Society, Arts & Culture Content

New Study Charts How Cartel Violence Increases Risks for Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — December 08, 2025 - 11:25am

As the U.S. government turns its attention to drug cartels in Mexico, new research from the University of California, Davis, suggests that violent competition among criminal organizations increases the risks migrants face at the northern border.

“Migrants face significant dangers across all border regions where criminal organizations operate, but when rival groups fight for territorial control, those dangers escalate sharply,” said Oscar Contreras-Velasco, the study’s author and an assistant professor of sociology in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis.

Weekender: Choir Concert; Recitals; Get Tickets for ‘Tentet’

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — December 04, 2025 - 8:50am

Gift guide, concerts, human library and more

How Do Personal Beliefs Influence Beliefs in Pseudoscience, Supernatural?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — December 02, 2025 - 10:15am

The human mind doesn’t always seem to work rationally. Why do beliefs in pseudoscience, supernatural entities and conspiracy theories thrive even when they seem implausible or lack evidence?

For years, this question has puzzled cognitive and evolutionary scientists. Often, such extraordinary beliefs are explained as byproducts of cognitive biases that make the belief compelling and/or by social dynamics, like the pressure to fit in with a group.

Weekender: Last Weekend for Manetti Shrem; Art Gift Guide; Concerts

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 25, 2025 - 9:46am

Today, in light of the Thanksgiving weekend, the Arts Blog is publishing on Tuesday to give you a head start on the holiday. And look for another Weekender next Thursday. Karen Nikos-Rose, Arts Blog Editor

Weekender: New Dance Performance; 'Paradise Lost' Concert; More Concerts

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 20, 2025 - 12:00am

Catch 'Control/Shift' this week

Center for the Performing Arts, continuing Nov. 20, 21; 7 p.m.; Nov. 22, 2 p.m.

Endowed Chair Named for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 18, 2025 - 12:00am

Gözde Göncü-Berk, associate professor of design, has been named the inaugural Maria Manetti Shrem Endowed Chair in Design, Fashion and Textiles and the founding director of the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles at the University of California, Davis. Her work focuses on development of soft wearable systems that sense, respond and adapt to the body to enhance health, well-being and performance.

UC Davis Launches Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 17, 2025 - 12:00am

UC Davis celebrated the grand opening of the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles on Thursday, Nov. 13.

Weekender: See New Choregraphies; Catch Last Weeks of Manetti Shrem Exhibition

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 12, 2025 - 11:28am

UC Davis dancers explore new choreographies at Mondavi Center next week; get tickets now

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Nov. 19,20,21; 7 p.m.; Nov. 22, 2 p.m.

IN MEMORIAM: Sandra Riddell Shannonhouse

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 10, 2025 - 1:58pm

Sandra Riddell Shannonhouse — an artist and University of California, Davis, alum whose generous contributions and advocacy for public art and historic preservation helped shape vibrant art communities — has died. Known as Sandy to friends and family, she was instrumental in sustaining the legacy of her late husband, the artist and professor Robert Arneson. She died Oct. 30 in Benicia, California.

Beyond the Shutdown: How SNAP Budget Cuts Threaten Families’ Access to Food

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — November 10, 2025 - 11:57am

Payments through SNAP, the federal food assistance program, have been delayed during the government shutdown, but program cuts in this summer’s budget bill already put vulnerable families at long-term risk of going hungry.