Grand Rapids, Michigan • Chuck Ricklefs Jr. is a longtime Donald Trump supporter. But before this week, he never attended a Trump rally, wore a “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” hat or contributed to Trump’s campaign.

That all changed when special counsel Robert Mueller completed his investigation into Russian election meddling. In a summary of Mueller’s report, Attorney General William Barr said the special counsel found no evidence of collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 team.

"It's done. It's over with," said Ricklefs Jr., 65, a chaplain from Saginaw, Michigan, as he stood in line Thursday at his first Trump rally, wearing one of three newly-purchased "MAGA" hats. "Now I'm all in."

The past week has been a triumphant one for Trump and his supporters. While some, like Ricklefs Jr., had lingering concerns about what Mueller might turn up, many others were certain Trump would be cleared, dismissing the investigation as nothing but a partisan “witch hunt” aimed at delegitimizing Trump’s presidency — and undermining their votes. Trump is counting on this newfound energy to help him win re-election next year.

In his first political event since Mueller wrapped up his probe, Trump traveled to battleground Michigan to rally his supporters. While most interviewed at the event expected the drumbeat of investigations to continue, many expressed hope that the lifted cloud would help the president move on and focus on his agenda. Several said it felt like Trump's election victory all over again.

"It almost felt better than Election Night," said Kathy Tyson, 45, of Grand Rapids.

"It's like a breath of fresh air," said Danette Sherman, 56, an administrative assistant who lives in Northeast Grand Rapids and characterized the investigation as "two years of nonsense" and a "waste of time" despite the fact that it resulted in criminal convictions against Trump's former campaign chairman, national security adviser and longtime lawyer, along with the indictments of twenty-five Russians on charges related to election interference.

"It's like having a weight on your ankle, ball and chain, just dragging him from doing everything," she said of the impact on Trump.

Mueller’s full report has yet to be released, and it could contain damaging information about the president, even if it doesn’t conclude he broke the law.

While the four-page summary released by Barr said Mueller did not find evidence the Trump campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, Barr said Mueller had reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, with evidence on both sides.

"While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," Barr quoted Mueller as saying.

That didn't dampen the celebration for Laura Ott, 54, from Stanwood, Michigan. She was at home when the Mueller news broke, and couldn't contain her excitement, screaming so loud that she excited the family dogs and prompted her adult son to tell her to pipe down from the other room.

"They're running around, (and I'm) like, 'Yes, yes, yes! I told you! I told you!'" she said. "We all knew he was innocent."

There was more doubt for Ricklefs Jr., who said he'd voted for Trump in 2016 and "cheered him on from my couch," but still felt something holding him back.

"You never know who's done what in the closet, in the shadows," he said. But now, "He's free and clear. In my mind, he's been totally exonerated ... I'm not going to regret any nickel I spend toward him."

Emily Hartigan-Stein, 30, who works as an accountant in Edina, Minnesota, said that, after watching the drumbeat of the news, you sometimes "start to believe it."

But now, she said a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"We're free. Our president is free and it's amazing. The man I supported is vindicated," she said, explaining that she would have been "furious" with herself "if it did turn out that he was, you know, colluding. I'd be so pissed off. But, you know, he's not. And it's awesome."

Hartigan-Stein, a veteran who was injured by an IED while deployed in Afghanistan, said she hoped Trump could "now finally breathe and do the work that we elected him to do without anything in his way."

She, like others, said those responsible must be held accountable.

“What they’ve done to this president is the most disgusting and vile thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. “They need to go down for what they did. It’s clearly a hoax. They knew it was.”

Salt Lake City has battled the family of the late Dick Kunz Sr. for 12 years because of low-flying planes taking off and landing over their homes near the Tooele Valley Airport — which the capital city owns.

The Kunz family just wants it to end, and pleaded Friday for the city council to buy all of its homes and land near the airport, saying aircraft operations have ruined their homes and land for habitation.

“It’s just not acceptable,” Neil Kunz said. “It’s devalued my property. There is no one I can sell my property to other than the airport.”

He added, “It’s hard to sleep when at 3 a.m. I can get woke up by a plane flying overhead.... It has made the property incompatible for residential use.... We need the airport to buy us out,.”

Operation plans now allow airplanes to fly as low as 10 feet above some homes owned by his extended family near the end of runways, Kunz said. His brother, Dick Kunz Jr., even rolled out a tape measure to demonstrate how short that distance is — stretching only from the witness table to the stand where council members sat Friday during the special meeting.

The council has attempted to use its condemnation power on Kunz land to limit the height of buildings near the airport through what are called flight easements. But five months ago, a 3rd District Court judge dismissed condemnation proceedings, ruling that the city had not properly followed the due process requirements.

Council members on Friday passed a resolution that would authorize the city to renew its condemnation efforts but — at the same time — would allow Salt Lake City to purchase the Kunz family’s property if the parties can negotiate a reasonable price.

Obstacles remain. The family’s attorney, Robert E. Mansfield, argued the city has improperly used 12-year-old appraisals in making offers on some of the land.

He urged the council on Friday to authorize purchase of all the family land — by condemnation if needed — and use the courts as necessary to determine a fair price. “If can’t agree on value, that’s what the courts are for.”

The family has also considered fighting in court over the use of the city’s condemnation power so far outside of its boundaries as illegal, Mansfield said, but it would forgo that option if the city would acquire all of the property at a fair price.

Salt Lake City owns three airports: the Salt Lake City International Airport (which is undergoing a $3.6 billion rebuild); the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan; and the Tooele Valley Airport.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report detailing his investigation of President Donald Trump and Russia’s election interference will be delivered to Congress by mid-April, Attorney General William Barr said Friday in a letter to lawmakers offering important new details about how the document will be edited before its public release.

"Everyone will soon be able to read it on their own," Barr wrote.

Barr's new letter lays out a timeline for the next steps of the hotly-debated process by which Justice Department officials are sharing the nearly 400-page report.

In the letter, Bar said he does not plan to submit the report to the White House for review.

