Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar – 2/13/26: Epstein Goldman Sachs Lawyer OUT, "Zohran" of North Carolina Primaries Democrat

Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts/Panel: Ryan Grim, Emily Jashinsky, Griffin Davis
Notable Guests: Nida Alam (NC Congressional Candidate)

Episode Overview

This episode of Breaking Points delivers a deep-dive discussion into several major news stories, with a primary focus on new revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein email files, the ousting of Goldman Sachs General Counsel Kathy Rummler over Epstein ties, recent developments in the North Carolina primary featuring progressive candidate Nida Alam, and evolving U.S. policies against Cuba. The show maintains its distinct anti-establishment perspective, questioning mainstream narratives and scrutinizing elite power structures.

Key Segments and Timelines

1. Introduction and Episode Preview

[02:05]

• The panel (Griffin, Ryan, Emily) sets up the show’s key topics: new Epstein developments, U.S. policy toward Cuba, ICE's Minneapolis incursion wrap-up, and the upcoming interview with candidate Nida Alam.
• Reflections on shifts in political funding, especially AIPAC’s changing support in the North Carolina primary.

2. North Carolina Primary: Nida Alam vs. Valerie Foushi

[03:14] – [06:39]

• Background: Alam ran against Foushi in 2022, losing after AIPAC and related super PACs spent over $7 million supporting Foushi, largely motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment and concerns about even gentle criticism of Israel.
• 2026 Shift: The district is now more favorable to Alam, and Foushi has lost AIPAC’s backing after mild critiques of Israel’s Gaza actions.
• Interesting twist: New super PAC has now dropped $500k to back Alam, sources unknown; Alam claims no knowledge or coordination.
• Notable quote:
  • Ryan Grim: “After taking $7 million … now she’s saying she won’t take it and she might lose as a result.” [05:03]
• Panel tone: Sarcastic, highlighting establishment hypocrisy and the role of outside money in local races.

3. Epstein Emails & The Fall of Goldman Sachs’s Kathy Rummler

[06:39] – [21:53]

A. Why Rummler Was Ousted

• Topline: Kathy Rummler (Obama’s former top lawyer) is out at Goldman amid exposures of a deep, years-long friendship with Epstein; emails reveal “lavish gifts” and intimate personal discussions.
• Panel’s investigation:
  • Rummler’s name appears in thousands of Epstein’s emails—the highest for any non-Ghislaine contact in just four years.
  • She played key legal roles bridging Epstein, the Rothschilds, and Goldman Sachs.
• Intelligence Ties: Rummler boasted about a Top CIA award, was dispatched post-Snowden leaks, and had calendar invites referencing “NSA signal intelligence”—panel suspects this was about biohacking and genomics, not surveillance per se.
• Memorable moment:
  • Emily Jashinsky: “She was getting lavish gifts from him and referring to him as Uncle Jeffrey. Very disgusting, by the way...” [11:05]
• Why the delay in her firing?
  • Ryan Grim explains legal world’s reluctance to conflate a lawyer’s ethical responsibility with a client’s criminality:
    • “Lawyers are loathe to ever … blame the lawyers for the client’s behavior.” [12:40]
  • The volume and intimacy of their leaked messages became “untenable.”
• No legal exposure—yet:
  • Panel suspects the relationship was close but have not seen evidence Rummler participated in or was aware of sex trafficking.

B. Cultural and Class Context

• Why Elites Circle the Wagons:
  • Grim and Jashinsky discuss post-#MeToo fatigue among Upper East Side elites, suggesting defense of Epstein was about class solidarity.
    • “If the workers of the country had the level of class solidarity they have, it’d be over for them.” – Ryan Grim [17:27]
• The Epstein Correspondence Map:
  • Analysis of recent data visualizations shows Rummler sent/received 11,000+ emails with Epstein, outpacing even Ghislaine Maxwell in fewer years.

4. Political Fallout from the Epstein Files

[22:00] – [32:00]

• Redacted Emails Controversy: New drops reveal attempts by DOJ to hide names of political contacts labeled (possibly wrongly) as “victims.”
  • Griffin reads an email most listeners suspect came from Gwendolyn Beck, leading to a digression on DOJ’s redactions and inconsistent rationales.
  • Notable quotes and satire about the dysfunction of trying to make sense of the files.
• Bannon’s Involvement:
  • Steve Bannon’s “War Room” traced in emails as Epstein’s idea to exploit the foreign agent loophole by setting up a media company.
  • Emails also detail Bannon seeking personal and political leverage, including attempts to ingratiate himself with Kushner, highlighting Epstein’s role as a networker/enabler in right-wing politics.
  • Emily Jashinsky: “There are a million pieces of this puzzle ... and none of them look particularly good for Steve Bannon.” [28:36]

5. Media Coverage and Independent Journalism

[32:00] – [35:33]

• The panel underscores how mainstream media coverage of Epstein remains extremely superficial, with key details and elite connections only aired via independent outlets like Breaking Points and Dropsite.
• Ryan Grim: “If we weren’t doing the work that we’re doing, like what would the media landscape look like when it came to the coverage of Jeffrey Epstein?” [33:23]
• Broader point: Emails and documents are now being scrubbed from government servers, only accessible via independent archivists.

