Monday.com has become the latest technology company to cite artificial intelligence as the driving force behind deep job cuts, axing around 600 workers or 20% of its workforce in a major corporate restructuring. The project management platform's co-founder says the moves are not simple cost-cutting but part of an aggressive AI-first strategy launched a year ago, even as the firm still forecasts up to 20% revenue growth this year. The announcement lands amid a widening wave of similar tech layoffs now totaling nearly 140,000 U.S. jobs in 2026 with giants like Amazon, Oracle, Meta and Microsoft leading the charge.

In Berlin, one person is dead and several others injured after a vehicle plowed through crowds at a Pride event with German police naming a suspect already known to authorities and linked to Islamist circles. The attack is being investigated as terror-related, adding fresh tension to European public gatherings.

Wildfires raging across parts of France and Spain have forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes with at least one death reported in Spain as extreme heat fuels the blazes.

This is the 12:00 AM Central VixShield flash.

And in European and Asian news, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finds himself at odds with his own Labor Party over plans to allow telehealth for euthanasia consultations. Campaigners argue the existing federal ban on phone or video calls is leaving vulnerable patients in regional Australia without options at the end of their lives, creating fresh tension inside the government as it wrestles with end-of-life laws. The policy shift has sparked urgent debate in Canberra this weekend with families in remote areas caught in the middle.

This is the 11:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Analysts are calling for a $15 breakout in XRP as one forecaster bets on explosive gains for the digital token amid fresh optimism around Ripple's regulatory wins and cross-border payments. Bitcoin holds steady above $64,000, trading near $64,461, while Ethereum sits around $1,879. The nuclear trade is entering phase two with three ETFs now covering everything from uranium miners to reactor restarts and small modular designs as governments chase carbon-free baseload power. Iran's spreading conflict has reached the Red Sea and Caspian Sea while the Gulf stays quiet after the United States decided against fresh strikes. In Australia the prime minister is pushing back against pressure to allow telehealth for euthanasia, insisting consultations must stay face-to-face. Income investors are watching Nucor stock ahead of its Q2 earnings with some dividend strategies targeting $500 a month. A 140-year-old retail giant has closed more than 2,500 stores in a sweeping retrenchment. Ford has put Apple Maps straight into the dashboard of its new $30,000 electric vehicle, handing the tech giant a major in-car win without building its own car. Next week's macro calendar features the FOMC decision on Wednesday followed by non-farm payrolls and the unemployment rate on Friday.

This is the 10:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

More than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as raging wildfires sweep across parts of France and Spain. Emergency crews are battling multiple blazes fueled by extreme heat and strong winds, with thousands of firefighters deployed and water-dropping aircraft working around the clock. Officials say the fires have destroyed hundreds of properties and forced the evacuation of entire villages. Families have described terrifying escapes with just minutes to grab their children and pets before flames swallowed their neighborhoods.

In Germany, one person is dead and at least 16 others injured after a van plowed into a crowd at a Berlin pride event. Police are treating the incident as a deliberate attack and have called off the annual parade.

Finally, a heartwarming story from the markets: a loyal dog named after a trading signal is helping its owner sniff out buy points by monitoring artificial intelligence behavior across AWS, Azure and Google Cloud platforms.

This is the 9:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

One person was killed and 16 others injured after a van deliberately drove into crowds at Berlin Pride celebrations early Saturday. German police are treating the incident as a suspected terror attack with possible geopolitical links, with the driver still at large after fleeing the scene. Emergency services reported chaotic scenes as victims were struck along the parade route in Tiergarten park. Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to punish those responsible.

In other global weekend news, the notorious Cameroonian prison New Bell has launched its own record label, enabling inmates to record songs and music videos from behind bars. Rental searches for pet-friendly properties have fallen sharply after recent changes to tenancy laws, with agents saying some renters wrongly believe permission to have a pet is now guaranteed.

As Asian markets prepare for the week ahead, investors are closely watching next week’s high-stakes FOMC interest-rate decision from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and the non-farm payrolls report due Thursday.

Bitcoin is trading near $64,437. Ethereum is at $1,879. Gold is holding at $4,071 per ounce.

In a stark human interest report, aid organizations say women unable to afford clean water in certain regions are frequently pressured into providing sex in exchange for access to drinking supplies.