"Although the president would have the right to assert privilege over certain parts of the report, he has stated publicly that he intends to defer to me and, accordingly, there are no pans to submit the report to the White House for a privilege review," Barr wrote.

Mueller delivered his conclusions to senior leaders at the department last week. After reviewing the report, the attorney general sent a four-page letter to Congress on Sunday, saying that Mueller “did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

Barr's Sunday letter also said the special counsel withheld judgment on whether Trump tried to obstruct justice during the investigation.

"The Special Counsel . . . did not draw a conclusion - one way or the other - as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction," Barr wrote in his letter last week describing Mueller's report. "The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him'."

Since that Sunday letter, Democrats have demanded to see Mueller’s full report immediately - and they have threatened to issue a subpoena for the document if they don’t get it by Tuesday.

Barr's new letter seeks to assuage such concerns and get more time to finish his review of Mueller's work. Barr has said he needs to redact any grand jury information from the document, as well as any information that could adversely impact ongoing investigations.

In the Friday letter, Barr said he will also redact any information that would "potentially compromise sources and methods" of intelligence collection, and any information that would "unduly infringe on the personal privacy and reputational interests of peripheral third parties."

Mueller’s report marked the end of his 22-month investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with any Trump associates. After Barr issued his summary Sunday, the president called it a “total exoneration.”

Herriman • Brooks Lennon receives a pass from an assistant coach, settles the ball and strikes it hard. Reserve keeper Andrew Putna bats it away, causing Lennon to loudly let out an expletive.

After a few of his teammates have a go, it’s Lennon’s turn again. He receives the pass, settles the ball and, this time, beats Putna and finds the back of the net. After the goal, Lennon says something quietly to himself, his face displaying frustration and satisfaction simultaneously.

But Lennon is never really satisfied. He can’t be. It’s not in his nature. He’s been intensely competitive since he was boy, growing up with two athletic parents and an older brother, Riggs, who gloated in his face whenever he would win at something.

“I was very competitive growing up,” Lennon said this week. "I never wanted to lose and that's how I still am.”

Lennon’s competitive fire has led him to where he is now: a 21-year-old starting right back for Real Salt Lake. He has played for Liverpool, received several call-ups to U.S. Men’s National Team camps, and was an integral part of the U.S. Under-20 World Cup team in 2017.

And although Lennon is playing out of his natural — and perhaps preferred — position as a forward for RSL, the way he approaches the game is how he has curried favor with coach Mike Petke and it is how he has made the right back position his.

“He’s competitive and he gets angry,” Petke said, “which is awesome because that’s how I am.”

Lennon’s teammates love how completive Lennon is, even if they sometime lose money to him betting on ping-pong or who will win in a foot race.

“His work ethic is extremely tough and he’s super competitive,” midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. “You want those guys. You want that in every position. That’s why Brooks has made it this far.”

Sebastian Saucedo, who is Lennon’s roommate, said the right back is the most competitive player on RSL’s roster. Saucedo said when the two played together at the RSL Academy in Arizona, Lennon was more on the quiet side, but he showed “a different level of maturity” shortly before joining Liverpool.

“He’s very energetic in every aspect of the game,” Saucedo said. “That kind of just sets you on your toes, whether it be on his side or the opposite side.”

In fact, Pekte wants Lennon to be more vocal, and translate his competitiveness into leadership on the field.

“I wish he would speak more. I wish he would make his presence known a little,” Petke said. “I think he’s capable of it. … I’m looking for him to take a more leadership role on the back line.”

Lennon already considers himself a leader on the field. He said he has gotten advice from Beckerman, who has taught him that a real leader makes sure his teammates are doing well off the field.

Although he knows he is a young player with room to learn, he wants to one day wear an arm band for RSL.

“I do see myself in the next coming years being one of the captains on this team,” Lennon said. “I definitely think that you know Petke sees that in me.”

Saucedo said Lennon has helped him become a better professional, and spoke highly of his character.

“As a roommate, I would love to have someone that respects me not just on the field, but off the field,” Saucedo said. “He’s shown that ever since we were 14 years old.”

Lennon believes he has the talent and work ethic to be part of the national team “right now” — he’s just waiting for the opportunity to present itself. It appears he’s on the right track, and there are no signs of him letting up any time soon.

Several said there should be no tuition hikes at all. Others argued that a few schools should request more money.

In the end, after two days of intense back-and-forth, the board members that oversee tuition in Utah settled and approved some of the lowest increases for the state’s public colleges in the last decade.

“I think these are very reasonable numbers,” said Utah Board of Regents member Wilford Clyde on Friday. “The schools have gone through and justified why they want to have these increases.”

The regents, though, did not make any adjustments to what each university proposed — something it has been criticized for doing. They have never rejected a request. And this year was no different.

Dixie State University asked for and received the highest hike at 5 percent. Southern Utah University, the lowest, requested no increase in tuition.

Regent Thomas Wright said SUU should have been the example for all of the schools. “It’d be so hard for me to vote for a tuition increase for a student who can’t afford it,” he said.

Wright and Regent Sanchaita Datta were the only two to vote against approving the requests without change.

The changes are part of a larger trend of lower tuition increases for the eight public universities in the state. Four of the colleges this year requested smaller hikes than last year. And overall, the average increase for all of the schools combined is down every year since 2010 — when it was 8.7 percent — to 2.4 percent now.

Additionally, every school individually requested a smaller hike this year than at any time between 2008 and 2012.

“We’re on the right track,” said Regent Bob Marquardt. “There’s a lot we can do to make it affordable for every student in the state.”

The largest increase for 2019, too, is less than half of the biggest increase approved over the last decade — 12.5 percent by SUU in 2010.

The board reviewed the proposals starting Thursday under a new system spurred by a critical state audit released last fall. The report scrutinized the regents for annually approving hikes without question and without analyzing how the additional money would be spent. In that largely unfettered process, students at the state’s public universities collectively footed $131.7 million in tuition increases over the past five years.

