LOS ANGELES — In a scene that an immigrants-rights group spokesman described as “barbaric,” some two dozen children with their hands chained were videotaped shuffling single file in the parking garage of the 300 North Los Angeles Federal Building late Friday, July 11, apparently in federal custody.

Jorge-Mario Cabrera, communications director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, said in an interview Saturday that its attorneys had confirmed details posted with the video describing when and where it was recorded.

The attorneys contacted the children and planned to represent them, Cabrera said, adding the children were not accompanied by their parents and were from Ventura County.

Attorneys for the Rapid Response Network, which CHIRLA created, described the children as “safe,” Cabrera said — though that was of little consolation to him.

“It looks barbaric,” Cabrera said, reacting to the video posted on the social media website Reddit. “These are children, for God’s sake. These are not hardened criminals and I think the Trump administration should be ashamed. We’re in unusual times and under the current circumstances, nothing surprises me anymore, yet it enrages me.”

A spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond Saturday to an email with detailed questions on the children’s detention. President Donald Trump’s administration has vowed to run the largest deportation effort in American history, with extensive efforts to locate and remove immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

It wasn’t immediately known who shot the video.

It was unclear on Saturday whether the children were part of a group of 10 minors that Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a social media post that federal immigration authorities found on a cannabis farm in Camarillo on Thursday. Scott said all 10 were illegally in the United States and that eight were at the farm without their parents.

Authorities raided two farms in Ventura County on Thursday, seizing some 200 people.

LA Taco, in an Instagram post showing the video from the federal building, said women were also in the group and that they were being led into the building.

Protesters could be heard screaming “…Nazis,” “Shame on you” and “We can hear you, kids.”

The basement of the facility is known as B-18, which was designed as a holding area for small groups of detainees being processed. But immigrant detainees have been packed into the room without sufficient food and water, and their attorneys have not had sufficient access to them, immigrant-rights groups say.

A U.S. district judge in California addressed those issues Friday in a preliminary ruling that ordered the Department of Homeland Security to allow attorneys or those seeking to represent detainees access to B-18 for eight hours daily, Monday through Friday, and four hours each day on weekends.

Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, also said federal immigration authorities must cease what she called “indiscriminate raids.”

Frimpong said authorities cannot use race or ethnicity, the location (such as car washes or Home Depot parking lots where immigrants work or gather) or the language they speak “to form a reasonable suspicion” in order to detain and question a person.

“We will make sure they (they attorneys) look into what happened and ensure they (the government) follow the judge’s order,” Cabrera said.

The White House said the administration would appeal Frimpong’s ruling.

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WASHINGTON — Debate over President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget-and-policy package is over on Capitol Hill. Now the argument goes national.

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From the Central Valley of California to Midwestern battlegrounds and suburban districts of the northeast, the new law already is shaping the 2026 midterm battle for control of the House of Representatives. The outcome will set the tone for Trump’s final two years in the Oval Office.

Democrats need a net gain of three House seats to break the GOP’s chokehold on Washington and reestablish a power center to counter Trump. There’s added pressure to flip the House given that midterm Senate contests are concentrated in Republican-leaning states, making it harder for Democrats to reclaim that chamber.

As Republicans see it, they’ve now delivered broad tax cuts, an unprecedented investment in immigration enforcement and new restraints on social safety net programs. Democrats see a law that rolls back health insurance access and raises costs for middle-class Americans while cutting taxes mostly for the rich, curtailing green energy initiatives and restricting some workers’ organizing rights.

“It represents the broken promise they made to the American people,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat who chairs the party’s House campaign arm. “We’re going to continue to hold Republicans accountable for this vote.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., right, leaves his office with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., left, and Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., center, shortly after speaking in the House chamber during the final vote for President Donald Trump’s signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Parties gear up for a fight

Whether voters see it that way will be determined on a district-by-district level, but the battle will be more intense in some places than others. Among the 435 House districts, only 69 contests were decided by less than 10 percentage points in the 2024 general election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has so far identified 26 Democratic-held seats it must defend vigorously, along with 35 GOP-held seats it believes could be ripe to flip. Republicans’ campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, has so far listed 18 GOP incumbents as priorities, plus two districts opened by retirements.

There are a historically low number of so-called crossover districts: Only 13 Democrats represent districts Trump carried in 2024, while just three Republicans serve districts Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried.

Both committees are busy recruiting challengers and open-seat candidates and more retirements could come, so the competitive map will evolve. Still, there are clusters of districts guaranteed to influence the national result.

California, despite its clear lean to Democrats statewide, has at least nine House districts expected to be up for grabs: three in the Central Valley and six in southern California. Six are held by Democrats, three by the GOP.

Pennsylvania features four districts that have been among the closest national House races for several consecutive cycles. They include a suburban Philadelphia seat represented by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, one of just two House Republicans to vote against Trump’s bill and one of the three GOP lawmakers from a district Harris won. Fitzpatrick cited the Medicaid cuts.

