PHILADELPHIA – A fugitive who fled the United States weeks before his 1998 murder trial was being brought back to Philadelphia on Tuesday — and prosecutors wouldn’t mind finding the father they believe helped him. David Heyon Nam, an American-born child of wealthy South Korean immigrants, had flunked out of …

Don’t fail at staying healthy this school year! Rutgers University Nutrition Specialist, Peggy Policastro has four quick fixes to keep you guilt-free, on a budget, and healthy! Whether you’re hitting the dorm dining hall or cooking off-campus, this cheat sheet will help you earn high marks when it comes to …

FRESNO, Calif. – Farmers in “America’s Salad Bowl” are turning into hunters — stalking wild pigs, rabbits and deer — to keep E. coli and other harmful bacteria out of their fields. It’s part of an intense effort to prevent another disaster like the 2006 spinach contamination that killed three …

BEIJING – Chinese rescue teams carrying tents, quilts and sacks of rice rushed Sunday to reach survivors of an earthquake that killed at least 27 people, turned tens of thousands of homes into rubble and cracked reservoirs. The 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sichuan province on Saturday along the same fault line …

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Loyal Opposition A group of more than 50 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle has sent a letter to Jimmy Carter — urging him not to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. Mr. Carter has scheduled a session with …

WASHINGTON – The National Weather Service has confirmed that the damaging storms that tore through portions of Prince George’s and Charles counties on Sunday were small tornadoes. Both struck between 2 and 3 p.m. The Weather Service said the first apparently touched down just south of Waldorf, then headed north, …

SALT LAKE CITY – A 50-year-old Utah woman who disappeared after complaining to police about harassment by an ex-boyfriend was found dead 1,300 miles away in Missouri, authorities said Tuesday. The man, Michael Doyel, was taken into custody at a Branson, Mo., hotel, where the body of Deborah Jones was …

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah – A man confessed to causing the death of a missing 7-year-old girl who was found in the bathroom of an apartment in her family’s complex, police said. Esar Met, 21, was being held Wednesday on charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping and evidence tampering. Police took …

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – On the screen at the front of the classroom, Virginia assistant attorney general Gene Fishel flashed an online social-networking profile of “hotlilflgirl,” a 15-year-old who says she enjoys being around boys and wants to meet new people. The next image revealed the real “hotlilflgirl” — a mugshot …

WASHINGTON – Sen. David Vitter will not have to testify about his ties to an upscale Washington escort service, a defense attorney said Monday, sparing the Louisiana Republican an embarrassing trip to the witness stand. Vitter has been on notice for more than a week that he could have to …