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Secretary of State Blinken is attending a gathering of southeast Asian nations. Hungary’s chief will converse on the CPAC occasion in Dallas. Democrats might make positive factors towards excessive prescription drug costs.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s go to to Taiwan is growing rigidity within the area. At the moment, China launched a number of missiles throughout unprecedented navy drills across the island.
A MARTINEZ, HOST:
In the meantime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken must handle the diplomatic fallout. He is in Cambodia for a regional gathering of Southeast Asian nations. His Chinese language counterpart can also be there.
FADEL: NPR’s diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen is touring with the secretary and joins us now from Phnom Penh. Good morning, Michele.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: So is Blinken anticipated to satisfy with China’s prime diplomat?
KELEMEN: So no plans for a one-on-one assembly. However, you recognize, there are more likely to be some awkward or probably very testy encounters there on the assembly. Secretary Blinken spent 5 hours with International Minister Wang Yi final month in Bali. And we’re informed that he even mentioned the potential for a Pelosi journey then. Blinken has been arguing that the go to was not an indication that U.S. coverage on Taiwan has modified. It wasn’t the primary go to by a speaker of the Home. Newt Gingrich went to Taiwan. Although, that was some 25 years in the past. Blinken’s additionally argued that China’s latest actions present that it is attempting to alter the established order on Taiwan, not the U.S. He is more likely to hammer dwelling that message right here in Cambodia and attempt to put the onus on China for the escalation in tensions proper now.
FADEL: How is that argument being obtained within the area?
KELEMEN: You already know, international locations within the area are nervous. They need the U.S. and China to handle their relationship, to not let this get out of hand. They’re clearly alarmed by the continued Chinese language navy workouts in response to Pelosi’s go to. The ASEAN international ministers – that is the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations – they put out a press release at the moment saying they’re fearful concerning the potential for miscalculation and confrontation amongst main powers. They mentioned there might be unpredictable penalties. And, you recognize, there’s simply a variety of different points that they actually need to deal with – issues like commerce, COVID, Myanmar, the place navy leaders simply executed 4 political opponents. There’s rather a lot occurring. And also you add to that the meals and power disaster…
FADEL: Proper.
KELEMEN: …That is exacerbated by Russia’s warfare in Ukraine.
FADEL: Talking of that, Russia’s international minister can also be there. Will Blinken meet him?
KELEMEN: Yeah. Once more, no plans to satisfy Sergey Lavrov, who, by the best way, arrived in Cambodia from Myanmar. Lavrov was there, all smiles with that nation’s ruling junta, which wasn’t invited to the ASEAN assembly – one other supply of rigidity there. However Blinken and Lavrov did converse by cellphone final week. Blinken’s method has been that if there’s one thing particular to speak to the Russians about, he’ll. Final week, it was concerning the U.N.-brokered deal to get meals shipments out of Ukraine and in addition the potential for a prisoner swap that might see the U.S. releasing a significant Russian arms supplier in change for WNBA star Brittney Griner and ex-Marine Paul Whelan. That deal continues to be on the desk. The U.S. is ready for a severe response from the Russians. There are closing arguments within the Griner case at the moment. So maybe there might be a verdict as early as this week. And maybe that might transfer issues alongside.
FADEL: That is NPR diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen in Cambodia, touring with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Thanks.
KELEMEN: Thanks.
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FADEL: A gathering of a number of the strongest figures in right-wing politics kicks off at the moment in Dallas. Their headline speaker is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
MARTINEZ: He has drawn sharp condemnation throughout the globe for his anti-democratic strikes inside Hungary and most not too long ago for a speech during which he mentioned, quote, “we don’t need to turn into peoples of blended race.” His now former aide described the speech as pure Nazi textual content. He is additionally gotten a variety of reward from a number of outstanding Republicans within the U.S., particularly within the conservative media.
FADEL: NPR’s David Folkenflik joins us now. Hello, David.
DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: So first, should you might simply clarify what the Conservative Political Motion Conference is and why it issues?
FOLKENFLIK: So it is an offshoot of the American Conservative Union. And it will argue that it is kind of the conservative a part of America’s principal conservative social gathering, the precise wing of the Republican Occasion. These conventions energize a sure class of donor, a sure sort of activist. It permits main politicians on the precise to serve up pink meat to true believers, in addition to personalities to construct up their followers.
FADEL: So inform us extra about Orban. What’s he executed in Hungary?
FOLKENFLIK: Nicely, the very first thing Orban has executed in Hungary is absolutely consolidate recognition and energy. He is received a sequence of elections in a row – simply received, I imagine, his fourth straight time period a bit earlier this 12 months as prime minister. And he is executed it by making an attraction to an thought of a white, an explicitly Christian nation in Hungary, one during which he has really actually constructed up borders, stopping migrants from coming in besides beneath actually stringent guidelines. He has executed so by concentrating on perceived and recognized enemies of the state, figures together with the liberal Hungarian American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros. And he is executed it by actually pushing again on the independence of the press, shopping for off a variety of the media and in addition actually ravenous a lot of the remainder of it and different impartial outfits. So you’ve got heard locations like Freedom Home say that they nonetheless have free elections in Hungary, however not significantly honest ones.
FADEL: And the way has this chief of a small, Central European nation turn into so fashionable and revered in Republican circles?
