Meese prodded to bar Waldheim from U.S.

WASHINGTON The Justice Department office that investigates Naziwar crimes has renewed its 11-month-old recommendation that AttorneyGeneral Edwin Meese III bar Austrian President Kurt Waldheim from theUnited States, government and private sources say.

The Office of Special Investigations accompanied itsrecommendation with a memo, more than 200 pages long, detailingevidence that Waldheim may have been involved in World War IIatrocities against Yugoslav partisans.

Meese has not acted on the recommendation made last April by theOSI. Department spokesman Patrick Korten declined to say when Meesemight deal with the case, adding that Meese does not regard it as …

NLCS Features Young, Talented Teams

PHOENIX - The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, who open their NL championship series on Thursday night, are proof that success can be homegrown and that big money doesn't assure a winner - but some shrewd draft picks and a few smart trades can.

"The American League East will always have a few more dollars to spend," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said, "but I think the youth and amount of prospects in this division are pretty phenomenal."

In one sweet season, some have gone from prospects to stars. That's part of the reason that for the first time, a pair of West teams are matched up in the NLCS.

Colorado's 22-year-old Troy Tulowitzki, hit 24 home runs, …

Review: Allen's `Whatever Works' not quite working

The title of Woody Allen's new comedy, "Whatever Works," might define what the filmmaker has been up to the last few years.

Allen churns out a movie a year like clockwork, some OK, some mediocre, none very memorable. Sure, last year's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" drew solid audiences, won Penelope Cruz an Academy Award and was a step or two above other recent Allen flicks.

But the movie was emblematic of his output of late _ slight plots, slighter characters, lackadaisical storytelling that recycles enough of the neuroses-fueled charm of his earlier films to keep the Woody Allen machine in business.

In other words, whatever …

Maddux Sparkles Again

Greg Maddux pitched a three-hitter and rookie Javier Lopez hittwo home runs and drove in four runs Thursday to power the AtlantaBraves to a 6-1 victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Maddux (3-0) has allowed only one earned run in his first 26innings, which comes out to a 0.35 ERA. He gave up a bloop single toWillie McGee in the fourth, a line-drive single to Royce Clayton inthe fifth and a leadoff single to Darren Lewis in the ninth. Lewistook second when center fielder Deion Sanders bobbled the ball, wentto third on an infield out and scored an unearned run on McGee'ssacrifice fly.

Cardinals 9, Dodgers 8: Ray Lankford had two hits and three RBIand …

Beautiful Options for Special Needs Baths

A cursory walk through the new showroom at Wayne Pipe & Supply provides visitors with an overwhelming array of sinks, tubs and faucets, with styles and functions to suit every imaginable taste and need. But it also offers a selection of showers, toilets and other amenities to suit a variety of special needs. With a diverse population that includes persons with disabilities and an aging population with mobility issues to consider, something as simple as using the bathroom can be a challenge - but one that has real, and often remarkable, solutions.

While talking about toilets may not seem fit for high society, let's face it, there's no getting around this aspect of our lives. The …

D.C.-area sniper asks in letter for end to death-row appeal

Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad asks prosecutors in a letter for help to put an end to his legal appeals from death row.

Muhammad says in the letter released Tuesday that he is waiving all rights to appeal his 2003 conviction and death sentence for the sniper killings in 2002 that terrorized the Washington, D.C., region.

Muhammad says …

Latin music tastemaker anticipates his moment

Back in 2000, Shakira belly-danced her way into the mainstreamwhen she appeared on the first-ever Latin Grammys telecast. A yearearlier, Ricky Martin shed his Menudo-mite image after he shook hisbon-bons into international consciousness on the regular GrammyAwards.

Though they remain an imperfect process, fraught with politics andother non-artistic considerations, the Grammys nonetheless haveprovided an important springboard for Latin talent. And now, poisedin the wings, waiting for his breakout moment, is Sergio George.

George, who leads this year's Latin Grammy contenders with sixnominations, stands as one of Latin music's most importanttastemakers. With production …