fox News Sunday interview, Trump said he would consider vetoing a bill that did not have a payroll tax cut in it.
Pelosi dismisses GOP efforts to scale down a package from the ambitious plan the House passed.
"If we don't put money in the pockets of the American people with their direct payments and unemployment insurance, it will be much worse," Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill last week.
Leaders from both parties maintain that they want to approve a deal and send it to the president to sign before they head out for an August recess, which marks the final campaign push before the November elections. Pelosi has said she will "absolutely" delay the start of recess to get something in place, but there are several major policy areas where both sides would need to move.
Here are the key sticking points:
1. Unemployment assistance and direct payments
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Congress extended unemployment insurance benefits and added a $600-per-week benefit to help those affected by the pandemic, but that boost in assistance expires on July 31. Both sides agree that states will need more money to keep paying assistance, but the additional weekly payment is where Democrats and Republicans part ways.
McConnell argues that renewing that full payment is a disincentive for the jobless to return to work because for many people, the combined benefits are more in weekly wages than they would receive if they go back to their jobs.
Congress approved $300 billion in the CARES Act in March in direct payments for Americans — $1,200 or less for individuals, depending on their income level. Families received more — up to an income cap — and also were eligible for $500 per child.
Pelosi signaled that Democrats could accept some amount lower than the $600 benefit if there were other provisions giving government aid, such as another round of checks.
"The whole package will depend on what we do also for direct payments, which are so essential," Pelosi said.
2. Liability reform
Pelosi has bristled at McConnell's insistence that there is a red line that any new bill include legal protections for a broad array of businesses, hospitals, workers and K-12 schools and universities.
Instead, she argues that worker protections that Democrats added for Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations are the preferred way to address that. "That is their protection," she said. "It's their best defense."
McConnell has been working with Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, a former prosecutor, on the liability provisions and a draft was shared with the White House last week. According to the draft, obtained by NPR, the measure would include a temporary shield from lawsuits related to the pandemic from December 2019 through 2024.
3. Aid for state and local governments
The House-passed bill provided roughly $1 trillion to state and local governments. In recent weeks, many states have warned they are facing decisions about cuts to key services as tax revenues have plummeted with many businesses closed or operating at reduced levels.
McConnell has acknowledged that some state aid is needed, but the parties are far apart on the details, and many Republican lawmakers say any new money has to be funneled for items directly related to the virus, not to paying down deficits in the states.
Pelosi and other Democrats warn that without more help, states will have to lay off first responders or cut education budgets, which are tight with new demands related to the coronavirus.
4. Help for schools to reopen
McConnell shifted his emphasis in the past couple of weeks to note that the next package will not only need to address liability issues, but will have to include help for schools.
The HEROES Act includes $100 billion to fortify school districts' budgets as they work to buy personal protective equipment and other equipment and technology for remote learning, as needed. Separately, Democrats included more money for schools in an infrastructure bill they approved recently.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden rolled out his own proposal for what schools need, including an additional $30 billion.
But as coronavirus cases spike in some regions and schools reevaluate plans to bring students back in person, some Republicans argue that additional money should be conditioned on schools returning to full-time, in-person schedules.
5. Small business help
The Paycheck Protection Program, which provided loans to small businesses, was one the most popular federal components of the $2 trillion CARES Act enacted in March.
The money went quickly, and Congress approved more for the program, but issues about transparency and some larger businesses getting the money raised concerns about how to structure any additional assistance.
5 other things to watch this week:
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
1. Trump's plan for the suburbs: Last week, Trump said that on Tuesday, he'd be "discussing our one plan on suburbia, but that's one of many, many different plans." Trump has been pitching "law and order" and "local" control over zoning laws and issuing dire warnings about what Democrats would do to "our beautiful and successful suburbs" as a way to try and scare and appeal to whites in the suburbs.
