Elena Kagan is rejecting claims by Republicans that when she was the dean of Harvard Law School, she set out to thwart the efforts of military recruiters. She says they had access to Harvard Law students "every single day." But Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions responded that her comments were "unconnected to reality."  The exchange came as the Supreme Court nominee faces questions from senators at her confirmation hearing. Kagan assured senators she has deep respect for the military and those who serve in it. She suggested that reports detailing her brush with the military over it's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in uniform have been exaggerated. Kagan said veterans organizations were allowed to sponsor recruiters, instead of the school doing it. Time Magazine's Jay Newton-Small is covering the hearing and joins us with the latest.

North Korea threatened this week to increase its deterrent capabilities. We take a step back from the headlines to understand what it’s like to live there with Barbara Demick, who tells North Korea’s modern story through the eyes of six defectors. We rebroadcast our conversation from earlier this year when her book “Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" first came out.

Federal officials have charged 11 people of conspiring to act as agents of a foreign government, with an affidavit that reads right out of the cold war--stealing the identity of a dead man, a stash of money buried in the ground, messages sent in invisible ink, and brush-by drop offs. The 11 are longterm U.S. residents who apparently were taught about things like the Super Bowl to help them pass as regular Americans. We speak with Evan Perez of the Wall Street Journal.

Just in time for your summer vacation we speak with author Gordon Grice about animals that can hurt or even kill us. Gordon has collected tales of dangerous animals from lions and tigers and yes, bears, to a Platypus. He's published them in the book "Deadly Kingdom: The Book of Dangerous Animals."

• Tito Puente, "Royal T"
• Radiohead, "There There"
• Freddie Hubbard, "Little Sunflower"
• The Lickets, "Meat City"
• The Wee Trio, "About a Girl"
• Calexico, "Whipping the Horse's Eyes"