Top PolicyMic Stories – My $60,000 Ivy League Degree Was Just a Pyramid Scheme (Lilly O'Donnell) – It’s two months after graduation. I have an Ivy League master's degree, but I certainly don't feel $60,000 smarter.
Boy Scouts of America Anti-Gay Ban: LGBT Discrimination is the Wrong Message to Give Youth (Sarah Dropek) – Following den mother Jennifer Tyrrell's removal because of her sexual orientation, Boy Scouts of America reaffirms ban of openly LGBT individuals bringing questions of civil rights to the table.
Obesity Epidemic in America: Diet Failure is Not Your Fault (Alexander Spring) – I have lost weight and gained weight and lost it again just to gain it back. With a plethora of weight loss magazines, tips and a nationwide obsession with dieting, why don’t diets work?
5 Reasons You Need to Care About Foreign Policy in the 2012 Election (Joseph Sarkisian) – It's the economy, stupid. America is not exceptional. And the reasons foreign policy is too darn important to ignore.
News From Across the Web – The Obamas' Bain Connections – (Via WSJ) "Among the ironies of President Obama's attack on Bain Capital is that the investment firm has spent much of its 28 years enriching Mr. Obama's voters. Bain clients tend to be government-employee pension funds, foundations, trusts and elite universities. ... [I]nvestors in Bain funds have included both Mr. Obama's alma mater, Columbia, as well as Michelle Obama's Princeton. ... Harvard, where the Obamas received their law degrees, has also invested with Bain."
It's a Dead-Heat in Virginia – Romney is now in a deadlock tie 44-44 percent with President Obama in Virginia in the race for the swing state's electoral votes, according to a new poll. This compares to a 50-42 percent lead for Obama in a March 20 survey and a 47-42 percent Obama lead on June 7.
Is Syria the Next Iraq? (Via Wash Po) "As Syria veers toward a violent political transition, U.S. officials are hoping to avoid a dangerous vacuum like the one that followed the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein ... A U.S. official this week described Syria as a Levantine version of the 'Wild West.' ... The CIA has been working with the Syrian opposition for several weeks under a non-lethal directive that allows the United States to evaluate groups and assist them with command and control. Scores of Israeli intelligence officers are also operating along Syria's border ... The most urgent question for CIA officers is how potent are al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the Syrian opposition."
What We're Listening To – Cultfever's "Knewyouwell." Watch the official music video from Cultfever's self-titled debut on Nov. 1. (Fun fact: Video was shot entirely using iPhone). Singer Tamara Jafar is a friend of the PolicyMic family. Check them out on Facebook.
Thursday Fun – Definitive Instagram NYC thunderstorm gallery (HyperVocal); Recipe for a summer blockbuster (Sortable); Hiking the Grand Canyon in one day (The Awl); "I was aware of the irony of removing my clothes to protect my privacy." (Huff Po, tip-off: Matt Segal).
What We’re Reading – Sex, drugs, and religion: How VPs are vetted (GQ); Rethinking the infamous Milgram experiment (Psychological Science); Who else, Mr. President? (Chicago Tribune, tip-off: Kyle Stone); The Left's lost donors (Politico); NYC Stop and Frisk interactive map (WNYC); Chick-fil-A CEO confirms anti-gay stance (Baptist Press).
Dessert – The countdown has begun: Only 15 hours until "The Dark Knight Rises" hits theaters!