The updated process this year required each university’s president to present an individual request for a tuition change at a public hearing. Board members asked questions and spent upwards of 10 hours debating the plans for funding staff salaries, increasing campus safety and supplementing mental health.

The presidents argued that they tried to request only the minimum amount possible to cover their needs.

“I think this process has been very, very healthy,” said Snow College President Gary Carlston. Board Chairman Harris Simmons added that it was “much better than we’ve had before.”

Before approving the plans as proposed, members tried to define when they could or should justify a hike. The increase of 3.2 percent at the University of Utah — or roughly $128 more per semester for the average student — was deemed worthwhile by one regent because it will go, in part, toward improving graduation rates (which have gone from 55 percent in 2011 to 70 percent in 2017).

Others questioned whether Utah Valley University’s proposal for a 1.7 percent increase, or $43 more per semester, was sufficient for the school that’s the biggest and fastest growing in the state. “Is that really enough?” asked David Buhler, Utah’s commissioner of higher education.

A hitch for some board members, though, was the tight timeline. Wright was concerned that the regents didn’t have a week or more to review the proposals and examine budget plans. He supported a motion that ultimately failed to delay a vote on the requests and get more input, concerned that there may be expenses that schools shouldn’t be asking students “to step up” and cover.

“If they’re getting money that’s not going to their core mission, then we need to re-evaluate,” he said. “... I know parents who are afraid to send their kids to school because they can’t afford it. I know people who are in crushing debt.”

This year, the state Legislature designated a significant $29 million to higher education for staff costs and $67 million for other projects and programs. “How is that not enough?” Wright asked.

Datta agreed that with such a surprisingly high allocation from the state and a thriving economy, it’s hard to “put that burden on students.” She wanted to know why the universities couldn’t shift money around to cover more expenses.

Presidents contended that they need to increase funding to retain top faculty and pay for promotions. No increase “is effectively a budget cut,” said Utah State University President Noelle Cockett. Dixie State President William Richards said money also is needed to be competitive athletically and recruit students with scholarships.

Ultimately, the majority of the board agreed. Here are the approved tuition increases, listed from highest percent to lowest with the dollar amount of the increase for an average in-state semester:

Dixie State University: 5 percent, or $111 more per semester

Utah State University: 3.25 percent, or $103 more per semester (USU in Price and Blanding: 4.2 percent, or $35 more per semester)

University of Utah: 3.2 percent, or $128 more per semester

Snow College: 2.5 percent, or $42 more per semester

Salt Lake Community College: 2 percent, or $33 more per semester

Weber State University: 2 percent, or $49 more per semester

Utah Valley University: 1.7 percent, or $43 more per semester

Southern Utah University: 0 percent

Boston • The Boston Celtics have banned a fan from its games for two years for being verbally abusive toward the Warriors during their only visit to Boston this season.

The team says it didn't enforce a lifetime ban because its investigation couldn't prove that the fan used a racial slur toward Golden State forward DeMarcus Cousins.

Earlier this month, the Utah jazz issued two lifetime bans to fans who were found to have made racist remarks to Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook.

According to a Yahoo! report, Cousins said the fan "muttered" a racial slur at him on Jan. 26.

The Celtics say the fan, who is a minor, was ejected from the game immediately after they received the complaint. The team says it reviewed videotape and spoke with fans, police and security in the area and concluded the fan was verbally abusive toward the Golden State bench.

The investigation found that “none of the interviewed parties were able to verify the use of racially offensive language, and video evidence proved inconclusive.”

Ogden, Utah • A Utah man was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill in the killing of his stepfather in their home.

A district court judge on Thursday sentenced David Russell Erekson of Huntsville, who entered the plea to a count of felony murder in the death of 69-year-old Roger Haven, the Standard-Examiner reported.

The sentence was the mandatory minimum stipulated in Erekson's plea agreement.

A family member said Erekson had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

His attorney, James Retallick, said the case "reflects badly" on the mental health industry in the state. He said Erekson was evaluated by mental health professionals just days before killing Haven in their home in 2017.

The conflict began when Erekson started yelling at his mother and Haven because he thought that they took his cigarettes and his hearing aids, Weber County attorney Dean Saunders said.

Erekson's mother called 911 shortly after he attacked Haven and began to beat him, according to Saunders. The woman tried to pull Erekson away from Haven before the call ended.

In a call minutes later, the woman said she had been punched and pushed to the ground by Erekson, and she had driven her car across a lawn and down a street before calling police again, Saunders said.

Emergency responders found Haven face down in a pool of blood, Saunders said.

The cause of death was a stab wound to the torso and blunt force trauma, said Dr. Pamela Ulmer, a forensic pathologist for the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner.

Southbound Interstate 15 will be reduced from the normal five lanes to just two in Lehi for part of the upcoming weekend, so the Utah Department of Transportation is urging motorists to prepare for delays.

The lane closures are scheduled to begin Saturday at 11 p.m. and continue through Monday at 5:30 a.m.

The freeway will have only two lanes open from Saturday night to Sunday morning, when a third lane will open until Monday morning when all lanes are scheduled to reopen.

The lanes are closing for construction of a new southbound I-15 bridge over Lehi’s Main Street. UDOT is closing the lanes closest to the new bridge to prevent excessive vibration from vehicles, especially big-rig trucks, to allow new concrete to harden properly.

Construction schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change. Updated information is available on the UDOT Traffic app or online at udottraffic.utah.gov.

Provo • Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints, Daniel Sorensen of the Kansas City Chiefs and Bronson Kaufusi of the New York Jets — all former BYU players — were among the onlookers as the Cougars held their annual Pro Day on Friday.

Unfortunately, the two BYU players who most of the 30 or so professional football scouts came to see mostly just watched as well.

Linebacker Sione Takitaki let stand his numbers from the NFL Combine last month in Indianapolis and only performed in a couple football-specific drills for the scouts — 31 representing NFL teams, one representing an unspecified Canadian Football League team and one representing the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football.

