By JIM VERTUNO, Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge’s rebuke of Texas housing prisoners in lockups without air conditioning stopped short of ordering a fix before summer in what has become of one the country’s biggest lawsuits over keeping prisoners safe during dangerous extreme heat.

But U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman’s warnings to Texas to act after finding the conditions in the prison system unconstitutional could resonate elsewhere in the U.S. where similar challenges are ongoing, according to attorneys leading the Texas case and other prisoner advocates.

Texas is just one of several states, mostly in the South, facing lawsuits over prison conditions when temperatures often rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In Louisiana, a group of men incarcerated at a state penitentiary this week again asked a federal judge to take steps to protect prisoners doing outdoor agricultural labor in dangerous heat.

“Texas is the largest prison system in the country and the judge found it to be acting in an unconstitutional manner and indifferent to dangerous conditions,” said Jeff Edwards, lead attorney in the Texas case.

“Every warden and leader of a correctional system is going to be aware of it,” Edwards said. “It sends an incredibly powerful message.”

FILE – An inmate works outdoors during the hot summer outside a Texas prison unit in Huntsville, Texas, on June 25, 2015. (Rose Baca/The Dallas Morning News via AP, File)

The Texas case will not have authority over prisons in other states. But Corene Kendrick, deputy director of the ACLU National Prison Project, said the judge’s findings will be significant for lawsuits with the same issues of extreme heat, limited or no air conditioning, and inmates at risk of dying.

“It’s influential,” Kendrick said.

Texas has more than 130,000 people in prisons. Only about a third of roughly 100 prison units are fully air-conditioned, and the rest have either partial or no electrical cooling.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2023 by Bernie Tiede, the former mortician serving a life sentence whose murder case inspired the movie “Bernie.” Several prisoners’ rights groups then asked to join his legal fight and expand it.

Several people who were formerly incarcerated in Texas testified that inmates would fake suicide attempts to be moved to cooler medical areas, while some would set fires so that guards would be forced to hose down cells.

Texas officials acknowledged that heat may have been a factor in a handful of deaths in 2023 but dispute claims that the impact has been far greater. On Thursday, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said it has asked lawmakers for $118 million to install air conditioning for about 16,000 more beds.

“TDCJ is dedicated to continuing to add air-conditioned beds in our facilities,” the agency said.

In Louisiana, a federal judge last year ordered prison officials to increase shaded areas, schedule additional breaks, provide sunscreen and medical checks to those especially vulnerable to high temperatures.

But the order did not shut down work on a former slave plantation when heat indexes reach 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1 degrees Celsius) or higher, which was what the plaintiffs had requested.

The judge’s order has since expired and a group of inmates filed a new request for help.

“As we enter the summer season in Louisiana, the State continues to force incarcerated people to work in the fields of a former plantation, under dangerous conditions, putting them at extreme risk of heat-related illness,” said Samantha Pourciau, Senior Staff Attorney at the Promise of Justice Initiative.

The Louisiana Department of Correction did not immediately respond for comment.

A federal lawsuit in New Mexico claims eight inmates were confined for hours in stifling summer heat in a prison transport van without working air conditioning. In Georgia, prison officials face a federal lawsuit from the family of a man who said he died after he was left in an outdoor cell without water, shade or ice in July 2023.

The Texas case will proceed toward trial, where the judge warned the state of the likelihood it could be ordered to spend billions to install permanent air conditioning.

The Texas Legislature is in session and currently writing the two-year state budget. Lawmakers have filed at least three bills that would provide some relief.

Temperatures are rising as the Texas summer approaches. Some areas of the state have already hit above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

“I’m regretful we can’t protect them with relief this summer,” Edwards said. “But we will move as fast as we can.”

Associated Press journalists Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Kate Brumback in Atlanta, Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump revealed his intentions to reshape the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order Thursday that targets funding to programs with “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”

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Trump said there has been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”

He signed an executive order putting Vice President JD Vance in charge of an effort to “remove improper ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution, including its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo.

