Mar 28, 2019

ABC's Jonathan Karl plans "Front Row" book on Trump

ABC News' Jonathan Karl at the third presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016. Photo: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Jonathan Karl, ABC News' chief White House correspondent, is packing a quarter of a century with Trump into his first book, "Front Row at the Trump Show," to be published by Dutton in 2020.

The big picture: Karl has covered Trump since 1994, when The Donald gave the New York Post rookie a tour of Trump Tower.

He was on the flatbed truck of photographers that precedes the presidential limousine during the inaugural parade, and has been in the White House's literal front row for all 798 days of President Trump.
"Front Row" will tell what it's like to question Trump in availabilities around the world, and will describe the vibe of their West Wing close encounters.

Flashback ... It was 2013 and Donald Trump was in Iowa, two years before he announced for president. Back then, the idea of Trump as a real candidate seemed far-fetched. But ABC's Jonathan Karl asked him what his slogan would be.

Trump replied: "I would say the tagline would be: 'Make America Great Again.' ... Right now, we're a collapsing nation, in so many different ways."
Asked one word to describe himself, Trump shot back: "Smart."

Go deeper: With book deals, journalists cash in on Trump's Washington

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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