As soon as the workout ended, the 6-foot-1, 238-pound Takitaki — most likely the Cougar with the best chance of being drafted next month — was whisked away by scouts for private interviews and was not available for comment.

BYU’s second-best professional prospect, 6-foot-9, 278-pound defensive end Corbin Kaufusi, said he decided Thursday after consulting with his brother, Bronson, and his agent, Bruce Tollner of Rep1 Football, to sit this one out because he’s not quite back to 100 percent after having three different surgeries since the regular season ended in November.

“I was putting up pretty decent numbers, but I know I could do so much better given another week or two, or three weeks,” Corbin Kaufusi said. “So you don’t want to give the impression that you are good, when you know you can be great. You don’t want to look mediocre when you know you got a lot more in you. So that was the final decision.”

Corbin Kaufusi said it was “a hard thing to do, but the right thing to do” after he spent lots of hours the past few months preparing for this day. He had surgeries on his ankle, triceps and pinky finger since playing hurt in the 35-27 loss to Utah on Nov. 24.

BYU DE Corbin Kaufusi talks about Pro Day pic.twitter.com/fqUGDUI4SE

— Jay Drew (@drewjay) March 29, 2019

“That strength in my legs isn’t quite back,” he said. “That was one of the things that helped make the decision. It was like, ‘you still have a couple weeks to get that strength back and move the way you can move.”

The former BYU basketball player said he has some visits and private workouts scheduled but is “keeping [the specific teams] under wraps” at their request. Scouts and agents have told him his strengths are his 6-9 frame — “There aren’t a lot of guys my size out there” — his high motor and the fact that he has improved every season at BYU.

With Takitaki and Kaufusi sitting out and punter/kickers Rhett Almond and Andrew Mikkelsen only doing kicking and punting drills, it was probably the smallest overall group of participants since BYU began holding a Pro Day.

The only guys who did all the drills were running backs Squally Canada, Matt Hadley and Brayden El-Bakri, receiver Dylan Collie, defensive back Michael Shelton and quarterback Tanner Mangum.

“It was a lot of fun,” Mangum said. “It is an amazing opportunity to be out here, showcasing our talents in front of the scouts. Everyone is in great shape. Everyone is feeling good, and excited to show what they have. And I felt like it was a great day overall for a lot of us. A lot of us had [personal records] and showed what we wanted to show.”

Magnum, who started in 27 games and played in 33 during his four-year injury-plagued career and threw for 6,262 yards and 39 touchdowns, said he is receiving “some interest” from NFL teams even though he ended his career as a backup to freshman Zach Wilson.

“I will be grateful to go anywhere,” he said. “I believe in myself. I am confident in my abilities. So wherever I end up, I will make the most of it and give it the best that I have.”

BYU Quarterback Tanner Mangum sums up his Pro Day experience pic.twitter.com/YzsY1oj4Qo

— Jay Drew (@drewjay) March 29, 2019

Canada, who played in 34 games and averaged 5.03 yards per carry but sat out the final few games with a concussion, said he stumbled at the beginning of one of his 40-yard runs or he would have posted a 4.56 or so instead of a 4.59 and a 4.75. The San Francisco 49ers have scheduled a private workout with the 1,438-yard rusher.

El-Bakri, who also had an injury-riddled senior season, turned some heads with his pass-catching ability Friday and said the day went well for him, too.

“A little slower in here on the long turf, but it is what it is,” he said. “You just have to stick with your numbers and be happy about it.”

Squally Canada’s numbers pic.twitter.com/CTp4f967q3

— Jay Drew (@drewjay) March 29, 2019

Collie and Hadley were also pleased with their showings and credited former BYU linebacker Jordan Pendleton and his company, Pendleton Performance, for their improved strength and conditioning.

BYU’s 2019 Pro Day Participants

• Rhett Almond, kicker/punter, 6-4, 205

• Squally Canada, running back, 5-10, 208

• Dylan Collie, receiver, 5-9, 180

• Brayden El-Bakri, fullback, 6-0, 245

• Matt Hadley, running back, 5-11, 205

• Corbin Kaufusi, defensive lineman, 6-9, 278

• Tanner Mangum, quarterback, 6-2 1/2, 208

• Andrew Mikkelsen, kicker, 6-0, 215

• Michael Shelton, defensive back, 5-8, 180

• Sione Takitaki, linebacker, 6-1, 238

Palm Beach, Fla. • Threatening drastic action against Mexico, President Donald Trump declared on Friday he is likely to shut down America’s southern border next week unless Mexican authorities immediately halt all illegal immigration. Such a severe move could hit the economies of both countries, but the president emphasized, “I am not kidding around.”

"It could mean all trade" with Mexico, Trump said when questioned by reporters in Florida. "We will close it for a long time."

Trump has been promising for more than two years to build a long, impenetrable wall along the border to stop illegal immigration, though Congress has been reluctant to provide the money he needs. In the meantime, he has repeatedly threatened to close the border, but this time, with a new surge of migrants heading north , he gave a definite timetable.

A substantial closure could have an especially heavy impact on cross-border communities from San Diego to South Texas, as well as supermarkets that sell Mexican produce, factories that rely on imported parts, and other businesses across the U.S.

The U.S. and Mexico trade about $1.7 billion in goods daily, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which said closing the border would be "an unmitigated economic debacle" that would threaten 5 million American jobs.

Trump tweeted Friday morning, "If Mexico doesn't immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week."

In Florida, he didn't qualify his threat with "or large sections," stating: "There is a very good likelihood I'll be closing the border next week, and that is just fine with me."

He said several times that it would be "so easy" for Mexican authorities to stop immigrants passing through their country and trying to enter the U.S. illegally, "but they just take our money and 'talk.'"

A senior Homeland Security official suggested Trump was referring to the ongoing surge of mostly Central American families heading north through Mexico. Many people who cross the border illegally ultimately request asylum under U.S. law, which does not require asylum seekers to enter at an official crossing.

Short of a widespread shutdown, the official said the U.S. might close designated ports of entry to re-deploy staff to help process parents and children.

