DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Convicted sex felon and former Penn student Kurt Mitman had his academic-release privileges terminated Friday and will not be able to return to campus until at least September. University officials discovered last month that Mitman - a first-year Economics graduate student who is serving a jail sentence on child-molestation charges - was commuting to class from a Bucks County prison for up to 12 hours a day as part of an academic-release program. In a hearing Friday, Bucks County Court Judge Theodore Fritsch suspended Mitman's academic release after ordering the Men's Community Corrections Center, at a hearing Jan. 17, to develop a proposal that would include more rigorous restrictions.

The "Mooninite" plot to take over the world has been thwarted again - this time, by the Boston bomb squad. Last Wednesday morning, Massachusetts state police were summoned to shut down the city temporarily after hearing about alleged bombs planted throughout the city.

"Angry White Man" may not be as angry as you think he is. History professor Sarah Igo presented her book The Averaged American - in part about how statistics create incomplete stereotypes of American individuals - at the Penn Bookstore last Thursday night to a cozy audience of just over thirty members.

Once again, a decision on upgrading Webmail has not yet been reached, and officials say there is no timetable for the switch. "We are working as quickly and as carefully as we can," School of Arts and Sciences Vice Dean of Administration and Finance Ramin Sedehi wrote yesterday in an e-mail.

Yi Li calls himself an "idea person." If it were up to this Engineering freshman, elevators would have "undo" buttons for inadvertently pressed floors, and dietetic drinks would be sold outside of restaurants to speed up diners' metabolisms after eating a five-course meal.

Penn's campus was graced by our very own Indiana Jones last night. Zahi Hawass, who has been compared to the adventurer for his daring and often dangerous excavations in Egypt - and who even owns a Jones-esque whip - spoke to a sold-out crowd at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology last night about his recent archaeological discoveries.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. - Economics professor Rafael Robb will stand trial on charges of first- and third-degree murder, District Judge William Maruszczak ruled at a preliminary hearing yesterday afternoon. The court also upheld Robb's Jan. 8 charges of possessing an instrument of crime - though no weapon has been found as of yet - and tampering with and falsifying evidence. Robb, 56, who has consistently denied involvement in the murder, is being held without bail until the trial.

Two University employees, one male and one female, were robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday at about 5:55 p.m. on the 4100 block of Pine Street, Philadelphia and Penn Police officials said. Neither complainant was injured in the incident, Division of Public Safety officials said.

Jailed sex felon and graduate student Kurt Mitman will learn at a hearing today if he will be allowed to return to campus.

Economics professor and accused murderer Rafael Robb will find out today in a preliminary hearing if his case will move to trial. Robb, 56, was arrested in connection with the murder of his wife, Ellen Robb, on Jan. 8. Ellen Robb was found dead in the couple's home in Upper Merion on Dec.

It looks like trans fats just can't find a friend in the world. Already banned in New York City and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, the artery-clogging acids used in food preparation may meet their match in Philadelphia as well. A bill sponsored by Councilman Juan Ramos passed without opposition through City Council's Committee on Public Health and Human Services last week, a first step toward banning trans fats in all restaurants, takeout eateries and food trucks.

Penn's campus may look a little greener from the other side. A Jan. 24 report evaluating environmental consciousness on college campuses gave Penn a B for its overall greening efforts, but student environmental group leaders argue that the report fails to recognize numerous existing problems.

The cause of a fire that destroyed a house just off campus Saturday has still not been determined, Philadelphia Fire Department Executive Chief Daniel Williams said yesterday. The fire broke out at about 6:15 a.m. Saturday at 210 S. 41st St. No one was injured, but the flames gutted the building and forced residents to evacuate.

Boosting the highest percentage of international undergraduates in the Ivy League and $7.5 million awarded annually in loans to foreign students, Penn - which also admitted its highest percentage of international students early this cycle - has become one of the most internationally diverse schools in the nation.

Mayor John Street is to Philadelphia as Amy Gutmann is to "blank." SAT-style analogies may be a thing of the past, but a new program is bringing Penn students back to the days of flash cards and diagnostic tests. And all with a little West Philadelphia flavor.

A pipe above the Harnwell College House mail room burst at around 8:30 p.m. yesterday, flooding the mail room, the Cafe area and the mezzanine level. First-year MBA student and Harnwell Graduate Associate Matthias Weisheit said Facilities staff responded quickly to the incident.

Forty percent racial minority, 25 percent Jewish, 17 percent international: Penn loves statistics that boast of its commitment to diversity - a priority the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education explored in a panel discussion last night. In light of the recent debate about adding a United States Cultural Analysis Requirement to the College of Arts and Science's curriculum, the panel of student leaders met to discuss the challenges of diversity in higher education.