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What We Know with Max Foster

Multiple NBA Players, Coach Arrested In Gambling Probe; Trump Pushes Past Concerns Over New Ballroom Plans; U.S. Sanctions Russia's Two Largest Oil Companies, Demand Ceasefire; Rubio Meets Netanyahu To Shore Up Gaza Ceasefire Deal; King Charles III Makes A State Visit To The Vatican. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired October 23, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:30]

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNTIONAL HOST: A mafia link sports rigging scandal hitting American basketball at the highest level.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

We begin with that story, and it feels like it was ripped from a Hollywood screenplay because NBA star Terry Rozier and Portland Trailblazers coach

Chauncey Billups were both arrested today for their connection to a gambling scheme that involved several of New York's most infamous organized

crime families. Prosecutors say the gang stole tens of millions of dollars by fixing poker games and using insider information to bet on NBA games as

well. In one case, they say Rozier faked an injury so gamblers could collect on prop bets connected to how many points and rebounds he would

get.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH NOCELLA JR., U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: The first indictment involves six defendants who are alleged to have

participated in one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States. This

scheme is an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about National Basketball Association athletes and teams. The

second indictment involves 31 defendants alleged to have participated in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games. These defendants, which

include former professional athletes, used high tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were

secretly fixed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN law enforcement reporter Mark Morales with more on this, because we've really got a sense of the scale of this. It crosses

the mafia, crosses NBA, poker games, and, you know, violent crime.

MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: Right. And it's not every day that you're saying in the same sentence Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and

the Bonanno crime family. I mean, that's what makes this thing sort of take on a life of its own. We're talking about two major federal indictments

that were part of one massive, sweeping campaign by federal prosecutors here in New York to bring both of these camps to justice. And let's just go

in a little bit more details of what we're talking about here.

So, Chauncey Billups was caught up in this scheme that was conducted to create these illegal poker games. And he was known as sort of the face of

these poker games. This is what prosecutors allege in court documents. They say that they would bring in these high rollers who would come in, sit next

to Chauncey Billups and be enamored with his celebrity. So much so that they wouldn't even notice that they were being taken for a ride.

And how exactly would this happen? So, the organizers of these illegal poker games would be using all sorts of technology. We're talking about

hidden cameras. The card readers, they knew the hands that were being dealt. And because Chauncey Billups was allegedly in on it, they would all

make a profit.

Now the Bonanno and the Gambinos and the Genovese and Lucchese, names that we haven't said in a very long time, they were involved in this scheme. And

when a lot of their victims wouldn't pay up, it would be them who would go out and try to collect on these debts.

Now, when we talk about Terry Rozier, he's a current NBA player. He plays for the Miami Heat. And he was getting information about other players in

the league. And he was funneling them to his group so that they could actually place bets on who could score X amount of points or get rebounds,

whatever the case may be.

His most famous example was playing in a game in March of 2023, when he played nine minutes and then claimed that he had an injury so he wouldn't

go out and play again. Now everybody in his camp placed their bets on him, not reaching his sets for points or rebounds and steals. And for instance,

and he they made a lot of money on this.

As part of these massive indictments, we're talking about over 30 people that have been arrested in connection with this, and they're facing a

number of charges. We're talking about wire fraud, bank fraud, extortion.

We've only heard from Terry Rozier's attorney, who says that he had been cleared of any wrongdoing from the NBA. And he looks to fight this in

court. We still haven't heard from Chauncey Billups, but we've also heard from the NBA, and they're both immediately putting both on leave -- Max.

FOSTER: Law enforcement reporter Mark Morales, thank you for that extraordinary update.

Now it's out with the old and in with the new for President Donald Trump as the demolition of the White House continues. All in favor of a new 90,000

square foot ballroom that will stand where the East Wing currently is, we think.

