Memphis Morning News With Ditch & Tim

Bill O'Reilly on Memphis Morning News with Ditch & Tim talking about America's need to take a look in the mirror and make some changes.  His latest book, "Confronting America: What Has to Change" is out now and points to distinct societal decline and what can be done to redirect us to get back on track. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by Mark Randall from the Desoto Times-Tribune to weigh in on recent talks from Walls, Mississippi that has residents fearing the building of a data center in their neighborhood. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by Dr. David Williams to discuss the common sense science behind kratom, as well as other "recreational" substances that can be abused. 

Ryan Saharovich and Parker Trotz from NST answer questions about everything from formulating a dollar value for a case, to hit and run accidents when the perpetrator is never found and how ironclad is the legal release statement on an event ticket?  In this episode of Ask The Lawyers, we talk about a spectator getting hit by a bat at a Yankees game.  

District 2 County Commissioner, Derek Mills says that he meets with residents who are happy with the Memphis Safe Task Force. So why is Memphis City Council trying to get the task force to leave?  

The Tennessee Secretary of State, Tre Hargett called Ditch & Tim during Memphis Morning News to give some information about the upcoming election items on the ballot.  There will be three Constitutional Amendments that voters need to educate themselves on.  Bail denial, banning state wide property tax and Marsy's Law (victim's rights) 

Duncan Sabien was on Memphis Morning Morning News with Ditch & Tim and explained how the AI takeover and eventual human extinction threat IS real. He explained how and why and what can be done now to stop the threat.  Duncan is an author, educator, and is the Communications Manager at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), a Berkeley-based non-profit research organization focused on the safety and potential existential risks of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Courtney The Zoo Lady on Memphis Morning News, expresses how important the birth of the two Sumatran Tiger Cubs is to the survival of the species & how you can help name the cubs. 

President and CEO of Memphis Light Gas & Water and retired Navy Commanding Officer of Naval Base Millington and Strike Fighter Squadron ONE ZERO TWO, Doug McGowen shares his story as an aviator on 9/11/01.  Chief McGowen also talks about fighting utility crime and gives updates on electric demand, lead pipes and cost of putting in your own well vs. the cost of water from MLGW.

Ditch and Tim are joined by former Navy helicopter pilot turned historian Jenn Bennie from the popular Walk With History YouTube channel to talk about one of her latest adventures along Route 66 (including visiting Bonnie & Clyde's hideout in Joplin, Missouri). 

Ditch and Tim are joined by outgoing County Commissioners Amber Mills and Mick Wright to reflect on their service with Shelby County. 

Ditch and Tim are in-studio with TN Congressman David Kustoff to discuss everything from Flock Cameras to data centers to the actual trajectory of the state economy. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by MLGW President & CEO Doug McGowen to get an update on his team's restoration efforts following Saturday's bow echo storm.  

Cooper Jones, Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Revenue Officer at the University of Memphis on rev-share, conference importance, stadium rediness and managing the athletic department with the "right people on the bus and in the right seats on that bus". 

Ditch and Tim are joined for the first time by the Governor of Arkansas (and youngest governor in the country) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, daughter of legendary Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, as she discusses everything from data centers to Socialism to religious freedom. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by TN Representative Tim Burchett to weigh in on the debate over the legality (or lack thereof) of Flock Cameras. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by Naomi Fabricant from The Scars Foundation to discuss the history and impact her nonprofit has had on assisting those struggling with suicide.  No matter what your scars are - abuse, mental illness, disabilities, bullying, addiction - none of them are defects, but a part of your unique story.

Ditch and Tim are joined by Bill Gibbons from the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission to discuss the positive statistics for safety in the Bluff City. 

Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright responds to the recent audit of Memphis Shelby County Schools. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by TN Secretary of State Tre Hargett to get a summary of the overall business condition of Tennessee, data centers, and "Focused Bachelor's Degrees." 

Ditch and Tim are joined by TN US Senator Bill Hagerty to discuss everything from the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, the SAVE America Act, to the potential elimination of Daylight Savings Time.   

A brother and sister were trying to make a few extra bucks in a Boston, MA neighborhood when two suspects approached them with a gun and stole the cash drawer with about $50 bucks. 

Congressman David Kustoff says a bill passed in the US Senate under reconciliation to pay border patrol and ICE and will be sent to the House for a vote this week.   Federal debt has surpassed the size of the U.S. economy and more voters are starting to show real concern.  Mr. Kustoff says he's hearing more and more concerns about the national debt than he used to and people are truly worried about the mounting debt. 

