The Daily Briefing highlights the news of the day and research that reveals the spirit of the day.
The Daily Briefing is a newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning that provides biblical insight on today's news.
Top News
6. Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat's Terry Rozier among 31 arrested in federal gambling-related investigation (NBC News)
“Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and dozens of others were hit with federal charges Thursday as part of a sweeping investigation into illegal sports gambling and poker rigging schemes allegedly backed by the Mafia.
“The extraordinary federal takedown led to the arrests of more than 30 people across 11 states on charges including wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery and illegal gambling, FBI Director Kash Patel announced at a news conference. “The fraud is mind-blogging,” Patel told reporters, referring to the alleged schemes as a “criminal enterprise that envelops both the NBA and La Cosa Nostra.”
“Rozier and Billups, along with former NBA player Damon Jones, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was among those arrested. Tommy Gelardo was also arrested this morning, an FBI spokesperson said. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said those former players were allegedly involved in a scheme involving fraudulent NBA bets that was dubbed “Operation Nothing But Net.”
Unlike Kenny Rogers, it doesn’t appear everyone knows when to walk away. An estimated 2.5 million Americans suffer from severe gambling addiction each year; 5 million to 8 million more have a mild to moderate gambling problem. A growing body of research indicates that sports gambling increases the risk of bankruptcy, anxiety, suicidality, and even domestic violence.
When does a heap cease to be a heap? In his insightful book The Urge, Carl Erik Fisher highlights how the gambling industry actively frames our perception of normal versus addictive behavior, promoting gambling as harmless entertainment while, for a few, it is deeply addictive. Relative to a heap, how many grains of sand does it take to make up a heap, or in this instance, addictive behavior? “While there may be no natural cut point between people with addiction and the rest of humanity, the fact of a continuum does not mean we cannot discern one state from another. There is a philosophical problem called the paradox of the heap: If a heap of sand is taken apart one grain at a time, at what point does it stop becoming a heap? There is no natural dividing line in that”
With gambling, winning is losing... In the Scriptures, we read that the root of all kinds of evil is the love of money. When you win in gambling, many of our neighbors and friends are likely to lose. They are further tempted to either win more than they can imagine or try to dig themselves out of an ever-sinking hole. The writer of Proverbs was right: “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” (Pro. 30:8, 1 Tim. 6:10)
5. Trump plows past concerns over East Wing demolition — and envisions an even bigger ballroom than initially planned (CNN)
“President Donald Trump has proceeded with enormous latitude as he constructs his massive new ballroom, bypassing concerns raised by preservationists and so far stopping short of seeking approval from the commission overseeing construction on federal buildings to tear down the entirety of the White House East Wing. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires reviews of projects that affect most historic buildings, but the White House, Supreme Court building and U.S. Capitol are exempt.
“The ballroom is now expected to be larger than initially planned, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The president has shown visitors two flat tabletop models, at times quizzing the room on which version they preferred: the smaller one or the larger one. Most answered that the bigger one was better, to which Trump agreed.
“While it’s not clear how much larger, Trump did say Wednesday that the ballroom is expected to cost a projected $300 million, seemingly in line with a larger structure. Previously, the administration had put the cost at $200 million.”
Apparently Miley Cyrus isn’t the only one coming in like a Wrecking Ball… Pres. Trump joins a long line of presidents to renovate the people’s house. FDR added an indoor pool, Ford added an outdoor pool, Nixon built a bowling lane, and Obama converted a tennis court to a basketball court. In the 1950s, then Pres. Truman completely gutted the house, leaving only the exterior walls. According to historical documents, some said the White House was “only standing from the force of habit” due to weakened wooden beams. Truman fireproofed the residence and reinforced the walls with concrete and 660 tons of steel.
The responses to the renovations illuminate the lesser minds problem. This refers to how we dismiss those we disagree with as being stupid, insane, or evil. Instead of working through the many motivating factors, this person subscribes to a monocausal, uncharitable interpretation: evil. However, contrary to popular belief, Pres. Trump isn’t literally destroying the White House.
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of Pres. Trump’s style, just as I wasn’t the biggest fan of former Pres. Obama lighting up the White House with a rainbow. However, we should be able to disagree, like Paul and Barnabas, without demonizing one another. This demonization, which refers to the intensification of disagreements, unnecessarily elevates some issues with people to the detriment of trying to live at peace with all people. (Acts 15, Rom. 12, 15)
4. U.S. Anglican Church archbishop accused of sexual misconduct, abuse of power (WaPo)
“The Anglican Church in North America — forged from the headline-grabbing conservative revolt against the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop — is now confronting allegations by clergy and parishioners against two of its top leaders: One is accused of sexual misconduct, while the other allegedly abused his power by allowing men with troubling histories into the church.