ST. LOUIS — The Twins made their first round of spring training cuts on March 9, sending a group of nine players to minor league camp. Randy Dobnak was among them, sent over to the other side of the Twins’ Fort Myers, Fla., complex, to stretch out and build up innings as he prepared to pitch for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints.

It wasn’t until Saturday night that the idea of actually breaking camp with the Twins crept into his mind.

Dobnak got a text message from director of minor league pitching development Tommy Bergjans, letting him know that his minor league start that day, which was supposed to be five or six innings, would be significantly shorter than that.

At first, Dobnak wondered why they’d be taking three innings away from him. He quickly connected the dots, wondering if the Twins might need a long-man for their bullpen.

They did.

“First cut to the Opening Day roster was not on my bingo card,” Dobnak said.

It’s the first time Dobnak has broken camp with the Twins since 2021, and his inclusion on the Opening Day roster comes after the Twins informed Rule 5 selection Eiberson Castellano, who has since been returned to the Philadelphia Phillies, that he would not be making the 26-man major league roster.

The same goes for the last two non-roster invites remaining in camp, both of whom were out of options, meaning the Twins risked losing them in a couple of weeks when Brock Stewart is expected to return from the injured list. That’s not the case with Dobnak, whom the Twins have been able to pass through waivers successfully in recent years because of the contract extension he signed in 2021.

Dobnak had a strong spring, and for however long he’s in the majors, he’s looking to make the most of his chance. Being in this role means there’s no telling when he might pitch, but that’s something he said he’s more mentally prepared for now because he’s done it before.

“I’m just prepared to pitch every day,” he said. “Just do the same thing every day, and when my opportunity comes, just go out there and do it.”

Who’s on second?

The question of who would be playing second base for the Twins was one without an answer all winter. The Twins finally answered that question on Thursday. Expect to see plenty of Willi Castro there, as he’s the strongest defensive option the Twins have at the position currently.

Castro will still end up at third and in the outfield, too, manager Rocco Baldelli said, but right now, having him at second base is something “we’ll see a good amount of.”

“It does a really nice thing for our defense on most days where he and (shortstop) Carlos (Correa) work really well together,” Baldelli said. “They’ve been really crisp all spring, so getting a little bit of rapport with those two guys playing with each other will be good.”

Briefly

Four players made the Opening Day roster for the first time: pitchers Simeon Woods Richardson and Justin Topa, and rookies Mickey Gasper and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. … Harrison Bader received a round of applause from Cardinals fans as he was introduced pregame. Bader played for the Cardinals for parts of six seasons. … The Twins officially placed four players on the injured list: Royce Lewis (hamstring strain), Brooks Lee (Lumbar strain), Stewart (hamstring strain) and Michael Tonkin (shoulder strain).

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he will require state employees to report to the office for at least half of their scheduled workdays starting June 1. What does this mean for downtown St. Paul?

“I think this is going to be a tremendously positive thing for downtown,” said Joe Spencer, president of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance. “The state of Minnesota is our largest employer and, as our largest employer, having those workers return is going to have a tremendous impact.”

Around 60% of state employees currently work in-person and did so through the pandemic, according to the Walz administration. About 50,000 people work for Minnesota’s state government, according to the state Department of Management and Budget.

So, how many more people will be headed back to the office? “We think it could be upwards of 20,000 workers,” Spencer estimates.

Downtown hope

“It was a pleasant and needed surprise,” John Perlich, vice president of Government Affairs for the St. Paul Area Chamber, said of Walz’s Tuesday announcement.

“St. Paul has had some distressing news over the last couple of weeks,” Perlich said, referring to the closure of the downtown Lunds and Byerlys and borderline eviction notice given to tenants of the Alliance Bank Center.

“From where we sit, this is a shot in the arm that St. Paul needs,” Perlich said of the return-to-office order. “Is it going to be transformational? I don’t know.”

