The Story:
Gabe Bankman-Fried runs a group founded in 2020, in the worst days of the Covid pandemic, designed to help the United States, and the rest of the world, prevent or prepared for future such outbreaks. The group is called “Guarding Against Pandemics (GAP).” This group may become very visible as a political force in the years ahead, because Gabe Bankman-Fried has money behind him. He is the brother of Sam Bankman-Fried, a cryptocurrency tycoon and billionaire.
Significance:
GAP believes that smart architecture will be among the keys in the next pandemic. It advocates the pandemic-proofing of buildings, especially public places like airports, schools, and hospitals, and wants research money directed in that direction, as well as toward faster and better testing.
The Thing to Know:
With the help of GAP and the Bankman-Fried money, Carrick Flynn, a man whose name was thoroughly obscure just months ago, is now a leading contender for the seat in the U.S. House of Representative from Oregon’s 6th Congressional District. (There is no incumbent in the 6th because the district has just been created as a consequence of the redistricting required after the 2020 census.)
The Democratic primary in the 6th is a crowded field, but the House Majority PAC, a super PAC closely affiliated with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has purchasesd about $1 million worth of ads on Flynn’s behalf, trying to help him seal the deal because they believe he will be the strobngest candidate in the general election.
