USA Today - 03.10.2019

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SOURCE American Mathematical Society
AMY BARNETTE, DAVID ANESTA/USA TODAY

2011-

2012

2012-

2013

2013-

2014

2014-

2015

2015-

2016

30K

0K

Women in math

©

Total Women

41.0 41.3 41.4 40.8 39.

Undergraduate math degrees awarded

(Percent women)

20K

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Diploma

10.03.

As Joker,

Phoenix had

to be ‘unstable’

Actor’s portrayal evolved

over time as he brought

humanity to the role

of a lunatic Gotham City

clown. In Life

HARRISON HILL/USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON – House Democrats

threatened to subpoena the White

House in an escalating battle over docu-

ments and witness testimony in the im-

peachment inquiry into President Don-

ald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.

The chairmen of three committees

said in a joint statement Wednesday

that the administration must release

documents by Friday.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chair-

man of the House Committee on Over-

sight and Reform, said the White House

has “refused to engage with – or even re-

spond to” the committees’ requests.

Democrats turn up

heat on White House

Maureen Groppe and David Jackson

‘We’re not fooling USA TODAY

around’: Leaders

warn they will

subpoena records

on Ukraine SeeWHITE HOUSE, Page 2A

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI BY AP

Pennsylvania state Rep. Tom Murt

slid into a pew at his childhood church,

seeking a break from politics and the

stress of work.

Instead, Murt got an earful.

In his sermon, the priest talked about

a bill pending in the state legislature

that would give survivors of child sexual

abuse more time to sue their abusers –

and the institutions that hid abuse.

The Catholic Church was being mis-

treated, the priest said. Legislators were

being particularly harsh toward the

church while leaving public school

teachers who commit crimes off the

hook. Then the priest singled out Murt.

Tom Murt, the priest said, wasn’t de-

fending the church in its time of need. In

fact, the Republican and lifelong Catho-

lic was supporting the legislation.

Similar scenes played out across

Pennsylvania that week in 2016. One

Catholic lawmaker learned she was dis-

invited from an event because she had

voted for the bill. Another felt targeted

when his parish pointed out his support

for the legislation in a church bulletin.

Such efforts may have appeared

hyperlocal and deeply personal, but

they weren’t. They were part of a coor-

dinated effort by the Catholic Church to

kill the Pennsylvania legislation.

In an era when many advocates use

social media and online petitions to gar-

ner widespread support, the Catholic

Church instead focuses on the audience

it already has. In Philadelphia, the arch-

diocese coordinated the distribution of

letters to all 219 parishes that warned of

“serious dangers” posed by the bill and

urged people to pick up information at

ANDREA BRUNTY/USA TODAY NETWORK

About this report

This story was produced

as part of a collaboration

between USA TODAY,

The Arizona Republic

and the Center for Public

Integrity. More than

30 reporters across the

country were in involved in

the two-year investigation,

which identified copycat

bills in every state. The

team used a unique data-

analysis engine built on

hundreds of cloud com-

puters to compare millions

of words of legislation

provided by LegiScan.

Pennsylvania state Rep.

Tom Murt is working to

pass legislation to give

survivors of child sexual

abuse more time to sue

their abusers and the

institutions that hid

abuse.JENNIFER CORBETT/

USA TODAY NETWORK

Marisa Kwiatkowski and John Kelly

USA TODAY

See SURVIVORS, Page 3A

This is their

playbook

COPY, PASTE, LEGISLATE

The Catholic Church and Boy Scouts

wield unique influence in opposing

legislation that gives child sex abuse

survivors more time to sue.

‘Now it all starts’

for Cards’ ace

Jack Flaherty

He takes the mound with

a lot on his shoulders,

and in his heart, for his

postseason debut. Bob

Nightengale in Sports

Democratic presidential hopeful

Bernie Sanders had a heart procedure

after suffering chest discomfort during

a campaign event Tuesday evening in

Las Vegas, a top campaign aide con-

firmed Wednesday.

“Following medical evaluation and

testing, he was found to have a block-

age in one artery and two stents were

successfully inserted. Sen. Sanders is

conversing and in good spirits,” senior

campaign adviser Jeff Weaver said.

“He will be resting up over the next few

days. We are canceling his events and

appearances until further notice.”

The Vermont senator, 78, is among

the top contenders vying for the 2020

Democratic nomination. He trails for-

mer Vice President Joe Biden and Sen.

Elizabeth Warren in the polls.

Sanders has kept a breakneck cam-

paign schedule since entering the race

in February and has been a prolific

fundraiser. He announced this week

that he had collected $25.3 million from

small donors – the largest quarter for

any Democratic candidate this year.

The Democratic socialist has boasted

that most of his campaign war chest

comes from small donors.

Sanders’ hospitalization led to the

postponement of a $1.3 million televi-

sion advertising buy in Iowa this week,

said the campaign’s Midwest spokes-

man, Bill Neidhardt.

President Donald Trump’s reelection

campaign and Sanders’ Democratic ri-

vals took to social media to wish him

well. Tim Murtaugh, the Trump cam-

paign’s communication director, said

his team sent Sanders “our prayers and

wish him a speedy recovery.” Biden

tweeted: “Anyone who knows Bernie

understands what a force he is. We are

confident that he will have a full and

speedy recovery and look forward to

seeing him on the trail soon.” And War-

ren wrote that she and her team “are

sending all our best wishes for a speedy

recovery to @BernieSanders.”

The Vermont senator is one of four

septuagenarians battling for the White

House in 2020. Trump is 73, Biden is 76

and Warren is 70.

Sanders takes campaign pause

after chest pain, heart stents

Bernie Sanders, 78, has kept a busy

road schedule. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP

Aamer Madhani

USA TODAY

45% back impeachment

The partisan divide is wide, but
new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll numbers
supporting impeachment could be
a danger sign for Trump. 2A