Cheif economist at Heritage Foundation, EJ Antoni says that the good news in the economic numbers that is not being discusssed, is the government jobs number.   "You have to go back to 1966 to find a time when there are fewer fedral bureaucrats than there are today. Six decades of growth (federal jobs) this President has been able to undo". According to the numbers, on average one federal job created, requires about 80 private sector jobs to fund. 

Lin Neal "The Real Deal" shared the news this morning that Darana Memphis Motorsports Park plans have changed. The IHRA Midsouth Team Finals from October 15–18, and the IHRA Sportsman Bracket Racing World Finals from October 22–24 are no longer on the IHRA schedule.   The organization that purchesed the abandoned track had announced plans to return it to active racing in late September and October.  All events have been removed from the calendar.  The BIG question for race fans in the Mid-South is, WHY?    What happened after demo of the structures began?  Why the sudden stopage and no return to renovations?  Discouraged fans on our facebook post showed frustration-  "A lot of hype that had race fans in the area very excited" - J. Saddler.   "I was there the day they started taking down the old concession buildings and was so excited" - Jimmy, Raleigh.   "I knew it was too good to be true, a pipe dream I guess" - Shirley, Atoka No official word has been given on rrestarting the renovations at the facility. 

Former Shelby County Commissionor Terry Roland told Ditch & Tim during Memphis Morning News that the county is broke and a forensic audit needs to be performed on Mayor Lee Harris administration.   Terry also says that the state takeover of Memphis Shelby County Schools will be overturned after a federal court looks at it. He explains that one body is appointed and the other is elected. 

Our air travel and aviation expert, Jay "The Fly Guy" Ratliff says one airline has a new policy- leave your robots home because they aren't allowed in the cabin or in cargo department.   Plus, TSA is trying a bold new plan to get passengers through security more efficiently. 

County Commissioner Amber Mills - District 1, gave an example of how some of the mayor's grant pool money is used by commissioners.   Commissioner Brooks presented an item for $65,000 to be granted to a friends consulting firm with no volunteers, no employees for the non-profit listed on the request.  Mills says that Brooks brought the item back up a 3rd time and suddenly there were two volunteers listed and the requested amount was $32,000 and miraculously the grant request passed. 

Do you consider yourself a luddite?  Are you fighting the use AI as the answer to furthering civilizations?  Ditch, Tim & Producer Max took a few minutes to opine on "neo-luddism" and the idea that questioning the rapid advancement of AI may not categorize someone as a luddite.  Elon Musk's xAI supercomputer Grok calls Memphis home. The facility, Colossus 1 as it's known, was built in an existing Electrolux factory. Colossus 2 is being constructed in Southaven, MS and is part of the massive data center construction boom.    A "gargantuan" data center has been approved in Utah that would encompass a 62 square mile space and would double the state's electricity consumption. 

Ditch and Tim are joined by Andreas Johansson, owner of the Mid-South Monarchs, a new minor league hockey team that is set to debut at the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, in October 2026.

Ditch and Tim are joined by TN Representative Andy Ogles to discuss everything from redistricting, the man behind the President, and how he hopes to serve ALL Tennesseans, regardless of party or any other such affiliations. 

Leslie Taylor and Ron Walker from Memphis Crime Beat provided and update with all new data set on the Shelby County Justice system.  Comparing Memphis justice data to other cities in Tennessee. Memphis & Shelby County justice data is leading in some, not so good, categories. 

Memphis Morning News is joined by Tennessee's 9th Congressional District Candidate, Charlotte Bergmann to discuss what she calls, the "bad marriage" that people in Shelby County have been in with Democrats for yeats and how she's hoping to improve lives by freeing people from that bad marriage.  

Ditch and Tim are joined by Representative David Kustoff to discuss redistricting in Tennessee.   

Ditch and Tim are joined by Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett to discuss everything from "man bun bureaucrats," "little green men," and redistricting. 

As written in Section 2 of The Voting Rights Act- "this law does not entitle people to proportional representation".  Former Federal Election Commission member and voting rights legal expert, Hans Von Spakovsky detailed the interpretations in the past of the Voting Rights Act and how the justices were interpreting it wrong.  "The current Supreme Court said, if you're looking at proving a violation of The Voting Rights Act based on intentional racial descimination against black voters, you've got to base it on current events, current descrimination, not based on discrimination that occured decades ago."  That was an important part of the decision by SCOTUS in the Louisiana case, Hans told Ditch & Tim during his call on Memphis Morning News

Ditch and Tim are joined by Republican Shelby County Mayoral candidate John DeBerry, as he discusses his vision for nurturing the growth he knows is possible for Memphis and Shelby County.   

