Raise the Roof: “Days away from a default crisis, the U.S. Senate dashed on Thursday to wrap up work on a debt ceiling and budget cuts package that overwhelmingly cleared a House vote, aiming to send it to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline.” We should have never let our national finances get to the brink, but in the end, things were resolved in a fairly sane and largely bipartisan way.

+ Soldier, No Fortune: In a case that riveted Australians, decorated solider Ben Roberts-Smith sued “three Australian newspapers over a series of articles in 2018 which he says defamed him. He argues they ruined his life by painting him as a callous man who had broken the moral and legal rules of war, disgracing his country in the process.” His suit did not go well. A judge said four of the six murder allegations – all denied by the soldier – were substantially true.

+ Love is a Drug: “Federal prosecutors have obtained an audio recording of a summer 2021 meeting in which former President Donald Trump acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran.” There have been many leaked details that make things look legally bad for Trump. What none of these details seem to do is shake the affection of his base. David Graham in The Atlantic (Gift Article): They Still Love Him.

+ That Thirty to Life Show: “That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson was led out in handcuffs from a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday and could get 30 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty on two of three counts of rape at his second trial, in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.”

+ Throw the Book at Em: “In an age where book regulations are becoming common and frequent, suggestions from teachers and librarians have never been more influential.” Raj Tawney on the importance of recommending books, now more than ever. The Teacher Who Inspired Me to Be Who I Am Today.

+ Broad Band: “Imagine you’re practicing with a band and someone walks in with a new instrument. You and your pals will probably want to check it out, see how you might jam with it. You probably wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that your guitar is obsolete and this is the end of music.” Robotics professor extraordinaire Ken Goldberg thinks were so worried about AI that were missing the positives. AI’s Creative Upside.

+ Game 7 (Weight) Loss: And here’s a little warmup for what should be a fun NBA Finals: “For years, Jokic had been told by coaches, executives and talking heads in the media that he needed to get in better condition if he wanted to succeed in the NBA. But now it was coming from within. It was time for Jokic to hear this. ‘You can be MVP in this league,’ Eichenberger told him.” A car ride and a Game 7 loss that activated Nikola Jokic into an MVP.