Midday Roundup: Boston awaits verdict in Tsarnaev trial

Deliberations. Jurors in the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzokhar Tsarnaev are deciding his fate. The jury is in deliberations after Monday’s closing arguments and instructions from the judge on the 30 counts against him. Conviction requires unanimous agreement of the 12 jurors. If they convict Tsarnaev, as even the defense team expects them to do, the same jury will hear evidence in the penalty phase. Tsarnaev faces the death penalty, but jurors could send him to prison for the rest of his life. The April 2013 bombing killed three and maimed 260.

Close call. Last night’s NCAA men’s championship basketball game ended in controversy as the referees let stand a call that gave the ball to Duke for a last-minute shot sealing the team’s victory. Duke beat the Wisconsin Badgers 68-63 in a game that went down to the wire and gave the Blue Devils their fifth national title. Badgers coach Bo Ryan complained about the officiating after the game. In addition to the bad call, he blamed the referees for letting the players get too physical. “It’s just a shame that it had to be played that way,” he said.

Descending in to chaos. Fighting continues today in Yemen between Shiite Houthi rebels and supporters of the nation’s president, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, now in exile in Saudi Arabia. The majority Sunni nation is descending into chaos, with civilians desperate for water and food. “We ask that the coalition forces launch a ground intervention in Yemen because we’re facing disaster,” anti-Houthi fighter Fawwaz al-Yafii told reporters. “They bombed our houses randomly. We just have these light weapons, and ammunition is beginning to run out.” Before the most recent fighting, the Obama administration declared Yemen a success in the fight against radical Islamic militants. But Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., disputes the administration’s claims of successful efforts in Yemen. Al-Qaeda has had a resurgence, taking over Yemen’s fifth largest town and springing their former operatives from prison, he said. So far, an estimated 600 people have died in fighting there.

Water ban. California Gov. Jerry Brown is defending his mandatory water restrictions. Amid a prolonged drought, Brown ordered Californians across the state to cut back their water use. Critics are angry the order does not extend to farmers, who use about 80 percent of the state’s water. But on ABC This Week, Brown fired back: “They’re not watering their lawn or taking long showers. They’re providing most of the fruits and vegetables of America.” Brown said the restrictions require sacrifices from all Californians. He said it affects their lawns, and even “how long they stay in the shower.”

A whopper of a gift. Childhood sweethearts Joel Burger and Ashley King of New Berlin, Ill., announced their engagement last week by taking a photo next to a Burger King sign. Their post on social media went viral and caught the attention of moguls at the fast-food chain. On Monday, the company announced it would make a big contribution to the couple’s future. “Burger King wants to help give you a whopper of a wedding,” a representative told the couple through a handwritten sign during a video call. “In other words, it’s on us.” In addition to paying for the July 17 ceremony, the company also plans to send gifts. A Burger King representative declined to say how much the whole thing was expected to cost. “When we heard about the happy Burger-King couple, we felt an overwhelming urge to celebrate their upcoming marriage,” said Eric Hirschhorn, a spokesman for the fast-food chain.

WORLD Radio’s Mary Reichard contributed to this report.