1
The textbooks cover the same sweeping story, from the brutality of slavery to the struggle for civil rights. The self-evident truths of the founding documents to the waves of immigration that reshaped the na- tion. The books have the same publisher. They credit the same authors. But they are cus- tomized for students in different states, and their contents sometimes diverge in ways that reflect the nation’s deepest partisan di- vides. Hundreds of differences — some subtle, others extensive — emerged in a New York Times analysis of eight commonly used American history textbooks in California and Texas, two of the nation’s largest mar- kets. In a country that cannot come to a con- sensus on fundamental questions — how re- stricted capitalism should be, whether im- migrants are a burden or a boon, to what ex- tent the legacy of slavery continues to shape American life — textbook publishers are caught in the middle. On these ques- tions and others, classroom materials are not only shaded by politics, but are also helping to shape a generation of future vot- ers. Conservatives have fought for schools to American history textbooks in different states diverge in ways that reflect the nation’s deepest partisan divides. TWO STATES. EIGHT TEXTBOOKS. TWO AMERICAN STORIES. On an annotated Bill of Rights, the California edition of this textbook explains that rulings on the Second Amendment have allowed for some gun regulations. The Texas edition shows only a blank space. By DANA GOLDSTEIN Continued on Page A14 McGraw-Hill, “United States History Since 1877,” Texas, P. 282-283; inset: McGraw-Hill, “United States History & Geography: Continuity and Change,” California, P. 248 TONY CENICOLA / THE NEW YORK TIMES U(D54G1D)y+"!@!#!$!z Ashley Judd was one of the first women to attach her name to ac- cusations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein, but like many of the claims that fol- lowed, her account of intimidating sexual advances was too old to bring Mr. Weinstein to court over. Then a legal window opened to her. After reading about a direc- tor’s claim that Mr. Weinstein’s studio, Miramax, had described Ms. Judd as a “nightmare to work with,” she sued the producer for defamation in 2018. Mr. Weinstein’s rape trial in Manhattan, which began with jury selection last week, is a spectacle not only because he is the avatar of the #MeToo era, but also be- cause it is one of the few sexual as- sault cases to surface with allega- tions recent enough to result in criminal charges. So, unable to pursue justice di- rectly, women and men on both sides of #MeToo are embracing the centuries-old tool of defama- tion lawsuits, opening an alterna- tive legal battleground for accusa- tions of sexual misconduct. While the facts of the cases vary, the plaintiffs are generally using defamation law not just for its usual purpose — to dissuade damaging speech about them — but also as a tool to enlist the courts to endorse their version of disputed events. This year, key verdicts are ex- New Arena for #MeToo Cases: Defamation Suits By JULIA JACOBS Continued on Page A12 A Legal Method to Try Old Abuse Claims EZRA ACAYAN/GETTY IMAGES Taal, a volcano about 40 miles south of Manila, forced thousands to evacuate on Sunday. Page A6. Eruption Rattles Philippines Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. pro- posed a compromise. It was the fall of 2002 and the Bush administration was pushing for sweeping authority to act against Saddam Hussein, claim- ing he possessed weapons of mass destruction. Some Democrats questioned the stated threat and bristled at President George W. Bush’s broad request. Mr. Biden, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, had been scrambling to draft a bi- partisan resolution that would grant Mr. Bush the authority to use military force against Iraq, but was more restrictive than the war authorization that the presi- dent had sought. As he often had in his long ca- reer, Mr. Biden sought bipartisan middle ground — this time, be- tween those opposed to potential war and the White House desire for more open-ended power. Some antiwar members of his commit- tee resisted this effort, worried that it would still pave the way to conflict. “We disagreed very strenuously,” said former Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of Cali- fornia. Mr. Biden’s plan ultimately did not succeed, and he chose to focus on Mr. Bush’s reassurances of a di- plomacy-first approach. “At each pivotal moment,” Mr. Biden said of Mr. Bush, “he has chosen a course of moderation and deliberation, and I believe he Biden Haunted By 2002 Vote For Iraq War By KATIE GLUECK and THOMAS KAPLAN Continued on Page A17 MELVILLE, N.Y. — Chris Levi’s fellow soldiers were sure he was dead. The Humvee he com- manded in Baghdad had been torn apart by a projectile, and so had his body. When he awoke several minutes later, he followed his training, trying to assess his inju- ries. “I tried to wiggle my toes, and I couldn’t move them,” he recalled. Fearing he had been paralyzed, he reached down to feel his lower body. “It’s kind of hard to de- scribe,” he said. “You could feel wet meat, and I knew I lost my legs.” The device that nearly killed Mr. Levi in 2008 was an impro- vised bomb called an explosively formed penetrator, or E.F.P. — a weapon that blasted a teardrop- shaped slug of molten copper through the passenger door of his armored Humvee. Though it was fired by Shiite militia members in Iraq, Mr. Levi has sought for years to hold an- other party responsible: Iran. He and dozens of other soldiers injured during the Iraq war, as well as the families of hundreds of dead service members, have pur- sued justice in federal court. They sued Iran’s government in an ef- Lost Lives and Limbs in Iraq, And Justice in a Missile Strike By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS Chris Levi, left, lost his legs in an attack linked to Iran. Kelli Hake and her son, Gage, lost their husband and father to a bomb in Iraq. