PBS News Hour - Full Show September 19, 2025 – PBS News Hour full episode
Sep 19, 2025
David Brooks, a centrist-conservative commentator, and Jeffrey Brown, a senior PBS correspondent, dive into the potential implications of a deal between President Trump and President Xi over TikTok, questioning U.S. security. Historian Jill Lepore critiques originalism as a modern judicial philosophy, urging a reassessment of constitutional interpretation. The looming government shutdown also takes center stage, with insights on Congress's challenges. Together, they explore free speech controversies and the mental health struggles faced by artists in the music industry.
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TikTok Deal May Leave Algorithmic Ties Intact
- A reported deal would create a U.S.-controlled TikTok with an algorithm licensed from ByteDance.
- Experts warn licensing the Chinese algorithm may not remove Chinese influence or data-access risks.
TikTok As Diplomatic Leverage
- Beijing's flexibility on TikTok may reflect bigger strategic bargaining with the U.S. over chips, trade, or Taiwan.
- Sam Sachs and others say China may treat TikTok as leverage for larger concessions.
Three Core Security Concerns With TikTok
- Security concerns cluster around data access, malicious software, and algorithmic control.
- Experts note the legislation requires full divestiture, which this reported deal would not satisfy.
