Articles by Ron Donoho

OPINION: Here are 10 reasonably bipartisan political predictions that don’t bode well for our democracy....

With COVID-19 vaccines going into the pipeline, it’s reasonable to be optimistic about our collective health scenario for 2021. Unfortunately, Pfizer doesn’t seem to have an antidote for the ills that plague the body politic. Pardon my pessimism, but partisanship feels pricklier than ever. The presidency notwithstanding, the preeminent political players have primarily preserved power. With that depressive thought in mind, here are 10 reasonably bipartisan political predictions that don’t bod...

Laura Fink is an up-and-coming TV news pundit. She isn’t offended by the “talking head” label, which can carry negative connotations, but certainly would prefer “political analyst.” She agrees to meet and discuss the dubious current and future states of TV news. We’re not going to talk about specific issues of the day. Rather, the focus will be on the process of news presentation itself. Socially distanced across a picnic table, we’re chatting at Quartyard, a funky-cool, outdoor urban park a...

Inocente Izucar is having a Zoom-era moment. On Dec. 9, 2020, she’ll participate in a rare, free screening of an Oscar-winning documentary. The virtual event will re-introduce viewers to the childhood of a wispy, face-painting, homeless artist with an old soul and a trove of talent. Does her name sound familiar? Inocente’s first big spotlight moment came in 2013. Actor Jamie Fox clapped as co-presenter Kerry Washington announced the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Short was…“Inocente...

Supporting homelessness causes can sometimes feel like rooting for the Los Angeles Chargers. Not that San Diegans should feel obligated to cheer for a greedy, mercenary NFL owner who unforgivably ripped the heart out of a faithful community by moving his team to L.A. Anyone still grasping on to Chargers loyalty, though, has watched recent squads master the art of unlikely last-minute losses. One pundit wrote that the team deserves “a black belt in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.” I...

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Email it to hoa@ivn.us In a country suffering from pandemic-induced time distortion, try to remember that national elections are held on the first Tuesday in November. You can do it. If 2020 stays true to script, this will be a head-spinning Election Night. This year has brought us hardship and headscratchers large and small. Wildfires. Racial strife. Economic uncertainty. Deadly pandemic. Quibi. Though mathematically impossible, it woul...

This story was updated at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Apps and software platforms are built based on profit motives. Anybody with a technology budget — a bank, retailer, or even a home-services provider (like a plumber or an electrician) — can buy industry-specific software to manage their business affairs. Capitalism rules. However, software platforms do exist that can e-manage homelessness. Counting the number of people experiencing homelessness in a region has traditionally called for clipbo...

Modern news consumption is frustrating. Newsrooms have been decimated. Media outlets continue to disappear. Opinion is pawned off as news. Polarized echo chambers may entertain certain factions, but they don’t serve to educate or inform. Are we entering End Days for news? I took that question to Point Loma Nazarene University professor Dean Nelson. An institution unto himself, he’s knowledgeable, thoughtful and blunt about the journalism industry. He doesn’t think the industry is broken beyo...

Homelessness has been largely obscured by the pandemic. The issue is receiving attention and affirmation from, of all places, the reality TV show “America’s Got Talent.” A singing group composed of people experiencing homelessness that has made it to the semifinal rounds of the highly rated talent competition. San Diego’s Voices of Our City Choir is winning hearts and votes from viewers all over the country. The choir next performs in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Tuesday on NBC. We’ll find out the ...