WATCH: Ukrainian press gang brutally assaults young couple in taxi (DISTRESSING VIDEO)

Kiev’s ombudsman has called for a ban on balaclavas after the latest violent mobilization incident

Published 8 Aug, 2026 10:16 |

A distressing video has emerged online purportedly showing a military press gang brutally assaulting a young couple in Ukraine, in the latest alleged forced-conscription incident linked to Kiev’s conflict with Russia.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry relies on harshly enforced mandatory conscription to replenish frontline units, with new reports of coercive recruitment emerging virtually daily. The incident, which allegedly took place earlier this week in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, has drawn particular attention after a video of the altercation was circulated on local social media.

The clip shows a man and a woman sitting in the back seat of whatwas reported to be a taxi as several uniformed men wearing balaclavas reach through the open doors in an apparent attempt to pull the man from the vehicle. As the couple try to fend them off, one of the men repeatedly sprays the 19-year-old in the face with what appears to be tear gas and kicks him through the open door, including in the head. The young man can be heard saying he is hurt and pleading with the men to stop beating him, while the woman screams.The uniformed men eventually succeed in dragging him from the vehicle.

The local draft office denied that its personnel were involved but said it was investigating the footage.

The incident prompted a response from Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmitry Lubinets, who said that the recentincidents in Odessa are the result of years of systemic failures by the Defense Ministry, which allowed a culture of impunity to develop. In a social media post on Friday, the ombudsman called for an immediate ban on recruitment personnel wearing balaclavas.

The video also attracted the attention of former US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wrote on X on Friday that “Ukrainian men get kidnapped, sent to the front lines, and butchered,” while accusing the US and other NATO countries of funding and fighting “a proxy war with Russia.”

Kiev’s forced mobilization campaign has emerged as a major source of tension in Ukrainian society. While officials call it unavoidable in the conflict with Russia, many citizens see it as rife with state-sanctioned corruption and as disproportionately targeting poor people.

Last month, a draft riot erupted in the western city of Lviv, prompting a broad crackdown on suspected participants.

Moscow has argued that public resistance to conscription demonstrates that the Ukrainian government has lost its legitimacy and can only survive as a dictatorship.

(https://www.rt.com/russia/644014-ukrainian-press-gang-odessa-taxi-assault/

‘Suicide cluster’ hits US military hackers – Bloomberg

Cyber Command personnel reportedly face increasing workplace stress amid the Iran war and AI competition

Published 8 Aug, 2026 03:21 |

US Cyber Command is scrutinizing an unusually high number of deaths by suicide among personnel over a month-long period this summer, Bloomberg has reported.

As many as five people who worked in or closely interacted with the command took their own lives between early June and early July, the outlet wrote on Thursday, citing internal military communications, public records, and interviews with people familiar with the matter.

The succession of deaths reportedly led Cyber Command to classify the incidents as aso-called “suicide cluster,” a Pentagon term for suicides occurring closer together than normal that require specific intervention.

Cyber Command operators are tasked with protecting US military networks while hacking into foreign military computer systems to disrupt communications, air defenses, and other battlefield capabilities. Much of their work takes place in highly secure facilities and remains classified.

The psychological toll of the job has long concerned military officials. An Army-funded study cited by Bloomberg found cyber operatorscommonly experienced insomnia, memory loss, rumination, and physical illness.

Concerns about the mental health of military hackers have reached Congress before. A 2025 defense law required Cyber Command to provide dedicated mental health specialists for cyber operators, including counselors cleared to work with personnel handling classified information.

The latest deaths have drawn fresh congressional scrutiny. According to Bloomberg, the Senate Armed Services Committee is discussing additional mental health resources with Cyber Command, while the House committee has called the increase in suicides a “critical issue.”

According to Bloomberg’s sources, military hackers have seen their workload surge because of foreign conflicts, particularly the war in Iran. The deaths coincided with one of the most intense phases of the conflict.

Between June and early July, US and Iranian forces exchanged multiple rounds of strikes, while US Central Command targeted Iranian military surveillance and communications infrastructure. Tehran also retaliated with attacks on US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.

According to Bloomberg, the workload has also been fueled by a race to use and counter increasingly capable AI models. Security experts say the latest systems can identify software flaws and help carry out sophisticated cyberattacks, forcing militaries and governments to adapt their defenses.

https://www.rt.com/news/643991-suicide-cluster-us-cyber-command/

Ukraine promised to end attacks on US-linked oil terminal – Bloomberg

Kiev reportedly vowed to refrain from strikes on CPC infrastructure whose shareholders include Chevron and ExxonMobil

Published 8 Aug, 2026 04:21 |

Ukraine has promised not to strike some non-Russian oil tankers or the internationally owned Black Sea pipeline terminal used to transport Kazakh crude to Europe and Asia, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing a US official familiar with the matter.

