Tim Phillips Show, 6/2/26

As schools across the country start to get out for summer break, optimistic parents hope to find a healthy balance with summer screen time for their little ones and teens. It can feel impossible, but Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a pediatrician and digital media researcher at the University of Michigan, admits it’s challenging, but says there are things parents can do, “even though the deck really feels stacked against them sometimes.”

Munzer and childhood independence advocate Lenore Skenazy suggest these practical tips for summertime device use that can free kids from screens and get them outside playing with friends.

Make a screen time plan - Come up with a predictable, but flexible schedule so kids know when they’ll have access to screens and when they don’t.

Set reasonable expectations - The goal should be to prioritize high-quality screen time experience and swap in-person activities for device use as much as possible. A recent paper Munzer co-authored for the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than an hour a day of digital media for preschoolers and toddlers and one to two hours for older kids.

Set boundaries for digital media content - The experts advise parents trust their own intuition about what to let kids watch. Consider if the content contributes to kids’ well-being and encourages positive behaviors like kindness and rule out anything that maximizes marketing to kids and incentivizes constant scrolling or passive consumption.

Help kids cope with boredom - They’ll likely complain that they’re bored without their on-screen entertainment, but parents shouldn’t respond by handing them a device, and should stick to their schedule as much as possible.

Swap screen time for other activities - There are a lot of hours to fill during summer days, so look for local or community-based activities, like at the library or clubs for kids. Lean into your child’s interests so they’ll be more eager to check it out.

When screen time meltdowns happen - Explain to kids that devices and platforms are designed to keep and hold our attention, so they make screens harder to put down. But don’t soothe kids with a screen, instead try ways to calm the body, like using Play-Doh, reading a book together, going for a walk or listening to music.

To get your kid outside playing with other kids - If your dream is to let the kids loose outside to play and socialize with their friends, try to let go of the anxiety of something happening when they’re unsupervised. Coordinate with other parents who also want to give their kids independence, so your kid has someone to play with, come up with some boundaries, and make sure kids know to get an adult’s help if they need it.
Source: Mashable⠀

Two For Tuesday - YOU MAKE LOVING FUN  -  FLEETWOOD MAC,     CYNDI LAUPER

#9 in 1977

Summer is the season for traveling and millions of Americans will be heading out on the trip of a lifetime this year. Unfortunately, even dream vacations don’t always go as planned, with research showing that 93% of travelers admit they regret at least one trip, and nearly a third (31%) regret two or more.

Travel Guard, a travel insurance company, surveyed 1,022 U.S. travelers and hundreds more from 18 other countries, to ask about trips they wish had gone differently.
It turns out, a lot of them wish they could get a getaway do-over, or a “travel mulligan,” and the most common reason is something going wrong on the trip, like illness or cancellations (17%).
Not planning properly comes in second (14%), followed by feeling too stressed to enjoy the visit (13%).
Travelers in South Africa have the most travel regret, as 98% report taking a trip they later wished went differently. The U.S. is right behind at 97%, followed by Mexico and Brazil at 96%.
But some destinations tend to be a bigger let down than others, according to the research.
Las Vegas tops the list of regretted destinations, with 11% getting tourists’ remorse after visiting, followed by New York City, with 9%.
The Most-Regretted Destinations for U.S. Travelers

Las Vegas — 11%
New York City — 9%
Miami — 8%
Orlando — 7%
Cancun — 7%
Mexico City — 6%
London — 4%
San Francisco — 3%
Honolulu — 3%
Paris — 3%⠀
Source: NY Post⠀

Tim's News You Can't Use 

The BBC says a hot sauce shortage is occurring because of last year’s hurricanes and a disease that has made Scotch bonnet peppers scarce. This is also driving up costs.
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GeekSpin says Snickers is giving away free candy for a year to people named Reese. People named Reese can claim their free candy on the Snickers website. Snickers is taking aim at its biggest peanut butter rival, Reese’s. The first 100 who sign up win immediate rewards. Twenty-five winners will receive a year of free candy.
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A company called Freedom Cruise Line International is reviving a 30-year-old concept for a floating city that would carry 80,000 people around the world on a vessel nearly a mile long. It would house 50,000 permanent residents alongside 10,000 cruisers and 20,000 crew, with high-rise hotels, a 15,000-seat sports stadium, a research hospital, and schools from elementary through college. Current CEO Roger Gooch says he has a 12-person leadership team in place and insists the demand exists. Source: Yahoo Travel
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California lawmakers are working on a new bill that could stop video game companies from permanently wiping out your favorite digital games. The "Protect Our Games Act" would force game publishers to give players a two-month warning before taking a game offline, give full refunds if a game gets deleted, and provide a way for fans to keep playing even after the company stops supporting it. Politicians took action after companies like Ubisoft completely shut down popular online games, leaving buyers with nothing. If it clears the State Senate and gets signed into law, these new rules will protect newly released paid games starting in January 2027.
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NASA is looking for poets, writers, and artists to help tell the stories of its upcoming moon and Mars missions. NASA wants creative people to submit ideas for songs, books, and movies by the end of June. Every week this month, they will post a simple word — like "launch" or "moon" — to inspire people to create and share their own art online. They are welcoming everything from paintings to nail art and latte foam, all with the goal of "inspiring participants to make and share their artistic creations."
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There’s probably no better place for a record setting gathering of classic cars than Route 66. Tulsa's Route 66 Capital Cruise: Classic Car Centennial Parade took place on Saturday and included 3,596 cars. The event marked the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Drivers came from 42 states, Canada, and France to show off their vintage vehicles. The event will now be in the Guinness Book of World Records.
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KWTX says a roller coaster on a pier in Texas recently got stuck at the top of its tracks. A group of high school students were stuck 100 ft in the air for hours. Firefighters rescued them with a hook and ladder. No injuries were reported.  The ride stopped because of a malfunction 
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WKRG says the Jackson County, Mississippi, Police recently arrested John Buhring III  for stealing a fire truck and then returning it. A local resident called the police and told them the truck had been stolen. John returned it and was then found walking nearby. He is currently in jail ==
A 48-year-old Pennsylvania man is facing charges including causing a catastrophe and reckless endangerment after using a construction excavator to partially demolish his own house following a night of drinking and learning his wife had filed for divorce. Eric Pierwsza allegedly warned his wife, "If it's over, I'll tear the house down," then climbed into an excavator and made good on the threat while she and their two daughters were still inside; no one was injured in the incident. Pierwsza then went inside, grabbed his gym bag, and went to town, where police apprehended him. Investigators told reporters that while the visible damage may not look irreparable, the structural damage is severe enough that the entire home will likely need to be demolished. 
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A man whose name sounds straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon is now headed to prison for a very real crime. 43-year-old Loony Toon, whose full name is Loony John Franklin Kolb Toon, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after opening fire on police during a traffic stop in suburban Portland. Authorities say Toon shot at officers while trying to flee in June 2025, then abandoned his vehicle and a passenger before running off across a golf course. He was captured three days later.  Already on probation at the time, Toon pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted assault with a firearm. In addition to his prison sentence, he’s been ordered to pay restitution for damage caused during the incident
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Leesburg-News.com says a Leesburg, Florida man was recently arrested for throwing a Twinkie at a woman. Royce Parnell and the woman were arguing about stolen clothes at a Circle K before he tossed the Twinkie at her. He was charged with battery