Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/August 6, 2021 THE COURIER www.theaustinvillager.com Is Now Head of UN health agency seeks Reportedly A vaccine booster moratorium Billionaire, Making By JAMEY KEATEN | AP Her The Richest Woman In Music By Jenna Amatulli | HUFFPOST

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health tries considering booster doses to “put a hold” on Organization called Wednesday for a moratorium such policies “until and unless we get the rest of on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vac- the world caught up” in the fight against the pan- cines as a way to help ensure that doses are avail- demic. able in countries where few people have received ”As we’ve seen from the emergence of variant their first shots. after variant, we cannot get out of it unless the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom whole world gets out of it together. And with the Ghebreyesus made the appeal mostly to wealthier huge disparity in vaccination coverage, we’re sim- countries that have far outpaced the developing world ply not going to be able to achieve that,” Aylward in numbers of vaccinations. He said richer countries said. RIHANNA have administered about 100 doses of coronavirus Israel, France, Germany and many Middle East- Getty Images vaccines for every 100 people on average, while low- ern countries have already started administering income countries — hampered by short supplies — boosters, and other nations, including the United (HUFFPOST) - Rihanna has officially work, have provided only about 1.5 doses per 100 people. States and Britain, are considering plans to do so in work, work, work, worked her way to becoming a WHO officials say the science is unproven the wake of the emergence of the highly transmis- billionaire. about whether giving booster shots to people who sible delta variant. The wealthiest female musician in the world is have already received two vaccine doses is effec- Dr. Katherine O’Brien, WHO’s vaccines chief, now worth $1.7 billion, according to Forbes, and tive in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. noted that a “very limited number” of countries she comes in second only to Oprah Winfrey as the The U.N. health agency has repeatedly called were giving booster doses though a larger number richest female entertainer. for rich countries to do more to help improve ac- were contemplating it. Known for smash hits like “We Found Love,” cess to vaccines in the developing world. It has ar- “The evidence is evolving. It’s moving. We “Umbrella” and many more, Rihanna - born Robyn gued that no one is safe until everyone is safe be- don’t have a full set of evidence around whether - has built her empire with a combination of cause the longer and more widely the coronavirus this is needed or not,” O’Brien said, adding that the ventures. Her beauty company, , is now circulates, the greater the chance that new variants main message was that “we need instead to focus worth an estimated $2.8 billion (and she currently could emerge — and prolong a global crisis in fight- on those people who are most vulnerable.” owns 50% of it) while her lingerie company, Savage ing the pandemic. WHO officials reiterated their call for global “soli- X Fenty, is worth an estimated $270 million, accord- The agency has no power to require countries darity” to help battle the coronavirus pandemic and ing to Forbes. to act, and many in the past have ignored its ap- appealed to wealthy countries and corporations to Fenty Beauty, which is half-owned by French peals on issues like donating vaccines, limiting cross- help. luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, launched in border travel and taking steps to boost production “We need everyone’s cooperation, especially 2017, and by 2018 had topped fellow celebrity- of vaccines in developing countries. the handful of countries and companies that con- founded brands like Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, Tedros pointed to a WHO target he had an- trol the global supply of vaccines,” Tedros said, ap- Kim Kardashian West’s KKW Beauty and Jessica nounced in May seeking to ensure that 10% of the pealing in particular to the influential Group of 20 Alba’s Honest Company in revenue. populations in all countries receive vaccines against large economies. “The G-20 has a vital leadership While Rihanna hasn’t released a new album the coronavirus. role to play as the countries that are the biggest since 2016’s “Anti,” she’s kept plenty busy since “Accordingly, WHO is calling for a moratorium producers, the biggest consumers and the biggest then. Outside of Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, on boosters until at least the end of September to donors of COVID-19 vaccines.” she also starred in buzzy films like 2018’s “Ocean’s enable at least 10% of the population of every coun- He urged the G-20, which currently is chaired Eight” and opposite Donald Glover in 2019’s “Guava try to be vaccinated,” he told a news conference. by Italy, to make “concrete commitments to sup- Island.” To help take the heat out of the pandemic, port global vaccination targets.” And in 2020, she also launched a skin care WHO has been focusing on getting vaccines to older “We call on everyone with influence -- Olym- brand called Fenty Skin, which Forbes reports is off adults, health care workers and other target popu- pic athletes, investors, business leaders, faith lead- to a “very promising start.” lations in many countries before booster shot cam- ers and every individual in their own family and paigns are carried out. community -- to support our call for a moratorium Dr. Bruce Aylward, a special adviser to Tedros, on booster shots until at least the end of Septem- Energy industry showers said the moratorium was about an appeal to coun- ber,” Tedros said.

Gov. Greg Abbott with collectively donated officials, up from about ergy interests, his largest about $497,000 to state $2.2 million over the haul ever from those campaign cash elected officials and po- same period following groups in the post-legis- BY MITCHELL FERMAN AND CARLA litical groups. That's the previous legislative lative session ASTUDILLO | THE TEXAS TRIBUNE more than twice the session in 2019. fundraising period fol- $207,000 they gave dur- Warren's company En- lowing the four regular (TXT) - Fixing Texas’ laws passed targeting ing the same period ergy Transfer declined to legislative sessions dur- power grid was about their industry, they when the legislative ses- comment on his behalf. ing Abbott’s tenure as the only thing Republi- didn’t show it. sion ended in in 2019, For some energy governor. cans and Democrats in Texas elected offi- according to a Texas Tri- experts, the increase in Those donations the legislative session cials can’t receive cam- bune analysis. A large donations for the offi- included $1 million from seemed to agree on ear- paign donations during chunk of that cash was cials at the close of the Warren, cofounder of a lier this year. Power the session, but after it driven by Oncor, Texas’ session looks like a re- pipeline company that companies were in the ended in May, they were largest transmission and ward for not passing made $2.4 billion from hot seat, as millions of showered in cash by the distribution electric more stringent regula- the winter storm, ac- Texans who endured a energy industry — even company, with many big tions and raises ques- cording to a report from week of subfreezing more than usual for a donations coming from tions about whether Bloomberg. Warren has temperatures with no group known for its deep the company's execu- lawmakers let the oil, given Abbott $250,000 power demanded pockets and generous tives. gas and the broader en- donations almost every sweeping, multibillion campaign giving. Over that same ergy industry off easy for year since he won the dollar improvements to From June 21 to short stretch in June, 11 its massive failures. governor’s office in prevent another deadly June 30, after the legis- prominent oil industry Gov. Greg Abbott, 2014. disaster — and lawmak- lative fundraising black- leaders, including bil- who is heading into a re- “Gas producers got government for its light ers promised action. out ended, five of the lionaires Kelcy Warren, election year in 2022, a pass by Texas touch and encourage But by the end of largest and most promi- S. Javaid Anwar and benefited most from the policymakers,” said the government to con- the legislative session, if nent companies in the Douglas Scharbauer — flood of June campaign Michael Webber, profes- tinue turning a blind eye Texas’ top power com- Texas power grid supply all three whom could donations from the en- sor of energy resources to price gouging and panies were aggrieved chain — Calpine, not be reached for com- ergy industry. at the University of Texas windfall profits while by the way they were Centerpoint, NRG En- ment — combined to Abbott received at Austin. “Making a mil- hundreds of people die treated by the Legisla- ergy, Oncor and Vistra — contribute about $3.2 about $4.6 million from lion-dollar political do- seems like a good return ture or any of the new or their top executives million to Texas elected oil, gas and broader en- nation to reward the on investment.”