Why the focus on the suburbs? Consider that in 2016 Trump won the suburbs narrowly. But in polling against Biden, Trump is getting trounced by 25 points among voters there, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
2. House hearing on COVID-19 vaccines: Also Tuesday, a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee holds a hearing on the efforts to develop coronavirus vaccines. Witnesses include AstraZeneca Vice President Mene Pangalos, Johnson & Johnson Head of Clinical Development Macaya Douoguih and Moderna President Stephen Hoge.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday on PBS NewsHour that he's still "cautiously optimistic" that a vaccine will come online by the end of the year, with distribution in 2021.
3. Preparations for the 2020 election: On Wednesday, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee holds a hearing about preparations states are taking for the 2020 elections. Witnesses include two Republican secretaries of state, Tre Hargett of Tennessee and West Virginia's Mac Warner. Hargett has resisted making mail-in voting available to all voters. In March, Warner said every voter would be receiving an absentee ballot application in the mail, something Trump has criticized other election administration officials in other states for doing. West Virginia went for Trump by the widest margin of any state in 2016.
4. Back to school? The House holds a hearing Thursday on reopening schools. The White House blocked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield from testifying, according to Democrats on the House education committee.
"It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators," Chairman Bobby Scott of Virginia said in a statement.
The White House says Redfield has testified multiple times before Congress in the past few months.
5. Federal moratorium on evictions expires Friday: According to one survey, 30% of Americans missed housing payments at the beginning of June.
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, several states and the federal government have banned evicting people. The federal eviction ban expires Friday.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif, on the short list to be Biden's running mate, introduced a bill last week that would extend the ban a year and in that time, not allow landlords to raise rents or report missed payment to credit reporting agencies. A yearlong ban on rental evictions is in Democrats' coronavirus relief bill.
Quote of the weekend:
"You know, I gave a little blood for the right to vote, almost died on that bridge in Selma. I'm not going to stand by and see the people take the vote from us. We have to use it. If we fail to use it, we will lose it."
— John Lewis, the congressman and civil rights icon who died Friday, as quoted by NPR's Don Gonyea at a church in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2018


npr--2020-07-20--Tesla Stock Is Soaring. It's Controversial. And Soon, It Could Be In Your Portfolio

Tesla Stock Is Soaring .
It 's Controversial .
And Soon , It Could Be In Your Portfolio The most controversial stock on Wall Street could be about to go mainstream .
Super-fans and super-haters have long been waging a financial war over the future of Tesla , placing big bets on whether CEO Elon Musk would transform the world or crash and burn .
( So far , the Tesla-haters have lost a lot of money in this battle . )
The stock had a particularly wild ride in the first half of this year .
Now , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as is widely expected , the company will have cleared the last big hurdle for entry into the S & P 500 , the enormously influential index of 500 huge corporations .
And if the company gets added to the index , millions of people with retirement savings — whether they love Musk , hate him or have never heard of him — would have a tiny stake in the future of Tesla .
Warren Buffett is famous for his careful investment decisions , based on evaluating a company 's underlying value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is important , but ... '' I mean , it 's kind of a boring job , if you ask me , '' Musk told podcaster Joe Rogan in May .
Musk does n't do boring jobs .
He does run The Boring Company — which bores tunnels ( get it ? )
.
He also runs SpaceX , which aims to colonize Mars , and Tesla , which set out to save the Earth by making electric vehicles cool and ubiquitous .
And while Musk has fallen short of some of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
SpaceX has put humans into orbit .
Tesla became America 's best-selling luxury car , and jolted the entire auto industry into electrification .
Ever since it went public , Tesla has repeatedly confounded many analysts who try to do a sober-minded , Warren-Buffett-esque assessment of the company 's value .
They crunch the numbers and find that Tesla is overvalued .
And they watch as the stock keeps soaring up and up .
In May , Musk tweeted that even he thought Tesla stock was too high .
