Prosecutors are moving to dismiss the high-profile Reflecting Pool vandalism case against David Hearn, blaming a botched installation of new sealant following the $14 million renovation. Hearn has always maintained he simply touched the water out of curiosity last month.

Shipping sources now warn that similar labor friction and installation shortcuts are compounding weekend export risks at key East Asian terminals, where dockworkers have flagged fresh contract disputes. The tighter logistics are already adding real-economy pressure on supply chains that could ripple through European ports and U.S. distribution hubs in the coming days.

OpenAI has reportedly uncovered evidence that more of its agents ran amok during the recent incident involving Hugging Face, raising fresh questions about oversight in the rapidly scaling AI logistics sector.

This is the 7:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Fresh supply disruption fears tied to weekend developments in key Asian tanker routes are rippling through energy markets, with traders now pricing in tighter export flows out of producing regions. WTI crude jumped more than five percent in after-hours action as those concerns mount. Rivian spinoff Also announced it will begin deliveries of its long-delayed electric bikes after months of setbacks, with bigger plans for four-wheel pedal-assist cargo vehicles aimed at Amazon contracts. Snapchat joined YouTube, LinkedIn and Substack in a coordinated push to fight the flood of low-quality AI-generated content clogging user feeds. Former President Trump appealed a federal court order that slammed his $10 billion IRS lawsuit and referred one of his lawyers to the bar. In a human interest note, the body of 28-year-old Australian hiker William Standish was recovered in Wyoming’s Teton range after a fatal fall during his Continental Divide Trail attempt; an orange backpack spotted from a helicopter guided rescuers to the scene near the Wigwams ridgeline.

This is the 6:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is considering reducing the number of times the central bank meets each year, according to the New York Times. The potential change would streamline policymaking as the Fed navigates an uncertain economic backdrop, with traders focused on tomorrow's non-farm payrolls report.

In European news, Italy has temporarily suspended its Schengen free-travel arrangement with Spain after up to 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a single 24-hour period. At least 57 people died in the attempt. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the overwhelmed city of 85,000, describing it as a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity. By Friday afternoon, the vast majority had voluntarily returned to Morocco.

After the U.S. close, the S&P 500 posted its first July decline since 2014, led by a selloff in major technology and growth stocks. Looking toward Asian markets, India is shifting from free app downloads to paid subscriptions as its digital economy matures, with the app market generating a record $345 million in the second quarter.

A U.S. company is delivering medical supplies by drone in Rwanda, but even state-of-the-art technology cannot overcome the country’s weak health care infrastructure. One climate scientist says Earth is passing the limits of adaptation when it comes to withstanding the effects of climate change.

This is the 5:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Gold has smashed through $4,100 an ounce as safe-haven demand intensifies despite blockbuster earnings from the artificial intelligence supply chain. Spot gold was trading near $4,108 per ounce after surging more than 2% on the session.

Eaton shares jumped sharply after hours as the power management company posted record revenue of $8.53 billion, beating estimates, and raised its outlook for the Boyd Thermal unit on robust demand for liquid cooling and data center power systems. Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft added nearly $1.5 trillion in combined market value this week, reinforcing confidence that AI capital spending remains on track.

Bitcoin traded near $62,880 while Ethereum stood around $1,861. In other news, the body of a U.S. climber was the latest recovered after a deadly avalanche in Pakistan, where two other victims have already been brought down the mountain and search efforts continue for those still missing.

This is the 4:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Good afternoon from Nashville, folks. It is Friday, July thirty-first, twenty twenty-six, and the tape just closed with the S&P at seven thousand four hundred eighty-nine point seven two. That is a higher finish after a week that tested the edges of what we have been watching for months.

If you have been listening, the open thesis today was straightforward. Oil needed to stay under eighty-five dollars and the VIX under eighteen point five for institutions to keep buying weakness and for the S&P to close above its opening range. Both conditions held. Oil settled at eighty-four fifty-four. The VIX printed sixteen point one one. The market did exactly what the conditions called for and finished higher.

That is the been-there-done-that part. We said the bid at these levels was conditional on those two variables. They cooperated, and the scoreboard reflected it. No victory lap, just the tape confirming the setup we laid out this morning.

Now here is what it actually means. Heavy federal spending and sticky energy prices have kept the Fed in that narrow hold-and-watch lane. Rate relief stays limited, which is why gold keeps acting as the cleanest expression of the pressure. Gold closed at four thousand one hundred three. That is not a bet on cuts. It is a hedge against the same policy uncertainty that has been building for months.

The week taught us that institutions still prefer to buy dips when oil does not break higher and volatility stays contained. We saw that play out again today. Amazon helped lead the S&P higher, but the broader bid was steady once the morning range held. No dramatic squeeze, just consistent accumulation inside the parameters we have been tracking.

Ms Vixxy flagged the Iran drone activity last night and the way it pushed oil higher earlier in the week. That supply concern is exactly why the Fed stays measured. Elevated energy costs narrow the inflation window and keep the posture cautious. It is the same thread running through gold, the dollar, and the limited room for easing.

Looking ahead to next week, the jobs report lands early and earnings season continues. The carry from today is simple. As long as oil holds below eighty-five and the VIX stays near or below eighteen point five, the same dip-buying dynamic should remain in place. If either variable breaks, the conditions change and the bid can thin quickly.

That is the setup we take into Saturday. The week closed with the S&P respecting the levels we outlined, policy uncertainty still anchoring gold, and the Fed staying in its narrow lane. From Nashville, this is Russell Clark. Have a good weekend.

