memeorandum: Robert Caro, Nearing the End of His Epic L.B.J. Bio, Eyes a Trip to Vietnam (John Williams/New York Times)

5:50 PM ET, June 3, 2017

Top Items:

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

Bill Maher Apologizes for Using N-Word on HBO's ‘Real Time’ … Bill Maher has issued an apology for using the N-word on Friday's edition of HBO's “Real Time with Bill Maher.” — Maher said in a statement: “Friday nights are always my worst night of sleep because I'm up reflecting on the things …

Discussion: Mediaite

Ryan Parker / Hollywood Reporter:

HBO Says Bill Maher's Use of the N-Word “Completely Inexcusable” — The comment will be removed from future episode airings. — HBO officials on Saturday morning said Bill Maher's use of the N-word on Friday night's show was “completely inexcusable.” — The network also said in a statement …

Discussion: Mediaite, Raw Story, IndieWire, twitchy.com, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, IJR and Scripting News

Nicole Chavez / CNN:
Bill Maher apologizes for using racial slur during ‘Real Time’ interview

Discussion: Washington Post, Gothamist, Politicus USA, Conservative News Today, The Right Scoop, CBS Boston, Mediaite, TheBlaze, RedState, IJR, theGrio, The FADER, CBS New York and The Week

Dave Itzkoff / New York Times:
Bill Maher Apologizes for Use of Racial Slur on ‘Real Time’

Discussion: Breitbart, Hot Air, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Althouse, The Stranger …, NPR, TheBlaze, Patterico's Pontifications and Simple Justice, more at Mediagazer »

Monique Judge / The Root:
Bill Maher Apologizes For Calling Himself ‘House Nigger’ on Live TV

Discussion: The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Vox and RedState

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Trump plans week-long focus on infrastructure, starting with privatizing air traffic control — President Trump will seek to put a spotlight on his vows to privatize the nation's air traffic control system and spur $1 trillion in new investment in roads, waterways and other infrastructure …

Discussion: Politico

New York Times:

Trump Plans to Shift Infrastructure Funding to Cities, States and Business — WASHINGTON — President Trump will lay out a vision this coming week for sharply curtailing the federal government's funding of the nation's infrastructure and calling upon states, cities and corporations to shoulder …

Alicia Cohn / The Hill:

‘Pittsburgh Not Paris’ rally at White House thanks Trump — Republicans and Republican supporters gathered near the White House on Saturday for a “Pittsburgh Not Paris” rally supporting President Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement.

Discussion: Politico, The Week and TheBlaze

Brandon Carter / The Hill:

Protestors spell out ‘investigate Trump’ on National Mall — Protestors in Washington, D.C. at Saturday's “#MarchForTruth” rally gathered for an aerial photo spelling out “INVESTIGATE TRUMP.” … The protestors were demanding an independent investigation into possible collusion between President Trump's election campaign and Russia.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Max Greenwood / The Hill: March for Truth protests calling for independent Russia probe kick off

New York Times:

How G.O.P. Leaders Came to View Climate Change as Fake Science — WASHINGTON — The campaign ad appeared during the presidential contest of 2008. Rapid-fire images of belching smokestacks and melting ice sheets were followed by a soothing narrator who praised a candidate who had stood …

Discussion: The Mahablog

Miranda Green / CNN:

Haley: ‘President Trump believes the climate is changing’ — Watch Jake Tapper's full interview with Nikki Haley on CNN's “State of the Union” Sunday at 9 a.m. ET. — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump does believe in climate change and that humans have a role in it …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Guardian, Business Insider, Common Dreams, Hot Air and Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Matt Viser / BostonGlobe.com: Kerry says Trump's decision was ‘a day of craven ignorance’

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Does Donald Trump Still Think Climate Change Is a Hoax? No One Can Say

Discussion: Politico, War in Context, Gizmodo, Mediaite, CNN, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, CBS Miami, ABC News, ThinkProgress and AOL

Landon Thomas Jr / New York Times:

Small Businesses Cheer ‘New Sheriff in Town’ After Climate Pact Exit — As news that President Trump was pulling out of the Paris climate accord hit at a luncheon for small-business owners in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday, an already happy crowd suddenly turned euphoric.

Discussion: IJR, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Axios, The Independent and The Last Tradition

Editorials / New York Daily News:
Trump to World: Drop Dead! Donald's jobs con won't bring back the economy of the past

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Politicus USA

Wall Street Journal:

Connecticut's Tax Comeuppance — With the rich tapped out, the state may resort to Puerto Rico bonds.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Instapundit

T.A. Frank / Vanity Fair:

For Trump, Is there Life After Jared Kushner? — Kushner may be becoming political kryptonite, and the White House may be happier without him. But do we really want the “deep state” handling H.R.? — Let's agree that one of the finest qualities of Jared Kushner is his tailoring. The fit is so good.

Discussion: The Guardian

New York Times:
The Problem With Jared Kushner

Discussion: Reuters, CNN, Politico, Mashable and The Guardian

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

Obama Unwittingly Handed Trump a Weapon to Cripple the Health Law — WASHINGTON — Obama administration officials knew they were on shaky ground in spending billions of dollars on health insurance subsidies without clear authority. But they did not think a long-shot court challenge by House Republicans was cause for deep concern.

Annie Karni / Politico:

America's CEOs fall out of love with Trump — NEW YORK - The relationship between corporate America and Donald Trump's White House has chilled. — The regular parades of business titans into the West Wing are gone. A gathering of executives led by Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman initially planned …

Discussion: Raw Story

Keith Edwardsstaff / Kennebec Journal & …:

Augusta City Center closes after angry man unleashes 100 live bedbugs — A man upset that he didn't qualify for General Assistance reportedly slammed a cup of 100 or so bugs on a counter, prompting City Hall's closure and pest control measures. — AUGUSTA — A reportedly disgruntled man slammed …

Discussion: The Guardian and CBS Pittsburgh

The Intercept:

STANDING ROCK DOCUMENTS EXPOSE INNER WORKINGS OF “SURVEILLANCE-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX” — Leaked Documents Reveal Counterterrorism Tactics Used at Standing Rock to “Defeat Pipeline Insurgencies” — On a freezing night in November, as police sprayed nonviolent Dakota Access Pipeline opponents …

Robert Burns / Star Tribune:

Mattis: North Korea a ‘clear and present danger’ to world — SINGAPORE — North Korea is accelerating its push to acquire a nuclear-armed missile capable of threatening the United States and other nations, and the U.S. regards this as a “clear and present danger,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday.

Discussion: The Daily Caller