MOST OF America is being battered by high temperatures (Shutterstock),

An estimated one-third of Americans are suffering from a heat wave that’s sent 100-degree plus temperatures from coast to coast.

According to the Associated Press, the soaring thermometer in Las Vegas could hit a record high of 117 degrees. The entire Southwest, including Nevada, Arizona and California could see Saturday being even hotter than Friday.

At the same time that the Southwest is baking in hot, dry, weather, the Northeast is suffering from more heavy rain and flash flooding.

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for several areas of the northeast including all of Rhode Island, most of Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts  and New York state.

There’s also danger from severe thunderstorms and large hail this weekend.

Europe is also facing a heat wave called Cerberus, bringing historic highs to the continent and causing many health problems. Temperatures are forecast to be as high as 110 degrees in some areas.

Controversial defense bill passed

The House of Representatives on Friday passed a defense bill that includes a 5.2 percent pay raise for military service members but also has controversial provisions on abortion, diversity and gender issues.

U.S. CAPITOL building, the seat of Congress, in Washington, D.C. (Wikipedia photo).

According to the Associated Press, the vote was 219-210, with four Democrats supporting the bill and four Republicans opposed.

With the Senate controlled by Democrats, and Joe Biden in the White House, the bill is given no chance to be enacted, but does put the spotlight on issues emphasized by some in the GOP.

The bill would restrict access to abortion for service members, block diversity training and prohibit some medical services for the transgender.

In order for the $874.2 million bill to be enacted, a compromise will have to be worked out between leaders of both houses of Congress.

Actors pick up picket signs

HOLLYWOOD writers and actors are on strike.

Movie and TV stars took up picket signs to show their support for striking actors and writers on Friday.

According to United Press International, members of the Screen Actors Guild are marching outside the Los Angeles offices of Netflix as more than 160,000 performers agreed to strike in support of the work stoppage by writers.

Affected could be the Emmy Awards and major Hollywood films on the schedule for coming months and years. At issue for both the writers and actors are working conditions, job security and a bigger slice of the profits from streaming TV shows and movies.

New Iowa law bans most abortions

IOWA has passed a new anti-abortion law (Shutterstock).

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed a law that will prohibit most abortions in that state.

According to USA Today, the law will make illegal almost all pregnancy terminations after a doctor detects a “fetal heartbeat,” which typically is noticeable at about six weeks after conception. The exceptions allowed by the law are rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities and medical emergency.

The law is almost the same as another one signed in 2018 which was declared unconstitutional by courts. Friday’s action has already triggered a lawsuit that being heard asking that the law be blocked until all legal challenges are resolved.

Angels lose, Dodgers back in first

The start of the “second half” of the 2023 MLB season saw the two Los Angeles-area teams continue to head in opposite directions.

The Angels lost their sixth straight game, falling to the Houston Astros in Anaheim 7-5, while the Dodgers one-hit the Mets in New York for a 6-0 win and to regain first place in the National League West.

Shohei Ohtani (7-5) turned in a subpar performance for the Halos, pitching five innings and giving up five hits and four earned runs. He struck out seven batters, but allowed the Astros to overcome an early 2-0 Angel lead.

At the plate, the Angels (now 45-47 and in fourth place in the American League West) outhit the visitors 12-10, but lost when the visitors scored three runs in the sixth to break the 4-4 deadlock.

In NewYork, Julio Urias (7-5) was near-perfect for the Blue Crew, pitching six one-hit innings. He struck out seven batters and walked just one.

J.D. Martinez hit his 23rd homer in the eighth and Freddie Freeman drove in two runs with a double.

The Angels and Dodgers face the same teams on Saturday.

Weather: Hot but bearable

While much of the rest of the country suffers a national heat wave with daytime highs topping 100 degrees, our West Orange County is experiencing less severe heat. The forecast for Saturday is for a daytime high of 84 with an overnight low of 66. There will be clouds in the morning and sun in the afternoon. Sunday will warm to 86 (67) with mostly sunny skies and Monday (and Tuesday) rise to 88 (67) with partly cloudy skies.