First lady sends gifts to hospitals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is sending blankets, caps and other gifts to hospitals in 10 states, including some hit hardest by the new coronavirus outbreak, for use by medical staff and children who are patients.

The care packages were shipped Thursday to hospitals in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Delaware, Nevada and the District of Columbia, the White House said.

“The medical community has gone above and beyond to protect the health of the American People,” the first lady said in a statement. The packages are “just a small token of my appreciation for their courage and leadership in this time of need.”

The hospitals were not identified.

The gifts bear the logo of her “Be Best” youth initiative and include blankets, caps, tote bags, pencils, backpacks, stickers, Dr. Seuss books and games for young patients.

U.S. Navy warship reports outbreak

WASHINGTON (AP) — Another Navy ship at sea has reported a coronavirus outbreak and is returning to port, the Navy said Friday.

Navy officials said at least 18 members of the crew of a destroyer, the USS Kidd, have tested positive and it expects the number to grow. It said it is evaluating the extent of the outbreak aboard the ship.

The Kidd is off the Pacific coast of Central America, where it has been operating as part of a U.S. counter-drug mission. The Navy said it has a crew of about 350. It is only the second Navy ship, among about 90 deployed around the world, to report a coronavirus outbreak at sea. The other is the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

The Navy said the ship will return to port, where the crew will continue to clean and disinfect the ship.

Border wall construction goes on

PHOENIX (AP) — The federal government is proceeding with plans for a border wall even as communities where construction is ongoing protest the presence of workers, according to court documents.

In the Yuma, Arizona, area, the government modified a contract on March 24 to add 1.5 miles of a 30-foot border wall with angled tops and an anti-climb plate to the cost of $55.8 million. That’s according to documents the Sierra Club obtained this week in one of two lawsuits challenging the use of defense department funds to build the wall.

The federal government is looking to award another $50 million contract next month to add fiber optic cables, lighting, closed circuit TV, a ground detection system and signage.

Still, lawmakers and advocates are calling for construction to be halted amid the coronavirus outbreak, saying the workers put small border communities with few health care resources at risk.

In Ajo, Arizona, construction crews are working on a wall project and scaring residents who fear getting the virus, said resident Emily Saunders.