January 15, 1999

Dodge Charger design study by DaimlerChrylser looks like modern rendition of model from 1960's but features superclean engine that runs on compressed natural gas; if put into production, car would qualify as ultra-low-emission vehicle in California; chart of gas storage system developed by Applied Physic Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University; photo (M)

senators hear first plea by house to remove clinton** Impeachment trial opens in Senate with Republican House prosecutors presenting case that Pres Clinton should be removed from office because of 'egregious and criminal conduct' related to his efforts to conceal sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky; Chief Justice William Rehnquist presides and 100 Senators sit in silence for six hours as Repr Henry J Hyde opens proceedings and Reprs James Sensenbrenner, Ed Bryant, Asa Hutchinson and James Rogan lay out their claims that Clinton committed perjury and tried to obstruct justice, although largely without inflammatory language that marked House proceedings; photos; Hutchinson rebuts White House versions of Lewinsky job search, Clinton's questioning of his secretary Betty Currie and his suggestions for Lewinsky's affidavit in Paula Jones lawsuit that set off case; Republicans seem to make some overstatements and misstatements, as when Sensenbrenner claims Clinton attorney Charles Ruff did not answer 'directly' to question in House; White House later accuses Sensenbrenner of falsely characterizing Ruff's testimony, and Sensenbrenner takes further issue; Hutchinson and others also weave in strong pleas to be allowed to call witnessses; Clinton himself crosses Potomac to promote crime prevention in Alexandria (M)

Ping-nan Fung, recent immigrant from Hong Kong who is professional violinist and teacher by training, volunteers to give free violin lessons to students at Public School 139 in Rego Park, Queens, as well as provide violins to students; with help of another parent acting as translator, Fung approached school officials last fall with plan to set up string orchestra; photo (M)

Senate Democrats and Republicans, off the floor, resume sniping over whether to call witnesses in Pres Clinton's impeachment trial, imperiling fragile bipartisan pact; Democrats accuse majority leader Trent Lott of double-cross in having few Republican senators meet secretly with House prosecutors and coach them on criteria for calling witnesses; Republicans say Democrats rebuffed belated invitation to join meeting; White House reports Clinton working on State of the Union address; spokesman Joe Lockhart doubts nation's Founding Founders intended for majority party to remove President on 'partisan whim'; frail cooperative spirit hangs by thread; Democratic leader Tom Daschle orders Democrats to boycott meetings involving House managers and Sens Jeff Sessions, Arlen Specter and Jon Kyl (M)

inside**List of major stories on inside pages