January 6, 1999

New York Times pop and jazz critics choose their top 10 favorite albums released in 1998; photos (L)

Senate majority leader Trent Lott says he expects Chief Justice William H Rehnquist to open impeachment trial of Pres Clinton on Jan 7; Lott says he is seeking conclusion 'that is fair and hopefully quick' but gives no details of how trial will proceed; leaders of both parties are trying to devise bipartisan plan that would avert lengthy trial that could tie up Senate for months; they say proposal for expedited trial drafted by Sens Slade Gorton and Joseph I Lieberman is foundering under objections from conservative Republicans; Lott, minority leader Tom Daschle and Rehnquist meet to plan for first Presidential impeachment trial in 130 years; photos (M)

Alfonse M D'Amato, in discussing Senate seat he lost so painfully last year, admits to certain yearning about other Senate seat from New York, which Daniel Patrick Moynihan plans to leave in two years; says, however, that he is not considering another Senate race at this time; discusses several reasons he lost 1998 Senate contest to Repr Charles Schumer (M)

John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger article on root vegetables that are bedrock culinary staples of Latin America and Caribbean, including apio, boniato, jicama, malanga, taro, true yam and yuca; notes that most can be baked, turned into hash browns or otherwise cooked as you would cook potatoes; photos; recipes (M)

New York City fire officials say that firefighters struggling to rescue fallen colleagues in Brooklyn apartment building last month were using hose considered too narrow for high-rise blazes; department officials have begun investigation and refuse to discuss whether use of different hose might have increased chance of rescuing fallen firefighters (M)