By Tim Gaynor PHOENIX (Reuters) - Convicted killer Jodi Arias urged jurors on Tuesday to spare her the death penalty and sentence her to life in prison for brutally killing her ex-boyfriend in Arizona five years ago, saying she could lead a productive life behind bars. Arias, 32, was found guilty earlier this month in the premeditated murder of Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home in June 2008. He was stabbed multiple times, had his throat slashed and was shot in the face. ...

By Ronnie Cohen SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Thousands of healthcare workers walked off the job at the University of California's five medical centers on Tuesday, delaying surgeries, diagnostic procedures, treatments and emergency care throughout the state. The union representing nearly 13,000 vocational nurses, respiratory therapists and radiology technologists said they staged the strike - scheduled to last two days - to draw attention to staffing shortages that they say undermine patient care at the hospitals in San Francisco, Davis, Los Angeles, San Diego and Irvine. ...

[Updated at 2:30 p.m. CT] MOORE, Okla. –As a hailstorm bore down on the devastated region Tuesday afternoon, first responders continued to sift through debris to try to find survivors and figure out how many people died in the massive tornado that ripped through southern Oklahoma City and other towns a day earlier. Twenty four [...]