HITS HIGH FIVE: RESCUE. RECOVER. REPEAT.

The news this week has been rough: Two hurricanes, an earthquake, the death of Holger Czukay and the call to eliminate DACA. We’re getting high just to handle the news. Here’s this week’s HITS High 5.

On the storm front, Beyoncé, the Biebs and Babs are among the participants in the Hand in Hand telethon for Hurricane Harvey victims that will air 9/12 on CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox and CMT. The show will also stream on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Meanwhile, Kenny Chesney is getting ready to help victims of Hurricane Irma.

Our Grammy whisperer looks into Best New Artist and the effect rules changes may have on the contenders.

Apple has closed a licensing deal with WMG, the first agreement with a Big Three distrib since the launch of Apple Music in mid-2015.

For those of you about to rock, Scott Borchetta salutes you. Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group has created a JV with fashionista John Varvatos—Big Machine Records/John Varvatos Records—to focus on rock acts. First up is badflower. He is also a mentor/judge in Cumulus Media’s four-month-long, rock-focused neXt2rock 2017 contest.

Midweek, Sir Lucian Grainge's Universal Music Group was running the table at iTunes with nine of the Top 10 singles.

Stay safe, everyone.