Trump’s AI chats, $18B in scams, a severed hand

Plus: Is running a marathon good for your heart?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

T. Michelle Murphy | November 01, 2026     Hello. It’s impossible to have a career in media these days without hearing the old refrain, “AI is coming for your job.” (Which I will happily debate.) One job for which that claim should be unquestionably false is President of the United States. Yet, a TIME report from last month revealed that Donald Trump has already been consulting Grok AI on sensitive military decisions. Now, House Democrats are demanding that he preserve all AI chats related to official duties. This offers a glimpse of the scrutiny Trump could face if Democrats reclaim the House on Tuesday. His historically low approval rating may complicate Republican efforts to prevent that. IN TODAY’S BRIEF Scammers sweep billions Trump’s relationship with AI Comparing Presidents’ popularity Running for your life Heidi Klum’s Halloween         READ THIS FIRST Americans lost nearly $18 billion to cyberscams. What can Congress do? Kevin Carter—Getty Images The U.S. government’s response to escalating cyberscams is fragmented, leaving victims with limited options to recover lost funds, according to an investigation conducted by Democrats on Congress’s Joint Economic Committee. Americans reported losing nearly $18 billion to cyber-enabled fraud in 2025—more than $2 million an hour—according to figures the FBI released in April. The new investigation found that federal agencies lack a comprehensive accounting of how much of that money has been seized from overseas scam compounds or returned to victims. Its Oct. 27 report also concludes that the government does not “incentivize” private sector actors—such as financial institutions and social media companies—to “proactively detect and address abuse of the services that they provide while also protecting user privacy.” Experts warn that advances in technology are making scams harder to combat. They tell TIME that a strategic, coordinated, and well-resourced response will be necessary if the government hopes to better protect Americans. —Rebecca Schneid Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY ROKU The holiday streaming season is almost here Are you ready? As revealed in our holiday playbook, Roku Ads Manager lets you easily set up, measure and optimize your self-serve holiday ad campaign. You can even create a shoppable ad unit that lets streamers buy directly from their remote. Set up your campaign today.         HAPPENING NOW House Democrats demand Trump preserve his chats with Grok AI Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images Top Democrats on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees are demanding that President Donald Trump preserve his conversations with artificial intelligence chatbots after TIME reported a December 2025 meeting between Trump and Elon Musk in the Oval Office. Officials say Trump asked Grok how Venezuelans would react if the U.S. captured President Nicolás Maduro. The chatbot said Maduro was a deeply unpopular dictator whose downfall many Venezuelans would likely celebrate, an official said. The following month, Trump ordered a military operation to seize Maduro, and celebrations erupted in Venezuela. Trump came away convinced that Grok was ingenious, officials told TIME. In a letter to Trump dated Oct. 28, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California called on the President to preserve “any prompts” submitted to AI chatbots while “carrying out your constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties,” along with the responses.  The lawmakers said Trump was “circumventing Congress’s constitutional power to declare war” while entrusting “a technology that is highly manipulable and demonstrably error-prone.” The use of AI chatbots, they warned, “exposes the United States to acute national security risks.” A Trump Administration official says that the White House “preserves all required records in accordance with the law.” —Eric Cortellessa and Nik Popli  Read the full story here.         THE CONTEXT Trump’s approval reaches a new low—and it matters to the midterms Mark Schiefelbein—AP President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to 30% in early October, according to polling from the Pew Research Center. The last time a U.S. President’s approval rating was comparable, this close to the midterms, was Harry Truman in 1946. Much of Americans’ dissatisfaction is driven by the economy: according to AP-NORC polling released last month, only 26% of U.S. adults express support for how Trump is tackling it. It also shows that just 17% of adults in the country say they approve of how the President is addressing the cost of living.  Many also disagree with the Trump Administration’s war in Iran: the AP-NORC poll found that only 28% expressed support for how Trump is handling it. Peter Enns, a professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University, puts the historical rating in context, saying, “It’s very unusual for a President to position himself on the side of so many unpopular positions.”  Even without a historically low approval rating, midterm elections are a challenging environment for the sitting President’s party—and political experts say that this year’s election looks like a particularly difficult one for Republicans. —Chantelle Lee Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY HUBSPOT Turn AI into Your Income Engine Ready to transform artificial intelligence from a buzzword into your personal revenue generator? HubSpot’s groundbreaking guide "200+ AI-Powered Income Ideas" is your gateway to financial innovation in the digital age. Inside you'll discover: A curated collection of 200+ profitable opportunities spanning content creation, e-commerce, gaming, and emerging digital markets—each vetted for real-world potential Step-by-step implementation guides designed for beginners, making AI accessible regardless of your technical background Cutting-edge strategies aligned with current market trends, ensuring your ventures stay ahead of the curve Download your guide today and unlock a future where artificial intelligence powers your success. Your next income stream is waiting. Get Your Guide         HEALTH CHECK Is running a marathon good for your heart? Maja Hitij—Getty Images A 2025 study identified 176 cardiac arrests, including 59 deaths, during U.S. marathons and half-marathons between 2010 and 2023. It raises the question of whether such intense physical feats may be dangerous. But when asked if running is actually good for you, scientists answer unequivocally: Yes.  “Exercise is good for the heart,” says David Oxborough, a professor of echocardiography and cardiovascular physiology at Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K. “We know that regular, moderate-intensity exercise improves your cardiovascular risk, it reduces mortality, and it has real positive benefits.”  People who die during endurance running events tend to fall into two categories: younger people who have undiagnosed genetic heart problems or middle-aged men who have heart disease without any symptoms.   If you’re thinking of running a marathon and you’re over 35, Oxborough suggests speaking to your general practitioner: “Have a 12-lead ECG done. Have your blood done. Make sure your cholesterol levels are normal. Have your blood pressure taken.” These are a few ways to establish your baseline and learn what is likely happening in your arteries before you really ramp up training, he says. —Veronique Greenwood Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY CHERRY Increase acceptance rates by up to 50% - with Cherry When treatment is easier to pay for, more people go for it. Practices using Cherry payment plans have seen acceptance rates rise by up to 50%*. Patients apply on their phones in ~35 seconds, and Cherry approves around 90% of applicants. See why Cherry is trusted by over 75,000 practices. * These figures come from Cherry’s provider case studies, so individual results vary. Details at withcherry.com/provider-reviews. Payment options through Cherry are issued by the following financing partners: withcherry.com/financing-partners         A VIRAL MOMENT Queen of Halloween Heidi Klum’s Halloween party has become one of the most anticipated celebrity events of the season, thanks in large part to her elaborate and transformative costumes. Dubbed the “Queen of Halloween,” Klum has turned her spooky soiree into a pop culture spectacle, with fans eagerly awaiting each year’s reveal.       Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. PLAY NOW     More Newsletters from Click to sign up. FUTURE PROOF +HEALTH MATTERS +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: thebrief@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME   PRIVACY POLICY     © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe