THE LIGHTER SIDE

God bless America, and how’s everybody?

■ The London Daily Mail reported that England sweltered under record temperatures that reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit in London Tuesday. It’s even more unbearable on the continent. It’s so hot in Ukraine that President Zelenskyy is asking the Pentagon for Super Soaker guns.

■ Washington Nationals’ 23-year-old slugger Juan Soto won the All-Star Game home-run hitting contest Monday at Dodgers Stadium. Soto just rejected a $440 million, 15-year contract offer from his team. His agent thinks the Saudis are about to start a baseball league.

■ The Los Angeles County Public Health Department received massive pushback against hints they might restore indoor mask mandates in L.A. by August. In a related story, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced he will retire from the National Institutes of Health in 2½ years. He will be replaced by a less virulent variant.