[15:05:07]

We'll get that explained in a moment. But the construction of the ballroom is coming at a cost, with the projected amount rising significantly from

what the Trump administration initially promised and the surprising destruction of the historic East Wing.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed these changes just a short while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: With any construction project, there are changes over time as you assess what the project is

going to look like, and we'll continue to keep you apprise of all of those changes, but just trust the process. This is going to be a magnificent

addition to the White House for many years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, the multimillion-dollar proposal has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike who are raising their concerns about what

kind of message this sends to the American people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): We're talking about building a ballroom when we're trying to get the economy squared away. Timing is bad.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): My heart breaks, my stomach turns when I see the destruction of an iconic treasure. I just can't believe that the

wrecking ball is taken to this iconic structure that symbolizes America and our strength and culture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Kevin Liptak is live at the White House to tell us more about this.

I mean, there are two sides to this, right, Kevin, is the sheer cost, which is extraordinary. And then the damage to this, you know, building that

belongs to the people, right?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And we should say that the costs are not being footed by the taxpayers. At least that's what the

White House says right now. The president is paying for it himself, along with donors from a number of major American companies.

And so, the cost, I think, is one thing. We should see at the end of this process. I think it's hard to believe that no taxpayer money will be spent

on this whatsoever. But certainly, the bulk of it the president claims, won't be footed by the taxpayers.

The other is what's happening to the building itself. And we just saw photos in the last hour or so that showed the entirety of the East Wing is

now sitting in rubble on the ground. Both the East Wing itself, but also the east colonnade, which attaches the east wing to the actual executive

mansion. And so, you had the offices where the first ladies have traditionally worked out of, the White House calligrapher. Along the

colonnade there, you had the movie theater on the north side of it, which is where presidents could get screenings from first run movies, but also on

the south side of it, you had the Jacqueline Kennedy garden, which obviously the former first lady put into place when she was living here

back in the '60s.

And so, it is indicative of a degree of American history that has now been torn up into bits and pieces. The White House has argued that renovations

have been a part of this building since its construction. And it is true, you know, the East Wing before 1902 was actually a glass house, you know, a

conservatory where Abraham Lincoln was growing lemons and oranges.

And so, yes, the building has evolved over time. And in a lot of ways, it's been a constant work in progress. But clearly, the president is doing this

without a lot of input from the public and certainly not input from some of the boards that would traditionally be used to approve this scale of

project.

In particular, the national capital planning commission, which has federal oversight over federal construction. The White House has argued that they

don't, in fact, have oversight over demolition. They only have oversight over vertical building. I talked yesterday to the former chairman of that

body. He served that role for almost a decade, who said that in his experience, the demolition and the construction were never separated out,

but nonetheless, here we are.

And I think the calculation that the president made was that once you knock the whole thing down, the project is pretty much guaranteed to go forward -

- Max.

FOSTER: Kevin, thank you.

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains defiant in the wake of a new round of sanctions from both the U.S. and the European Union. Mr. Putin says no

self-respecting country ever does anything under pressure. He also issued this warning about Ukraine's bid to convince the U.S. to supply it with

Tomahawk missiles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is an attempt to escalate. But if these weapons are used to strike on Russia, the

response will be very serious. I should even say overwhelming. Let them think about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's grateful for the support his country is getting from both Europe and the U.S. He was

alongside E.U. leaders in Brussels today when they approved new sanctions set against Russia. That's on the heels of the U.S. decision to sanction

the two largest Russian oil companies.

Ukraine's leader was asked about his contentious meeting last week with President Trump and whether he's abandoned hopes of securing U.S. Tomahawk

missiles.

[15:10:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The result of this meeting are -- what can I say? And we'll not go to details. So, the result of this meeting

-- we have sanctions on Russian energy. We don't have meeting in Hungary without Ukraine. And we have not yet Tomahawks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Earlier, I spoke with Oleksandr Merezhko. He's the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Ukrainian parliament.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, CHAIR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We know that Russian war machine are in large part depends on selling, on

revenues from selling oil and gas. And these sanctions is a -- will deliver a huge blow to Russian war machine. And its economic capability to wage

aggression, aggressive war against Ukraine.

But, of course, we need to continue on other fronts. I mean, that the United States hopefully will continue to provide military assistance and

will impose secondary sanctions on Russian allies who buy Russian oil and gas and thereby provide lifeline to Russian war machine.

So only taken together in complex and synergy, we can stop Russian war machine and stop Russian aggression against Ukraine.