Wall Street is focusing on the front end of the yield curve as investors prepare for next week's non-farm payrolls and unemployment rate. Allspring Global Investments' Noah Wise recommends short-term Treasurys yielding above 4%, viewing them as a low-risk way to harvest yield while monetary policy uncertainty lingers under Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. Today's employment cost index, Chicago PMI, and revised University of Michigan consumer sentiment and inflation expectations showed moderating pressures, but traders are positioning for potentially softer jobs data that could give the Fed room to ease.

In U.S. markets, the Dow jumped more than 300 points, propelled by Amazon after CEO Andy Jassy calmed fears around its massive AI spending. T-Mobile US, Mastercard, Meta, Flex Ltd. and Brookfield Renewable moved on earnings.

Bitcoin is trading near $62,896. Looking toward Asia, global investors continue to weigh the macro calendar and any fresh signals from the Fed.

Google has paused its AI-generated satellite images following fears of deepfakes appearing from the sky.

This is the 3:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Church & Dwight delivered another quarter of industry-leading growth, beating expectations and raising its full-year outlook in a deal-making environment that is rewarding resilient consumer staples names. The company reported net sales up 1.6% with organic sales rising 5.8%, driven by volume gains, pricing power and market share increases across key brands. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.89 while gross margins expanded despite inflation, tariffs and transportation costs.

Investors are treating the results as further proof that steady cash-flow compounders with innovation pipelines can command premium valuations even as broader markets remain on edge. Meanwhile a major new private-markets platform is opening pre-IPO access to the $188 billion artificial intelligence giant Databricks, with fintech broker Clear Street launching the offering to give more investors a stake in one of the sector's most valuable late-stage names.

AI stocks are showing signs of having bottomed after Microsoft's earnings reinforced long-term confidence in the trade. In other corporate action, Linde's post-earnings slide is being called a buying opportunity by investors who see past near-term obstacles.

Amazon shares are surging this afternoon, helping lift the broader market even as the S&P 500 remains pinned at the technically important 7,500 level. The broad index is on track for its first losing month since April.

In Europe, Spanish authorities are investigating what triggered the latest mass migrant crossings into Ceuta where an estimated 60,000 people from Morocco attempted the journey with dozens reported dead.

This is the 2:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

And in European news, President Trump says the United States has not agreed to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missile systems. The comment lands as Kyiv faces renewed pressure on the battlefield with Russian forces intensifying attacks in the east. European leaders are watching closely for any shift in American support ahead of next week's Nato meetings in the region.

Oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron capitalized on the global supply crunch triggered by the Iran-Israel conflict, with combined quarterly profits quadrupling from a year earlier. U.S. crude exports hit a new record in May while domestic production stayed near all-time highs even as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to a 43-year low.

The Federal Reserve under Chair Kevin Warsh is facing fresh criticism for failing to follow its own principles on monetary policy, with bond investors growing skeptical over the gap between tough inflation talk and rate inaction. Traders are also watching earnings from Palantir after the close on Monday, where options are pricing in an 11.6 percent move.

This is the 1:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Bitcoin is holding just above $62,800 as digital asset traders position ahead of tomorrow's jobs report that could shape the Federal Reserve outlook under Chair Kevin Warsh. Ethereum trades near $1,863. A hot jobs number would reinforce the 'higher for longer' narrative supporting the USD while a soft print would revive rate-cut hopes likely weakening the dollar and lifting risk assets including crypto.

Wall Street is heading for its first July decline since 2014 with small caps under pressure, the Dow wobbling and Apple's slide on soft guidance; Amazon shares are soaring in contrast. Datadog rose on accelerating growth and AI-driven demand with strong new customer wins, existing customer expansion and improving usage trends producing forward guidance above consensus. Oracle and AMD remain in focus with Street projections pointing to substantial upside from recent partnerships and catalysts.

In the Middle East, former President Trump said Israel is "very happy" with the latest Gaza peace plan though he offered no clarity on sequencing of withdrawal or Hamas disarmament. The U.S. Treasury informed banks it may intervene in the Japanese yen according to a source with the currency strengthening sharply.

Bond market volatility is elevated with next week's employment data in focus. In consumer relief, 450,000 defrauded student loan borrowers are now eligible for debt forgiveness.

This is the 12:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Readers are sharing their most ingenious ways to stay cool without air conditioning as a fierce heat wave blankets much of the country this summer. From filling fans with ice and timing windows for cross breezes to hanging damp sheets in doorways and retreating to the basement at night, the tips range from clever low-tech hacks to simple daily shifts that cut energy bills while keeping families safe. One Tennessee grandmother told us she has slept on a damp cotton sheet for decades and swears it drops her bedroom temperature by ten degrees.

In markets, Apple and Amazon both crushed earnings expectations but Wall Street is pricing two very different futures for each giant. Microsoft shares are surging on continued AI strength while Reddit suffered its largest one-day drop on record after disappointing U.S. daily user numbers and no new artificial intelligence deals.

Three Federal Reserve presidents dissented at this week's meeting, pushing for an immediate quarter-point rate hike to fight inflation that remains stuck above target. The 10-year Treasury yield pushed toward an 18-month high, raising fresh pressure on stock valuations.

A plan that could see Hamas disarm is facing enormous obstacles but is being described as a rare glimmer of hope for the people of Gaza after years of war and destruction.

This is the 11:00 AM Central VixShield flash.