Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 53 - Was the Microsoft Survey Rigged, Graham Platner's Background Check Problem & The Scott Pelley Firing

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 56 - What the World Cup Teaches Us About Work — JPMorgan Problems, Meta's Meltdown & the AI Burnout Trap

The World Cup is taking over America — and it's actually a masterclass in everything that makes a great employee. This week, Peter and Laura are joined by Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the US Soccer Foundation, to talk about what youth sports really build in young people, why coaches are some of the most underrated leaders in our culture, and what this historic tournament could mean for the next generation of workers. Then things get a little wilder. A JPMorgan employee was caught on video dumping trash on the street during the Knicks championship parade — and walking off with the garbage can. In broad daylight. On camera. At one of the most photographed events in New York City history. She lost her job. The can was $168. There are lessons here. Speaking of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon made a major move this week — naming two co-presidents as potential successors. It's a reminder that the best leaders are always thinking about what happens after them. Peter breaks down why succession planning isn't just for Fortune 500 CEOs, why the Bob Iger playbook is a cautionary tale, and what every business owner and team leader should have in their drawer right now. Also this week: former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has assembled Anthropic, Amazon, and Microsoft behind a new nonprofit called RAISE — committing $500 million to train workers for the AI economy. It's the conversation companies should be having with their employees instead of the one Meta is having. Because over at Meta, morale has reportedly never been lower — after the company rolled out keystroke tracking and forced AI transitions and acted surprised when people didn't love it. And finally: AI isn't freeing up your time. It's eating it. Peter and Laura dig into the rise of the infinite workweek — and why the pressure to always be doing more is burning people out faster than ever. 🎙️ Across the Bar is your weekly drink with a lawyer and a journalist — covering workplace law, employment issues, and the stories shaping professional life. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 55 - Championship Energy: The Knicks, Summer Office Style & Why Remote Work Won't Die

The New York Knicks just ended a 53-year drought — and we're breaking down what their championship run means for New York. Then we shift to the workplace: summer office fashion do's and don'ts, why Costco's model of paying workers more and its CEO less is actually a masterclass in business strategy, and why remote work keeps beating the odds despite every "return to office" headline. Plus — CEOs are now hiring matchmakers to find traditional wives, and Peter Thiel's secretive Dialog society is raising serious questions about power, influence, and what elite networking looks like in 2026. All of that and more on this week's episode of Across the Bar — your weekly drink with a lawyer and a journalist. In this episode: ⚖️ Knicks Championship — and what it means for New York 👔 Summer Office Wardrobe Do's & Don'ts 🛒 Costco's worker-first pay model and why it's good for business 🏠 Remote work is still winning — here's why 💍 CEOs hiring matchmakers for trad wives 🤫 Peter Thiel's Dialog society — power, secrecy, and influence Subscribe for weekly episodes covering workplace law, employment issues, and the stories shaping how we work.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 54 - Kalshi Wants To Know Your Boss, H-1B Fee Too High, the Bari-Cade & Out Of The Office Philosophies

The workplace is full of surprises this week — and we've got all of it covered. Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein dig into six stories at the intersection of work, law, and culture, from prediction markets to newsroom meltdowns to what your out-of-office message says about you. Prediction platform Kalshi just announced it will require users to disclose their employer before placing bets in markets flagged for insider trading risk. A positive step — but will people be honest, and will other platforms follow suit? Microshifting. The Wall Street Journal is calling it the next big workplace trend, but is it really just flexible hours with a rebrand? Peter and Laura break down when it works, when it doesn't, and why your best leverage for any scheduling accommodation is being someone your boss can trust. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon announced that general counsel Kathy Ruemmler — who was supposed to leave the firm this week following her links to Jeffrey Epstein — is now staying on as an adviser. And it turns out his own chief of staff raised objections. Peter and Laura ask the obvious question: what's the calculus here, and what message does it send? At CBS News, Bari Weiss has reportedly barricaded herself in a key-card-only sixth-floor suite — physically separated from the staff she's supposed to be leading through one of the most turbulent moments in the network's history. Peter and Laura on why that move is a classic sign of weak leadership, and what to do when your boss starts going squirrely. Out-of-office message philosophies: how much is too much? Two paragraphs on the importance of rest? Your bunion surgery? Just enough is just enough. And finally: a federal judge in Massachusetts struck down the Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee, ruling it was effectively an unauthorized tax that only Congress has the power to impose. A win — but Peter explains why the real damage to America's talent pipeline goes far beyond any court ruling. Subscribe for weekly conversations where law meets real life. 🎙️ Across the Bar drops every week wherever you get your podcasts.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 53 - Was the Microsoft Survey Rigged, Graham Platner's Background Check Problem & The Scott Pelley Firing