FOSTER: It does feel, though, doesn't it, that this is as far as Donald Trump's willing to go right now, because this debate about Tomahawks isn't

going anywhere. He's making the point that it takes so long to get them into action, and they need to be operated by Americans. Its a big hill for

him to climb, but your -- your president is pretty clear that he needs them.

MEREZKHKO: Yes, absolutely, because if we receive Tomahawks and other kind of contemporary sophisticated weaponry like long-range missiles, it will

help us to destroy Russian military targets, which -- on which depends Russian war economy. So, we don't lose hope with regard to Tomahawks

because, you know, we had it before many times.

For example, F-16. Initially, the United States was very reluctant to give us what we needed. Initially, they would say no. Later on under the

influence of our persuasion, we managed to convince American president to say yes, finally.

So, we hope that -- we should continue to try to convince our American allies to provide us with more military assistance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: And now we're going to take you to the Middle East, where President Trump is apparently quashing any attempts by Israel's right wing to apply

sovereignty to parts of the West Bank. Trump tells "Time Magazine" that Israel will, quote, lose all of its support from the U.S. if it annexes the

West Bank. And wrapping up his visit to the region, Vice President J.D. Vance slammed a pair of preliminary votes in Israel's parliament today,

designed to advance annexation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some

insult to it. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be

annexed by Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The U.S. secretary of state says he's clear-eyed about the challenges ahead as he works to safeguard the fragile Israel-Hamas

ceasefire in Gaza. Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem, where he's meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. The two made

statements earlier. Rubio joins a parade of top American officials tag teaming in and out of the region to shape the 20-point U.S. brokered peace

deal into a reality.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yet another senior U.S. official touching down in Israel to meet with the Israeli prime minister

and senior members of his government. This time, it's the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is the latest in a parade of senior U.S. officials

who visited Israel just this past week, a week that began with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff arriving in Israel. And then you

saw the U.S. Vice President, J.D. Vance, doing the same. And now, we're up to the secretary of state.

It's all part of an effort that one U.S. official termed as "Bibi sitting", a play on the Israeli prime minister's nickname, Bibi Netanyahu. And that's

because U.S. officials, have been concerned that the Israeli prime minister is simply not as committed to this cease agreement as the United States is,

not as committed to ensuring that this ceasefire agreement not only holds, but actually results in that enduring end to the war in Gaza that President

Trump has described.

We have seen that Vance and Rubio have already talked about, you know, the efforts necessary to ensure that this ceasefire actually sticks as the U.S.

is expending really significant diplomatic and political capital here in Israel in order to not just monitor this ceasefire, but actually mediate

potential disputes that may arise, standing up this new civilian military coordination center about a dozen miles away from the Gaza border, where

you have U.S. military officials and others monitoring the ceasefire, ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid, and starting to prepare for the

next phases of this ceasefire.

[15:15:28]

And we heard the vice president, J.D. Vance, on Thursday, talk about some of those efforts, standing up this international stabilization force that

will go into Gaza and take over parts of the strip from both Hamas and from the Israeli military. We also heard for the first time from the vice

president a timeline for the potential rebuilding of parts of Gaza, including the southern city of Rafah.

VANCE: I think that we could actually have tens of thousands of Gazans moving into southern Gaza, where again, you have Hamas-free zone in the

next couple of months and then tens of thousands beyond that. I think the hope is to rebuild Rafah over the next two to three years. And

theoretically, you could have half a million people live in a rebuilt Rafah.

DIAMOND: The vice president also addressed the vote that happened in Israel's parliament while he was in Israel. This was a vote to advance a

bill that would see Israel annex large swaths of the West Bank. J.D. Vance, the vice president, saying that he was not only insulted by this vote,

calling it a stupid political stunt, but also reiterating that the U.S. would not allow Israel to do so.

The Israeli prime minister, for his part, his office blaming Israels opposition even though most of the votes in favor of this bill came from

his own governing coalition. But he did say that without his party's support, the Likud, this vote would not go anywhere.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Coming up, King Charles makes a state visit to the Vatican. We'll tell you about the historic moment between the king and Pope Leo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:20:12]

FOSTER: Britain's King Charles is making a state visit to the Vatican. Pope Leo greeted the King and Queen Camilla earlier today. Later, the king and

pope took a moment to pray together. This marks the first time a British monarch has publicly prayed with a pope in 500 years.

CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb has more on that historic visit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): History made in the Sistine Chapel.

POPE LEO XIV, CATHOLIC CHURCH: Let us pray.

LAMB: For the first time in more than half a millennium, an English king and a pope prayed together. King Charles III and Queen Camilla on an

historic visit to the Vatican, emphasizing unity and the king and the pope's concern for the environment.

The royal and Vatican choirs singing together underneath the famous Michelangelo frescoes. The king's trip is an extraordinary historical

turnaround. Five hundred years ago, Henry VIII broke with Rome and established himself as head of the church of England. For centuries, the

papacy in the monarchy saw each other with suspicion.

Now, King Charles, who is the supreme governor of the church of England and the first American pope, have put those historic divisions to one side.

Charles and Pope Leo exchanged gifts and honors. A papal knighthood for Charles, and membership of the Order of the Bath for Leo, an ancient

British title traditionally given to heads of state.

POPE LEO: In 1959 --

LAMB: Later, at the Basilica of St. Paul's outside the walls, Charles took part in another service. He was seated on a specially commissioned chair,

engraved with the motto that they may be one.

The king's visit comes as his brother Prince Andrew is embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that risked overshadowing this trip, and as the

king continues with his treatment for cancer. At a moment of difficulty, the king is drawing on his faith, and at the Vatican, showing his desire to

build bridges between churches in a way no British monarch has done for centuries.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Joining us from Rome is Elise Allen. She is the senior correspondent for Crux Now.

Thank you so much.

I mean, that moment of prayer, I mean, just put it into context for me because I've been speaking to people in the Church of England and the

monarchy about that. It was huge.

ELISE ALLEN, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, CRUX NOW: Well, thank you. It's good to be with you. This was a very historic moment today, and what happened is

obviously, you know, is something quite special. You know, as Chris mentioned also in his piece just now, no pope and no head of the Church of

England have prayed together in 500 years since the originally split.

So, this truly was making history today. And its sort of, you know, coming at the end -- it's not the end necessarily, but another step in the process

of a long process of reproachment between these two churches you know, and with two men who have been quite committed to dialogue and who have

expressed their desire for dialogue and for unity in various ways, you know, you know, in junctures throughout these past few years, you know, and

the Catholic Church specifically has made an increased effort, you know, in terms of building bridges with other Christian churches, really, since the

Second Vatican Council, you know, it placed a huge emphasis on ecumenical dialogue, dialogue between Christian churches.

So, this is something that's been an increase. There's a growing effort in this direction coming from the Catholic Church. And we've seen a bettering

of relations with the Church of England, but also many other Christian churches within the Catholic Church, in these decades. These last, you

know, five or six decades have made a difference.

And so what we're seeing now, what we saw today, this special moment of unity between these two Christian leaders, is sort of a natural progression

of that trajectory that I think both churches have been on for some time, and also a natural desire of both of these leaders to really work towards

unity and dialogue.

FOSTER: Is there a feeling within Christianity that they need to be more cohesive and work as a group? Because obviously, if you take the whole

Anglican communion with the Catholic Church, it would be a formidable force.

ALLEN: It certainly would. And I think that is definitely the hope of -- on both sides. You know, obviously there are still differences between the

churches and, you know, the recent election of a woman, you know, as the head of, you know, is the new archbishop of Canterbury is, of course, one

of those differences, because in the Catholic Church, there's still no women clergy. So that's just one point where they still have differences.

But I think what today showed, especially kind of joining forces on the climate issue, is that they're ready to look at what they can do together

and where they can join forces. You know, they're trying to not focus so much on differences. And what separates us right now, the sense is very

much that we need to be a united front. And we can do that on certain issues.

[15:25:01]

And let's focus on these places and on these issues where we can work together, such as the climate, you know, and I know there have been great

efforts on human trafficking as well throughout, you know, the past decades.

So I think that's definitely a priority. And I think, you know, the anticipation is that we're going to see more of these signs going forward.

