World News: 'I wouldn't tell anybody this'

Thursday, June 27

E. Jean Carroll in New York, on June 23, 2019.

Three sharks kill a student, and E. Jean Carroll confidants speak out: Thursday's news

The Supreme Court dropped supremely newsworthy rulings, and a Trump accuser's story unfolded. Let's dive into that and more in today's Short List.

But first, gotta be aliens: For the first time, a weird signal was pinpointed to a distant galaxy several billion light-years away.

E. Jean Carroll told two people about her alleged rape. This is what they remember.

Writer E. Jean Carroll came forward last week with a rape allegation against President Donald Trump. Thursday two women she confided in after the alleged assault spoke publicly for the first time. Lisa Birnbach and Carol Martin, two veteran journalists, described their conversations with Carroll, the conflicting advice they gave and what has happened since to The New York Times podcast "The Daily." Birnbach, whom Carroll says she called right after the assault, said she encouraged Carroll to go to the police after asking, "He raped you?" Carroll declined. Martin told Carroll the opposite: Fearing Trump was too powerful to take on, Martin says she told Carroll, "Don't tell anybody. I wouldn't tell anybody this." Trump denied the accusation and said Carroll is "not my type."

Is it still the 2020 census if it's delayed until 2021?

The Supreme Court on Thursday put a halt – at least temporarily – to the Trump administration's effort to add a question asking about citizenship to the 2020 census, sending the request back to a lower court – and giving opponents another chance to block it. The ruling was a setback for the Trump administration, but the court's decision doesn't end the dispute. Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon that he would attempt to delay the census "no matter how long." The citizenship question would affect 22 million noncitizens, the allocation of seats in Congress and federal funds. Opponents contended that adding the question was an effort to scare noncitizens into avoiding the census.

Hyper-partisan gerrymandering lives on

A deeply divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the federal government does not have the authority to block the election maps drawn by state lawmakers, no matter how partisan the drawing of the maps might be. The ruling allows gerrymandering to live on. (Want a refresher on gerrymandering? This one is for you.) Chief Justice John Roberts said partisan election maps drawn by Republicans in North Carolina and Democrats in Maryland are permissible, legal and constitutional. The court's liberal justices loudly denounced the decision: Associate Justice Elena Kagan said the gerrymandering discussed in those cases could "imperil our system of government."

What I'm reading: Patty Michalski, USA TODAY executive editor

Once a week, we'll feature some 🔥 story picks from my USA TODAY colleagues. First up: Patty, our executive editor.

•	*The Dalai Lama said what* about a female successor?** That she must be "very attractive."
•	Who doesn't love tacos and taco-themed rooms? Taco Bell's pop-up hotel reservations sold out in two minutes.
•	Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates could probably swim in cash. But their Seattle suburb is running out of money.
•	These counties are the worst. No, but really. Here are the worst counties to live in each state.
•	An expensive ride: Chevy is working on a truck that could be the first pickup to sell for $100,000.

A trio of sharks attack American girl

A California student was killed after three sharks attacked her while she was snorkeling in the Bahamas, authorities say. Jordan Lindsey, 21, a student at Loyola Marymount University in California, was bitten on her arms, legs and buttocks. Her right arm was severed, officials say. Lindsey's parents and other family members saw the sharks and tried to warn her, but she didn't hear them in time, KABC-TV says.

Jordan Lindsey

GoFundMe

You reading this, Facebook?

Ever feel like Facebook listens to your conversations and shows ads based on what was said? A ton of people do. "I swear, I think you guys are listening." That's how "CBS This Morning" host Gayle King put it this week when she spoke with Adam Mosseri who heads Instagram (owned by Facebook). Is Facebook listening to us? No, Mosseri insists. The truth is, Facebook tracks us in ways many of us don't even realize and is so good at it, we think it's monitoring our conversations. Instead, it uses sophisticated demographic and location data to serve up ads. Don't worry, there are steps you can take to limit Facebook's tracking.

Real quick

•	A parent's worst nightmare: An alarming video shows parents fight off a woman trying to kidnap their child at an airport.
•	The pickup driver charged in the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire could face deportation.
•	A 12-year-old girl was diagnosed with flesh-eating bacteria, a rare disease that kills one in three people who develop it.
•	We just launched a new late-night newsletter: Evening Briefing. It's an after-hours roundup of the latest USA TODAY stories you'll want to know. Sign up here.
•	Ford asked a dealership in Alabama to stop giving out certificates for free 12-gauge shotguns to anyone who buys a new or used vehicle.
•	The first night of Democratic debate: These were the winners and losers.

Less than 6 months left in 2019

OK, we know it's been quite the week, but let's talk about what a year it's been. Take a look at this gallery full of moments that have made the year unforgettable.

Hawaii's Billy Kemper falls off his board during the Da Hui Backdoor shootout at the Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore on January 13, 2019.

BRIAN BIELMANN, AFP/Getty Images

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this snappy news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here.

Start your day with the 5 Things podcast: Five news stories. Less than five minutes. Free to subscribe.