1. Jury sentences Dzhokar Tsarnaev to death for Boston Marathon Bombing
After more than 14 hours of deliberation, a jury sentenced Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death by lethal injection on Friday. The jury declared that Tsarnaev had "intentionally killed" the 2013 marathon victims and found him guilty of an act of terrorism on all applicable counts. Only three jurors, however, believed that Tsarnaev was "susceptible" to the influence of his older brother, Tamerlan. On April 8, Tsarnaev was convicted of all 30 counts against him — 17 of which carry the death penalty — in relation to the bombing, which killed three and injured hundreds in April 2013. Tsarnaev can still appeal the verdict.
Associated Press
2. U.S. Special Forces kill senior ISIS leader Abu Sayyaf
In a raid on Friday night, U.S Special Forces killed Abu Sayyaf, a senior ISIS leader, at his home in eastern Syria. The raid was originally intended as a "snatch and grab" that would leave Abu Sayyaf alive, but when gunfire broke out between the Special Forces operatives and ISIS militants, Abu Sayyaf was killed in the ensuing battle. The Special Forces team captured Abu Sayyaf's wife alive, and freed a young woman who was apparently being held as a slave in his household.
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3. ISIS reportedly takes control of major Iraqi city of Ramadi
Islamic State militants have taken control of Ramadi, a key Iraqi city in the province of Anbar, local police announced on Friday. ISIS seized much of Anbar last summer, but pushed its new takeover offensive on Thursday night and into Friday morning. Sources report that at least 47 Iraqi security forces and 26 civilians were killed on Friday. The news comes just a day after the Thursday release of a recording, purportedly of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, saying "Islam was never a religion of peace."
The Washington Post
4. FBI examining the possibility that derailed Amtrak train was struck by object
A U.S. investigator has revealed that the FBI is examining the possibility that the Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia on Tuesday may have been "struck by an object" before going off the tracks. The investigation was triggered by an assistant conductor, who reported that she believed she had heard a radio transmission from engineer Brandon Bostian to another conductor indicating that the train had been struck by a projectile. A preliminary investigation has turned up "a fist-size circular area of impact on the left side of the Amtrak train's windshield," which the FBI will analyze.
The New York Times
5. Egyptian ex-president Mohammed Morsi sentenced to death
Mohammed Morsi, the onetime Egyptian president who was ousted in 2013, has been sentenced to death for his role in a 2011 mass jailbreak. Morsi was sentenced along with 130 others, who were each accused of escaping prison and attacking police during the revolution against longtime president Hosni Mubarak. As with all Egyptian capital punishment cases, the verdict against Morsi will now be referred to the mufti, Egypt's top Muslim theologian, for his opinion. Morsi is already serving a 20-year sentence for charges related to the killings of Cairo protesters in 2012.
The Guardian
6. Blue Bell to lay off a third of its workers after Listeria concerns halt ice cream production
Blue Bell Creameries announced on Friday that it will lay off about 1,450 employees, or nearly 37 percent of its workforce, following a series of reported Listeria problems that have halted ice cream production at the company’s four plants. Another 1,400 Blue Bell employees have been furloughed, and the Texas-based company said in a statement that remaining workers will see reduced pay. Blue Bell has yet to resume ice cream production since issuing a total recall in April; one financial data expert predicted the company could see as much as $130 million in lost revenue for 2015.
The Dallas Morning News
7. Bill Cosby addresses sexual assault allegations for the first time
Bill Cosby broke his silence about the sexual misconduct allegations against him, made by more than 30 women, in an interview with Good Morning America's Linsey Davis. The 77-year-old Cosby, who hasn't been criminally charged and denies all accusations, gave winding answers to Davis. "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said at one point. "Reality is a situation and I can't speak."
ABC News
8. NASA report says 10,000-year-old Antarctic ice shelf could collapse by 2020
A NASA study released on Thursday says the Larsen B Ice Shelf, which partially broke apart in 2002, is "approaching demise" and could completely disintegrate by 2020. The remaining portion is the last intact section of one of Antarctica’s largest ice shelves, and is at least 10,000 years old. The study's researchers said the shelf's collapse could speed up already rising sea levels.
The Washington Post
9. Google announces summer debut of self-driving cars
Google announced in a blog post on Friday that its first self-driving cars will hit the road in summer 2015. They'll start out on the roads near Mountain View, California, the home of Google's headquarters, but the cars have already been tested in Nevada, too. The cars are still prototypes, lacking airbags and other required safety features for widespread use. Google co-founder Sergey Brin says he hopes the cars will eventually eliminate the most common crash risk: human error.
USA Today
10. Hulu resurrects The Mindy Project for a full season 4
Just a week after Fox canceled the Mindy Kaling sitcom The Mindy Project, online subscription service site Hulu has picked up the series for a full fourth season. While The Mindy Project's ratings have been consistently low, it has a loyal following and has consistently been one of Hulu's most-streamed shows. Under the new agreement with NBCUniversal's Universal Television, the series will stream exclusively on Hulu, and subscribers will still be able to watch past episodes of the show. Season four will premiere later this year.
Variety
