Boston Public Radio

A music festival on City Hall Plaza celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Slow zones have been a big complaint among riders.

Harvard Alpaca Ranch boasts certified therapy alpacas like Sir Erik, who brings calm and smiles to nursing homes, libraries and even radio studios.

The state auditor is starting a ballot initiative to let voters decide whether the office has the power to audit the Legislature.

Actors are left without work opportunities, as they demand better pay and AI regulation.

The Massachusetts senator supports expanding the number of justices.

Today on the podcast: BPR hosts its first of five ballot question debates, starting with Question 5 - to eliminate the tipped minimum wage, and bring tipped workers up to the state minimum wage, currently $15 an hour. Alex Galimberti, organizer for One Fair Wage Massachusetts and a former restaurant worker, argues in favor of eliminating the tipped wage. Opposite Alex, is Doug Bacon, local restaurateur aligned with the Committee to Protect Tips, against changing the tipped wage model.

Our first debate of the week on Question 5 - the minimum wage for tipped workers -- with Alex Galimberti, founder of the organization’s Mass. chapter of One Fair Wage and former restaurant worker representing YES, and Doug Bacon, head of Red Paint Hospitality, on behalf of the Committee to Protect Tips, representing NO.We then opened the lines to hear listener thoughts on Q5.Charlie Sennott of the GroundTruth Project discussed the latest news from the Middle East.Medical ethicist Art Caplan discussed Harris' medical report and Vance's high-risk pool health insurance plan.Brooks Tingle, CEO of John Hancock, discussed life insurance and longevity ahead of the second annual John Hancock Longevity SymposiumWe ended the show discussing the companionship of dogs

Today: GBH investigative reporter Phillip Martin, journalist Tim Biba and Megan Squire of the Southern Poverty Law Center tell us about Odysee, an alternative YouTube for the alt-right. And, Grammy-winner Gil Rose, baritone Aaron Engebreth and soprano Heather Buck, preview “Of Thee I Sing” and “Let ‘Em Eat Cake” tomorrow night at Jordan Hall with Odyssey Opera.

Gil Rose is our guest for Live Music Friday. He's leading a first-of-its-kind opera production that fuses two political satires from songwriting legends George & Ira Gershwin at NEC’s Jordan Hall.GBH News investigative reporter Phillip Martin, Tim Biba & the SPLC’s Megan Squire join to talk about the proliferation of Odysee, LBRY and other online platforms catering to white supremacists. Leonard Glass is a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who is co-author of the 2017 book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Professionals Assess a President." He’s joins to talk about Trump’s mental fitness & the limits of the Goldwater Rule.Filmmakers Ken and Sarah Burns join to talk about their new four-hour, two-part film for PBS: Leonardo da Vinci.Then, we opened up the phone lines to talk about the Northern Lights and bucket list activities.

Today:Food policy analyst Corby Kummer discusses Boston restaurateur Barbara Lynch announcing she's closing all her locations.And, we open the lines for Am I The A-Hole. This week's prompt involves an exhausted new mother fed up with her husband not helping out around the house, so she cancels his streaming services and hires a maid with the extra cash.