FOSTER: Everyone very excited for the pope, an American pope, to meet President Trump. Of course, they come from ideologically very different

backgrounds. If you take, for example, climate, as you just mentioned. But Pope Leo and King Charles are very much on the same page on so many of the

same issues. And King Charles showed how he could really connect with President Trump, particularly with his recent visit to Windsor.

Do you think, I mean, what we were seeing here potentially could be a liberal counterweight, if I can call it to this, you know, huge superpower

within Trump and MAGA.

Without any contention there, you know, a way of really, you know, for liberals to be able to look up to someone, an American pope who holds those

values but isn't going to fall out with Trump either.

ALLEN: Well, exactly. And I think that's part of the idea here is, again, finding ways to go beyond sort of the political tensions and divides that

there are. Obviously, there are differences between, you know, the Catholic Church and its long standing position on issues such as migration, you

know, and more recently, its teachings on climate.

You know, that's been sort of a crescendo. It's, you know, it's been growing in attention in the recent papacy since Benedict XVI to Francis and

now Leo. This has been a growing theme. And of course, those also, you know, the church, the Catholic Church, and, you know, Christianity sees

those as human issues tied to faith because they deal with human dignity. And so, it's a faith issue. It's a -- it's a human issue.

But, you know, of course, they have political undertones to that. And so, when you get into politics, things can get sticky and there can be

tensions. People have different approaches. And it's no secret that there have been tensions between Donald Trump, the U.S. administration and the

Catholic Church on this over the years under Francis.

And now, we're seeing that also now with Leo and events like this, I think are a way of showing. Let's try to go beyond those political tensions, and

lets focus on ways where we can dialog. And I think that's something that, both of these men today, that Pope Leo and King Charles very much want,

they want to find spaces where that dialogue can happen and again, where they're not just focused on the political issues that divide, but always

seeking ways to be unified. Because I think as faith leaders, they realize that you know, this is a very divided time. And Pope Leo, also, in his

recent interview with me, spoke about polarization in the world being such a problem.

And so moments like this, I think, show -- it's a show of an effort in terms of going beyond some of that. And I think as faith leaders, both of

these men are very committed to that right now.

FOSTER: Okay. Thank you so much, Elise Allen, joining us from Rome there on a truly historic day.

Now, illegal sports betting, rigged poker games, ties to the mafia. Those are some of the major allegations being made by the FBI as it announces a

massive NBA gambling investigations. The details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:31:26]

FOSTER: More on our top story. The stunning NBA gambling bust that is shaking the sports world, putting the partnership between professional

leagues and online betting sites under new microscope. Amongst those arrested, current NBA coach Chauncey Billups and current player Terry

Rozier. The FBI says the probe has links to organized crime as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH NOCELLA JR., U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Between December 2022 and March 2024, these defendants perpetrated a scheme

to defraud by betting on inside nonpublic information about NBA athletes and teams. The nonpublic information included when specific players would

be sitting out, future games, or when they would pull themselves out early for purported injuries or illnesses.

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: It's mind boggling. It's not hundreds of dollars. It's not thousands of dollars. It's not tens of thousands of dollars. It's

not even millions of dollars. We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: What we want to know is how has gambling changed the sports industry?

Joining us now, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan.

Because, Christine, I mean it's nothing new. It's just so disappointing to see happen again. And I mean, it's the fans that get cheated right.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Oh, absolutely, Max.

And you know, you watch a sport, you watch a game, whatever it is in the United States, you know, around the world. And you want to trust it, right?

You want to believe what you're seeing. What your eyes are seeing is true and real, and that there's no -- nothing going on behind the scenes.

And obviously, this story today has exploded, not just in the U.S., not just in the NBA, but around the world, because so many people care so much

about sports, as you know. And the betting world and the gambling is just literally swallowed up the world of sports and willingly so. Sports,

they're in business now with gambling and betting companies the way that never would have happened 10, 15, 20 years ago.

So, it was always like a big wall between them. Now, nope, they're all together. So, this is a bombshell, but it's probably the least surprising

bombshell you could ever think of, because this was happening, you would have known it was whoever it would be, whatever the story line, we didn't

know that. But we knew that something like this could happen because this incredible, unholy alliance of the betting world with the sports world --

here it is, folks. It is just literally exploded into public view.

