The Working Lunch

Align Public Strategies

This weekly podcast comes from Align Public Strategies, a full-service public affairs and creative firm that helps corporate brands, governments and nonprofits navigate the outside world and inform their internal decision-making. #WorkingLunch #Align

  1. 11 MAR

    Episode 397 - RFK, Jr. Calls Out Individual Brands Over Sugary Beverages

    HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. took aim at two prominent restaurant brands last week – namely Dunkin and Starbucks - over the amount of sugar in some of their drink offerings. Recently he escalated a conversation over ultra-processed foods. Now it's over sugar. Who or what will be his target next time? We’ll take a look And what comes around, goes around. Fair Share healthcare legislation, largely dormant for a decade, has reared its head in Washington, California, Oregon and Colorado. Is this an anomaly or are we looking at the next big battle? We’ll discuss. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    38 min

  2. 27 FEB

    Episode 396: Not Much on The Menu for Operators in State of the Union Address

    The President delivered his State of The Union Address this week and outside of the predictable antics, was there anything substantive in there for restaurant operators? We’ll take a look And Washington state has rolled out a golden oldie, taking another run at “Fair Share” health legislation which is another way of saying per employee head tax. We’ll dive into what’s going with that bill and the potential for copycats in other states. And the streets of Minneapolis are much calmer now but has the local pushback on ICE abated as well? We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    39 min

  3. 20 FEB

    Episode 395: Industry Gets Big Wins In Court On Both Interchange Fees and EPR

    The industry had two big wins this week in the courtroom on two different major issues facing the industry. In Illinois, a federal judge ruled that with regard to swipe fees, not only are Visa & Mastercard not protected by federal preemption, neither are the banks as well. This clears the ways for continued state level efforts by the industry to reign in out of control swipe fees. We’ll discuss. And a federal judge in Oregon ruled that the state’s Extended Producer Responsibility regime likely violates numerous provisions of the U.S. Constitution and calls into question the validity of the law as well as those in the other six states with similar programs. Could this be the end of EPR as we know it? We’ll take a look. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    1 h y 2 min

  4. 5 FEB

    Episode 394: RFK, Jr. Blames Big Tobacco For Ultra-Processed Foods

    The MAHA movement continues to grow and with it, so does the potential threat to the industry. Last week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. blamed the tobacco companies for getting kids addicted to ultra-processed food. You heard that right. Food. In the ‘90s, many tobacco companies diversified after the big tobacco settlement and bought up controlling interests in many other industries, including food companies. Some of that ownership still remains. Are some of our key menu offerings about to be viewed in the same light as tobacco? We’ll discuss. And we will update you on the latest developments in Minneapolis and how many restaurants and employees may be intentionally entering the fray. We’ll talk about that issue and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    49 min

  5. 28 ENE

    Episode 393: Operators and Brands Caught In The Crosshairs In Minneapolis

    The situation in Minneapolis has taken a sharp turn for the worse and business owners, their customers, and perhaps most importantly, their employees are right in the middle of it. We’ll discuss the challenges operators are having in navigating this space and protecting their interests while avoiding the politics. We’ll talk about that issue and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    36 min

  6. 21 ENE

    Episode 392: Trump Drops the Hammer on Swipe Fees

    The Disruptor in Chief has struck again - this time completely rearranging the proverbial furniture regarding the decades-long war between retailers and the banks over swipe fees. This week, the President endorsed the Credit Card Competition Act cutting the knees out of the credit card companies as part of his ongoing battle against the banking industry. How will this change the game? We’ll take a look at where we go from here. It was a busy week for the Industry on Capitol Hill this week as a number of Labor- related bills were poised for passage on the House floor - right up until they weren’t. Legislation on overtime expansion, on-the-job training, and joint employer hit a bit of a snag. We’ll talk with Matt Haller, the CEO of the International Franchise Association to help us sort it out and better understand the path forward on these important legislative proposals. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    1 h y 1 min

  7. 14 ENE

    Episode 391: The Food Pyramid Just Got Turned Upside Down

    The Department of Agriculture released a new set of dietary guidelines championing protein and healthy fats while minimizing grains. The new recommendations essentially turn the old food pyramid upside down, encouraging Americans to eat whole foods like fruits and vegetables, to incorporate healthy fats, to prioritize protein-rich meals including red meat and to consume full-fat dairy and whole grains with no added sugars. So how will consumers view these guidelines and more importantly, what impact will this have on the restaurants they patronize. We are joined one again by our resident expert on all things food, Maggie Gentile, a partner at Food Directions and a consultant to the National Restaurant Association, to help us sort out what all this means to the way we eat and also, to where we eat. And 2026 is an election year and there are 36  - count them 36 - governor’s races at stake. We’ll take a look at the political landscape and discuss which races may have the most impact on the industry. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

    1 h y 10 min

  8. 20/12/2025

    Episode 390: The Best & Worst of 2025 And A Look Ahead to 2026

    We take a look at the key issue and reputational threats the industry faced in 2025 and discuss what the current state of play is and most importantly, what we should expect in 2026. Take a listen.

    50 min
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This weekly podcast comes from Align Public Strategies, a full-service public affairs and creative firm that helps corporate brands, governments and nonprofits navigate the outside world and inform their internal decision-making. #WorkingLunch #Align

Información

  • Creador
    Align Public Strategies
  • Años de actividad
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodios
    393
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Copyright
    © Align Public Strategies
  • Mostrar sitio web
    The Working Lunch

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