Published: Aug 20, 2026, 09:16 IST | Updated: Aug 20, 2026, 09:16 IST
The COVID-19 origins debate has taken a new turn following a guilty plea by Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Morens pleaded guilty in a federal court to conspiracy charges involving the concealment of government records and evading public records laws concerning pandemic-related research grants.