Both the US and Kazakhstan have protested attacks on Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) infrastructure in the Russian port of Novorossiysk, where oil transported through the pipeline is loaded onto tankers. CPC shareholders include companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, Western Europe, and the US, such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell. The CPC accounts for about 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, according to Bloomberg.

Ukrainian drones first struck the terminal in February and continued their raids throughout the year, culminating in attacks last month that prompted ships chartered by US companies to stop loading.

Under the agreement reportedly reached with the US, Ukraine promised to refrain from targeting CPC infrastructure and ships that are not on Ukraine’s sanctions list and not carrying Russian cargo.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth asked the White House last month to protect the company’s operations in the region.

The attacks on shipping came as the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around a quarter of global seaborne oil and LNG trade, remains largely closed due to the US war with Iran, driving up prices. On July 25, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who control territory near another important shipping chokepoint in the Red Sea, declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia, further raising concerns over energy supplies.

The war in the Middle East has largely sidelined Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. In a diplomatic blow to Kiev,Trump recently walked back his earlier promiseto grant Ukraine alicense to produce Patriot air defense missilesandrebuffed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s request for more interceptors. The rebuff came as US ammunition stockpiles have reportedly been depleted by Trump’s war with Iran.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644008-ukraine-strikes-oil-terminal-chevron/

==Senate PASSES funding bill to avoid government shutdown

Chief congressional== correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the Senate passing an interim spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 11 and confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General in a close 50-49 vote.

7:36

https://youtu.be/PPVFLS6N5N8

BEACHGOERS BEWARE: Flesh-eating bacteria found in US waters

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel warns beachgoers about the rise of Vibrio vulnificus, a deadly flesh-eating bacteria found in warm salt waters.

4:17

https://youtu.be/lNMMeIcgRwM

Psychotherapist explains appeal of Democratic socialism

Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to analyze why Democratic socialism appeals to younger generations.

5:01

https://youtu.be/oBzbL3ydi5g

Democrats plan Trump investigations over impeachment if they win House, August 8, 2026 at 6:04 AM EDT 1/2

WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. House Democrats preparing for a possible return to power are developing a broad investigative strategy targeting companies and financial firms surrounding President Donald Trump, instead of trying to impeach him immediately, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

Senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives and committee aides have discussed using hearings, subpoenas and document ‌requests to obtain records from entities tied to Trump's political and business orbit, the sources said. It is a bet that investigating private companies and outside financial players will prove more fruitful than directly ‌confronting a White House they expect to resist oversight, they said.

The approach reflectsboth Democratic caution and a lesson many in the party say they learned during Trump's first term: that impeachmentproceedings can consume Congress while allowing Trump to cast himself as the victim of a ​partisan campaign.

Instead, Democrats involved in the planning envision usingHouse investigative powers after November's midterm elections to scrutinize the administration's decision-making and examine whether Trump used his power to benefit himself, allies or donors.

"We're not going into this to impeach," said a senior Democratic aide, describing the thinking among party leaders and committee staff. "No one wants a failed vote on day one. The focus is on building a body of evidence through investigations that can hold Trump accountable."

Republicans hold a narrow House majority, and polls favor Democrats regaining the majority in November. Winning control would give Democrats the power to issue subpoenas, compel testimony and documents, hold public hearings and pursue contempt proceedings.

Democrats expect the White House to fight or ignore requests ‌aimed at the executive branch, making companies, contractors and financial firms working with ⁠the administration an important route for obtaining information, the sources said.

The White House said in a statement that Trump has worked to thwart the "radical left's agenda" and remains committed to preserving Republican majorities in Congress.A White House official said the administration is "prepared to respond to oversight requests, no matter who is in the House or Senate."

Three sources said Apple, ⁠Alphabet, Palantir, Blackstone, BlackRock and companies owned by Elon Musk, such as Tesla, have surfaced in discussions because of their contracts, regulatory exposure or administration dealings. The sources said no final target list has been established and no formal investigations have begun.

The sources provided no further details about the investigations. Reuters could not determine if they face any accusations of wrongdoing.

Alphabet, Palantir, Blackstone and BlackRock declined comment. Apple and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Democrats are expected to examine Department of Homeland ​Security ​contracts, financing for Trump's planned White House ballroom, corporate donors and alleged pay-to-play arrangements, two sources said. They also plan a probe ​of Trump-linked financial vehicles including 1789 Capital - a venture capital firm where his son ‌Donald Trump Jr. is a partner - and foreign sovereign wealth funds whose investments in Trump family-linked entities could raise questions about administration influence, the sources said.

