Evening links — October 8, 2026

Subway’s purchasing co-op faces a $200 million reckoning <Restaurant Business>
The co-op’s former chief is accused of routing about $80 million in kickbacks through brokers and shell companies; legal filings put the alleged scheme’s broader cost above $200 million, including higher prices for franchisees.

OpenAI’s fired researchers challenge its account <TechCrunch>
Three former researchers say their dismissal could chill safety work with outside evaluators; OpenAI says an investigation found a pattern of mishandling research information, not retaliation for raising concerns.

Goldman’s 20-person bonus pool could reach $500 million <The Guardian>
A stock-linked award devised in 2021 could pay CEO David Solomon about $100 million—more than twice his record 2025 pay package—if the final performance calculation holds.