This week on the Across the Bar Podcast, employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week in workplace news — from corporate transparency failures to what a Senate candidate's controversies teach us about background checks, to the AI spending reckoning hitting companies everywhere. Microsoft is facing backlash after employee's questions the integrity of a recent employee survey. Employees noticed some questions missing, and they're not happy. Peter and Laura unpack what it means when employers control not just the answer, but the question. The Graham Platner saga offers a surprisingly instructive lesson for anyone navigating a background check. Whether you're a Senate candidate or a C-suite hire, someone's going to ask about your skeletons — and who gets that information, how it's handled, and what happens when it leaks matters enormously. Peter walks through how to protect yourself, what to ask your prospective employer, and when to loop in an attorney before you say a word. Uber blew through its entire 2026 AI budget in four months and has now capped employee spending at $1,500 per tool per month. What went wrong, who's responsible, and what should employers actually be doing to manage AI use before the bills spiral? Peter and Laura break it down. AI isn't just costing money — it's eliminating the entry-level pipeline. Companies are demanding experience that new grads can't possibly have yet, and no one's filling that training gap. Peter and Laura talk about what that means for recent grads, what companies are risking long-term, and what smart job seekers should be doing right now. And the Scott Pelley firing: Was it a blaze-of-glory exit? A wrongful termination? A little of both? Peter walks through the "for cause" legal framework, what Pelley's contract language likely said, and why this story might not be over yet. Across the Bar is your weekly drink with a lawyer and a journalist. New episodes every week. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode. 📩 Questions? Find us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 52 - CIA Gold Heist, JPMorgan's "Salami Case" & Why Workers Are Unionizing Again

It's a (sort of) America 250 edition of Across the Bar! 🇺🇸 Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down a packed week of workplace stories — from a CIA gold heist to a $642 deli platter that cost JPMorgan millions. ⚖️ The Union Comeback Is Real — Unionized workers just hit 16.5 million, a jump of 463,000 in a year and the highest level in 16 years — even as employers pour $1.7B+ into anti-union efforts. Peter explains what the shift in worker-vs-employer power really signals, and why he's warning companies not to overplay their hand. 🏆 The CIA Gold Bar Guy — A senior CIA official allegedly faked his résumé for years, then walked off with $40M in gold bars, $2M in cash, and a pile of Rolexes. Laura and Peter use it as a jumping-off point for the real question: how much can you actually embellish on a résumé before it becomes a career-ending lie? Plus where salary-history laws stand now. 🥪 The JPMorgan "Salami" Case — A wealth manager who brought in a billion dollars was fired over a $642.50 expense his assistant mislabeled. He asked for $30M and won $4.25M in arbitration. Laura and Peter explain why theft is a bright-line issue for big employers — no matter how small the dollar amount or how high the performer. 🤝 Intern Survival Guide — Two listener questions: Should you join in on the office jokes? (Wait for the invite.) And how do you handle the Monday "how wasted were you" chatter without oversharing? Laura's got a trick — plus the cleanest embarrassing story of all time, straight from her White House internship. 📌 Follow-ups: A Google engineer arrested for an insider-info Polymarket scheme, and why every company needs a betting-markets policy — plus the AI meeting-recording trap. Peter Rahbar is a New York-based employment attorney, workplace expert, and founder of The Rahbar Group and Laura Brounstein is an accomplished veteran journalist. Each week on Across the Bar, Peter and Laura Brounstein decode the headlines through the lens of your rights at work. 🎧 New episodes every week — subscribe so you never miss one.