FOSTER: Yeah, it's interesting what the NBA players association have said. They're talking about the integrity of the game being paramount, which is

what you're saying. But so is the presumption of innocence. Just trying to keep in mind that some of these players may have been compromised, may have

been blackmailed, right?

We'll wait to see what the investigation says. But there have been situations in the past where players have been forced to act in a way that

works for the scammers.

BRENNAN: That is correct, especially if there are gambling debts or issues from the past that they can then bring to bear on that player. So, you're

absolutely right. These are obviously indictments. These are -- they will go to -- into the court, a court of law or wherever they'll go in terms of

the next steps of this, in terms of whether there's a -- there's a trial or there's an agreement, plea agreements, whatever.

So yes, right now, we don't know for sure. And what that will play out as it always does.

[15:35:03]

But the fact remains, the massiveness of these allegations of the indictment of the charges and the fact that probably there's literally no

one surprised by it, because if you've been paying attention or watching you see your friends, your neighbors, people on their phones, you know,

doing little bets, and that's what we're talking about here.

And so, yeah, again, well see how it goes in the future. But I can guarantee you, sure, as we're sitting here, Max, and I'm an optimist and I

hope -- but I hope I'm wrong. But I don't think I will be. This is not going to be the last time we're talking about this, because there's so much

money now, 18.9 percent rise in U.S. sports, gambling in the last year. $10 billion is what the numbers are.

So we are talking about such extreme amounts of money by the masses and the interest in sports, it's almost like you don't even care if your team wins

anymore. Yeah, you do, maybe. But maybe it's much more important to these gamblers and bettors, including maybe, you know, the kid that's in your

basement, right, or your cousin or your best friend down the street? It's more important to win their bet, which could include, like, the over/under

on points or playing time or rebounds or whatever, which, of course, is part of the allegations.

And the indictment against Rozier, in terms of taking himself out of a game and then obviously people who didn't went under his point totals thought he

would not have a good game, thought he would not reach certain point totals, then won that bet because he took himself, the allegations are and

the is alleged to have taken himself out of the game.

So that's how this works. It's quite a chess match. And as I said, I hope I'm wrong, but I think we're going to see a lot more of it.

FOSTER: Yeah, I mean, it's always been part of sport, hasn't it? Gambling. And as you say, it's so hard to fix.

Christine Brennan, thank you so much.

Now, it is the final moments of trade on Wall Street, and stocks are in the green. The Dow Jones ticking up today. The S&P 500, Nasdaq also seeing

gains today.

This is our business breakout.

Google has just dropped a program that helps boost women in tech. It was called Women Techmakers and had been losing support for a while now. The

end of Women Techmakers is another sign the tech giant is unwinding its diversity programs, which face political pressure.

General Motors says it will introduce eyes off driving on new Cadillac Escalades, starting from November. Sorry, from 2028. The new system lets

passengers read a book, for example, and take their eyes off the road, would you believe? GM hopes to be the first to make personal self-driving

cars a mainstream hit?

And oil prices are on the rise amid global supply fears. That's after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and

Lukoil. Prices hit a two-month high earlier on Thursday. Sanctions against Russia could reduce the amount of oil on the global market since the

world's second largest producer is Russia.

Now, Donald Trump has pardoned the founder of cryptocurrency exchange company Binance. Changpeng Zhao has pleaded guilty to money laundering that

was back in 2023.

CNN's Alayna Treene has more on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: It comes after a months-long lobbying campaign from Binance to try and secure this pardon for Zhao who

goes by CZ.

Now, the president, with this pardon today a lot of people have argued, and I know from some of my conversations with people in the White House that

over the last several months, the president starts to become more sympathetic to some of the arguments that Binance was making about CZ,

essentially, this idea that he was being politically persecuted. And there was also a statement that the White House press secretary, Karoline

Leavitt, sent to me regarding this story, essentially arguing that they believe the White House, that the sentence that was given to CZ under the

Biden administration was too harsh.