Having workers return to the office won’t be a “silver bullet,” Spencer said. “But folks don’t realize we’ve had a number of new restaurants open up and old favorites are still in place.”

An influx of people coming into the city is going to add to its viability, Spencer said. For example, shops that are closed on certain weekdays could have a chance to expand their hours and services with more foot traffic.

For some, however, the news is too late.

Cassie’s Deli and Catering, located in the Town Square skyway at 444 Cedar St., will serve its final sandwiches on Friday after opening in 1997, owner Steve Olson said.

“My lease is due and I’ve been losing money for years,” he said.

When asked about the back-to-the-office announcement, Olson said, “It could have helped … but it’s too little and too late.”

Union pushback

Megan Dayton, president of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, speaks during a news conference on the steps of the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Members of the House Democratic Farmer Labor Caucus joined her in pushing back against DFL Gov. Tim Walz’s order for state employees to report back to office on 50% of work days. (Alex Derosier / Pioneer Press)

A pair of state public employee unions that represent a combined 36,000 state workers — the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — protested the change.

“Unilateral decisions made behind closed doors without the input of the workers that it impacts is irresponsible, it’s disrespectful and it can’t continue,” said AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director Bart Andersen at a rally with labor representatives and state lawmakers on Thursday.

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In a news release, MAPE President Megan Dayton said she was “appalled and disgusted” by the governor clawing back telework agreements “under the guise of ‘organic collaboration’ and ‘stewardship of office space.’ ”

Dayton claims the union had little warning about Walz’s decision and no input.

MAPE represents more than 18,500 executive branch employees and is the largest bargaining unit in state government. Many members are office employees who don’t typically have to report to work in person to complete their tasks.

Calling workers back to the office will disrupt lives, union leaders said. Employees who can stay at home with kids will have to find day care or figure out how to balance in-office work with taking kids to and from school.

“We adapted to working remotely with very little prior planning, and we proved that it can work, and we’ve been doing it for five years,” Dayton told reporters on Thursday. “To unleash this kind of chaos on our members at this point is irresponsible and reckless.

MAPE is set to start bargaining its contract with the state on April 15. Union leaders have signaled all options remain on the table, including a lawsuit or a strike. There are already concerns that state employees might leave over changes to the remote work policy.

“Workers are threatening to quit over this,” said State Rep. Luke Frederick, DFL-Mankato. “In conversations with the agencies, there’s questions about how even to implement this, about whether or not there’s even office space.”

Where will they go?

Is there enough office space? That’s hard to answer at this point as state workers report to 15 different buildings in the Capitol area alone, according to the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board.

“This creates a leasing problem for the state because they have to make 10-year commitments,” said Mike Marinovich, senior vice president at commercial real estate firm CBRE. “How do you do that while experimenting with your staff life?”

Marinovich, who represents properties like the Great Northern Building at 180 E. Fifth St., where the Department of Employment and Economic Development is a tenant, called Walz’s announcement “a huge improvement.”

Of the roughly 14 million square feet of office space in the St. Paul central business district, government properties account for 34%, according to findings from the Greater St. Paul Building Owners and Managers Association’s annual St. Paul office space market report.

The central business district described in the report goes beyond downtown proper, ranging in boundary from the Minnesota Transportation Museum on Pennsylvania Avenue down to the Wabasha Street Caves, and from the edges of Cathedral Hill to east of the St. Paul Farmers’ Market.

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The report also found that 40% of downtown’s competitive office market has been listed for sale, and nearly a third of the competitive, non-owner-occupied office space in and around downtown is empty.

“BOMA members are grateful for this decision and the governor’s leadership by example because the return of state employees to downtown St. Paul will have a significant positive impact on the city’s economy, safety and overall vibrancy,” said Tina Gassman, president of BOMA, in an email.

“More people downtown can lead to a revitalization of commercial real estate, helping to fill vacant office spaces and spurring interest in urban living. This not only helps our commercial real estate industry but could lead to further development of housing, parks, and amenities, making St. Paul a more attractive place to live and work.”