Apr 17, 2019

Woman who made Columbine-related threats found dead

An 18-year-old woman who "made threats to commit an act of violence in the Denver metropolitan area," causing about 20 schools to close on Tuesday and Wednesday, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Denver FBI office confirmed.

Details: Authorities traced down the Florida woman, Sol Pais, who had traveled to Colorado and purchased a gun. Pais had an "infatuation" with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Her threat, which sparked a manhunt on Tuesday and Wednesday, came days before April 20 — the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Officials said in a press conference that there have been many copycats in the past who were inspired by the Columbine shooting, but that this instance felt different and credibly dangerous — which is why they made the decision to close schools in the Denver metro area.

Go deeper: The 10 deadliest school shootings since Columbine

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Rashaan Ayesh

Japan to close schools through late March to control coronavirus outbreak

A couple takes photos in front of the Olympic rings in Tokyo. Photo: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday that the government will ask elementary, middle and high schools around the country to close until late March as an attempt to contain its novel coronavirus outbreak, AP reports.

Why it matters: The government's decision — impacting 12.8 million students across 34,847 schools — comes as concerns mount about the spread of the virus in Japan, which has 189 confirmed cases and hundreds more abroad the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Go deeper: The latest coronavirus updates

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Alayna Treene, Sam Baker

What the coronavirus means for Trump's presidency

Photo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

A poor response to the coronavirus could be politically devastating for President Trump, and so far his administration has given the strong impression that it’s still scrambling as the risk of a pandemic mounts.

Why it matters: There’s only so much any president can do to stop a virus from spreading, and for now the coronavirus is still very much under control within the U.S. But if the disease get worse in the months ahead, and if the administration seems to be caught off guard, that spells trouble for public confidence in Trump.

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Axios

Coronavirus updates: New global case numbers surpass China's

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus is now affecting every continent but Antarctica and the WHO said Wednesday the number of new cases reported outside China has exceeded those inside the country for the first time.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,800 people and infected over 82,000 others in some 50 countries and territories. As Denmark and Estonia reported their first cases Thursday, Scott Morrison, prime minister of Australia — which has 23 confirmed infections — told a news conference, "The risk of a global pandemic is very much upon us."

Go deeperUpdated 4 hours ago - Health