This is the 8:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

And in European news, one person was killed and 15 others injured after a van ploughed into crowds at Berlin's annual Pride parade in Tiergarten park. German police have called off the rest of the event and are treating the crash as a deliberate attack, leaving organizers and attendees scrambling for emergency medical logistics and secure evacuation routes hours after the parade began.

Teachers in New York are pushing back hard against a proposal to install a humanoid robot in a city high school, calling the idea "really inappropriate" for teenagers. The plan would place the machine in classrooms to help with everything from supplies delivery to basic tutoring, but educators say it raises serious questions about student safety, data privacy and what happens when the technology fails during the school day.

Campaigners warn that women in parts of the developing world who cannot afford clean water are increasingly pressured to exchange sex for access, highlighting a grim logistics failure in global aid delivery where supply chains for safe water have collapsed under cost and conflict.

This is the 7:00 PM Central VixShield flash.

Evacuated villagers in Scotland’s Cairngorms region have been cleared to return home after a ten-day wildfire was finally brought under control. The Scottish first minister publicly thanked Nethy Bridge residents and emergency workers, including those who answered her earlier call for UK military assistance to combat the blaze that had forced hundreds from their homes.

Cooler weather combined with overnight rain proved decisive in containing the fire in the national park.

Across Asia and Europe, governments continue to throw policy weight behind nuclear power. Fresh subsidies, life extensions for existing plants, accelerated approvals for new builds and official classification of nuclear as green energy are removing long-standing investment barriers from Beijing to Brussels. The shift is turning nuclear from a policy tail-risk into a tailwind for utilities, uranium producers and small modular reactor developers.

In lighter news, everyday Filipinos say they have fallen in love with tennis after Alex Eala’s breakout Wimbledon performance turned the sport from an elite pastime into a national talking point in a country long obsessed with basketball and boxing.

This is the 6:00 PM Central VixShield weekend desk flash.

5:21 PM Central Flash

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Oil Surges Over 7 Percent as Tensions Escalate in Middle East

West Texas Intermediate crude climbed to $89.31 a barrel, up $6.08 or 7.31 percent, amid rising geopolitical risks. Iran-backed Houthis claimed a missile attack on Saudi Arabia, adding pressure to an already volatile energy market.

Overseas, Berlin Pride organizers called off the march after a vehicle drove into a crowd near the parade route. Several people were injured, according to police.

Bitcoin traded near $64,340. Ethereum stood at $1,873. Gold was quoted at $4,071 per ounce.

In U.S. weekend news, a federal appeals court ruled that former President Trump cannot implement a mail-in voting order. Investors are also eyeing next week’s FOMC rate decision on July 30.

This is Miss Vixxy reporting from Nashville.

3:00 PM Central Flash – Saturday, July 25, 2026

Oil Surges More Than 7% as North Sea Drilling Delayed by Dropped Gear

WTI crude climbed to $89.31 a barrel, up $6.08 or 7.31% on the session. New drilling projects in the North Sea are facing setbacks after equipment was accidentally dropped into the sea, according to reports.

Europe Wildfires Force 250,000+ to Evacuate

French and Spanish authorities are racing to contain fast-moving wildfires, with more than 250,000 residents evacuated. In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney has requested UK military assistance as 500 firefighters combat a large blaze in the Cairngorms.

India’s Education Minister Resigns After Youth Protests

The minister stepped down in what is being described as a victory for the “Cockroach youth movement,” a series of protests that caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government by surprise.

Crypto and Commodities Snapshot

Bitcoin: $64,330

Ethereum: $1,873

Gold: $4,071 per ounce

Human Interest: Pop band that began by performing for rescue dogs has graduated to sold-out arena tours.

This is Miss Vixxy reporting from Nashville for VixShield.

2:00 PM Central Flash – Saturday, July 25, 2026

Oil prices jumped sharply this weekend, with WTI crude reaching $89.31 a barrel, up more than 7 percent. Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR signed a $16 billion agreement with Kuwait to develop a major oil pipeline network in a lease-and-leaseback structure. Saudi Arabia conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen following attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Iran-backed militia. Market analysts note that while crude may eventually ease, gasoline prices at the pump are unlikely to follow anytime soon.

Bitcoin traded around $64,351 and Ethereum near $1,873. Gold held at $4,071 per ounce.

Experts say cryptocurrency can lower overall portfolio risk when allocated properly. Separate reports highlight college students moving into retirement communities for reasons beyond cheap rent, forging intergenerational bonds.

This is Miss Vixxy reporting from Nashville for VixShield.