By LINDSAY WHITEHURST, MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Thursday that the Trump administration may have “acted in bad faith” by trying to rush Venezuelan migrants out of the country before a court could block their deportations to El Salvador.

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U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg in Washington pressed a Justice Department lawyer to explain the government’s actions in a high-stakes court hearing to determine whether the administration ignored his orders to turn around planes that were carrying deportees to El Salvador.

The judge said he could issue a ruling as soon as next week on whether there are grounds to find anyone in contempt of court for defying the court order.

The case has become a flashpoint in a battle between the judiciary and the Trump administration amid mounting White House frustrations over court orders blocking key parts of the president’s sweeping agenda. Trump has called for the judge’s impeachment, while the Justice Department has argued the judge is overstepping his authority.

Boasberg ordered the administration last month not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law Trump invoked over what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The judge also ordered that any planes with Venezuelan immigrants that were already in the air be returned to the United States. That did not happen.

Boasberg, who was appointed to the federal bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, said it appeared the administration had tried to get the deportees out of the country as quickly as possible before a court could step in. He told a Justice Department lawyer he suspects the government may have “acted in bad faith throughout that day.”

“If you really believed anything you did that day could survive a court challenge, I cannot believe you would have operated the way you did,” Boasberg said.

The Justice Department has said the administration didn’t violate the judge’s order, arguing it didn’t apply to planes that had already left U.S. airspace by the time his command came down. The Justice Department has noted that the judge’s written order said nothing about flights that had already left the U.S. and that the judge had no power to compel the president to return the planes anyway.

The Trump administration has refused to answer the judge’s questions about when the planes landed and who was on board, contending they are considered “state secrets.” The administration has said that providing the information to the judge, even if it’s not released publicly, would harm “diplomatic and national security concerns.”

The Trump administration is urging the Supreme Court for permission to resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act. The Justice Department says federal courts shouldn’t interfere with sensitive diplomatic negotiations. It also claimed that migrants should make their case in a federal court in Texas, where they are being detained.

Paige Bueckers was 0 for 3 in state championship games in her varsity career heading into the Class 4A title bout in 2019. But there the then-junior was at 5 a.m. on the morning of Hopkins’ title tilt against Stillwater, puking.

Great.

One thing was for sure: it was not going to keep the guard off the floor. Months later, Bueckers recalled the power drinks and “gross” Gatorade gummy chews she forced down that day to ensure she was ready to play.

She led Hopkins to the state championship, and a weight was lifted that evening.

“Nobody was allowed to say I did all this and all that but haven’t won state yet,” Bueckers later said.

Fast forward six years, and Bueckers is in a familiar spot. She was the national player of the year as a freshman at UConn, and is a finalist for those honors again this season. Friday’s national semifinal against UCLA marks the Huskies’ third trip to the Final Four in Bueckers’ tenure. The two times they didn’t go were the season and a half the guard missed following a major knee injury.

Bueckers is a shoo-in to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft and has ascended to become one of the faces of the women’s game. All that’s left to do in her collegiate career? Win a national title.

That’s not to give any credence to the “rings culture” that suggests if you didn’t win the title, all was for naught. A lack of a trophy will do little to take away from Bueckers’ basketball legacy. Caitlin Clark didn’t win a title at Iowa after falling in the championship game of each of her final two collegiate campaigns.

But the reality is Bueckers wants that ring — who doesn’t? Particularly at UConn, a program that doesn’t bother to cut down nets after Elite 8 victories.

“I think before you even get here, you kind of know the pressures that exist by committing to UConn,” Bueckers told reporters on Monday. “So, by making that decision to want to come here and try to live up to that and be a part of a legendary program, it’s a decision you have to make even before you step on campus. And once you walk inside the practice facility, you see all the history, all the names, all the banners. It’s just motivation.

“Obviously there’s expectations here. And anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment. As players, that’s what you play for and what you want to live up to. And the expectations and the pressure, it’s a privilege.”

Brian Cosgriff, who coached Bueckers at Hopkins and is now the Minnetonka girls head coach, believes it’s “very important” to Bueckers to win a championship; not for her own resume, “But because she loves her coaches and teammates so much.”

“And she loves the community and the school,” Cosgriff said. “So, I think it’s very important for her. It’s just the same way it was at Hopkins.”