Vice President JD Vance plans on Wednesday to be in Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s northwest Pennsylvania district to tout the GOP package. Bresnahan’s seat is a top Democratic target.

Iowa and Wisconsin, meanwhile, feature four contiguous GOP-held districts in farm-heavy regions where voters could be swayed by fallout from Trump’s tariffs.

FILE – U.S. Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., poses for a photo in Washington on Jan. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Democrats fight to define the GOP

Beyond bumper-sticker labels — Trump’s preferred “Big Beautiful Bill” versus Democrats’ “Big Ugly Bill” retort — the 900-page law is, in fact, an array of policies with varying impact.

Democrats hammer Medicaid and food assistance cuts, some timed to take full effect only after the 2026 midterms, along with Republicans’ refusal to extend tax credits to some people who obtained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law; 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.

“Folks will die here in Louisiana and in other parts of the country,” House Minority Leader Jeffries warned last week during a town hall in Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s home state of Louisiana.

Jeffries singled out vulnerable Republicans like California Rep. David Valadao, who represents a heavily agricultural Central Valley district where more than half the population is eligible for the joint state-federal insurance program. California allows immigrants with legal status and those who are undocumented to qualify for Medicaid, so not all Medicaid recipients are voters. But the program helps finance the overall health care system, including nursing homes and hospitals.

Republicans highlight the law’s tightened work requirements for Medicaid enrollees. They argue it’s a popular provision that will strengthen the program.

“I voted for this bill because it does preserve the Medicaid program for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled, and elderly,” Valadao said. “I know how important the program is for my constituents.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond at the Capitol, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Republicans hope voters see lower taxes

The law includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. It makes permanent existing rates and brackets approved during Trump’s first term. Republicans and their allies have hammered vulnerable Democrats for “raising costs” on American households by opposing the bill.

GOP campaign aides point to the popularity of individual provisions: boosting the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 (some families at lower income levels would not get the full credit), new deductions on tip and overtime income and auto loans; and a new deduction for older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.

“Everyone will have more take home pay. They’ll have more jobs and opportunity,” Johnson said in a Fox News Sunday interview. “The economy will be doing better and we’ll be able to point to that as the obvious result of what we did.”

Democrats note that the biggest beneficiaries of Trump’s tax code are wealthy Americans and corporations. Pairing that with safety net cuts, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz concluded, “The cruelty is the point.”

Immigration, meanwhile, was Trump’s strongest issue in 2024. NRCC aides say that will continue with the new law’s investments in immigration enforcement. Democrats believe the Trump administration has overplayed its hand with its push for mass deportation.

Playing the Trump card

The president is a titanic variable.

Democrats point to 2018, when they notched a 40-seat net gain in House seats to take control away from the GOP. This year, Democrats have enjoyed a double-digit swing in special elections around the country when compared to 2024 presidential results. Similar trends emerged in 2017 after Trump’s 2016 victory. Democrats say that reflects voter discontent with Trump once he’s actually in charge.

Republicans answer that Trump’s job approval remains higher at this point than in 2017. But the GOP’s effort is further complicated by ongoing realignments: Since Trump’s emergence, Democrats have gained affluent white voters -– like those in suburban swing districts -– while Trump has drawn more working-class voters across racial and ethnic groups. But Republicans face a stiffer challenge of replicating Trump’s coalition in a midterm election without him on the ballot.

Democrats, meanwhile, must corral voters who are not a threat to vote for Republicans but could stay home.

Jeffries said he’s determined not to let that happen: “We’re going to do everything we can until we end this national nightmare.”

Cooper reported from Phoenix. Brook reported from New Orleans. Associated Press reporters Michael Blood in Los Angeles and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed.

By WAFAA SHURAFA, FATMA KHALED and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight killed at least 31 people, according to local hospitals, as United Nations agencies warned that critical fuel shortages put hospitals and other critical infrastructure at risk.

The latest attacks came after U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release.

Twelve people were killed by strikes in southern Gaza, including three who were waiting at an aid distribution point, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City also received 12 bodies, including three children and two women, after a series of strikes in the north, according to the hospital’s director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia.

Al-Awda Hospital reported seven killed and 11 wounded in strikes in central Gaza.

The Israeli military says it only targets combatants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because they operate in densely populated areas. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Fuel crisis warning

U.N. agencies, including those providing food and health care, reiterated a warning made at the weekend that without adequate fuel, they “will likely be forced to stop their operations entirely.”

In a joint statement, they said that hospitals are already going dark and ambulances can no longer move. Without fuel, transport, water production, sanitation and telecommunications will shut down and bakeries and community kitchens cannot operate, they said.

The agencies confirmed that some 150,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza last week — the first delivery in 130 days. But they said it is “a small fraction of what is needed each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running.”

“The United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this moment: fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations,” they said.

