Political Rocket Science: It’s the 4^th of July and Americans aren’t the only ones firing rockets.

  North Korea claims that it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile today as it continues developing a projectile that could hit the United States. The missile was in the air for 37 minutes.

The US tracked the missile and military officials said it looked more like an intermediate range, not an intercontinental missile.

  President Trump told Chinese leader Xi Xinping over the phone yesterday that if China doesn’t step up efforts to control the nuclear-armed North Korea, the US is prepared to go it alone.

If the relationship was friendly, it’s probably not anymore. Trump’s threat came after a flurry of US actions that have annoyed the Chinese; selling weapons to Taiwan, threatening trade sanctions, and branding China for human trafficking. Over the weekend a US guided missile cruiser cruised close to a disputed island claimed by the Chinese in the South China Sea.

North Korea is unlikely to change its ways unless convinced by the Chinese. Trump may now have to put sanctions on Chinese banks and businesses that work with North Korea, further deteriorating the relationship.

The Legal Environment: A federal appeals court yesterday ruled 2-1 that the Environmental Protection Agency may not delay the effective date of Obama-era regulations governing emissions standards for oil and gas wells. The court ruled that if the EPA wants to change the regulations, it must re-write the rules first.

It’s at least a temporary victory for activists opposing the Trump administration, and an indication that many of its orders will be fought in court.

Fake President: Tory Newmeyer writes for the Washington Post that congressional Republicans have little hope of passing their long-sought tax reform without help from President Trump, and that’s what keeps them holding on during the roller-coaster ride of his presidency.

“Indeed,” Newmeyer writes, “the promise of an overhaul that cuts rates across the board is one of the more important forces compelling Republican lawmakers to abide behavior from Trump that a third-grade teacher wouldn’t tolerate from a problem child.” Still, the President isn’t doing much to help.

Skipping over immediate policy issues during the 4^th of July break, Charles Blow in the NY Times writes a blistering column about Trump saying, “The presidency has been hijacked.”

“We must remind ourselves,” Blow writes, “that Trump’s very presence in the White House defiles it and the institution of the presidency. Rather than rising to the honor of the office, Trump has lowered the office with his whiny, fragile, vindictive pettiness.”

Describing Trump’s presidency as, “The most extraordinary and profound electoral mistake America has made in our lifetimes and possibly ever,” Blow says, “Trump is an abomination, and a cancer on the country, and none of us can rest until he is no longer holding the reins of power.”

Hey, Babe:  As the Fox network continues to try to clean up its sexual harassment act, executive Jamie Horowitz was abruptly fired yesterday by Fox Sports. Horowitz was in charge of sports programming and was reorganizing the network, ruffling some of the employees. Fox Sports gave no explanation, but the LA Times reported that the network began interviewing women employees about Horowitz’s behavior only about a week ago.

Horowitz’s lawyer said, “The way Jamie has been treated by Fox is appalling.”

Fireworks: Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost has been seen hanging out with Scarlett Johansson.

Beached: You know a politician’s career is over when he goes to the beach during a state budget shutdown; a shutdown that closed the beach where New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took his family on Saturday. With his approval ratings at 15 percent, the lowest of any governor in recorded history, the former presidential hopeful had nothing to lose but his sickly pallor by going to the beach.

When criticized for going to a beach closed to taxpayers, Christie’s answer was something like, “Let them eat cake.” He said, “Well, I’m sorry … they’re not the governor.”

Late yesterday the legislature reached a budget agreement and the beaches will be open today to all of New Jersey’s non-governors.

-30-