Transcript of Evening Wire: Comey Indicted Again & Fauci Advisor Charged in COVID Cover-Up | 4.28.26 New

The UAE leaves OPEC. The Justice Department indicts a top Anthony Fauci advisor and James Comey. And Jimmy Kimmel digs in amid calls for ABC to fire him. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howell. It's Tuesday, April 28th. This is Evening Wire.

In a massive shakeup in the oil industry, the United Arab Emirates announces that it's leaving OPEC. Cabot Phillips, host of Wired In Live, has the details.

The departure of the UAE, OPEC's third largest oil-producing member, will be a major blow to the oil cartel. OPEC currently represents about 40% of oil produced in the world today, but it's been unsteady as American production ramps up and disunity in the Middle East causes growing fractures. Eric Alter, the dean of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, responded to the decision stating, quote, the decision to withdraw from OPEC is part of a broader decision by the UAE to chart its own path when it comes to alliances. As global alliances continue to shift and OPEC's influence wanes, the departure of the UAE could lead to other defectors.

A close advisor to Dr. Fauci has been indicted for concealing records about the origins of COVID David Morens, who oversaw the infamous grant to EcoHealth Alliance that funneled taxpayer money to the Wuhan lab, was indicted today along with two unnamed conspirators. The charges include conspiracy against the United States, destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation, concealment and aiding and abetting. Also today, the Justice Department announced the second indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, this time for his, quote, 86-47 social media posts that could be interpreted as threatening the life of President Trump. Look for our full report on the indictments tomorrow morning.

The Iranian embassy attempted to recruit martyrs in London. Daily Wire Foreign Affairs reporter Kassia Kiva has more.

Iran's embassy in London is reportedly recruiting Iranians in the UK for its martyrdom program, according to the Daily Mail. The embassy allegedly recruited on its official Telegram channel, calling on, quote, "proud Iranian compatriots residing in Britain" to join Janfada, which translates to "sacrificing life." Quote, "Let us all, to a man, give our bodies to be slain, for it is better than giving our country to the enemy," the message reportedly said. In response, Britain has summoned Saeed Ali-Mousavi, the Iranian ambassador to the UK, over what the government described as the embassy's, quote, unacceptable and inflammatory social media activity. Hamish Falconer, Britain's minister for the Middle East, said the embassy, quote, must cease any form of communication that could be interpreted as encouraging violence in the UK or internationally, according to the Foreign Office statement.

An Austrian citizen with connections to ISIS has pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert. Daily Wire lifestyle reporter Lauren Baer has the details.

The 21-year-old, whose identity has not been disclosed due to Austrian privacy law, planned to detonate a homemade explosive outside Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion as Swift performed. US intelligence services shared information with Austrian authorities, who were then able to apprehend the would-be bomber one day before the concert. The defendant was allegedly in contact with members of the Islamic State prior to the plot, discussing bomb-making techniques and the possibility of purchasing weapons. Following the guilty plea, defense attorneys say that their client is deeply regretful, stating, quote, he says it was the biggest mistake of his life. Under Austrian law, the defendant now faces up to 20 years in prison.

A killer relied on ChatGPT to cover up his crime, and now the state is responding. Daily Wire reporter and host of That's So Criminal, Lyndon Blake, has the story.

Hesham Abougarbia, who is 26 years old, has been charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of University of South Florida doctoral students Samil Liman and Nahida Bristi, both 27. The 2 victims vanished on April 16th. Days later, investigators would uncover a trail of evidence pointing to the suspect and a series of disturbing interactions with ChatGPT. A day before the victims disappeared, he asked, quote, 'Can a VIN number on a car be changed?' and, quote, 'Can you keep a gun at home without a license?' After the killings, the inquiries didn't stop. Prosecutors say he asked ChatGPT, quote, 'Has there been someone who survived a sniper bullet to the head?' and 'Will my neighbors hear my gun?' Florida Attorney General James Oothmeyer is now moving to fold the case into his ongoing criminal investigation into OpenAI, raising the prospect that the company behind ChatGPT could face legal scrutiny for how its technology is used in violent crimes.

