Evening Edition: North Korea missile launch marks a direct challenge to Trump administration

Experts say North Korea's missile was a 'real ICBM' — and a grave milestone; Top GOP senators say Trump administration isn't doing enough in Afghanistan; A dam built to hold back sediment could derail the Chesapeake Bay cleanup; Thomas Jefferson's powerful last public letter reminds us what Independence Day is all about; Perspective: Mary Katherine Goddard's name appears on the Declaration of Independence. Why don't we know this Founding Mother?; Independence Day celebration in nation's capital begins on a note of unity; 'Trump before Trump': How Chris Christie's defiance lifted and hobbled his political career; An unapologetic Christie announces deal to end N.J. shutdown; Appeals court says Trump EPA can't suspend Obama-era emissions standards; U.S.-backed forces breach the wall of Raqqa's Old City in the heart of the ISIS capital; Archaeologists unearth a 500-year-old tower of skulls — and another gruesome Aztec mystery; Chicago will impose a new, unusual requirement to graduate high school: A job or an acceptance letter; An Iranian group held a contest for cartoons depicting Trump. The winning entry broke the mold.; Ancient Romans made the world's 'most durable' concrete. We might use it to stop rising seas.;   Democracy Dies in Darkness     The day's most important stories   North Korea missile launch marks a direct challenge to Trump administration President Trump's tough talk has yet to yield any change in Pyongyang's behavior as the regime continues efforts to build a nuclear weapon capable of striking the mainland United States — the latest missile flew high and long enough to reach all of Alaska, experts say. Experts also say the administration does not have many choices for what to do next. By Anne Gearan and Emily Rauhala  •  Read more » Experts say North Korea's missile was a 'real ICBM' — and a grave milestone Pyongyang's defiant test shows that U.S. cities could soon be within reach, analysts said. By Joby Warrick  •  Read more »   Top GOP senators say Trump administration isn't doing enough in Afghanistan John McCain, visiting Kabul with a bipartisan Senate delegation, called for more U.S. troops and more aggressive military action as well as pressure on Pakistan, saying the United States needs a "winning strategy." By Pamela Constable  •  Read more »   A dam built to hold back sediment could derail the Chesapeake Bay cleanup Scientists say that the Conowingo Dam, near Maryland's border with Pennsylvania, is filling up 15 years earlier than expected and could cease protecting the bay within the next three years. By Darryl Fears  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Retropolis | The Past, Rediscovered Thomas Jefferson's powerful last public letter reminds us what Independence Day is all about The author of the Declaration of Independence was too sick to attend the 50th anniversary on July 4, 1826 but he celebrated what had been achieved. By Gregory S. Schneider  •  Read more »   Perspective: Mary Katherine Goddard's name appears on the Declaration of Independence. Why don't we know this Founding Mother? Mary Katherine Goddard printed one of the most famous copies of our founding document. To do it, she had to face down the Twitter trolls of 1776. By Petula Dvorak  •  Read more »   Independence Day celebration in nation's capital begins on a note of unity "Everybody is an American today." By Rachel Chason, Ellie Silverman and Mary Hui  •  Read more »   'Trump before Trump': How Chris Christie's defiance lifted and hobbled his political career For some, photos of the N.J. governor on a closed public beach during a government shutdown were a reflection of who Christie has always been: a flawed brawler who relishes the limelight and who deliberately ignores decorum. By Robert Costa  •  Read more »   An unapologetic Christie announces deal to end N.J. shutdown Hours after being photographed on one of the state's closed beaches, the governor said he had a right to be there. By Robert Costa  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Appeals court says Trump EPA can't suspend Obama-era emissions standards The decision could set back the Trump administration's broad legal strategy for rolling back regulations put into place during the Obama White House. It also underscores the extent to which activists are turning to the courts to block policy shifts. By Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson  •  Read more »   U.S.-backed forces breach the wall of Raqqa's Old City in the heart of the ISIS capital The attack on the ancient Syrian city's wall marked progress in the four-week-old battle, but a long fight still lies ahead, U.S. officials say By Liz Sly  •  Read more »   Archaeologists unearth a 500-year-old tower of skulls — and another gruesome Aztec mystery The conquistadors thought the skulls were what had become of soldiers who'd fought against the Aztecs. So why were some of them smaller, thinner skulls of women and children? By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.  •  Read more »   Chicago will impose a new, unusual requirement to graduate high school: A job or an acceptance letter The plan is the first of its kind for a large school district and will take effect in 2020. By Emma Brown  •  Read more »   An Iranian group held a contest for cartoons depicting Trump. The winning entry broke the mold. The president was shown as a flame-haired man wearing a suit made of dollar bills, drooling onto a pile of books. By Adam Taylor  •  Read more »   Ancient Romans made the world's 'most durable' concrete. We might use it to stop rising seas. The mixture of volcanic ash and quicklime reacts with seawater to create a rare crystal called tobermorite, which may resist fracturing. One engineer called it "the most durable building material in human history." By Ben Guarino  •  Read more »           Share Evening Edition:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071