Ports of entry are official crossing points that are used by residents and commercial vehicles. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, did not specify which ports the administration was considering closing, but said only that closures were "on the table."

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about whether Trump's possible action would apply to air travel.

Trump's latest declaration came after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said his country was doing its part to fight migrant smuggling. Criminal networks charge thousands of dollars a person to move migrants through Mexico, increasingly in large groups toward remote sections of the border.

"We want to have a good relationship with the government of the United States," Lopez Obrador said Friday. He added: "We are going to continue helping so that the migratory flow, those who pass through our country, do so according to the law, in an orderly way."

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's foreign relations secretary, tweeted that his country "doesn't act based on threats" and is "the best neighbor" the U.S. could have.

Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday that 750 border inspectors would be reassigned to deal with the growing number of migrant families, and the DHS official said Friday that the department was seeking volunteers from other agencies to help.

In Florida, Trump was also asked about the two migrant children who died in U.S. custody in December. Is the administration equipped to handle sick children who are detained?

"I think that it has been very well stated that we have done a fantastic job," he said, defending Border Patrol efforts to help the children.

"It was a very tough situation and that trek up, that's a long hard trek," he said. "It's a horrible situation. But Mexico could stop it."

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have fought over Trump's contention that there is a "crisis" at the border, particularly amid his push for a border wall, which he claims will solve immigration problems, though a wall wouldn't keep out families who cross at official points so they can surrender and be detained.

The president called on Congress to immediately change what he said were weak U.S. immigration laws, which he blamed on Democrats. The Department of Homeland Security wants the authority to detain families for longer and more quickly deport children from Central America who arrive at the border on their own. The department argues those policy changes would stop families from trying to enter the U.S.

Alejandra Mier y Teran, executive director of the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce in San Diego, said the mere threat of border closures sends the wrong message to businesses in Mexico and may eventually scare companies into turning to Asia for their supply chains.

"I think the impact would be absolutely devastating on so many fronts," said Mier y Teran, whose members rely on the Otay Mesa crossing to bring televisions, medical devices and a wide range of products to the U.S. "In terms of a long-term effect, it's basically shooting yourself in your foot. It's sending out a message to other countries that, 'Don't come because our borders may not work at any time.' That is extremely scary and dangerous."

___

Nomaan Merchant reported from Houston, Catherine Lucey from Washington. Associated Press writers Peter Orsi in Mexico City and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

This Pat Bagley cartoon appears in The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday, March 31, 2019. You can check out the past 10 Bagley editorial cartoons below:

• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/28/bagley-cartoon-medicaid/" target=_blank><u>Medicaid Expansion of Our Own Design</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/27/bagley-cartoon-millenials/"><u>Millennial’s World</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/26/bagley-cartoon-our/"><u>Our National Dinosaurs</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/25/bagley-cartoon-no/"><u>No Collusion</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/22/bagley-cartoon-mueller/"><u>The Mueller Report</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/21/bagley-cartoon/"><u>Legislative Wrap Up</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/20/bagley-cartoon/"><u>Safeguarding the Public Trust</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/19/bagley-cartoon-strong/"><u>A Strong Leader</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/18/bagley-cartoon-trumps/"><u>Trump’s Following</u></a>
• <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2019/03/13/bagley-cartoon-monument/"><u>Monument to Oneself</u></a>

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Atlanta • Bucking intense opposition from abortion rights groups, citizens, physicians groups and even Hollywood celebrities, Georgia lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a “heartbeat” abortion ban that would outlaw almost all abortions in the state.

The proposal now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who backs it. If enacted, it would be among the strictest abortion bans in the U.S.

The measure was approved by 92 votes, just one vote more than the majority needed to pass out of the 180-member House.

Just after the vote, a tense situation erupted when law enforcement confronted several Democratic lawmakers and protesters speaking against the bill in the halls of the Capitol, threatening to arrest people if a crowd didn't disperse and stop chanting "shame".

Georgia joins a string of other GOP-controlled states moving to enact strict abortion bans, with the ultimate goal of getting a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The push comes amid rising optimism among conservatives that the restrictions might prevail in the reconfigured high court that includes President Donald Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Women in Georgia can currently seek an abortion during the first 20 weeks of a pregnancy. A heartbeat can be detected in an embryo as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.

The bill would make exceptions in the case of rape and incest — but only when the woman files a police report first — and to save the life of the mother. It also would allow for abortions when a fetus is determined not to be viable because of serious medical issues.

Republican Rep. Ed Setzler, the bill's author, said it was a "commonsense" measure that seeks to balance "the difficult circumstances women find themselves in with the basic right to life of a child."

Democratic Rep. Dar'shun Kendrick called the legislation a "death warrant" for women in Georgia, noting that the state already has one of the nation's worst maternal mortality rates.

The ACLU of Georgia said it will challenge the law in court if it's signed by Kemp.

"Under 50 years of Supreme Court precedent, this bill is blatantly unconstitutional," Sean Young, legal director for the ACLU of Georgia, said in an interview Friday. "That is why every single federal court that has considered such bans has struck them down."

The legislation faced a groundswell of opposition, including Democratic lawmakers and protesters saying on social media and in person that lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill would be targeted in 2020 elections.

A group of women at the Georgia Capitol protested the bill dressed as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale," which depicts a dystopian future where women are controlled by the government and forced to reproduce. The activists in red cloaks and white bonnets have been an almost daily presence since the House first passed the measure earlier this month.

Two influential groups, the Medical Association of Georgia and the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians, sent letters to lawmakers opposing the legislation.

The legislation also was opposed by the Writers Guild of America, which represents TV and film writers, and several Hollywood celebrities, who signed an open letter to Kemp in opposition. The letter was spearheaded by actress Alyssa Milano and includes Alec Baldwin, Amy Schumer, Gabrielle Union, Ben Stiller, Don Cheadle, Mia Farrow and others.