That yearn to win can be a hindrance on performance. When you want something so badly, it can become more difficult to attain, particularly in this era of social media stardom.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached someone in this generation where they have to deal with this type of scrutiny and pressure that comes from the world that they live in. She’s the first one,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma told reporters. “So, for her to get all the attention she gets, have all the demands on her life, all the expectations in her life, and still be able to deliver, she — yeah — she’s very unique.”

Bueckers’ advice for anyone trying to block out the added noise of today’s world is to stay off social media and listen to “the right voices.” She works with a sports psychologist, which helps ease her nerves and focus on the now.

“I know a lot of things can happen during this time, a lot of pressures, the stakes, what you’re trying to accomplish, you can get caught up in that,” she said. “I know a huge emphasis for me was staying present, staying in the moment, standing firm in who we are as a team, who we want to be as individuals, and just not getting too caught up in anything else but trying to be present for the team, enjoy every moment.”

Bueckers is playing with a clear urgency at the moment, capping a remarkable career with a scintillating run through the tournament. The senior is averaging 35 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals over UConn’s past three games, all while shooting 59% from the field and 62% from 3-point range.

Yet after the Huskies’ regional final win over USC, Auriemma sat at the press conference table, pointed at the guard’s four turnovers in the box score and asked, “What was that?”

“And she immediately went to the next column and she said, ‘Look, I got it back, I got four steals,’” Auriemma said. “Like that’s … her mentality is always, ‘This is what I did to help us win, I’m not worried about what the other stuff was.’”

“I saw that all throughout high school. She was going to do whatever it took for the team and the program to be successful,” Cosgriff said. “That hasn’t changed since she’s been out there. She’s a complete player, complete person. She’s just so passionate about trying to be the best possible player and person she can be, night in and night out.”

And, yeah, when there’s the most at stake, she might ramp even her consistent excellence up a notch or two. Expect the best version of Bueckers to take the floor in Tampa Bay this weekend.

“She’s going to take the charge, she’s going to make the big free throw, she’s going to make the big shot. She’s going to get the big rebound. She’s going to do whatever it takes in order for UConn and Geno Auriemma to be successful,” Cosgriff said.

“It does not matter what the skill or task is asked of her, she’s going to be doing that. She’s got two more games. She wants to go out there and leave it all on the table. She doesn’t want there to be any stone left unturned.”

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It’s a sloth!

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory visitors and staff were surprised to witness the birth of a Hoffman’s two-toed sloth Wednesday while the baby’s mother was on exhibit.

“We couldn’t have planned a more exciting experience for our guests yesterday,” said Senior Zookeeper Jill Erzar in a statement. “It’s not every day you get to see a sloth being born right in front of you! It was a truly special moment, and Sago is already proving to be a fantastic first-time mom.”

Mother Sago, 6, and father Ziggy, 3, are Hoffman’s two-toed sloths that arrived at Como Zoo, located in St. Paul, in spring of 2023 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan breeding recommendation. It is the first baby for both sloths.

Chloe, Como’s other Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, resides in the Tropical Encounters exhibit.

Hoffman’s two-toed sloths live in Central America and northern South America and have a conservation status of “least concern.” They typically live 10 to 15 years and can sleep for up to 20 hours a day.

Hoffman’s two-toed sloths have a gestation period of around 11.5 months. After birth, the baby will cling to the mother’s fur and make its way to her chest to be cleaned. The baby will remain attached to Sago for around six months, nursing throughout the day. A female sloth typically spends up to a year raising her baby.

Sago and Ziggy share an exhibit with Como’s saki monkeys in the Primate Building where visitors will be able to see her and the baby.

“Right now, we’re just enjoying watching the baby bond with Sago,” Erzar said. “It will be a while before we know if we have a little boy or girl, but for now, we’re focused on making sure both mom and baby are thriving.”

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is free to visitors and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from October through April. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May through September. Donations are accepted.

For updates on the baby sloth, visit Como Park Zoo and Conservatory on social media.

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The Minnesota State Patrol says an Inver Grove Heights man damaged an Easter display outside the Capitol this week, according to a citation filed against him Thursday.

Capitol Security dispatchers could see a man on camera “destroying” a display on the building’s front lawn on Monday afternoon, the citation said. The display, which had a permit, included a wooden cross and the Ten Commandments, according to a State Patrol spokesman.

A trooper arrived as the man was walking away from the display.

He told the trooper the display “was hate speech and didn’t know damaging it was against the law.” He also said he didn’t know it “belonged to anyone and thought it was just left outside,” the trooper wrote in the citation.

The wooden cross was broken and part of the display was missing.

The trooper cited the man, 36, for misdemeanor criminal damage to property.

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