The FBI has arrested a Chinese computer hacker who stole COVID research. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has the details.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a social media post this morning that a Chinese computer hacker has been arrested. He said that 34-year-old Chinese national Xu Zhiwei has been extradited to the United States to face charges for stealing research from American scientists participating in a hacking campaign targeting thousands of US organizations. Patel explained how Zouey targeted specific virologists and immunologists from key universities with, quote, aggravated identity theft. Zouey was arrested in Milan, Italy, on April 27th, years after a bench warrant was first issued for him in 2023. The Daily Wire spoke with Zouey's lawyer, who only shared that his client pleaded not guilty on every count.

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OpenAI has fallen short on key growth targets ahead of a potential IPO. Daily Wire assistant editor Andy Valdez has the story.

According to company leaders, new user and revenue numbers are below expectations. Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has reportedly expressed concern that the AI giant will not be able to maintain contracts with data processing partners if revenue continues at the current pace. As CEO Sam Altman continues to seek an IPO at an aggressive pace, slowing growth may turn away potential investors. Questions are now being raised over Altman's data center strategy. OpenAI, despite falling revenues, has poured billions into new data centers, straining the company's resources. The gamble could pay off, but poor numbers are causing some to question Altman's leadership.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin issued a rare public statement this week ripping California's proposed billionaire tax. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham has the story.

Brin told the New York Times, quote, I fled socialism with my family in 1979. And he added that he doesn't want to see California go the way of the Soviet Union. Brin, worth an estimated $273 billion, has poured nearly $60 million into efforts to defeat the tax in the state legislature, making him California's second largest individual donor this cycle. Behind only Democratic billionaire and gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. The tech mogul, who previously funded same-sex marriage campaigns and backed Barack Obama's reelection bid, has undergone a striking political shift that mirrors that of other tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. Brin has dined with the president at Mar-a-Lago with his Trump-supporting girlfriend and has donated nearly half a million dollars to the RNC. He's also accepted a seat on the White House Tech Council.

House lawmakers are urging Trump to prohibit China's automakers from building cars in the U.S. Daily Wire DC Bureau Chief Tim Rice has the details.

More than 70 House Democrats signed off on a letter urging President Trump to permanently bar Chinese automakers from manufacturing vehicles on American soil. The letter, obtained by the Wall Street Journal, frames the issue as a national security risk and a further blow to U.S. manufacturing. President Trump, for his part, has signaled a desire to improve relations with China after a months-long trade war and is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month. A Senate bill targeting Chinese manufacturing in the United States is reportedly in the works, with possible support from Republicans in Midwestern states. The White House, responding to a similar Democratic letter earlier this month, called any suggestion that the administration would compromise national security to court Chinese automakers, quote, baseless and false.

The UnitedHealthcare Group fired an employee who called for Trump's assassination. Daily Wire reporter Brecca Stoll has more.

Allison Keene, a now former social media manager at UnitedHealth, posted a video in response to the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. In the video, Keene says that her reaction to the incident was, quote, "Aww, they missed." UnitedHealth Group swiftly responded to the video, terminating Keene. A senior UnitedHealth employee told The Daily Wire that company leadership was appalled at the statement, especially given the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Bryan Thompson. That employee also noted that the company initiated the termination process immediately upon seeing King's post.

Jimmy Kimmel is hitting back at critics of his Melania Trump widow joke. Daily Wire Entertainment reporter Amanda Harding has more.

Jimmy Kimmel is under fire after refusing to apologize for his disgusting joke that First Lady Melania Trump looked like an expectant widow. Instead of showing remorse, Kimmel doubled down during his monolog last night, insisting it was just a, quote, "very light roast" and not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination. He was responding to the First Lady's blistering statement saying Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country and that his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. She also blasted ABC for shielding him, writing, "Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand." White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt joined the condemnation, asking, "Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?" For many on the right, the episode is another example of corporate media protecting anti-Trump figures while excusing rhetoric they would never tolerate if it was aimed at Democrats.

And a heartwarming story has come out of the chaos at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. After the event was cut short by a would-be assassin, thousands of meals were left unserved. But event organizers found a way to turn the disaster into a positive by donating the meals to multiple shelters for abused women and children.

Those are your drive home updates this evening. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it earlier today, we covered some major stories including the DOJ charging the latest would-be Trump assassin, the Iranian regime fracturing under the blockade, and controversy brewing over the reopening of Camp Mystic. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.