“The denomination’s senior-most official, Archbishop Stephen Wood, 62, has been accused by a former children’s ministry director of putting his hand against the back of her head and trying to kiss her in his office in April 2024. The woman, who gave an interview to The Post, also accused Wood of giving her thousands of dollars in unexpected payments from church coffers before the alleged advance.
“Beyond confronting the allegation of making an unwanted advance on his employee, Wood also faces complaints from priests that he plagiarized sermons and bullied and disparaged church staffers in the years before he became archbishop. The presentment accuses Wood of violating his ordination vows, committing sexual immorality and bringing “scandal and offense” upon his office.”
Roughly 1 in 100 pastors leave the ministry each year, according to Lifeway research. Over the past decade, the number of headlines may have increased, but this number has largely stayed the same: 1.3 percent in 2015, 1.5 percent in 2021, and 1.2 percent in 2025.
The church is supposed to be different… In GK Chesterton’s Tremendous Trifles, he tells the story of 2 men on a journey who realize they are in the wrong town. Their realization awakens a sense of adventure. “That is what makes life at once so splendid and so strange. We are in the wrong world. When I thought that was the right town, it bored me; when I knew it was wrong, I was happy.” Chesterton likens this to the Christian life, with modern happiness tiring us because we attempt to fit into the world, but divine happiness being rooted in being distinct from the world. “We come from somewhere else. We have lost our way.”
These allegations are just that, allegations. However, they are also unacceptable, especially in the church that calls for leadership to live blameless lives. No doubt, mistakes are an inevitable part of life. Moses likely messed up while loving his family in Midian. David wasn’t perfect while shepherding his father’s flock. And Peter wasn’t without fault while fishing in Galilee. But leadership elevates a person… and their mistakes. As Chesterton suggested, we are strangers in this world, but we lose some of our strangeness when we act like it. (Phil. 2, 1 Tim. 3)
Cultural News
3. Why kids keep saying ‘6-7’: ‘It’s really beautiful because it’s dumb’ (WaPo)
“Here’s how it works: You shout out “6-7!” That’s it. Does that make sense? No? That’s kind of the point. Classrooms and hallways have been echoing with cries of “6-7” for months. Triggers include hearing the word “six,” hearing the word “seven” or any situation involving numbers. The catchphrase is accompanied by a palms-up gesture that sort of looks like a pantomime of comparing two grapefruits.
“Aspen Bohlander, 15, estimated that she hears “6-7” around 80 times a day. “It’s more of an ironic thing,” said Bohlander, a sophomore at Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Ill. “People are making fun of the fact that it’s not funny.” He concluded: “It’s going to die out soon, and there’s no meaning behind it.”
How do you relate to the internet? In her book Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch asserts that the internet hasn’t degraded language — it has diversified it. She identifies 3 types of people when it comes to language and the internet: pre-internet (didn’t grow up with it; view as a source of information, not a social space), full-internet (digital natives; online life and real life are inseparable), and semi-internet (online in the early web days; helped shape early online life through AIM and chatrooms).
Internet slang is both a connecter and a concealer, according to McCulloch. It connects us with like-minded people, and it also provides plausible deniability in every phrase, allowing someone the space to avoid being canceled or dunked on for being wrong. The ambiguity of the language allows for ample interpretation. “Like the big collaborative projects of the internet, such as Wikipedia and Firefox, like the decentralized network of websites and machines that make up the internet itself, language is a network, a web. Language is the ultimate participatory democracy. To put it in technological terms, language is humanity's most spectacular open source project.”
Slang is a shibboleth test. In the Scriptures, Jephthah judged accents to ascertain their allegiance in battle, issuing the shibboleth test (Judges 12). You can take the person out of the country, but Jephthah knew you couldn’t take the country out of the person – especially if you were listening closely. There is nothing inherently wrong with slang, but there is an opportunity to do good for those who use slang. Their slang appeals to some; your grace can be extended to all.
News You Can Use
2. The Rug Dealer
Watch it here. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal. 5:1)
1. 'Llama Llama Red Pajama': NC dad goes viral with rap rendition of children's book
Watch it here. “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” (1 Cor. 9:22)