1789 Capital did not respond to a request for comment.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/democrats-plan-trump-investigations-over-100403454.html

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Because foreign funds may be harder for congressional committees to reach, Democrats are discussing seeking records from U.S.-based firms and funds tied to Trump's family and other intermediaries, the two sources said.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

Democrats have already begun laying the groundwork for investigations, two of the sources said.

Party leaders are sending letters to companies, contractors and other organizations connected to potential investigations, they said. The requests seek records and pave the way for subpoenas if Democrats win the House, the two sources said.

Representatives Robert Garcia from California and Jamie Raskin from Maryland, the top Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, respectively, said existing investigations would expand if Democrats win the House.

"From sketchy Pentagon contracts lining the pockets of the president's sons, ‌Trump's crypto billions, and the shady backroom deals for Trump donors, we will ensure we combat corruption when Democrats take back the ​House in November," Garcia said in a statement.

The letters include requests for information from media company Paramount Skydance over its dealings with ​the Trump administration and the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery deal as well as video platform YouTube and parent ​company Alphabet over the company's $24.5 million settlement with Trump in September. Letters have also been sent to private prison operator GEO Group and security firm Salus Worldwide Solutions for their ‌contracts with the DHS as well as commodity traders Vitol and Trafigura over the ​administration's sale of Venezuelan oil, the two sources said.

Alphabet and ​Trafigura declined comment. The others did not respond to requests for comment.

The companies can ignore the requests while Democrats are in the minority. But the letters put potential targets on notice and signal records Democrats could subpoena, the two sources said.

IMPEACHMENT NOT FIRST MOVE

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in June on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Democrats haven't ruled out impeaching Trump if they win back the House but that the ​party's focus would be on pocketbook issues.

Democrats involved in the planning say impeachment remains ‌an option if investigations uncover evidence of an impeachable offense, but not as a first move.

The calculation reflects the party's experience during Trump's first term, when he became the first U.S. president to be ​impeached twice by the House before being acquitted by the Senate each time.

"If investigations uncover evidence that we believe meets the threshold, we will not hesitate to move forward," said the senior ​Democratic aide.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/democrats-plan-trump-investigations-over-100403454.html

(The girl in the picture looks like a man!)

Senate passes funding bill to avert October shutdown

The House would need to approve the measure to prevent a funding lapse.

The Senate passed a bill Saturday to fund the government beyond the midterm elections, putting the onus back on the House to head off a shutdown looming Oct. 1.

The Senate approved the measure in a bipartisan 90-6 vote, with Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina voting present. The bill would fund federal agencies through Dec. 11 at current levels, with some exceptions. Senate leaders sped up consideration of the legislation as part of an agreement reached Saturday morning to allow members to leave for August recess.

The House and Senate have now each passed different bills aimed at averting a shutdown at the end of the fiscal year. The House bill would fund the government through Dec. 4.

The Senate legislation sets up a year-end standoff over the Trump administration’s controversial plan to put political appointees in charge of approving federal grants. The bill would block the administration from finalizing that rule during the length of the stopgap — and lawmakers are already expecting a December brawl over the issue.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said this week that he’s going to “fight like hell” in December to ensure Congress doesn’t further obstruct the grant overhaul.

But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are resistant to the White House approach to grants. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she will “continue to oppose” the Trump administration plans “because I think they politicize the grants process, and I don’t want that to occur.” Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on Senate Appropriations, said she too would “welcome the fight.”

The Senate rejected an amendment from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) intended to ensure that a ban on intoxicating hemp products kicks in come November, after Senate leaders at the White House’s urging included language in the funding bill to delay it.

The Senate bill includes language Democrats sought to ensure Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol don’t get any new funding under the patch. Republicans enacted $70 billion for those agencies along party lines earlier this year.

Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) said in an interview that the provision “could be a dealbreaker” and that he’s “not a fan” of the Senate version. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said Tuesday that he would say he’s undecided if GOP leadership whipped his vote on the Senate stopgap.

“I do not like the Senate language,” Van Drew said, noting the grant approval provision. “It’s one I would want to know what the president thinks.”

The White House issued a statement of administration policy in support of the Senate’s funding bill. No such memo was issued for the House bill, which did not include the funding increases and authorizations the White House requested.

“Every Member of Congress should support passage of this [continuing resolution] to keep the Government open as discussions on full year appropriations continue,” it reads.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democratic appropriator in the House, praised the Senate measure for including the grant and immigration enforcement language.

“This bill is a clear improvement over the House Republican continuing resolution, but we are still nearly two months away from the end of the fiscal year and should be working together to pass full-year funding bills,” she said in a statement.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/08/senate-government-funding-01030015