Across The Bar Podcast

Laura Brounstein & Peter Rahbar
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Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and veteran journalist Laura Brounstein's weekly conversation about how the news is affecting the laws that govern our daily work and personal life. We cover negotiation, workplace privacy, pop culture and more!

  1. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 48 - Can You Sue Your Boss for Their Social Media Posts? AI Is Costing More Than Employees & FCC v. ABC!

    2 DAYS AGO

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 48 - Can You Sue Your Boss for Their Social Media Posts? AI Is Costing More Than Employees & FCC v. ABC!

    Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law — plus a big announcement: next week is Intern Palooza! 🍹This week we cover: 📱 Can you sue your boss for their social media posts? — a listener question Peter and Laura dig into; when a manager's online activity can actually create legal liability, and when your only real remedy is to quit🤖 AI is more expensive than employees — the CTO of Uber has already blown his entire tech budget on AI in the first third of the year; Peter and Laura break down what this reality check means for the future of the workplace☀️ Hire summer interns! — Peter makes the case for why every company should be bringing on interns right now, what it costs (less than you think), and why over-lawyering the issue has become its own problem📺 FCC threatening Disney's broadcast licenses — is the government using regulatory power as a weapon against free speech? Peter and Laura weigh in on the Jimmy Kimmel controversy and what it means for media workers and employers everywhere⚖️ EEOC goes political — staffers speak out about the agency's increasingly politicized agenda, including one jaw-dropping case Peter and Laura can barely believe is real🍹 Grab a drink and join the conversation.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the laws shaping your work and life — and send us your intern questions for next week's Intern Palooza episode!

    35 min
  2. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 47 - Mr. Beast & Unwell's Toxic Workplaces, Labor Secretary Out & Meta Is Watching Your Keystrokes

    24 APR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 47 - Mr. Beast & Unwell's Toxic Workplaces, Labor Secretary Out & Meta Is Watching Your Keystrokes

    Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law — straight from a beautiful spring day in New York City. 🍹 This week we cover: 🎬 Toxic workplace allegations at Mr. Beast & Unwell — what these high-profile cases reveal about the real dangers of hiring family members to run your company, and what every founder needs to know before they hand the keys to a spouse or cousin👩‍💼 Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer's resignation — another woman out of Trump's cabinet; Peter and Laura break down the pattern, the allegations, and what no employer should ever tolerate⌨️ Meta tracking employee keystrokes "for AI training" — is that really what's going on? Peter and Laura dig into employee surveillance, what's legal, and why this is a massive morale problem💼 Layoffs vs. buyouts — Meta cuts 8,000 jobs while Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts; why the distinction matters and what employees need to know about their rights in each scenario🤖 When your boss is a boomer about AI — why managers pushing AI too hard (or too clumsily) are demoralizing their teams and driving people out the door 🍹 Grab a drink and join the conversation.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the laws shaping your work and life.

    34 min
  3. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 46 - Swalwell & Gonzales Quit, Sam Altman Attacked & Gen Z Is Over AI

    17 APR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 46 - Swalwell & Gonzales Quit, Sam Altman Attacked & Gen Z Is Over AI

    Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law. This week we cover: 🏛️ Swalwell & Gonzales resignations — two congressmen out amid serious sexual misconduct allegations; why known harassers go unreported, why colleagues look the other way, and what managers are legally obligated to do when they know🔥 Attacks on Sam Altman's home & warehouse arson — workers are burning down warehouses on camera and attacking the homes of tech CEOs; Peter and Laura on what this signals about corporate greed, AI-cover layoffs, and a workforce pushed to the edge🍸 The office bar is back — JP Morgan, British companies, and others are opening bars at work to lure people back; is it a morale win or a legal nightmare waiting to happen?🤖 Gen Z hates AI — a new Axios poll shows only 22% of Gen Z is excited about AI; why the youngest workers are the most worried, and what companies and the government should be doing about it🏆 Heroes & Zeros — the shuttering of Health magazine, a $40 Greenpoint rotisserie chicken, Coachella, and the lost art of talking to strangers 🍹 Grab a drink and join the conversation.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the laws shaping your work and life.

    35 min
  4. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 45 - Talking About War At Work, Wild Corporate Retreats, Crazy Bosses & Voluntold Tips!

    10 APR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 45 - Talking About War At Work, Wild Corporate Retreats, Crazy Bosses & Voluntold Tips!

    The world doesn't stop when you clock in — and this week, neither do we. Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein tackle four topics that are impossible to ignore right now. In this episode: ⚔️ Balancing Work & War — When the headlines feel like too much, your employees feel it too. Peter and Laura discuss how managers can check in on their teams, what mental health resources employers should be offering, and how to support your people — including those with family in conflict zones — without making grand public statements.🏕️ Corporate Retreats Gone Wrong — The WSJ story about the 2017 Plex retreat in Mexico went viral for good reason: a hotel manager who quit, a sick CEO, Navy SEALs, and yes — someone eating a tarantula. Peter and Laura share their own retreat war stories and break down what makes a retreat great vs. a total disaster (hint: it's about inclusion, not intimidation).🙋 Voluntold — You didn't raise your hand, but suddenly you've got a new assignment and the same paycheck. Peter explains when to embrace the opportunity, when to push back, and why managers need to be careful about who they keep tapping for extra work.🤯 What to Do When Your Boss Has Lost His Mind — No, we're not naming names. But if you're an executive watching your leader make fiscally reckless, erratic, or potentially illegal decisions, Peter walks through your real options: internal reporting channels, audit committees, whistleblower programs, and when it might just be time to walk. 🎙️ Across the Bar is your weekly drink with a lawyer and a journalist — where employment law meets real life.New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss a round.

