Midday Roundup: Nelson Mandela's condition worsens

Mandela critical. Over the weekend, Nelson Mandela’s condition was downgraded to critical, and the family of the 94-year-old former South African president visited him at the hospital today. “The doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort,” South African President Jacob Zuma announced to the nation today. President Barack Obama plans to visit the country later this week.

Guilty as charged. A Milan court panel of three judges, all women, has convicted Silvio Berlusconi for paying for sex with a minor. The 76-year-old former Italian prime minister was sentenced to seven years in prison but will remain free during the appeals process, which could take years. He was also convicted for abuse of office and has been banned from ever seeking public office in Italy again.

Pelosi booed by base. The liberal base isn’t happy with Nancy Pelosi and her defense of the Obama administration’s surveillance of American’s phone and internet records. The House minority leader was speaking at the Netroots Nation conference in San Jose, Calif., when members of the audience turned on her after she said former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden had violated the law and that the government needed to find a happy medium between security and privacy.

Big, bad moon rising. Did you see the “supermoon” over the weekend? The full moon, which reached perigee (its closest distance to Earth) early Sunday morning, was 16,176 miles closer than usual, resulting in it being 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter. The brilliant orb inspired photographers and caused increased chatter on social media.