This is what some of her statements said. She said that the president had, quote, "exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr.

Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden administration in their war on cryptocurrency."

One thing to note, as well as part of this lobbying campaign, this could potentially pave the way for Binance to continue operating in the United

States, something that they weren't able to do ever since that they pleaded guilty to these money laundering charges.

So very interesting to see that all coming down today and how we all got here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Alayna Treene for us there.

Now the walls are coming down, but at what cost? We'll unpack who's paying for the White House East Wing demolition and the multimillion-dollar

ballroom that's taking its place.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:42:45]

FOSTER: Three hundred million dollars, that's how much the president's new ballroom at the White House will cost, according to Donald Trump himself.

These are live pictures. Sources say it's expected to be larger than initially planned, with a new projected cost much higher than the first

figure of 200 million given by the administration, which was already enormous.

Staying silent amidst all the destruction is Melania Trump. The first lady hasn't publicly spoken about these plans, when first ladies are often the

ones that lead on White House renovations. Now, even though the East Wing has been the headquarters as well of the presidential spouses since the

Carter administration.

Now, what we don't know is how much bigger will the White House renovation get?

Joining me now is Larry Sabato, director at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

I mean, we were told, weren't we, initially there would be no damage done to the main building at all. And that it would be $200 million. Both those

things have been proven to be untrue.

So, we don't actually know what it's going to end up looking like. Do we?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: We don't know what it's going to look like. We really don't know what its

actually going to cost in the end. We do know that it has cost an historic building that people care about.

This has really pushed the buttons of many Americans and including many abroad, because this is a building that most of us are familiar with. It

has enormous history connected to it since the very early part of the 20th century. A lot of important things happened here, and it just disappeared

overnight, contrary to what we were promised.

And no one approved it. None of the usual commissions and committees that review these sorts of things and make suggestions, or maybe in some cases

prohibit it from happening actually meant and talked about this.

FOSTER: It's quite offensive, isn't it, because those institutions represent the American people. And this house belongs to the American

people.

SABATO: Yes. Many people have said that correctly, including former first families who said, this is not Donald Trump's house. This is the American

people's house. And you don't treat somebody else's house like this, even if you think you have a great idea.

Also, let's remember, let's say it's $300 million.

[15:45:01]

Let's say it doesn't turn out to be much more expensive than that. The people in industries and big companies contributing large sums to this are

not doing it out of the goodness of their heart. They're expecting various favors back for it. That's the way it works.

So, this will end up costing the taxpayers in other ways.

FOSTER: We've just got an aerial photo of the site, which is pretty dramatic because you see how the East Wing has now entirely gone. But what

you also get a sense of is the wide space to the right of the White House, which will be the ballroom. So, we're starting to see, aren't we? Not just

what's been taken away, but also what will go there and effectively, I mean, I know the facade of the actual White House isn't changing, but the

whole look of the White House is going to change, isn't it? Because it's going to look much wider.

SABATO: Absolutely. And, you know, I can remember -- I can even remember watching live Jackie Kennedy's tour of the White House and what she kept

stressing during that long evening presentation was the importance of restoring the White House to the way it was, getting back the original

furnishings, making sure we kept it in pristine condition for future generations.

This is exactly the opposite, and Trump's ballroom, I think, intentionally will dwarf the old White House. So, his legacy will be the Trump legacy.

When people look at the White House complex, they'll think Donald Trump. That's precisely what he wants.

FOSTER: Larry Sabato, appreciate your thoughts on that. As the, you know, the east wing finally comes down. Thank you.

Now, just days after a gang of thieves carried out a stunning heist at the Louvre, new video appears to show how they made their getaway. This video,

seemingly taken from inside the museum, shows the suspected thieves escaping using a mechanical truck mounted lift. A getaway vehicle has been

parked nearby on the banks of the River Seine.

The museum's director said the balcony where the thieves broke in wasn't covered by security cameras. They reportedly made off with more than $100

million in stolen jewels.

Melissa Bell is outside the Louvre for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: New footage has emerged of Sunday morning's heist here at the Louvre Museum. You can see

the raw what appears to be the robbers on that mechanical ladder, heading back down towards the truck before we now know they made their getaway on

those scooters, carrying those eight pieces of jewelry that they managed to take.

