Hims & Hers shares plunged more than 10% after the Federal Trade Commission sued the telehealth giant over alleged sharing of customers' health data with Meta and Snap plus murky billing and subscription cancellation practices. The FTC action has rattled investors already on edge about data privacy in the booming online health sector.

In a separate corporate move traders are watching Apple, which hit a fresh all-time high today even as broader tech momentum has cooled, with one options strategist outlining a targeted play on the surge. Starbucks is forecast to deliver another solid quarter after the bell with its turnaround momentum still holding. Grayscale analysts meanwhile called the HYPE token cheap relative to Coinbase, Robinhood and Circle.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and policymakers held interest rates steady following the FOMC meeting, with Warsh flagging that artificial intelligence investment is laying groundwork for stronger future growth despite the challenges of the past five years of high inflation. The decision comes as markets brace for tomorrow's advance GDP and core PCE readings.

This is the 2:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

And in European news, Britain's parliamentary watchdog has decided against launching an inquiry into an £80,000 loan made to Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice. The standards commissioner had been asked to examine an undeclared sum from a Nigel Farage aide.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the fifth consecutive meeting. Chair Kevin Warsh said the Fed "will not hesitate" to act on inflation though three members voted to hike. The Dow fell more than 800 points as chip stocks dropped sharply. The S&P 500 was trading near 7,431 while the VIX held at 18.7.

Oil markets reacted to President Trump's threat to hit Iran hard, pushing Brent crude back above $90 a barrel.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is scheduled to meet senior White House officials this week ahead of an AI framework deadline. In a tense Senate hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to answer questions about Covid origins.

Ford's big-truck bet is paying off, with Wall Street taking notice of the automaker's turnaround story.

This is a VixShield breaking flash — 1:45 PM Central, July 29, 2026.

And in European news, two firefighters have been killed battling a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete as southern Europe grapples with extreme heat and rapidly spreading blazes. French fire crews are also facing searing 40C temperatures while trying to contain flare-ups in the Gironde region, where some locals have refused to heed evacuation orders. The deaths come as experts warn that repeated heatwaves, strong winds and drought are making these Mediterranean fires harder to control and pushing emergency services to the limit.

Staff at the V&A's newest Storehouse site in east London have voted overwhelmingly to strike over disputes including toilet and hydration breaks, with workers across the wider London museums also backing action.

In corporate news, AMD and Core Scientific are pairing artificial intelligence chips with plans for up to 2.5 gigawatts of power capacity as data centre demand intensifies, while Caterpillar shares are falling after analysts downgraded the heavy equipment maker citing growing backlash against data centre buildouts. Meta is set to report second-quarter results after the close, with investors seeking clarity on how the social media giant balances heavy AI spending against its online advertising growth.

This is a VixShield breaking flash — 1:00 PM Central, July 29, 2026.

And in European news, Transport for London is pursuing a potential £1 billion legal case against carmakers over vehicles that allegedly manipulated emissions data to enter the Ultra Low Emission Zone without paying the required charges. The action centres on diesel models that were able to bypass the clean air rules in the UK capital.

Mercedes-Benz has lowered its 2026 sales outlook citing persistent weakness in China. Individual investors are dumping stocks at the fastest pace since the COVID crash according to Vanda Research. Short sellers are already piling into SK Hynix shares after its US debut this month. Drugmakers are climbing on mostly solid second-quarter reports even as one company missed profit views.

The US government has banned new imports of foreign-made humanoids, robot dogs and solar inverters citing national security risks with the measures largely targeting Chinese suppliers. Google is expanding its age-assurance technology to Android developers worldwide giving a privacy-preserving way to tailor content by age range. And a final wire from Asia, the author and translator of Taiwan Travelogue — winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize — are rethinking history, colonialism and identity as geopolitical pressure around the island continues to mount.

This is the 1:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Bitcoin is trading around $63,700 this afternoon as digital asset markets pull back ahead of the Federal Reserve decision. Ethereum sits near $1,893 with similar caution. Wall Street is on edge as the FOMC is widely expected to hold rates steady between 3.5% and 3.75%, with Chair Kevin Warsh facing questions over the path forward.

And in European news, two firefighters have died battling blazes in Crete while wildfires continue to threaten southern Europe, including parts of Spain where heat and winds could reignite fires over the next three days.

An unprecedented cyberattack on OpenAI is putting fresh scrutiny on cybersecurity giants Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike. Meta shares are getting a boost from analysts who say its risk profile now screams buy. Jim Cramer is telling viewers there's still opportunity to add shares of one leading chipmaker even as Intel continues to take hits.

The S&P 500 is currently trading near 7,373 while the VIX has jumped to 20.06, up more than 7 percent on the day as protection demand rises into the close. The Fed statement and press conference are due at 2 p.m. Central, with advance GDP numbers tomorrow.

Finally, DoorDash has launched its own in-house drone delivery program now that it has FAA certification.

This is the 12:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

A 40-year-old father who rescued a bankrupt Wisconsin butcher business has grown it into a $1.6 billion-a-year meat snacks empire, an underdog success story drawing widespread attention as Wall Street prepares for today's pivotal Federal Reserve decision.

The Dow tumbled more than 900 points with losses accelerating ahead of the FOMC announcement. Microsoft is expected to report earnings after the bell, with investors scrutinizing its spending plans to see whether it follows Alphabet by raising capital expenditure. Qualcomm's quarterly results are anticipated to underscore artificial intelligence's growing impact on both the smartphone market and data-center expansion.

