An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: A glitch might be harming your credit score; Justice Alito’s flag controversy; an ancient skull; and more

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Good morning. It's Thursday, May 30, and if you've ever wanted to own a giant stegosaurus skeleton, now's your chance. Now let's get to the news.

The jury is deciding Donald Trump's fate in his New York hush money trial.

Former president Donald Trump in court yesterday. He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. (Jabin Botsford/AP)

The latest: Jurors deliberated for several hours yesterday in the first criminal case against a former U.S. president. They asked to hear replays of testimony from two key witnesses.
Their task: Jurors must unanimously agree on an acquittal or a conviction. A split among jurors could lead to a mistrial. Deliberations continue today.

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Experts said Israel used a U.S.-made bomb in Sunday's deadly strike in Rafah.

What to know: Four experts identified fragments of a bomb found near the site of the strike, which killed at least 45 people in the southern Gaza city and sparked outrage.
The bigger picture: President Biden said this month he would cut off weapons to Israel if it invaded Rafah. The U.S. hasn't done that despite Israel's offensive.
On Instagram: You've probably seen the viral "All Eyes on Rafah" post. Here's what we know about it.

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Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he won't step aside from Jan. 6-related cases.

The issue: Following reports that an upside-down U.S. flag — a symbol embraced by rioters — flew at his home after the 2021 Capitol attack, Alito faced calls to recuse himself.
The latest: Alito told Congress yesterday that his wife flew two controversial flags without his knowledge, so he won't sit out from two major cases. Read his letter here.

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Hong Kong convicted 14 pro-democracy activists in a landmark case.

What to know: The activists were found guilty of "conspiracy to subvert state power" this morning. It was the largest national security case yet in the Chinese territory.
Zooming out: Beijing passed a law to crack down on dissent in Hong Kong — despite promising it a level of autonomy — following pro-democracy protests in 2019.

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A paperwork glitch is dragging down student loan borrowers' credit scores.

The problem: Errors in the transfer of student loan accounts between servicing companies have resulted in some balances accidentally appearing twice on credit reports.
Why it matters: Credit scores are a key factor in determining how much you pay when borrowing money. At least 1.4 million people are affected, and it could be much more.

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Girls' periods are starting sooner and becoming more irregular.

What to know: The average age of first menstruation was 11.9 years for those born between 2000 and 2005, down from 12.5 years for those born between 1950 and 1969, a study found.
Why? Higher body weight, the effects of environmental chemicals and diet probably play a role. The trend is more pronounced among girls of color.
Today: Ask a Post editor your questions about menopause at 1 p.m. Eastern.

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An ancient skull showed Egyptians tried to remove cancer 4,500 years ago.

A skull found in Giza, Egypt, dating from between 2687 and 2345 B.C., which belonged to a man age 30 to 35. (Courtesy of Tondini, Isidro, Camarós, 2024)

What you're looking at: Proof that humans tried to treat cancer 1,000 years earlier than previously thought. The skull has a cut mark where a tumor had been, a new paper said.
What it means: Ancient scientists were trying to either remove it or take a biopsy. The finding could help us understand how cancers evolved.

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