The price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a professor of finance at the Stern School of Business at NYU , says Tesla is a story stock , with its value driven by intangibles .
`` When the mood and the momentum catches it , it does n't matter what the news is , it does n't matter what the numbers are , '' he says .
`` The stock is either going to soar if the mood is right or collapse if the mood is not there . ''
And lots of people have been in the mood to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-July , the stock quadrupled .
The company is now worth more than Toyota , even though Toyota sold 30 times more cars than Tesla did last year .
To be clear , Tesla has been doing well .
Production numbers beat expectations , even despite the pandemic , and Tesla vehicles are a hit .
Damodaran has owned Tesla stock before ; he 's not a short-selling Tesla-hater .
But this kind of stock surge , Damodaran says , is very difficult to justify based on traditional financial metrics .
At some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say when , he says the price will have to return to earth .
The Tesla bulls disagree .
Cathie Woods , the CEO of ARK Invest , predicts Tesla stock could go as high as $ 7,000 .
She says other analysts are evaluating Tesla as an auto company , while her team views it as an autonomous driving , battery and artificial intelligence company .
Faith in Tesla 's future ( and Elon Musk 's vision ) has long powered Tesla stock , but there 's a new wrinkle that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After it announces results on Wednesday , Tesla is expected to meet every requirement for entering the S & P 500 index .
After that , it could be added to the index at any time .
Anticipation of that event could be helping boost prices now .
Investment funds , like retirement accounts , often track indexes like the S & P 500 to invest in the entire stock market ( or as close of an approximation as possible ) instead of trying to pick individual winning stocks .
These passive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more successful than funds that try to pick winning stocks , are growing in popularity .
`` The purpose is to emulate the market , not to beat it , '' explains Howard Silverblatt of the S & P Dow Jones Indices .
That 's the company behind the S & P 500 , although Silverblatt notes he is not currently on the committee responsible for picking the companies on the index .
Entering the S & P 500 is not just prestigious .
It has immediate consequences for the market .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of mutual funds and licensed indexes have to buy it , '' Silverblatt says .
`` Whether they think it 's the best deal or the worst deal , they have to buy it . ''
If Tesla gets added to the index , many , many people would suddenly have Tesla in their investment portfolios .
And that buying spree usually pushes a stock price up — slightly , and temporarily .
A few years ago , economists examined the widespread belief that getting added to the S & P @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value .
The answer ?
`` There is no effect on the price of the stock just by virtue of being added to the index , '' Asani Sarkar of the New York Federal Reserve Bank told NPR last week .
So trading Tesla on the expectation of an S & P 500 boost might be a misstep .
Of course , most current Tesla investors are n't banking on the S & P to decide the future of Tesla 's value .
It 's Elon Musk they believe in .
Under his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earn a massive bonus if the company 's stock keeps rising .
And because of all the Tesla stock he owns , even without that bonus , a rising stock lifts his wealth .
Earlier this month , as Tesla stock soared , Musk became richer than Warren Buffett .

Tesla Stock Is Soaring. It's Controversial. And Soon, It Could Be In Your Portfolio
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The most controversial stock on Wall Street could be about to go mainstream.
Superfans and super-haters have long been waging a financial war over the future of Tesla, placing big bets on whether CEO Elon Musk would transform the world or crash and burn. (So far, the Tesla haters have lost a lot of money in this battle.) The stock had a particularly wild ride in the first half of this year.
Now, if Tesla reports another quarterly profit this week, as is widely expected, the company will have cleared the last big hurdle for entry into the S&P 500, the enormously influential index of 500 huge corporations.
And if the company gets added to the index, millions of people with retirement savings — whether they love Musk, hate him or have never heard of him — would have a tiny stake in the future of Tesla.
Soaring stock values
Warren Buffett is famous for his careful investment decisions, based on evaluating a company's underlying value. Musk says that kind of analysis is important, but ...
