The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News Digital News' Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen and Carrie Halperin

MITT & ANN ROMNEY ABC News' Amy Bingham, Devin Dwyer and Emily Friedman: " Hilary Rosen Apologizes For Attacking Ann Romney As a Stay-At-Home Mom" Less than 24 hours after Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen mocked Ann Romney for having "never worked a day in her life," Rosen apologized to Romney this afternoon for her "poorly chosen" words and aimed to "put the faux 'war against stay at home moms' to rest once and for all."  "I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended," Rosen said in a statement. "Let's declare peace in this phony war and go back to focus on the substance." LINK

The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty and Philip Rucker: " Ann Romney defends role as stay-at-home mom after Democratic pundit's remarks" The so-called war on women escalated Thursday onto a new front, after a Democratic strategist and cable-television pundit declared that Ann Romney, the stay-at-home, mother-of-five wife of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, had "never worked a day in her life." LINK

The Washington Times' Seth McLaughlin: " NRA seeking 'reassurance' from Romney" When Mitt Romney speaks to the National Rifle Association on Friday it will bring into focus a major difference between him and President Obama: One is counting on Second Amendment voters to show up at the polls, while the other has sidestepped gun-related issues in the run-up to the election. LINK

RICK SANTORUM USA Today's Catalina Camia: " Santorum says lack of money ended his campaign" Rick Santorum said today the main reason why he dropped out of the presidential race was he didn't have the money to continue. "We were just burning through cash at a rate we couldn't maintain," Santorum said in a radio interview with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. LINK

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING The New York Times' Nicholas Confessore: " Campaigns Plan Maximum Push to Raise Money" The big money in presidential politics is about to get a whole lot bigger. Aides and leading donors to Mitt Romney are preparing a major expansion of the campaign's fund-raising efforts to prepare for a general election contest against President Obama, with the goal of raising up to $600 million, according to several people involved in the discussions. LINK

WOMEN VOTERS Bloomberg's Lisa Lerer and Julie Bykowicz: " Moms Praised as Romney, Obama hunt for Women Voters" Long before the two parties directly engaged in the 2012 general election, White House senior adviser David Plouffe identified the key political target for Barack Obama: a middle-aged white woman in Ohio. LINK

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