Transcript of Evening Wire: Russell Brand Convicted & Russia Meets With Ukraine At White House | 11.5.26

Russell Brand is convicted in a UK court. Russian and Ukrainian representatives meet at the White House, and the discovery of a new type of magnet could lead to breakthroughs in computing. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, November 5th. This is Evening Wire.

British actor and comedian Russell Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault today. Entertainment reporter Amanda Harding has more.

A London jury found Brand guilty on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. The charges stem from incidents that took place in the decade between 1999 and 2009. While Brand admitted he had lived a promiscuous life before his turn to Christianity, he said he never forced himself on anyone. However, prosecutors painted him as a ruthless, calculating, manipulative sexual predator. After the verdict, Brand was taken into custody. He is set to be sentenced on Monday.

At least 20 commercial flights across Europe were diverted today because of bomb threats. All of those threats turned out to be hoaxes, but the volume of them and the short amount of time they occurred has raised suspicions of coordination. An aviation security expert told the BBC that the threats seem to have stemmed from a, quote, "very deliberate act by a typical actor rather than a load of coincidental malicious calls." While no group has taken credit, the bomb scares come at a time when concern across Europe is rising over sabotage efforts from Russia, Iran, and other opposition countries.

Russian and Ukrainian representatives are meeting at the White House today, where First Lady Melania Trump is bringing the two sides together to recognize a ceasefire that she helped broker in Oleshky. The truce allowed humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations before expiring on November 1st. A Ukrainian official called the agreement the biggest de-escalation since 2022, while a Russian envoy praised President Trump's peace efforts. The ceasefire was limited to Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. Melania says she hopes it can become a starting point for broader peace.

The head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, has resigned. Dhillon's departure marks the first significant resignation within the Trump administration since the major election loss Tuesday. Attorney General Todd Blanch announced Dhillon's resignation, praising her as having, quote, "defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor." He said the department is grateful for her dedicated public service and wishes her every success in her future endeavors. Dhillon told Fox Digital that she was not asked to resign, but that she in fact resigned three weeks ago but was asked to wait until after the midterms.

A leading House Democrat is promising retribution against anyone who helped Trump. Reporter Zach Jewell has more.

In an interview on MS Now, Representative Jamie Raskins stated, quote, "We will not hesitate to go after the private corporations that are collaborating in all of the lawlessness with Donald Trump. We've done it before, and we will absolutely do it again." Raskins did not indicate which specific actions were lawlessness, but suggested that any law firm that made a deal of any kind with the Trump administration was automatically suspect. Raskins notably did not explain how his retribution strategy would align with his party's campaign promise to lower gas prices, address the affordability crisis, or put an end to the war in Iran.

Here was Rahman last night.

It's a simple vision. It doesn't feel radical to me. Doesn't feel that radical. Radical and divisive right here. Where artists can afford to make their art. Where government answers when you call and takes responsibility for getting things done. Where we stand up against. We show up for our gay and trans siblings. Where children can walk safely to school.

Rahman's win is another victory for the Democratic Party's far-left flank, represented by the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Rahman is a member.

Data centers were among the victims of Tuesday's blue tsunami. Voters in 10 states sided against development in 40 of 41 ballot measures. Associate Producer Garrett Van Team has more.

In Ohio, a major data center hub, voters in one city approved restrictions on future construction by nearly 30 points. The issue was a major talking point for many Democrats in statewide races, including in Texas, where Democrat Gina Hinojosa unseated three-term incumbent Greg Abbott while promising a statewide moratorium on new projects. One poll taken before the election found that 7 in 10 Americans, including most Republicans, oppose new data centers in their communities. One group estimated as much as 30% of new data center projects could be at risk by 2028, sending AI and chip stocks into free fall this morning.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is facing a bipartisan impeachment threat when Congress returns next week, as some Republicans blame the Iran war for their midterm losses. Congressman Thomas Massie says he plans to force a vote unless Hegseth resigns, and several Republicans told Fox News they expect the measure could actually pass, though it would also face a procedural hurdle and eventually the Senate. The White House defended Hegseth, while House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also called for him to go.

Live golf is officially shutting down after five seasons. Reporter Linden Blake has the story.

Live golf is now dead. League lawyers telling a New Jersey bankruptcy court today that they plan to liquidate the business rather than restructure it. The decision follows Saudi Arabia's public investment fund cutting off the $5 billion in funding that launched and sustained the league, along with investment firm BC Partners withdrawing a promised $300 million bailout. Live has been pursuing a revamped version of the league with Bryson DeChambeau as its leading star, but that plan now appears dead. Several prominent players, including Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, had already announced plans to leave.

And if the past few days have left you questioning everything about the universe, we've got one more for you, as researchers confirm the existence of a new type of magnet. Writer Nick Sheehan explains.

For the last century or so, every physics textbook has taught that there are two kinds of magnets: ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. So electrons, as you may know, have a charge, but they also have another quality known as spin. Ferromagnets, like the ones you put on your fridge, occur when all the electrons in a material have the same direction of spin. Antiferromagnets occur when adjacent spins are opposite to each other. Now, researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and at Oak Ridge have confirmed a whole new type of magnet, which exhibits properties of both of the others.

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 impact of the election broken down by Ben Shapiro, conservative policies winning even in blue states, and the Supreme Court signaling it may side with religious schools facing discrimination. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.