That's significant because Georgia is a burgeoning production hub for TV and film, with 455 productions shot in Georgia in fiscal year 2018, representing $2.7 billion in direct spending in the state.

GOP lawmakers in Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina and Ohio are pursuing similar legislation, while Republican governors in Mississippi and Kentucky have recently signed heartbeat abortion bans.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a heartbeat abortion ban on March 21, despite a federal judge's ruling last year that struck down a less-restrictive law limiting abortions there. Kentucky's law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge shortly after Republican Gov. Matt Bevin signed it March 14, in response to a challenge by the ACLU. A state judge found Iowa's heartbeat abortion ban to be unconstitutional in January.

If signed and not blocked in court, the Georgia law would take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Kemp applauded the legislature in a statement Friday.

“Georgia values life,” Kemp said. “The legislature’s bold action reaffirms our priorities and who we are as a state.”

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Raleigh, N.C. • A North Carolina charter school promoting traditional values engaged in unconstitutional sex discrimination by requiring girls to wear skirts, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Malcolm Howard ruled that Charter Day School can't enforce the skirts-only rule as part of its dress code that punishes violations with suspensions and even expulsion. No child has been expelled for violating the dress code since the school opened in 2000, Howard said in a decision filed on Thursday.

But girls are clearly treated differently than boys at the kindergarten through 8th grade school in Leland, about 10 miles (16.1 kilometers) west of Wilmington, Howard ruled. That's a violation of the U.S. Constitution's equal protection requirements.

The guardians of three girls attending the school sued the school in 2016. They said the dress code forces girls to be colder in the winter and "forces them to pay constant attention to the positioning of their legs during class, distracting them from learning, and has led them to avoid certain activities altogether, such as climbing or playing sports during recess, all for fear of exposing their undergarments and being reprimanded by teachers or teased by boys," the judge said in summarizing the plaintiffs' arguments.

One of the mothers suing with the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of their daughters said the judge's decision means a girl's comfort and freedom to move is on par with their male classmates.

"All I wanted was for my daughter and every other girl at school to have the option to wear pants so she could play outside, sit comfortably, and stay warm in the winter," Bonnie Peltier said in a statement provided by the ACLU. "But it's disappointing that it took a court order to force the school to accept the simple fact that, in 2019, girls should have the choice to wear pants."

Charter schools are public schools — funded by state taxpayers — that are allowed to do many things differently than traditional public schools. In the case of Charter Day School, it is run by a nonprofit organization but contracts with a for-profit company to run business and academic operations.

Howard ruled that although North Carolina charter schools and their nonprofit board members are not the state's agents in every respect, Charter Day School's leaders were acting under color of state law when they adopted a disciplinary code that included punishing children who didn't wear the prescribed uniforms.

Roger Bacon Academy, which runs the school and three other charters in the Wilmington area, and its founder, Baker Mitchell, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Members of the school's nonprofit board said its student uniform requiring all students to wear white or navy blue tops tucked into khaki or blue bottoms is part of its traditional values education known to parents when they enroll their children.

Changing any of the school's specific requirements risks changing its broader goal and results that have included test scores higher than nearby traditional public schools, the judge summarized the board as contending.

But school leaders failed to provide “any facts showing specifically how the skirts requirement furthers this success,” Howard wrote.

Two Utah men who were complete strangers to one another are now forever connected by a donated kidney.

Earlier this week, Mitchell Salas, 30, of Woods Cross, received a kidney from living donor Matthew Thompson, 32, of Stansbury Park.

Salas has had kidney problems since he was an baby. He has been in and out of hospitals for almost 30 years and has spent the last three years on dialysis. More than three years ago, a battle with testicular cancer briefly bumped him off the donation list, but Salas gained a new lease on life when the call finally came.

“Are you sure? Are you serious?” Salas said when he heard from an Intermountain Medical Center transplant coordinator about the available kidney from a live donor.

A lot of good Samaritan donors don’t meet the recipient, but Salas wanted the opportunity to say thank you.

“[N]ot all superheroes wear capes and this guy has literally saved my life,” Salas said.

For Thompson, the idea of organ donation started after hearing a motivational speaker talk about donating a kidney to his brother.

“I’m helping someone who needs help and to me this is really no different that helping a neighbor who needs help unloading the groceries," Thompson said.

“We are brothers for life,” Salas said, wiping aways tears.

During the last three years Intermountain Medical teams have performed 80 living kidney donation surgeries, seven were Good Samaritan, non-directed altruistic donations.

A driver is dead after crashing into a light pole during a pursuit in Ogden on Friday evening, according to police.

An officer had pulled the man over at 7 p.m., said Ogden police Lt. Tyler Hanson, for a traffic stop near 23rd Street and Wall Avenue. The driver then drove off while the officer was speaking to him.

The officer was dragged a short distance by the car and had minor injuries, Hanson said.

After he fled, the driver hit a light pole and died. Utah Highway Patrol will investigate. The name of the man has not yet been released.

The odds have been good for a couple of months now that the Jazz would make the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean that some didn’t stay awake at night imagining the worst.

So when they clinched their playoff berth on Thursday night, thanks to a Sacramento loss, there was a sense of relief, however minor with still seven games to go in the season, that the playoffs would take place in Utah for the third straight year. Making the playoffs, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said, was a side goal to his larger vision of the Jazz’s future.

“The way to accomplish it is to be a good team,” Snyder said. “Our focus has been, even through this time prior to that clinching mathematically occurring, to get better. That’s how we’ve tried to approach this.”

Still up in the air, though, is what seed the Jazz will end up with, whether or not they’ll have home-court advantage, and who their opponent will be. Modeling by NBA researcher Jacob Goldstein found that the Jazz had a 49% chance to make the playoffs as the five seed before the game against Washington, their most likely outcome. But home-court advantage is still very possible — Goldstein puts it at a 33.6% chance.

