I used to recommend Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar to anyone looking for thoughtful, independent analysis outside the mainstream media bubble. Not anymore. The show has changed, and I’m not sure I fit their audience now.
Saagar’s absence is a big part of it. He was absent again this week, off shooting Flagrant with Andrew Schulz. I get that he has obligations, but as a subscriber, I’d rather his priority be Breaking Points. When he’s gone the show feels off balance. He’s not afraid to push back, and his informed, well-reasoned takes add the depth the show needs. Without him, it’s tough to get through an episode.
Krystal, on the other hand, is usually there. I still respect her, but she’s become hard to listen to. She dominates conversations with emotive rhetoric, repeats herself constantly, and interrupts - not to challenge ideas, but to restate her points. Repeating the same point over and over insults the listener’s intelligence and weakens the argument.
Every episode, I find myself hoping she’ll be back to the sharp, insightful voice she used to be. At the very least, please be mindful of the fact that some us have ear buds in and use an inside voice.
Emily and Ryan are fine, but I rarely watch their episodes unless I’m desperate for the news. Emily respects the others so much that it seems to get in the way of her ability to challenge or debate them. Ryan is knowledgeable but takes forever to get his thoughts out. He can have a debate, but his delivery makes it tough to stay engaged.
And then there’s the shift toward clickbait. "Bill Burr HUMILIATES Ben Shapiro in Anti-Woke GRIFT"? The segment itself was just a short clip of Burr dismissing Shapiro, with Krystal and Emily chuckling along. No real discussion, no deeper dive - just culture war fluff. And sure, that's the title to a YouTube clip - I get it. Though, the headlines to the episodes are not much better. They used to call out the mainstream media for this kind of engagement and low-effort "news" coverage.
Maybe I’ve just outgrown the show, or maybe they’ve changed who they’re making it for. Either way, between the imbalance in hosting, Krystal’s current approach, and the clickbait shift, I'm not sure where this puts us. I think my subscription is up at the end of the year, we'll see how it goes.
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Krystal, Ryan and Emily discuss China calling Trump's bluff on tariffs, stock market reacts, and a lawyer for a wrongly deported man responds to JD Vance.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/5aaiNVuR134
Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/2togMvVQ0F4mXQmbwuFs4K?si=wEARUQEoSR2o4KFxn-wR4w
Timestamps:
(00:00)Introduction and Overview of Liberation Day
(2:25)Jobs Report Analysis and Economic Implications
(14:58)The Impact of Tariffs on Domestic Economy
(26:15)Trump's Economic Strategy and Its Consequences
(40:55)The Autocratic Leadership Style of Trump
(42:19)The Case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
(1:12:02)The Shift in Democratic Leadership Dynamics
(1:17:53)Upcoming Nationwide Protests Against Trump
(1:33:45)End Of Show
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The other hosts need to stop interrupting my girl Emily. 💜
I'm on the left, and I disagree with Emily on lots of stuff... but she has good points and a keen mind, and you need to let her finish her sentences!
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OMG Saagar, you are so ignorant. You drive me nuts with some of your weird soapboxes.
"Do you know how many things have to go wrong to be on dialysis?"
Yes... you have to be old. Most dialysis is in elders near the end of their lives. You can do everything right... eat well, exercise, have a low-stress life, all the things... and you may still end up on dialysis at the end of your life. My godfather was one such person! (Rest in power, Pastor Nick, I love you!) He was super healthy, fit, everything. When he got to the end of his life, it was the kidneys that gave out first.
Everyone will die of something. For some people, it's the heart, for some it's the liver, for some it's the kidneys. Etc.
The problem isn't that people get sick. The problem that companies charge out the ass for health care.
