Some students just don't do well in high school — many struggle with bad grades or have discipline problems, and others choose to drop out. But there's also an alternative that some students are taking advantage of: A few school districts are opening up specialized schools inside shopping malls.

The federal budget was released Monday. In it, the Pentagon is expected to cut $259 billion from what it had planned to spend over the next five years. NPR's Tom Bowman talks with Melissa Block about where the cuts will hit in 2013.

The White House released its fiscal 2013 budget Monday, which calls for a $4 trillion deficit reduction. The budget includes new government spending, paid for in part with higher taxes on the wealthy.

The federal government's largest nuclear cleanup project is being called into question by some key players. Managers for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation's waste treatment plant say the design is deeply flawed and could endanger workers or the public. The plant in south central Washington state is designed to treat 56 million gallons of radioactive sludge.

Chemical companies are the latest beneficiaries of natural gas drilling booms across the country, especially near the Marcellus Shale region in the Northeast. The ethane-rich gas there is providing a cheap resource, prompting chemical companies to build new plants, expand existing ones and even reopen shuttered facilities.

Everybody says children don't get enough sleep, and they've been saying that since at least 1905. Scientists still aren't sure how much time children need, according to a new study. But the experts always say they need more.

NPR reporters break down the president's budget proposal, exploring where he wants to spend and where he wants to make cuts.

The achievement gap between black and white students has narrowed significantly over the past 50 years. The gulf between rich and poor students, however, has widened dramatically. Several studies suggest that family income serves as a better predictor of school success.