Projected seeding distribution and playoff probabilities for the rest of the 2018-19 #NBA season through games on 3/28/19 (Based off 10,000 simulations): pic.twitter.com/TNixIXYo5s

— Jacob Goldstein (@JacobEGoldstein) March 29, 2019

And matchup possibilities are even more up in the air. Perhaps the Jazz’s most likely opponent right now is Portland, but Houston, Oklahoma City, and even Denver, San Antonio and Los Angeles (Clippers) are within the realm of possibility. Portland may be the easiest potential opponent, due to the unfortunate injury starting center Jusuf Nurkic suffered this week. Nurkic broke his leg, and will be out for the rest of the season. Starting guard C.J. McCollum has also been out thanks to a knee sprain.

That’s not a game Snyder wants to play, though.

“Every time you try to figure something out, who you’re going to play, where you’re going to finish, who you match up with well, who you don’t, well, that’s for you guys to think about,” Snyder said. “I’ll think about it when the time comes.”

For Jazz fans interested in tickets, they go on sale next Tuesday at 10 a.m. MDT, online at utahjazz.com as well as at the Vivint Smart Home Arena box office. Season ticket holders and mini-plan purchasers throughout the season get presale access before Tuesday. The organization will be trying to create a similar atmosphere to the one featured at last year’s playoffs, which won rave reviews from national commentators.

Dave Bateman, who likely saved the Utah Republican Party from bankruptcy, wants to continue the fight that has been splitting it apart.

That battle is aimed at quashing the state election law that allows candidates to qualify for the primary election ballot by collecting signatures and/or through the caucus-convention system.

“I don’t think the fight is over,” Bateman said Monday, even though the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month rejected the party’s legal appeal. It was the apparent end to five years of court challenges that have bitterly divided conservatives and moderates in Utah’s ruling GOP.

Because of strings that Bateman attached to his financial bailout of the party, however, the fight may not be over until he says it is.

Bateman said in an interview Monday that he is not pushing for a new lawsuit favored by some conservatives, and would not use the contract he has to try to force one. However, he said he is awaiting formal communication from the party that it has ended its legal challenges to formally release it from its debt.

“I’d be surprised if I don’t get a green light” soon to do that, he said.

Meanwhile, Bateman says he is also weighing a ballot initiative to overturn the election law, SB54, and also supports legislative action to repeal it.

Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo and a sponsor of SB54, points to polls over the past five years showing the popularity of the law. Party leaders should respect that, he said.

“It’s the people’s ballot, not the party’s.”

How we got here

When the Republican Party’s long-running lawsuit over SB54 threatened to bankrupt the organization, Bateman, the CEO of Entrata software, assumed its $410,000 in legal debts. He persuaded lawyers to accept about 40 cents on the dollar, and he agreed to cover ongoing costs of the appeal all the way to the high court.

But the deal had one condition: The party would need to pay Bateman back if it ever ended its lawsuits without his permission or before all possible appeals were exhausted.

In a Facebook dialogue over the weekend, moderates asked Bateman if, given the Supreme Court rejection, he would now release the party from its debt.

Bateman was a bit evasive.

“Pretty sure the contract said the debt is gone as soon as the lawsuits are done! You should have the contract. Go read it,” Bateman responded.

When asked again to clearly state if he believes all lawsuits connected to the debt are now done, Bateman said, “I’m not in charge of the lawsuits. Please reach out to the [party’s] Constitutional Defense Committee on that one.”

That committee was established to make party decisions about its SB54 legal battle after state GOP Chairman Rob Anderson had sought to put a halt to the litigation because of the mounting costs and divisions it was creating.

Don Guymon, spokesman for the committee, said Monday that it has not met to discuss any further action since the Supreme Court rejection. His personal view is the full State Central Committee and a new party chairman or chairwoman who will be elected at a May 4 convention should be involved in final decisions.

Anderson, the outgoing party chairman who negotiated the bailout with Bateman, said it was clear that the appeal to the Supreme Court would end Bateman’s debt with the party, and Anderson opposes any new lawsuit. “More litigation is not the way to unify the party,” he said.

Ballot initiative ahead?

Bateman said he is “interacting with a few people to gauge interest” in possibly launching a ballot initiative to do away with the option of qualifying for the ballot by collecting signatures, and return to a strict caucus-convention system.

He had funded such an attempt last year through the Keep My Voice initiative, but it got off to a late start and was abandoned as it was falling far short of the 113,000-plus signatures required.

The move for another such ballot initiative would ask voters to sign petitions to give up their power to sign other petitions to put candidates on the ballot. Why would people do that?

Bateman argued that since SB54 was passed in 2014, “We have had consistent tax increases. I feel that is a direct result from circumventing the direct accountability that comes in a caucus-convention system” where candidates meet face-to-face with delegates.

He added that when Utah discarded the caucus-convention system decades ago, the decision was reversed after 10 years.

“I feel it is inevitable that [the traditional system] will be restored,” he said.

Arguments over SB54 likely will play a large role in the upcoming race to replace Anderson as the party chairman. One of the candidates is Phill Wright, a close ally of Bateman who works for him at Entrata and is chief of his Keep My Voice group.

Other candidates so far include former state Rep. Derek Brown, a former deputy chief of staff to Sen. Mike Lee; Cache County GOP Chairman Chris Booth; and Sylvia Miera-Fisk.

SB54 has split the Utah GOP. Business groups and moderates applaud the law, believing the caucus-convention system without an alternative route to the ballot gives too much power to delegates, who tend to be much more conservative than voters.

For example, archconservative Chris Herrod defeated more moderate John Curtis at convention in a special 2017 election for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District seat — and under the old system would have been the party pick. But Curtis has gathered signatures to appear in the primary, which he easily won before going on to also prevail in the general election. He was easily re-elected last year.

Sen. Mitt Romney and Gov. Gary Herbert finished second at GOP conventions only to go on to win landslide victories.

When you shoot close to 60% for most of the game, a victory should come easily, right?

The Jazz shot extremely well Friday night. But the win sure was difficult to come by.

