Monday morning news: July 2, 2018

John Bolton pushes quick timeline for North Korea denuclearization » White House National Security Adviser John Bolton is pushing a speedy timeline for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

BOLTON: We can get—physically, we would be able to dismantle the overwhelming bulk of their programs within a year. 

He told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that U.S. has developed a plan to dismantle North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction within a year. Not just nuclear, but chemical and biological weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program.

But Bolton says that would depend on full cooperation and transparency from Kim Jong Un’s regime. And NBC News reports that U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea has recently ramped up its production of fuel for nuclear weapons at secret sites.

On NBC’s Meet the Press, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham had some advice for Pyongyang.

GRAHAM: If it is true they’re saying one thing and doing another, nobody should be surprised, but here’s what I would tell North Korea: There’s no place for Donald Trump to kick the can down the road. You met with him in person. He’s offering you the deal of a lifetime. I would take it. 

John Bolton insisted the Trump administration is not blindly trusting Kim Jong Un.

Sen. Collins won’t back Supreme Court pick who would overturn Roe v. Wade » With Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement at the end of this month, President Trump is set to fill another Supreme Court vacancy, but he may have trouble getting his nominee confirmed.

GOP Senator Susan Collins of Maine says she’s not okay with all of the names on White House’s short list. And she told CNN on Sunday that in a meeting with President Trump:   

COLLINS: I emphasized that I wanted a nominee who would respect precedent, a fundamental tenet of our judicial system. 

One of those precedents being Roe vs. Wade. Collins said she won’t support any high court nominee who wants to end legalized abortion.

The president met Thursday with Collins and several other moderate senators who could cast the deciding votes on any nominee.

Republican leaders changed the Senate rules last year. It now takes only 51 votes to confirm a high court justice, and the GOP has 51 seats in the Senate. But Republicans have almost no margin, particularly if Arizona Senator John McCain is unable to vote. He’s been absent from the chamber as he undergoes cancer treatment.

Canada imposes new tariffs on U.S. » As of this week, Canada is imposing new tariffs on many U.S. imports to the tune of $12.5 billion. The newly taxed U.S. imports include steel and iron, as well many smaller categories like detergent, ketchup and pizza.

That in response to U.S. taxes on imported Canadian steel and aluminum.

And on Sunday, President threatened to fire the next shot in the mounting trade war.

TRUMP: I’m gonna tax their cars coming into America. 

The president also said he wants to wait until after November’s midterm elections before agreeing to any new NAFTA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

But Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey—a Republican—says the tariffs are bad news for the people of his state.

TOOMEY: The problem is not Canada. The problem is not Mexico. I mean with Canada, we have a trade surplus. We have a surplus even in steel. So why we should punish my constituents with a tax when they import these small amounts of Canadian steel makes no sense.

The real problem, Toomey, is China’s unfair trade practices.

Leftist candidate wins Mexican presidential election » Mexico’s next president will be Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The leftists populist scored a landslide win in Sunday’s Mexican election. This was the 64-year-old’s third bid for the presidency, this time riding an anti-establishment wave to the victory.

AUDIO: Mexican election sound

Supporters pouring into the streets last night to celebrate the election returns.

Lopez Obrador has vowed to beat back rampant corruption within the government. He’s also pledged to boost the economy, while giving scholarships to youth, more aid to farmers and increasing pensions for the elderly.

Critics say he’s making promises his country can’t afford to keep.

The presidential contest was far from the only race on the ballots. Voters decided the winners of thousands of local and federal government positions on Sunday, though the election was marred by widespread ballot tampering and violence. More than 130 politicians were assassinated in the nine months leading up to the election.

I’m Kent Covington. Straight ahead: the Supreme Court leaves two opposing rulings on prayer in place. Plus, Mary Coleman on the crucible of college. This is The World and Everything in It.

(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with U.S. National security adviser John Bolton during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 27, 2018.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.