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The new year could bring new challenges to the nation's schools and students. Host Michel Martin discusses what's ahead with NPR Education Correspondent, Claudio Sanchez. He says immigration policy and the demand for Pell Grants could have a huge effect on American education in 2013.

The U.S. Supreme Court takes up another incendiary election issue Wednesday when it hears arguments on a controversial Arizona law that targets illegal immigrants. The law has become a model for other states, but last year a federal appeals court blocked enforcement of key provisions.

On April 20th, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and set off the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Host Michel Martin speaks with researcher Irwin Redlener, who found that children suffered mental and physical stress from the spill. Martin also checks in with Byron Encalade, whose oyster business is struggling.

One group that's picking up the pieces after the election is the Tea Party. Host Michel Martin talks to Tea Party Patriots' Shelby Blakely about what went wrong, and what's next for Tea Party activists.

Egypt's president Mohamed Morsi issued a decree giving himself near absolute power. Protests followed, and Morsi walked back slightly on his claim to absolute authority. NPR's Cairo bureau chief Leila Fadel explains the evolving political challenges of Egypt's post-Mubarak era.

Host Michel Martin looks at the Pentagon's new policy to open combat positions to women with Representative Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois Democrat lost both her legs as a helicopter pilot in Iraq, and currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard.

Scientific evidence is mounting on the links between sports and concussions. Host Michel Martin explores what some are calling the "concussion crisis" for athletes. She speaks with Chris Nowinski, author and co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, a group focused on researching concussions in sports.

Cooking crystal meth is just "basic chemistry" for Walter White, the fictional chemistry teacher and anti-hero of the TV drama "Breaking Bad." Organic chemist Donna Nelson serves as science adviser to the show; she explains how the series' writers work to get the science right.

Monday is Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. In 1862, more than 3,000 slaves in the nation's capital were freed. Host Michel Martin speaks with Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray about Emancipation Day, and why he says Washington still suffers from a type of slavery.

International pressure is building on Iran. On Wednesday, Iranian leaders claimed they made strides in their nuclear program and threatened to stop supplying oil to six European countries. Host Michel Martin hears what people inside the country think about the tensions. She speaks with writer Hooman Majd and human rights activist Sussan Tahmasebi.