6. U.S. Squeezing Cuba: Gaza Playbook Redux

[38:09] – [52:41]

• Context: U.S. adopts a Gaza-style chokepoint approach, cutting off most fuel supplies and furthering humanitarian crisis, with a handful of foreign countries (notably China) still willing to send limited aid.
• Motivation: Administration apparently seeking to induce collapse/foster regime change by being the gatekeeper of essential supplies, handing out just enough “to keep people alive.”
• Grim’s comparison:
  • “They are still withholding humanitarian aid … before they now replicate a version of it in Cuba and cut off everything.” [38:38]
• Emily Jashinsky offers conservative perspective:
  • U.S. concern is proximity to hostile powers (China, Russia) but she argues that “decades of blockade hasn’t worked,” and advocates for relationship thaw.
  • “There's actually a better way … to end suffering in Cuba.” [45:15]
• Flotilla parallel: U.S. flotilla being planned to bring supplies echoes past Gaza efforts, but Cuba’s crisis is mostly shortage of fuel—not just food.
• Mexico & China: China continues to send some fuel/solar panels; Mexico limited to non-fuel aid under U.S. pressure.

7. Interview: Nida Alam, Progressive Candidate in North Carolina

[56:30] – [73:49]

Background and Campaign Issues

• Primary is ongoing; Foushi (incumbent) is down in progressive support after rejecting future AIPAC money.
• Alam highlights community-focused campaign: grassroots, WhatsApp organizing, polling location events tied to religious/cultural gatherings, and broad coalition endorsements.
  • Nida: “Our average contribution is $50 or something and it’s coming from working class folks in this district.”
• Issues: Affordability, immigration, ICE abuses, and deploying “relational organizing”—focusing on shared humanity over party labels.
  • “So much of the policy I’m supporting … is common sense.” [63:36]
• AI Data Centers: Alam supports a moratorium due to energy/water impact, especially in North Carolina’s (Triangle) tech corridor.

Stances on Immigration

• Alam opposes ICE, supports abolition, and criticizes tepid Democratic reforms: “ICE as an agency was created to dehumanize us … I am clear in my stance that ICE needs to be abolished.”
• Sees affordability/quality of life as primary voter motivator, not border-centric rhetoric: “I honestly don’t think immigration has been the issue that has cost us elections.”

Notable Quotes

• “[We have] the opportunity to show not only can progressives win, they can win in the South.” – Nida Alam [73:49]

8. Florida Update: James Fishback, Meme Candidate for Governor

[74:32] – [84:33]

• Fishback gains notoriety for far-right, meme-ified campaign style: anti-Semitic dog whistles ("goy slop"), threats of violence (“If you threaten our campaign ... We’re gonna shoot you with an AR-15.” [81:09]), and appeals to young, online conservatives.
• Polling remains weak despite social media buzz; most professional polls show him far behind Byron Donalds.
• Panel notes disconnect between viral internet politics and actual electoral progress.

9. Texas Democratic Primary: Talarico vs. Jasmine Crockett

[84:33] – [91:36]

• Talarico surges with economic populism/anti-oligarch rhetoric: “We already have class warfare in this country—it's the billionaires waging war against the rest of us.” [85:33]
• Polls mixed, with some showing Crockett ahead, others a Talarico surge.
• Talarico faces scrutiny over taking donations linked to Miriam Adelson, clarifies it was gaming-related, not Israel-related.
• Panel raises questions on authenticity and the clash between anti-oligarch talk and fundraising realities.

10. Listener Q&A and Lighter Moments

[91:36] – end

• Reflections on Piers Morgan appearance, past Michael Tracy debates, and the challenges of mainstreaming “Epstein brain” discussions.
• Griffin suggests (tongue-in-cheek) a regular “good news” segment—panel gently demurs, citing valid news scarcity.
• Brief discussion of the El Paso laser incident and speculation on DHS’s use of new weaponry.
• Final banter on the shifting meaning of “woke” and changing trends in internet discourse.

Memorable Quotes

• “If the workers of the country had the level of class solidarity they have, it’d be over for them.” – Ryan Grim [17:27]
• "She was getting lavish gifts from him and referring to him as Uncle Jeffrey. Very disgusting, by the way..." – Emily Jashinsky [11:05]
• “So much of the policy I’m supporting … is common sense.” – Nida Alam [63:36]
• “ICE as an agency was created to dehumanize us … I am clear in my stance that ICE needs to be abolished.” – Nida Alam [68:47]
• "We already have class warfare in this country—it's the billionaires waging war against the rest of us." – James Talarico [85:33]
• "If you threaten our campaign ... We’re gonna shoot you with an AR-15." – James Fishback [81:09]

Tone

• Cynical, anti-elite, irreverent, and highly skeptical of mainstream takes
• Frequent satire and in-jokes among the panel
• Direct questions, not afraid to call out hypocrisy or refuse easy answers

Summary for Listeners

This episode brings together a revealing set of discussions about the intersection of elite power, establishment politics, and the challenges of independent journalism. Using the Jeffrey Epstein files as a focal point, the Breaking Points crew scrutinizes the enduring connections between finance, law, and state power, while making time to highlight the importance of local progressive political movements—and the obstacles they face from entrenched interests and old tactics. The conversation moves from scandal and elite cover-ups (Epstein, Rummler) to real-world struggles (Cuba sanctions, minimum wage stagnation) and the nature of modern political messaging (Fishback’s meme candidacy, Talarico’s populism). Throughout, listeners are treated to the show’s signature blend of hard-nosed reporting, banter, and a willingness to “call bullshit” on all sides of the spectrum.

Recommended for anyone seeking a comprehensive, unvarnished look at the week’s most controversial news, from elite scandals to grassroots political shifts.