Elections cash – Mitt Romney closed a significant fundraising gap with President Obama in May. Romney raised $76 million to Obama’s $60 million. As Karl Rove explains (via WSJ), this is important because it won’t allow Obama to outspend Romney in battleground states (Obama outspent McCain 7 to 1 in some states in 2008).
Part of Romney’s fundraising resulted from Romney allowing major donors (over $50,000) to attend meetings, where they get the chance to rub shoulders with top advisers (via WSJ).
Yesterday in sports – College football’s BCS has endorsed a plan that would create a 4-team playoff system to replace championship bowl games in college football pending the approval of a panel of university presidents. The change could generate up to $275 million more in television contracts.
Stat of the day – More than 2/3 of Americans hope that the Supreme Court overturns Obama’s health care law. The law has lost miserably in the court of public opinion (via NYT).
Top PolicyMic stories – Why Using the Word "Retard" is Retarding Progress (Tim O'Donoghue) – We're leaving some people behind in our ongoing struggle for equality. Using the word "retard" is degrading and harmful.
Gay Marriage Will Soon Become Legal in France, Big Win for LGBT Rights in Europe (Ahmed Medien) – Francois Hollande has promised to legalize gay marriage in France, which could help promote LGBT rights across Europe.
To Rome With Love: 9 Ingredients for a Woody Allen Film (Sarah Swong) – What makes a Woody Allen film so Woody Allen? Here are 9 common themes.
10 Ways to Celebrate LGBT Pride Month Before It's Over! (Sarah Dropek) – June is LGBT Pride Month and for some reason my social networks haven't gone all rainbow like I thought they would! Here's the ten best ways to celebrate June before it's over!
Are Non-Profit Organizations Relevant in Today's Day and Age? (Sabith Khan) – Despite claims to the contrary, non-profit organizations provide a great service to society and are part of the American national character.
What we’re reading – Why women still can’t have it all (The Atlantic); In Iran, they want fun, fun, fun (NYT); A congressional exit interview (Bloomberg).
Video of the day – Mitt’s sons, “Mitt Romney is a prankster AND he can moonwalk.”
Quote of the day – "A gaffe is when you tell the truth." - Joe Biden
Dessert – 21 pictures that will restore your faith in humanity (Buzzfeed).