"I mean, it's kind of a boring job, if you ask me," Musk told podcaster Joe Rogan in May.
Musk doesn't do boring jobs. He does run The Boring Company — which bores tunnels (get it?). He also runs SpaceX, which aims to colonize Mars, and Tesla, which set out to save the Earth by making electric vehicles cool and ubiquitous.
And while Musk has fallen short of some of his bold promises, he's realized many others. SpaceX has put humans into orbit. Tesla became America's bestselling luxury car and jolted the entire auto industry into electrification.
Ever since it went public, Tesla has repeatedly confounded many analysts who try to do a sober-minded, Buffett-esque assessment of the company's value. They crunch the numbers and find that Tesla is overvalued. And they watch as the stock keeps soaring up and up.
In May, Musk tweeted that even he thought Tesla stock was too high. The price has doubled since then.
Aswath Damodaran, a professor of finance at the Stern School of Business at NYU, says Tesla is a story stock, with its value driven by intangibles.
"When the mood and the momentum catches it, it doesn't matter what the news is, it doesn't matter what the numbers are," he says. "The stock is either going to soar if the mood is right or collapse if the mood is not there."
And lots of people have been in the mood to invest in Tesla. From mid-March to mid-July, the stock quadrupled. The company is now worth more than Toyota, even though Toyota sold 30 times more cars than Tesla did last year.
To be clear, Tesla has been doing well. Production numbers beat expectations, even despite the pandemic, and Tesla vehicles are a hit. Damodaran has owned Tesla stock before; he's not a short-selling Tesla hater.
But this kind of stock surge, Damodaran says, is very difficult to justify based on traditional financial metrics. At some point, though it's impossible to say when, he says the price will have to return to earth.
The Tesla bulls disagree. Cathie Woods, the CEO of ARK Invest, predicts Tesla stock could go as high as $7,000. She says other analysts are evaluating Tesla as an auto company, while her team views it as an autonomous driving, battery and artificial intelligence company.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Expected inclusion in an exclusive club
Faith in Tesla's future (and Elon Musk's vision) has long powered Tesla stock, but there's a new wrinkle that could be adding a bit of extra fuel. After it announces results on Wednesday, Tesla is expected to meet every requirement for entering the S&P 500 index.
After that, it could be added to the index at any time. Anticipation of that event could be helping boost prices now.
Investment funds, like retirement accounts, often track indexes like the S&P 500 to invest in the entire stock market (or as close of an approximation as possible) instead of trying to pick individual winning stocks. These passive investments, which are cheaper and generally more successful than funds that try to pick winning stocks, are growing in popularity.
"The purpose is to emulate the market, not to beat it," explains Howard Silverblatt of the S&P Dow Jones Indices. That's the company behind the S&P 500, although Silverblatt notes he is not currently on the committee responsible for picking the companies on the index.
Entering the S&P 500 is not just prestigious. It has immediate consequences for the market.
"When something goes in the index, a lot of mutual funds and licensed indexes have to buy it," Silverblatt says. "Whether they think it's the best deal or the worst deal, they have to buy it."
If Tesla gets added to the index, many, many people would suddenly have Tesla in their investment portfolios. And that buying spree usually pushes a stock price up — slightly, and temporarily.
A few years ago, economists examined the widespread belief that getting added to the S&P 500 provides a permanent boost in stock value. The answer?
"There is no effect on the price of the stock just by virtue of being added to the index," Asani Sarkar of the New York Federal Reserve Bank told NPR last week.
So trading Tesla on the expectation of an S&P 500 boost might be a misstep.
Of course, most current Tesla investors aren't banking on the S&P to decide the future of Tesla's value. It's Elon Musk they believe in.
Under his contract as CEO, he stands to earn a massive bonus if the company's stock keeps rising. And because of all the Tesla stock he owns, even without that bonus, a rising stock lifts his wealth.
Earlier this month, as Tesla stock soared, Musk became richer than Buffett.