Rapid tests play a crucial role in curbing COVID-19 infections – especially as people gather for the holidays

Nathaniel Hafer, UMass Chan Medical School

Knowing when and how often to use rapid tests is key to getting an accurate picture of your COVID-19 status.

Appeals court says Trump has given ‘no legal reason’ to defy Congress’ demand for Jan. 6 documents, but Supreme Court may have final say

Jennifer Selin, University of Missouri-Columbia

Diaries, visitor logs, handwritten notes and speech drafts are among the records Donald Trump has tried to keep from a Congressional committee investigating the Capitol riot of Jan. 6.

Professors’ free speech rights can clash with public universities’ interest in managing their employees as they choose

Helen Norton, University of Colorado Boulder

When the University of Florida barred three professors from testifying in a lawsuit over voting restrictions, it raised important questions of academic freedom and free speech.

Union battles at Amazon and Starbucks are hot news – which can only be good for the labor movement

John Logan, San Francisco State University

Union membership has dwindled over the past five decades. But could a flurry of positive headlines over union drives help reverse this trend?

Understanding the history and politics behind Pakistan’s blasphemy laws

Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University

A scholar of Islam explains how Muslim religious leaders, starting around the year 1050, worked with political rulers to challenge what they considered to be sacrilegious influence on society.

‘West Side Story’ may be timeless – but life in gangs today differs drastically from when the Jets and Sharks ruled the streets

David Pyrooz, University of Colorado Boulder; James Densley, Metropolitan State University ; Scott H. Decker, Arizona State University

Gangs have changed in the decades since ‘West Side Story’ first came out – they are deadlier, and their demographics are different – as are the means law enforcement use to control them.

‘Zero Day’ for California water? Not yet, but unprecedented water restrictions send a sharp warning

Lara B. Fowler, Penn State

Long before climate change was evident, California began planning a system of canals and reservoirs to carry water from the mountains to drier farms and cities. It’s no longer enough.

Tropical forests can recover surprisingly quickly on deforested lands – and letting them regrow naturally is an effective and low-cost way to slow climate change

Robin Chazdon, University of Connecticut; Bruno Hérault, Cirad; Catarina Conte Jakovac, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Lourens Poorter, Wageningen University

As governments and corporations pledge to help the planet by planting trillions of trees, a new study spotlights an effective, low-cost alternative: letting tropical forests regrow naturally.

How to keep students safe in school: 5 essential reads on school shootings in America

Alvin Buyinza, The Conversation

With school shootings in 2021 at the highest they’ve ever been, experts on the topic offer advice about what to do about it.

James Webb Space Telescope: what astronomers hope it will reveal about the beginning of the universe

Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation

Plus, the tactics the food industry is using to boost sales of ultra-processed foods in middle-income countries. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.

Ukraine: crisis between Russia and the west in the region has been brewing for 30 years

After a horrific COVID wave, India’s health system is now overwhelmed by a different virus

Half the world’s people could be at greater risk of malaria if control efforts do not improve