( CNN ) The nation 's top stories will be unfolding Tuesday in courthouses and political arenas across the country . Massachusetts is hosting two of the highest-profile court trials in recent memory -- those of former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez and Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev . Both lengthy trials are coming to a close . In Louisville , Kentucky , Sen. Rand Paul made the not-so-surprising announcement that he will run for president , while in Chicago , voters will head to the polls in a very surprising runoff between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challenger Jesus `` Chuy '' Garcia . And in Ferguson , Missouri , the shadow of Michael Brown and the protests over his shooting by Officer Darren Wilson will loom large over the city 's elections . Here 's a breakdown of what to expect today and how we got here : . Tsarnaev , who 's accused of detonating a bomb at the 2013 Boston Marathon along with his now-deceased brother , faces the stiffest of penalties -- life in prison or the death penalty -- if he 's found guilty on any of 17 capital counts against him , including setting off weapons of mass destruction at a public event as an act of terrorism . The 13th juror : What defense ? On Monday , survivors and victims ' families wept and Tsarnaev fidgeted at a defense table as jurors heard a prosecutor allege that the 21-year-old `` brought terrorism into the backyards and main streets . '' The jury on Tuesday morning began what is expected to be a lengthy deliberation process on 30 total charges , before the so-called penalty phase , should he be found guilty on any counts . It took prosecutors months to present 131 witnesses to support their claim that Hernandez killed semi-pro player Odin Lloyd , yet on Monday , Hernandez 's defense team wrapped up its witnesses in less than a day . Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday , and the jury will begin deliberations soon thereafter . Jurors in Fall River , Massachusetts , will be asked to decide if Hernandez is culpable in the shooting death of Lloyd , whose body was found in a Massachusetts industrial park in the summer of 2013 . Much of the evidence against Hernandez is circumstantial , and among the facts the jury will be asked to take into consideration are New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft 's testimony , the testimony of Hernandez 's fiancee , some grainy footage from Hernandez 's home security system and a footprint left by a Nike Air Jordan shoe . Hernandez known for swagger , even in court . OK , sure , no one was floored when the Kentucky senator announced his bid for the Oval Office , but of course it was news when he made it official Tuesday . Paul is expected to hit the campaign trail visiting the all-important early voters in New Hampshire , South Carolina , Iowa and Nevada . The physician rode a wave of tea party popularity into the Senate in 2010 , where he carefully built a brand of mainstream libertarianism , and he is banking on a coalition of younger voters and traditional Republicans to usher him into the White House . Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz are the only declared candidates for the GOP nomination , though the field will certainly grow and could include the likes of Florida 's Jeb Bush , New Jersey 's Chris Christie , Wisconsin 's Scott Walker , South Carolina 's Lindsey Graham and Florida 's Marco Rubio . Would Rand be here without Ron ? It 's the Windy City 's first runoff for a citywide office , and it 's being billed as a battle for the `` future of Chicago . '' In one corner , you have Emanuel , President Barack Obama 's notoriously hard-charging former chief of staff , and in the other , you have Jesus `` Chuy '' Garcia , a county commissioner who has come to embody populist and liberal Democrats ' frustrations with the Chicago incumbent . After Emanuel failed to snare half the vote in February 's general election , he will go head-to-head with Garcia . The timing is interesting , too , as Easter , Passover and spring break appear to have spurred more than 142,000 early votes , up from about 90,000 before the first round of voting in February . Following Michael Brown 's death , the national spotlight shone on Ferguson , particularly how the city 's predominantly black population is woefully underrepresented in its police force and City Council . Yet with all the hubbub about the face of civic leadership , only four in 10 city residents hit the polls in November to cast ballots . Residents speak out ahead of vote . Tuesday 's election will bring change , no matter how the ballots are cast : Two black men are running for one of the open seats , and the current lone black council member is n't up for re-election . In another ward , two black women and two white men are vying for an open seat . And a white protester is running for a third post .
The trials of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Aaron Hernandez are coming to a close . Voting has put Rahm Emanuel and Missouri , Ferguson , back in the headlines . Rand Paul has announced his bid for the presidency .