After surrendering a game-long advantage and letting Washington take the lead in the game’s final 3 minutes, Utah got enough big plays down the stretch — a Rudy Gobert layup-and-one, a Gobert block on the other end, a Ricky Rubio 3-pointer, a Donovan Mitchell floater that rolled around the rim twice before dropping in — to hold off the Wizards, 128-124 at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

The victory was the Jazz’s fourth in a row and ninth in 10 games, and improved their record to 46-30 on the season.

Mitchell shook off a first-quarter eye injury to lead Utah with 35 points on 13-for-23 shooting. He added five assists and five rebounds. Rudy Gobert contributed 13 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks, while Joe Ingles had 18 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds.

“We haven’t been in close games, so it was good for us to feel that,” said coach Quin Snyder. “But we don’t want to be in close games at the expense of our transition defense and defending in general.”

Quin Snyder, on losing the lead but winning the game: "We didn’t play very good defense. So you’re never pleased when that’s the case. … But to be in a close game, be down with 3 minutes left, and for us to win the game, there’s something good about that." pic.twitter.com/wFZe9UFK8R

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) March 30, 2019

It’s not hard to see how that posed a problem on this occasion.

Washington scored 30 or more points in three of the game’s quarters, and tallied 28 in the other. The Wizards shot 49 percent from the field, and made 15 total 3-pointers — at a 40.5% clip. They also total 20 fast break points.

After the Jazz took a 15-point lead in the third, All-Star guard Bradley Beal kept the Wizards in it in the period, scoring 11 of his 34 points. And big man Bobby Portis had eight of his 28 in the fourth (he hit 6 of 12 from deep for the game) to keep Washington within range.

Indeed, a double-team on Mitchell led to a deflected steal and a jumper by Beal to give the Wizards the lead at 116-114 with 3:03 left in the game.

The Jazz, though, responded with a 10-2 run that included all those aforementioned clutch plays to hang on. After Jabari Parker nailed a last-ditch trey to close the gap to two points, Mitchell closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws for an insurmountable four-point advantage.

Asked about finally breaking through in a close game — the Jazz came in 0-7 in games decided by three or fewer points — Rubio, who totaled 17 points, made a joke about the team usually being too clutch.

“Because when it’s close and we win, we do suuuuch a good job that it [winds up] over three points,” he quipped. “… We have really good chemistry and we know where to go at the end of the game. Tonight was a good game for us. It was a four-point win, right? Doesn’t count as a close win — Donovan should have missed a free throw.”

Ricky Rubio, joking about alleged shortcomings in close games: "Because when it’s close and we win, we do *such* a good job that it [winds up] over three points. … Tonight was a … a four-point win, right? Doesn’t count as a close win — Donovan should have missed a free throw." pic.twitter.com/G4ZwSN2vPB

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) March 30, 2019

In fairness, the Jazz were a bit “discombobulated” — as Snyder put it — early in the game thanks to a series of one-after-another injuries.

Mitchell got hit in the eye and headed to the locker room. Derrick Favors exited after just 9 minutes and 16 seconds of action due to back spasms, and didn’t return. And while Mitchell was returning to the court, he crossed paths with backup point guard Raul Neto, who was exiting to get stitches in his lip, and would later check out for good with concussion-like symptoms.

Jae Crowder stepped up off the bench — drilling 6 of 7 shots, including 4 of 5 from deep — to total 18 points. And reserve big man Ekpe Udoh earned praise for holding down the fort in Favors’ absence to give Gobert an occasional break.

All of that — combined with the Jazz hitting 55.2% of their shots overall and 43.8% of their deep attempts — added up to a victory in the end.

And if it came a little harder than expected, well, after a run of relatively easy victories against lottery-bound teams, maybe a tough game wasn’t the worst thing in the world this close to the playoffs.

“Take a positive wherever you can get ’em,” said reserve forward Kyle Korver. “I think it’s good at this time of the season for us to have a game where we’re down with a couple minutes left and we’ve gotta figure out how to get good shots, and make good decisions.”

Kyle Korver: "I think it’s good at this time of the season for us to have a game where we’re down with a couple minutes left and we’ve gotta figure out how to get good shots, and make good decisions."
(Also, the team reacts in the background to the end of the Duke game) pic.twitter.com/r7zGdxHBuJ

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) March 30, 2019

With his signature Friday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert gave final approval to a bill that looks to improve the response of campus police on cases of sexual assault and relationship violence.

The measure was spurred by the shooting death of University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey, who was killed outside her dorm last fall by a man she briefly dated. It focuses on training school officers to recognize the warning signs that experts say were missed in her case. And it requires the state’s public colleges to develop detailed safety plans letting students know who to contact in an emergency.

The legislation’s sponsor, Sen. Jani Iwamoto, has said she hopes it will “help with a cultural shift.”

McCluskey, a 21-year-old track athlete, was killed Oct. 22 by Melvin S. Rowland, a registered sex offender who lied to her about his name and age and later died by suicide. The two had broken up a few weeks earlier, and McCluskey had called campus police several times to report she was being harassed and extorted.

Officers did not prioritize her concerns. In fact, according to a later review of the university’s response, the school’s police never recognized the potential for escalating interpersonal violence.

McCluskey’s parents have supported the measure and have asked for Herbert to sign it. Matt McCluskey testified at a hearing that “this bill is, in some sense, written in blood.”

“Remember Lauren Jennifer McCluskey,” he said. “Remember how she lived. Remember how she died. And through your actions, honor her memory.”

The University of Utah has previously said the legislation “ties in nicely with what we’re trying to do” to improve with other fixes including hiring more officers and a victim advocate.

On Thursday, the governor also signed a number of other big education bills:

• HB120 that requires teachers to take more lockdown trainings and fund two new state positions to focus on security in schools.

• HB227 that asks all schools to offer at least one elective course in computer science by 2022.

• HB260 that creates a new state-funded scholarship based on financial need.

• HB373 that helps K-12 schools to hire more therapists.

• SB245 that requires districts and boards of the lowest-performing schools to inform their communities at least 120 days before a decision is made to shutter or change boundaries.