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China is expected to launch its first manned mission to dock at an orbiting space laboratory Saturday. Host Scott Simon talks with Dean Cheng, a research fellow with the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center.

The Boston Red Sox have sold out Fenway Park ever since 2003. But they're stuck in the basement of their division, losing 11 of their last 12 home games — and ticket resale prices are plunging. The Sox's skid is putting Major League Baseball's record sellout streak in jeopardy.

Robert Siegel talks to literary critic Alan Cheuse, a writing teacher at George Mason University, about the legacy of Carlos Fuentes. The Mexican writer died Tuesday at the age of 83.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making a rare visit to Israel, with an entourage of some 300 officials and businessmen. The war in Syria and Iran's suspect nuclear program will figure prominently in Putin's talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

Kaiser Permanente is often cited as an example of a health maintenance organization that keeps costs reined in. In fact, portions of the Affordable Care Act were crafted with the Kaiser model in mind. But critics say the price gap between Kaiser and other insurance companies has narrowed, and the reasons are unclear.

It's Pie Week on Morning Edition, and we wanted to know more about where pie comes from. Linda Wertheimer talks to food anthropologist Deborah Duchon about the history of pie.

As the U.S. military steps up training of Afghan troops in preparation for the U.S. withdrawal in 2014, it has also ratcheted up its efforts to train U.S. soldiers in Afghan language and customs. This year, the Army has more than doubled the number of soldiers trained in Pashto and Dari.

Unions in Wisconsin challenged Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union policies and lost, while teachers successfully challenged similar laws in Ohio. But many of these policies are supported by President Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other Democrats. And the American Federation of Teachers has been walking a fine line between advocating for reform and protecting traditional union positions.

China's vice president hasn't been seen for a week and a half. That's fueling speculation among some people in China about Xi Jinping and his health and whereabouts. He has canceled meetings with Hillary Clinton and Denmark's prime minister. For more, Renee Montagne speaks with Rob Gifford, the China editor at The Economist magazine.

South Korean rapper PSY has been a big star in the world of Korean pop music for years. But the video for his latest single, Gangnam Style, launched him to global stardom. Today, he's number one on iTunes and shares a manager with Justin Bieber, but he still wants to record music in his native language.