Entrepreneur, philanthropist, humanitarian and Democrat Agnes Varis died on Friday at her home in Manhattan. Besides her advocacy of prescription-drug reform and financial support of the Jazz Foundation of America, she was a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera, where her projects included the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Tickets Program and the underwriting of productions including Satyagraha and Doctor Atomic. Dr. Varis was 81. [New York Times]