The Morning Drip for July 22, 2026

The Morning Drip — Show Summary & Segment Notes

Broadcast Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Host: Grady D (with co-host Mike B)

Station / Platform: WRTO.fm (Radio Free Georgia) & themorningdrip.show

Segment 1: Tifton’s Proposed Downtown Entertainment District

Grady D and Mike B kick off the show discussing a local proposal being considered by the Tifton City Council regarding open-container rules downtown.

• Proposed Boundaries & Hours: The proposed district would cover a substantial area of downtown Tifton, running from 4th Street to Highway 82 and from Commerce Way to Tift Avenue. Permitted hours for outdoor alcohol consumption would be Monday–Saturday from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

• Rules & Logistics: Customers could buy drinks from up to six eligible licensed businesses and walk around outdoors, provided drinks are consumed in city-approved cups no larger than 16 ounces, with a limit of one drink per person at a time.

• Show Discussion & Questions:

  • Advertising on Cups: Grady sees a potential marketing opportunity to sell ad space on the official city-approved cups, while Mike B jokingly predicts a city council member will end up winning that contract.

  • Sunday Sales: Grady expresses surprise at Sunday alcohol sales, noting that package stores in nearby Berrien County (like Brookfield) cannot open on Sundays, though Mike clarifies buy-the-drink liquor at restaurants has been around for a couple of years.

  • 16-Ounce Limit & Liability: Grady questions whether the 16-ounce cup rule assumes beer rather than hard liquor (noting 16 oz of vodka/tequila would knock someone out). He and Mike also discuss business liability and personal responsibility if over-served patrons wander off and cause harm.

  • Savannah Double-Fisting Story: Mike B shares an anecdote about Savannah’s River Street open-container zone, where a man received a ticket simply for holding his girlfriend's drink while she tied her shoe, illustrating how strict "one drink per person" rules can be enforced.

Segment 2: Law Enforcement Misuse of Flock Safety Cameras

The hosts delve into the growing misuse of license plate reader (LPR) technology across Georgia law enforcement agencies.

• The Incident Overview: At least 20 officers statewide have recently faced discipline or criminal charges for using Flock Safety LPR technology to conduct unauthorized personal searches. Recent cases include the firing and arrest of three Richmond County sheriff's deputies and five Albany police officers.

• AI Auditing Tools: These violations were caught by Flock’s new AI-powered auditing software, which continuously monitors database queries and automatically flags suspicious, non-investigative searches (such as officers running plates of personal acquaintances). Albany Police Chief Michael Pursley confirmed these alerts led to internal reviews, GBI involvement, and terminations.

• Privacy & Accountability Debate: While Flock and supporters point out that the auditing tools work as intended, critics raise concerns over transparency—specifically because officer names and plate numbers are redacted from public audit logs to protect undercover operations.

• Grady & Mike's Take: Mike views Flock as a useful tool (especially for Amber and Silver Alerts), while Grady voices deep skepticism over surveillance state expansion, arguing that public oversight and maximum transparency are necessary to hold fallible humans accountable.

Segment 3: Georgia’s $409M Forensic Mental Health Hospital

Grady and Mike cover major state investments in mental health infrastructure for individuals involved in the legal system.

• The $409 Million Project: Georgia is funding a new 300-bed state psychiatric hospital near Georgia Regional Hospital in DeKalb County to provide forensic mental health care. The facility will treat individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities who have been charged with crimes and are awaiting court-ordered evaluations or treatment.

• Relieving Jail Overcrowding: The investment aims to clear massive waiting lists that currently leave hundreds of individuals sitting in county jails for months without proper care.

• Staffing Challenges & Long-Term Strategy: State leaders and advocates emphasize that the building alone won't solve the issue; Georgia faces severe shortages of forensic psychologists and trained staff. Advocates also stress that state officials must continue expanding regional crisis centers, outpatient care, and 988 crisis hotline resources so patients can receive community-based care closer to home.

• "Prison Hogwarts": Discussing the concept of forensic evaluations leads Mike B to recall passing the Georgia State Diagnostic and Classification Prison near High Falls, which Grady humorously dubs the "Hogwarts Sorting Hat" of the state prison system. Grady advocates for better de-escalation and mental health training for police officers over traditional crackdown approaches.

Segment 4: State Election Board Rule Changes & Mail-In Voting

The final segment focuses on recent controversial rule changes passed by the Georgia State Election Board.

• Operations Center Access: In a 3-2 vote, the board passed a rule giving its members physical access to the Secretary of State's election night operations center. Attorney General Chris Carr and the Secretary of State's office oppose the move, arguing the board lacks the legal authority to grant itself access to the facility. Grady calls the move "bullshit" given that no ballots are actually counted or tabulated at that center.

• Paper Ballots vs. QR Codes: The board adopted a rule establishing printed paper ballots as the official legal record of a vote. However, an attempt to ban QR codes failed because state law requires the current system to stay in place until July 2028, when a replacement voting system is scheduled to be deployed.

• Mail-In Voting Advocacy: Grady strongly defends mail-in voting, sharing how his son in Washington state receives nonpartisan voter guides in the mail. Grady praises mail-in ballots for allowing voters to research candidates and initiatives thoroughly at home without line pressure or confusion at the polls.

Show Outro

Grady urges listeners working outdoors or in unconditioned warehouses to stay hydrated and take shade breaks amidst 104°F–105°F heat indices.

• Contact: Call or text 24/7 at 229-520-5957, or email morningdrip@wrto.fm.

• Podcast & Membership: On-demand episodes are available free for 14 days at themorningdrip.show, with full back-catalog access available for $7/month.

• Schedule: The Morning Drip broadcasts live Tuesday through Thursday starting around 7:30 AM EST on WRTO.fm.