    33 min
  5. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 44 - Pam Bondi Fired, Oracle Lays Off 30,000 by Email & Has Work Lost Its Joy?

    3 APR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 44 - Pam Bondi Fired, Oracle Lays Off 30,000 by Email & Has Work Lost Its Joy?

    Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work, and the law — including breaking news regarding Pam Bondi. This week we cover: 🔥 Pam Bondi firing — the AG is out; what it means and why Peter thinks the Supreme Court might have something to do with it✈️ Air Canada CEO resigns — how one massive communications failure could have triggered a clause that can cost any executive their job⚖️ EEOC investigation of UPenn — what the agency is actually doing, why some of the reporting is misleading, and why we still have problems with it💼 Oracle mass layoffs — 20,000–30,000 employees let go by 6 a.m. email with no notice, no goodbye, no access; why Peter says the CEOs should be the ones fired😔 Has work lost its joy? — a Wall Street Journal piece sparks a real conversation about what companies owe their employees right now🏆 Heroes & Zeros — Tiger Woods' body cam footage, looks-maxxing, the Artemis 2 launch, and the ad the Democrats better run 🍹 Grab a drink and join the conversation.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the laws shaping your work and life.

    32 min
  6. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 43 - White Collar Crime Prosecutions Are At A 40-Year Low & Your Boss Is Watching You

    27 MAR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 43 - White Collar Crime Prosecutions Are At A 40-Year Low & Your Boss Is Watching You

    Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and journalist Laura Brounstein break down this week's biggest stories at the intersection of news, work and the law. This week we cover:🏛️ White collar crime prosecutions are at a 40-year low under the Trump administration — what that means for corporate accountability and why companies should still be watching their backs📱 Meta's rough week — a landmark court ruling finds Meta liable for harm to minors, a new eye-popping executive compensation plan is announced, and Zuckerberg lands a seat on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology👀 JPMorgan is tracking its junior investment bankers — is it really about employee wellbeing or is something else going on?💻 Your personal life is on your work computer — why that's more dangerous than ever in the age of AI🏆 Heroes & Zeros — airport chaos, ICE agents at LaGuardia, Chili's wins the internet and a fashion data account you need to follow 🍹 Grab a drink and join the conversation.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on the laws shaping your work and life.

    30 min
  7. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 42 - Bachelorette Canceled, Don't Criticize the Atlassian CEO, Maintaining That Side Hustle & FedEx AI

    20 MAR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 42 - Bachelorette Canceled, Don't Criticize the Atlassian CEO, Maintaining That Side Hustle & FedEx AI

    The Bachelorette has been canceled just days before its premiere—an unprecedented move in reality TV history. On this episode of Across the Bar, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein are joined by media veteran Dan Wakeford to break down the Taylor Frankie Paul scandal and what it means for the future of the franchise, and Disney's new CEO. We also dive into the week's biggest workplace headlines: The "Rich Jerk" Firing: Atlassian fired a long-time engineer for criticizing the CEO on Slack. Was it legal? ⚖️ The AI Workforce: FedEx is replacing 50% of its workflows with AI agents by 2028. Is your job next? 📦🤖 The Side Hustle Survival Guide: How to build your side gig without getting fired from your 9-to-5. 💼✨

    35 min
  8. Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 41 - The Battle Between Anthropic & The Pentagon, Finance Bros Acting Stupidly & Major Trouble At Noma

    13 MAR

    Across the Bar Podcast, Episode 41 - The Battle Between Anthropic & The Pentagon, Finance Bros Acting Stupidly & Major Trouble At Noma

    This week on The Across the Bar Podcast, Peter Rahbar and Laura Brounstein discuss the continuing battle between Anthropic and the Pentagon, the regulatory battle over AI, companies moving to Texas, finance bros doing fashion shoots without permission and more trouble at Noma.  In this episode: Anthropic v. Hegseth: Is Claude banned from the government? 🌍🛡️ The Texas Exodus: Why giants in tech and finance are ditching Delaware and California for the Lone Star State. Is it just about taxes? 🤠💼 The Finance Bros of Interview Mag: We dissect the viral "Finance Bro" feature. How can they be so dumb? 🍸📈 Noma’s Culture Crisis: René Redzepi is under fire (again). We discuss the fallout of toxic "genius" in the world’s most famous kitchen. 🍴🔥

    36 min
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About

Employment attorney Peter Rahbar and veteran journalist Laura Brounstein's weekly conversation about how the news is affecting the laws that govern our daily work and personal life. We cover negotiation, workplace privacy, pop culture and more!

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Brounstein & Peter Rahbar
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Laura Brounstein & Peter Rahbar
  • Show Website
    Across The Bar Podcast

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