FOLKENFLIK: Nicely, I feel you’d have to take a look at his recognition in two courses of oldsters, the media and politicians. Within the media, you’ve got seen plenty of influential voices in conservative, right-wing media – significantly Fox Information’ Tucker Carlson – absolutely embrace Orban as a determine who offers a imaginative and prescient for a way conservatives can win and govern. Tucker Carlson has gone to Hungary. Tucker Carlson has executed a full documentary on him. And he mentioned, it is a man who understands the significance of tradition, understands the significance of households and understands, in actuality, a sort of imaginative and prescient of society that attraction to a white model of Individuals many years in the past. And equally, Donald Trump has embraced Orban because the sort of robust determine, a sort of determine with autocrat leanings and autocratic rhetoric that he needs to see in himself.
FADEL: Now, it is a chief that is described as anti-democratic. What ought to we pay attention to right here that he is so fashionable in Republican circles?
FOLKENFLIK: I feel it is notable that this offshoot within the American Conservative Union has invited him to kick off their conference – and, the truth is, that they staged an earlier conference in Hungary just some months in the past as a method of affirming the position that he holds for them. I feel it is a method of acknowledging they see the query being fought out in Republican circles. Does it nonetheless need to be the social gathering of Donald Trump? And even when they do not need to be the social gathering of Donald Trump, do they nonetheless need to be the social gathering of Trumpism? Orban suggests a path for future Republican leaders of embracing Trumpism with out being Trump himself. And I feel we should always take observe that that is nonetheless a significant a part of the Republican discourse.
FADEL: NPR’s David Folkenflik. Thanks a lot.
FOLKENFLIK: You guess.
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FADEL: Excessive prescription drug costs have been a sizzling political speaking level for years. And now, Democrats seem like they might be about to make some progress.
MARTINEZ: That is due to some provisions within the Scale back Inflation Act that is working its method via the Senate. Critics say the measure will gradual innovation, whereas supporters argue it can present reduction from excessive out-of-pocket drug prices on the pharmacy counter.
FADEL: NPR prescription drugs correspondent Sydney Lupkin is right here to speak to us about that. Hello, Sydney.
SYDNEY LUPKIN, BYLINE: Hello, Leila.
FADEL: So Sydney, what sorts of drug pricing adjustments are within the invoice? And why is it getting a lot consideration?
LUPKIN: So the massive factor everyone seems to be speaking about is Medicare drug worth negotiation.
FADEL: Proper.
LUPKIN: Formally, Medicare had been barred from instantly negotiating drug costs. However beginning in 2026, assuming this invoice turns into legislation, Medicare can negotiate 10 drug costs. After which in 2027, it may possibly negotiate 15. And by 2029, it may possibly negotiate 20. Although, we do not know particularly which medicine simply but.
FADEL: OK. So it isn’t that Medicare would have the ability to negotiate all drug costs, proper?
LUPKIN: That is proper. So these are solely high-cost medicine which can be coated beneath Medicare Components D or B, which means they’re retail prescribed drugs or administered by a doctor. And so they should have been in the marketplace for some time to be eligible for negotiation. For some medicine, it is 9 years and for others, it is 13. And once more, we nonetheless do not know which medicine they’re going to select. However the invoice continues to be progress on drug costs that we actually have not seen in years. This is Stacie Dusetzina of Vanderbilt College.
STACIE DUSETZINA: You already know, it actually does break a variety of new floor and repair a variety of issues that we both recognized or created accidentally through the years. And so I feel from a – how massive of a deal is that this? – it is an enormous deal.
FADEL: OK. So what else does the invoice do?
LUPKIN: Nicely, it makes drug producers pay a rebate in the event that they enhance costs above inflation. It could additionally make vaccines free for Medicare beneficiaries. That may begin subsequent 12 months. And it will do a couple of extra issues, like capping out-of-pocket prescription drug spending at $2,000. In order that’s not going to have an effect on all people. However it may wind up being an enormous assist for seniors, who want high-price specialty medicine for issues like rheumatoid arthritis or most cancers. So on prime of serving to seniors, all informed, the reforms would save the federal government round $288 billion over the following 10 years. That is in keeping with the Congressional Finances Workplace, which checked out an earlier model of the invoice.
FADEL: OK. So this all sounds fairly good. What do the drug makers say about it?
LUPKIN: They don’t prefer it. The top of the commerce group for branded medicine, PhRMA, referred to as it a historic mistake final week. The overall argument right here is that the invoice would stifle innovation and imply fewer new medicine will get developed and make it to shoppers. Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Household Basis says these fears are overblown.
TRICIA NEUMAN: PhRMA has been making the case that the laws will decimate analysis and growth. And it’ll imply cures for most cancers won’t come to market. And, you recognize, that is actually scary. All of us need cures for most cancers. All of us need cures for Alzheimer’s illness. However the fact is, CBO is predicting it can have a really modest influence.
LUPKIN: So on this case, the Congressional Finances Workplace says about 15 medicine will not make it to market over the following 30 years because of the invoice. However that is out of 1,300 medicine. So most medicine will nonetheless make it to market.
FADEL: That was Sydney Lupkin, NPR’s prescription drugs correspondent. Thanks, Sydney.
LUPKIN: You guess.
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