A key cryptocurrency bill faces mounting risk of failure amid objections linked to President Trump's crypto ventures and resistance from banks.

Analysts warn that U.S.-Saudi strikes in Iraq are pushing the Middle East into uncharted territory.

The FOMC statement and Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference are due this afternoon.

This is a VixShield breaking flash — 11:15 AM Central, July 29, 2026.

Dodgers owner Mark Walter is under investigation by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice after a whistleblower complaint involving $16 billion in private credit deals. The probes center on potential insurance fraud and related-party investments at two life insurers controlled by the billionaire's TWG Global, which together manage about $85 billion in assets. The original complaint first targeted Guggenheim Partners, which Walter co-founded, and much of the money used to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly came from Guggenheim-managed insurance companies. Walter also owns the Lakers, Sparks, a stake in Chelsea FC and the Professional Women's Hockey League, putting his vast sports empire under fresh scrutiny.

In U.S. markets, stocks are dropping as the S&P 500 trades near 7,360, down more than 1%. The VIX has jumped to 19.93, up more than 6.5%. Corporate earnings delivered a mixed bag with GE HealthCare shares soaring after strong results while Humana faded sharply. Moderna stock has doubled in 2026 but Wall Street remains unconvinced. Verizon shares are in focus after solid profit growth and raised guidance, with investors split on whether the telecom is a cheap stock or a value trap. Bloom Energy posted a stunning 680% earnings surge as an AI power player though its shares wavered. London's FTSE 100 climbed to a four-month high despite the ongoing AI sell-off. U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell more than expected in the latest weekly data.

This is the 11:00 AM Central VixShield flash.

President Trump says the United States will give Iran a beating after a surprise attack on American troops. The threat sent oil prices jumping sharply with West Texas Intermediate trading above $87 a barrel as fears grow over possible disruption to Middle East supply routes. Centcom confirmed the ballistic missiles came from Iran but all were intercepted.

In U.S. markets the Dow has tumbled more than 800 points as losses mount ahead of the Federal Reserve decision with semiconductor names leading the sell-off. Tomorrow brings the advance read on second-quarter GDP that could show strong growth even after the Iran conflict boosted inflation.

In lighter news, hotter summers may force the Royal Horticultural Society to move its hydrangeas north of England.

This is the 10:00 AM Central VixShield flash.

DoorDash is racing to build its own drone delivery business as last-mile logistics costs continue to climb sharply for the food delivery giant. The company has received FAA approval to operate a commercial drone service and is investing in autonomous aircraft technology to cut reliance on gig workers and speed up urban handoffs.

Private credit concerns are weighing on shares of Hamilton Lane after Wasatch Global Investors flagged the firm's exposure as a performance detractor in its latest letter. Hamilton Lane closed Tuesday at $89.52, with the stock down more than 42 percent over the past year.

In logistics news, Haitians with temporary protected status remain on edge as confusion over work permit renewals leaves both immigrants and their U.S. employers facing daily uncertainty about whether jobs can continue.

Caterpillar is shrugging off tariff pressure as North American construction demand heats up according to its latest update.

Wall Street is now bracing for the Federal Reserve decision this afternoon, with the FOMC statement and Kevin Warsh's press conference due at 2 p.m. Central.

This is the 9:00 AM Central VixShield flash.

Good morning from Nashville, it's Wednesday, July twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-six, eight-oh-five central. Gold just smashed through four thousand eighty dollars overnight while oil sits at eighty-four dollars sixty cents. That combination tells you exactly where the real pressure sits this morning. Institutions are pricing policy uncertainty first and everything else second. If you've been listening, you know we said weeks ago that gold would move faster than models expected whenever fiscal spending stayed elevated and the Fed stayed boxed in. That tape is playing out right now. The premise for today's open is simple. Higher-for-longer rates plus record debt are keeping safe-haven flows in gold and keeping the equity bid alive as long as oil stays under eighty-five and the VIX holds below twenty. That is the line institutions are watching into the cash open. Let's walk through what it means in plain English. The Fed meets later today. Traders already know the decision is a hold. The bigger question is whether any language opens the door to cuts later this year. With energy prices climbing and federal spending still running hot, the room to ease without re-igniting inflation stays narrow. That is why gold is acting as the cleanest vehicle for that uncertainty. It is not chasing a rate cut story. It is hedging the fact that cuts may stay limited. On the equity side, the S&P futures are sitting near seventy-four hundred twenty-eight point seven eight. The VIX at eighteen point six four is calm enough that dip-buying should dominate any early weakness. We said earlier this month that as long as oil stayed under eighty-five and volatility below twenty, institutions would lean into softness rather than step aside. That setup is still in place. One quick callback to the book. If you've been listening, remember we noted that Bitcoin at sixty-three thousand continues to act as separate institutional support even when rate-sensitive channels wobble. It is holding above sixty-four thousand one hundred ninety-six right now and that sleeve is behaving independently of the fixed-income noise. For the session ahead, the single falsifiable thesis is this. If no fresh escalation hits by ten a.m. central, the S&P should close within one percent of today's level. That is the institutional playbook into the open. Ms Vixxy flagged the Red Sea tanker blast and the gold surge earlier this morning. What it means from here is that any equity dip tied to those headlines is likely to be bought rather than sold, provided oil does not break higher from current levels. That is the setup. From Nashville, this is Russell Clark. Have a good trading day.