
President Trump Comes for the Smithsonian; The Future of Using AI for Therapy; What to Say to Someone Experiencing a Breakup
The Brian Lehrer Show | Aug 21, 2025
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On today's show:
- Katie Honan, senior reporter at THE CITY and co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC talks about her recent involvement in a story involving a wad of cash handed to her in an empty bag of potato chips by an ally of Mayor Adams.
- As the Trump administration conducts a review of the content in the Smithsonian museums, the president wrote on social media earlier this week that the Smithsonian Institution was too focused on the horrors of slavery. Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University, a CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, talks about what could be lost if the administration is able to censor what is presented to museumgoers.
- Jared Moore, AI researcher and PhD candidate at Stanford University's Department of Computer Science, talks about the risks of using mass-market LLMs like ChatGPT for therapy and the broader trend of AI users forming parasocial relationships with chatbots.
- Inspired by a recent article in TIME Magazine, listeners share their tips for helping loved ones recover from heartbreak, as well as unhelpful words they've received during their own breakups.
Transcripts are posted to each segment as they become available.