The agencies signing the statement were the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA, food agency WFP, health organization WHO, children’s agency UNICEF, the agency helping Palestinian refugees UNRWA, population agency UNFPA, development agency UNDP, and UNOPS which oversees procurement and provides management services.

Strike kills Hamas fighter who held hostage

Israel’s military said a June 19 strike killed Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita, a senior Hamas fighter who it said had taken part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and held hostage Emily Damari, a dual Israeli-British citizen, in his home at the start of the war.

There was no comment from Hamas and no independent confirmation.

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Thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed into Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. They are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its tally.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other experts consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.

Israel’s air and ground war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and driven some 90% of the population from their homes. Aid groups say they have struggled to bring in food and other assistance because of Israeli military restrictions and the breakdown of law and order, and experts have warned of famine.

Khaled reported from Cairo and AlJoud from Beirut. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

By KIM COOK

You can only sit in front of the fridge with the door open for so long.

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As heat waves blast the world like a blow dryer on high, folks are reaching for anything that promises a little personal chill: portable mini fans, cooling neck wraps, high-tech vests and all kinds of heat-beating headwear.

Of course, cooling gear helps most when paired with basic and safe strategies against the heat: most importantly hydration, shade and rest. Stay out of extreme heat when possible, and know the signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Yet these wearable wonders and breezy gadgets can offer some relief. They might look quirky, but when the AC struggles and the sidewalk feels like a stovetop, they can start to seem like must-haves.

When you’re at home

Indoors, stay comfy with cool-feel sheets (like those with a silky finish or lightweight fibers), bed fans (where a nozzle inserted into the bed linens pumps a flow of air around you), or a cooling pillow or chill pad, which are filled with a gel that can stay cool for hours. Sleep-product brands include Serta, Sealy, Casper, Pluto and Threshold.

The chill pads can work for your own bed and the pets’ bed too. There are chillable full-size mattresses (Chilipad, 8Sleep and BedJet get good reviews from The Spruce) and smaller, simple pads (CoolCare and Sharper Image, among others).

Outdoor wearables

Clare Epstein, an employee safety expert with Vector Solutions in Tampa, Florida, works to reduce heat stress for at-risk employees in industries like construction, aviation and agriculture. She recommends wearables like cooling scarves and evaporative cooling vests.

“By soaking the fabric in cold water at the beginning of the day, the vest slowly cools, and keeps the wearer cool,” she says.

Clothes made of “phase change materials,” or PCMs, contain gel capsules or pads that can help moderate body temperatures. Uline.com advertises a vest that stays under 60 degrees for a few hours, and AlphaCool offers a neck tube that performs similarly. Another feature of the tube, which is made of a polymer material, is that it doesn’t get overly chilled, so it’s safe for kids to use.

Also for kids, there’s a line of plush toys from Warmies that includes little critters of the farmyard, ocean, forest and safari that can be popped in the freezer before a trip to the park or playground.

This image released by Warmies shows plush animal toys that can be popped in the freezer to provide cooling comfort. (Warmies via AP)

Wearable items that incorporate small fans or thermoelectric coolers are also good, Epstein says. And there are vests with tubed reservoirs you can fill with water or electrolytes so you can sip as you go.

“These encourage people to take more water breaks, and stay hydrated,” says Epstein.

The wearables range is extensive. Along with cooling buffs, headbands, wristbands, socks and scarves, there are cooling brimmed hats and ball caps. Brands include Mission, Ergodyne, and Sunday Afternoon.

If you’d prefer a refreshing breeze, USB-chargeable handheld or wearable fans might do the job.

Chill advice

Lynn Campbell, co-founder of 10Adventures travel company in Calgary, Alberta, takes a lot of strenuous hiking and cycling trips with her husband, Richard. They’ve developed some easy hacks for hot days.

“We’ll wake up early, so we’re done by 10 or 11 a.m., or if we’re out on the trails, split the day in two, so we rest by water or in the shade over the hottest part” of the day, she says.

Wear light colors and thin, breathable fabrics.

And bring an umbrella. “This is a game-changer,” Campbell says. “Now we always pack ultralight, compact ones; they’re incredible.”

Also, pour cool water on your head and back. “We freeze a few bottles of water so we can pour ice water on us to cool down,” Campbell says. “Putting the bottles under the armpits, in the groin, or on the back of the neck can effectively cool a person down.”

And Annita Katee, a contributing writer for Apartment Therapy, has another way to prep your bed on hot nights:

“Pop your sheets into the freezer at least two hours before bedtime, then pull them out right before you hit the sack,” she wrote in a recent post. She folds hers into a zipped plastic bag, flattens it, then sets it on a freezer shelf between ice packs.

“The result? A delightfully cool bed that feels like a refreshing oasis against the heat.”

New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The AP. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.

For more AP Lifestyles stories, go to https://apnews.com/lifestyle