Today’s Big Story

Epstein Birthday Letter Revealed

But MAGA claims Trump’s signature is fake

Congressional Democrats on Monday released an alleged birthday note they said Donald Trump sent to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, raising pressure on the president over questions about his past interactions with the late financier, whom Trump once described as a former friend. House Oversight Committee members confirmed that they received a copy of the birthday book from Epstein’s lawyers and a second letter that references Trump with a crude joke about a woman from another Epstein associate.

The Wall Street Journal in July reported on the book and the letter bearing Trump’s name, which contained typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman. “The letter concluded: ‘Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.’ The signature was a squiggly ‘Donald’ below the waist, mimicking pubic hair.”

MAGA influencers took to the web denying it was Trump’s signature. And the president himself has denied writing the letter or drawing the picture, calling it “a fake thing.” He also filed a lawsuit against the Journal’s reporters, its parent company News Corp and executives, alleging defamation and saying the letter was “nonexistent.” A Dow Jones spokeswoman said, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting.”

And analyses by the Journal and other media outlets found that Trump's alleged signature in the birthday book—which contained only his first name, rather than the full name he uses on official documents—matched the style of several hand-written letters he penned throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Trump has been under fire from his base as well as Democrats for allegedly not facilitating the release of more documents associated with Epstein. The papers, which haven’t been made public, are also said to include the disgraced financier’s last will and testament, entries from his address and contact books from 1990 to 2019 and information about his known bank accounts.

There was more bad news for Trump on Monday. A federal appeals court left intact the $83.3 million penalty against him in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit, rejecting his attempt to overturn the jury’s verdict. The court found the trial judge handled the case properly and that the damages were reasonable “in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts” of the lawsuit, which was filed after Carroll accused Trump of sexual assault.

U.S. Tech Companies Enabled Chinese Surveillance

Classified documents show how companies marketed systems that became the foundation for China’s digital cage

Maybe it’s our collective interest in true crime, but it seems like surveillance is everywhere these days. And depending on who you ask, it’s becoming increasingly pervasive—blending digital tracking and physical monitoring to create a landscape where people are constantly being watched and recorded, both online through social media and internet history, and offline through ubiquitous cameras in public and private spaces, including smart home devices and body cameras worn by police.

And no where is it being watched more than China. Over the past quarter century, American tech companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known, the Associated Press has found. AP journalists spoke to more than 100 sources, scoured tens of thousands of documents, and obtained several major leaks of internal and classified material, the existence of which is being reported for the first time.

The AP discovered Chinese police and state-owned defense contractors partnered with American tech firms—especially IBM—to design China’s surveillance apparatus from the top down. American tech companies not only knew, some also directly pitched their tech as tools for Chinese police to control citizens. IBM and other companies that responded said they fully complied with all laws, sanctions and U.S. export controls governing business in China, past and present. They found American tech firms were by far the biggest suppliers, but German, Japanese and Korean firms also had a role.

The Horoscope Debate

Is it really time to rethink your sign?

What’s your sign? Do you care? Because plenty of people—at different levels of affinity and seriousness—are really into astrology, and astrology-related businesses have the dollar signs to prove it. According to the Economist, spending on star-sign products and services is projected to grow to $22.8 billion by 2031, up from $12.8 billion in 2021.

And if you take it seriously, I’ve got some upsetting news: The New York Times has a new report claiming that the astrological sign you’ve made such a crucial part of your personality might not be your actual sign. Scorpios, I know this will be particularly devastating for you. According to the Times, this all has to do with the “Earth’s wobble,” which has put our signs out of whack. The explanation is that the Earth wobbles like a top, meaning that our view of the stars shifts by one degree every 72 years. The Times points out that 3,000 years ago, the sun was in front of Aries during the spring equinox. Now, it is in front of Pisces. As such, when the Babylonians created zodiac signs thousands of years ago based on Earth’s position relative to the constellations, that position was different than it is today.

But The Cut wasn’t convinced. They reached out to famed astrologer Aliza Kelly to get the skinny on what’s really going on here. Basically, she said not to let the dweebs at the Times determine who’s actually a Libra. “Modern tropical astrology is not based on the stars but the seasons,” Kelly said. “It’s geocentric, meaning it’s anchored by our perspective on Earth, not the actual position of constellations. While there are 88 named constellations in the sky, only 12 zodiac signs exist. In other words, the zodiac signs share names with constellations but are not the constellations themselves.”

The Long Read

The U.S. is reorienting its foreign policy to protect governments that manipulate and suppress information

Think big.