Tennessee State Rep. Mark White spoke on the re-districting special session and the fight by Shelby County Commission to stop the state takeover.  White told Ditch & Tim during his call-in on Memphis Morning News that he doesn't support the redistricting in Tennessee at this time.  "I'd like to govern in a different way, I understand the issue between blue states and red states nationwide, but I think there are ways to go about it" .  Regarding Memphis Shelby County Schools, Representative White repsonded to comments about corruption in the school disctrict-  "we've heard these stories for many, many years and the forensic audit, which will be complete June 30th, is pointing that out".   

Ditch and Tim talk with TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti about Mayor Lee Harris' intent to prevent a state intervention of Memphis Shelby County Schools.   

Radio voice of the Memphis Grizzlies, Eric Hasseltine talks NBA Draft, hotels and some advise for players complaing about Memphis. 

Carl Davis of Memphis Allies says that [gun violence] it's starting to be normalized. The outreach team is usually members of the community, former gang affiliated and are now trying to show guys that this is not normal and they don't want people to becoome numb to the gun violence. The research shows that typically, 1 shooting results in 4 additional shootings. Memphis Allies works to be the stop gap.  Accountability is key, says Carl. Accountability with opportunity.  

Memphis Crime Beat founder, Leslie Taylor and statistician Ron Walker addressed accusations by DA Steve Mulroy that the watchdog group is "sloppy with statistics".   Mulroy claims that the December rate of 75% of convicted Criminal Court defendants recieved no jail time is "just flat wrong".  Jail and prison are seperate from one another. One follows a judges decision after conviction while the other is waiting for a trial to even begin. These numbers were exstrapolated and concluded accordingly by Ron Walker with Memphis Crime Beat. 

Jenn Bennie, a Veteran who flew the SH-60-Bravo Seahawk helicopter during deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, stopped by the Memphis Morning News studios to share some of her experiences and training in SERE.  Bennie now hosts Walk With History on Youtube and hosts a podcast Talk With History. 

Congressman and gubinatorial candidate, John Rose says he supports deployment of the Tennessee National Guard and doesn't think it's the regular, sustainable way to safety in any community. 

She's the Memphis mom that simply thanked President Trump for sending the law enforcment surge to Memphis in September, 2025.  Shortly after, crime began to drastically drop and Delisia Balinger posted a TikTok thanking the President for The Memphis Safe Task Force. That video went viral and the threats towards Dee Dee began. The "resistance" wasn't going to stand for a mom in Memphis giving any credit to President Trump and his administration. After more than 7500 arrests, over 150 missing kids returned, hundreds of illegal firearms taken out of the hands of thugs, more than 700 known gang members removed from the streets and their affiliated gangs left unorganized and running from law enforcment, the overall crime numbers have decreased 43%.   President Trump announced he wanted to come to Memphis to thank the multiple agencies who make up the Memphis Safe Task force for their work and hear the Memphis Mom's story and Dee Dee was invited to speak at the Presidential Round Table.  She called Ditch & Tim to share her experience. 

National Security Analys, Fmr: Bridgewater Associates, Pentagon, IC, U.S. Army, @NorthropGrumman | Iraq & Afghanistan.   Alex Plitsas on Memphis Morning News with Ditch & Tim, says Kurds in Iraq have been armed and were planning to cross the border into Iran. The US has a long standing relationship with a sector of Iraqi Kurds. Alex gives context to our relationship with the Kurds and why they may be mobilizing on the ground in Iran. 

As state party leadership has removed candidates from the primary ballots, there are questions about the process.  Executive committee member Terry Roland called Memphis Morning News to discuss and challenge "to give back money".  

It's personal for John DeBerry.  Former Democrat and senior advisor to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee told Ditch & Tim during a visit to Memphis Morning News that running for Mayor of Shelby County is personal.  If voted in as Mayor of Shleby County, he wants to leave it better than it was when he got in office. DeBerry also spoke to his principles that got him kicked out of the Democratic Party. 

Congressman from Tennessee's 6th district and gubernatorial candidate, John Rose told Ditch & Tim - "we don't need a Governor who will use this as a trophy or a retirement job"

Bartlett, TN Alderman David Reaves proposes a different way to collect money other than property taxes.  The alderman called to discuss the city fee idea with Ditch & Tim on Memphis Morning News.