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CELESTE SLOMAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES Continued on Page A8 WASHINGTON — They had to kill him because he was planning an “imminent” attack. But how imminent they could not say. Where they could not say. When they could not say. And really, it was more about what he had al- ready done. Or actually it was to stop him from hitting an American embassy. Or four embassies. Or not. For 10 days, President Trump and his team have struggled to de- scribe the reasoning behind the decision to launch a drone strike against Maj. Gen. Qassim Sulei- mani, the commander of Iran’s elite security forces, propelling the two nations to the brink of war. Officials agree they had intelli- gence indicating danger, but the public explanations have shifted by the day and sometimes by the hour. On Sunday came the latest twist. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said he was never shown any specific piece of evidence that Iran was planning an attack on four American embassies, as Mr. Trump had claimed just two days earlier. “I didn’t see one with regard to four embassies,” Mr. Esper said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” But he added: “I share the president’s view that probably — my expecta- tion was they were going to go af- ter our embassies. The embassies are the most prominent display of American presence in a country.” The sharp disparity between the president and his defense sec- ESPER DIDN’T SEE EVIDENCE OF PLOT TO HIT EMBASSIES NARRATIVE SHIFTS AGAIN Defense Secretary Fails to Back Trump Claim Against Iran By PETER BAKER and THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF Continued on Page A8 A top Iranian military com- mander made a rare public appeal for forgiveness on Sunday as se- curity forces fired on protesters and outrage over the mistaken downing of a jetliner reignited op- position on the streets and stirred dissent within the government’s conservative base. It was the second day of pro- tests after the military acknowl- edged early on Saturday that it had launched the missiles that brought down a Ukraine Interna- tional Airlines jet near the Iranian capital on Wednesday, killing all 176 people on board. The disaster unfolded amid escalating tensions with the United States over the killing of a revered Iranian com- mander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Sulei- mani. For the first three days after the crash, Iran denied growing inter- national accusations that it had shot the plane down, and looked as if it was engaged in a cover-up. The Iranian authorities, insisting that the jetliner had gone down for mechanical reasons, refused to co- operate with investigators. They also began to remove some evi- dence from the scene. But then, as the uproar mounted, Iranian leaders admit- ted that the military had shot the aircraft down, citing human error. That admission limited the blowback from abroad — but threw a match on the volatile situ- ation at home. Anti-government protests that had quieted when General Suleimani was killed in a drone strike in Iraq rekindled across the country. Still, analysts argued that this latest wave of internal unrest could ultimately strengthen those in Iran who are pressing to con- front the United States. Already, A Crackdown, And Apology, From Tehran Military Official Asks Forgiveness Over Jet By FARNAZ FASSIHI and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK Continued on Page A9 Diego, a giant tortoise, helped save his species by fathering 40 percent of the offspring in a breeding program. PAGE A6 INTERNATIONAL A4-9 The Tortoise and the Heirs Lawmakers from both parties blame companies like Facebook and Google for the struggles of local papers. PAGE B1 BUSINESS B1-8 Bipartisan About Newspapers Polish museums are believed to still hold items left behind by the Nazis. Above, van Goyen’s “Huts on a Canal.” PAGE C1 ARTS C1-8 Looking for Looted Treasures Short of cash and influence, France’s Socialist Party moved its base to a former factory in the suburbs. PAGE A4 They No Longer Have Paris Senator Chuck Schumer knows the Senate is unlikely to convict President Trump. So he is focusing on what con- stitutes a fair trial. PAGE A10 NATIONAL A10-19 Minority Leader’s Challenge Judith Sheindlin, the no-nonsense TV star, is entering politics by campaigning for Michael R. Bloomberg. PAGE A18 Judge Judy Picks Bloomberg With the quest to build new tunnels stalled, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made another proposal. PAGE A20 NEW YORK A20, 22 A Plan for Penn Station In Florida, where law enforcement has long used the technology, an inside look at its risks and rewards. PAGE B1 Spotty Facial Recognition The Texans surged to a 24-0 lead in an A.F.C. divisional-round playoff game. Then the Chiefs started scoring. And scoring. And scoring. In the N.F.C., the Packers held off the Seahawks. PAGE D4 SPORTSMONDAY D1-6 Big Start, Bigger Comeback David Leonhardt PAGE A27 EDITORIAL, OP-ED A26-27 Serena Williams beat Jessica Pegula on Sunday in the ASB Classic in New Zealand for her first singles tournament title since giving birth to her daughter, Olympia, in 2017. PAGE D6 A Tennis Mom’s Milestone VOL. CLXIX . . . No. 58,571 © 2020 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 Late Edition Today, mostly cloudy, not as warm, high 46. Tonight, cloudy, low 40. To- morrow, mostly cloudy, an after- noon shower, rather mild, high 48. Weather map appears on Page A16. $3.00
