US media began the day with continued extensive coverage of the White House East Wing demolition for a Trump ballroom and new sanctions against Russian oil companies. Attention then significantly shifted around midday to a federal gambling probe, which quickly became the dominant narrative. Reports focused on the arrests of NBA coach Chauncey Billups and player Terry Rozier, implicated in alleged Mafia-tied schemes. This story evolved throughout the afternoon and evening, with details emerging about the scope of the probe and the involvement of organized crime. Concurrently, discussions around the government shutdown and the potential payment of federal workers continued, alongside President Trump's pardoning of Binance founder Zhao and the halting of federal deployment to San Francisco.