One, of course, was left behind the crown of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The rest they managed to get away with, that latest video,

the newest element that investigators will be working with to try and figure out how this operation unfolded, who the robbers might have been,

and perhaps most crucially, where the jewels are now.

We've been hearing also in the last 24 hours from the director of Louvre museum, who has spoken to some of the security lapses involved, the fact

that there were no exterior cameras pointed towards that window, that balcony on which -- through which the robbers were able to gain access to

the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning. Security now being beefed up, of course, at French museums.

For now, the investigators, though, have yet to have that big breakthrough moment trying to figure out who the robbers are or where indeed they might

be now.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Don't run away. Next, we'll introduce you to this sprinter. He's a world record holder and still on the track well into her 90s.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:25]

FOSTER: She's broken multiple records, won 12 world titles, and she's still going at the age of 92. Italian elite sprinter Emma Mazzenga, I'm sorry,

refuses to let age slow her down. As you can see, training twice a week all year round.

Antonia Mortensen traveled to Padua in Italy to find out the secrets of her longevity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

MMA MAZZENGA, 92-YEAR-OLD ITALIAN ELITE SPRINTER (translated): I really feel the competition. Apart from the fact that I like the competition, I

just like the competition.

And even now, maybe a little less than in the past I still tense before each race.

ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voice-over): Emma Mazzenga is no ordinary 92-year-old. She's an Italian elite sprinter who has broken

multiple world records.

MORTENSEN: What was your personal best for the 200 meters?

MAZZENGA (translated): The best time was last summer in June. I did 50 and 34.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): Born in 1933, Emma made headlines when she broke the indoor 200-meter world record in her age group in 2024 with a time of

54:47. She's a real testament that it's never too late to start again.

Emma stopped training after college, where she ran track. She became a high school teacher, got married, started a family, and then, at the age of 53,

after a 25-year hiatus, dusted off her running shoes.

MAZZENGA (translated): I resumed training in 1986. I also had a coach, and I always trained three times a week. Initially a couple of hours, now one

hour a day.

This is my first European gold medal. Yes, this was the first world title.

MORTENSEN (translated): And how was the feeling when you won, the first world title?

MAZZENGA (translated): It is beautiful because then you go, to the podium they play the national anthem, and that is always a very emotional thing.

MORTENSEN (translated): Tell me a little bit about your daily routine.

MAZZENGA (translated): At 5:00 in the morning I'm awake, I have breakfast and generally have a ham sandwich, or salami sandwich, and then do various

things. I go outside, I go for a walk, I go shopping, I do some cleaning around the house. And generally I have a snack, I have a fruit, a couple of

cookies.

Then at 12:00 lunch of course, and I eat some pasta, 30, 40 grams of pasta, and meat or fish and vegetables.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): The nonagenarian's uniqueness attracted the attention of a team of Italian and American scientists, and she is now part

of an ongoing international study trying to understand how someone her age can not only run, but so fast. So far, they found that Mazzenga's

cardiorespiratory fitness is similar to that of someone in their 50s, and her muscles, mitochondria function is as healthy as a 20-year-olds.

[15:55:00]

MORTENSEN (translated): What would be your advice for others who want to be or stay fit like you?

MAZZENGA (translated): I would say that first of all check the diet, and then do constant physical activity. They physical activity in particular,

which is quite challenging, is good not only, for the body but also the spirit.

MORTENSEN (voice-over): Antonio Mortensen, CNN, Padova.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Wonderful. And from one aging star to another, different age group, of course, football legend Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension

with Inter Miami, keeping the 38-year-old in the United States until at least 2028. That means the former Barca superstar will be playing into his

40s.

Finally, tonight, a glimpse into the future with a Chinese firm selling a vehicle with a detachable aircraft. Yes, the land aircraft carrier made its

debut in Dubai earlier this month. The makers say that once it's detached, the aircraft takes off and lands vertically and can be flown automatically

or manually, with little technical skill required. But a pretty deep wallet, I would have thought.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.

Do stay with CNN. We'll have more after the break.

END

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