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Diana Marrone felt alone and out of options. The single mother of a 5-year-old kindergartener had struggled to balance her full-time job while guiding her daughter’s remote learning. Marrone’s mother would ordinarily assist with childcare, but coronavirus exposure concerns ruled that out. Still, Marrone balked at the idea of sitting her daughter, Sienna, out for a year, worried she would fall behind academically and resent school. So Marrone, who lives in the East Bay suburb of Oakley, pulled

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. ‍ Voting in the presidential election ends in 40 days, and states are still making adjustments to their rules and procedures. The coronavirus pandemic, along with a wave of litigation from voting rights groups and Democrats, has resulted in 34 states deciding to make it easier to cast a ballot this fall — either voluntarily or as the result of a lawsuit. Most of

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us California’s early 20th century reformers sought to thwart an obviously corrupt political system that benefited entrenched interests and ignored the larger public. Their reforms included ways for voters to bypass the system through direct ballot box action — the initiative, the recall and the referendum. The recall — forcing elected officials to vacate their positions — is the least used but pops up occasio

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in The New York Times and has been republished on IVN with permission from the author. ‍ In his farewell address to the nation, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a warning: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” Eisenhower, who in his military

Incredible investigative work1 by Dorian Hargrove and the NBC7 investigative team laid out how City of San Diego officials allowed a questionable land deal to go through that generated significant profits for politically connected and influential special interests while causing taxpayers to waste hundreds of millions of dollars. The lack of scrutiny of the deal by the mayor’s office, members of the City Council and the city attorney’s office raises a lot of big questions. While NBC’s very detail

A stinging report issued by California’s state auditor today slams the University of California for a culture of privileging wealth and access over merit in its admissions process, galvanizing concern that talented low-income students and students of color are displaced by less qualified but better connected students. The audit report found that four UC campuses “unfairly admitted 64 applicants based on their personal or family connections to donors and university staff” between 2013–14 through

Bankers Hill resident Rebecca Mitsingas lives just 5 miles away from her mother, Suzanne Papp, yet she misses her. She went from seeing her 77-year-old mother daily to rarely now because of the coronavirus. “Typically, I would see her almost every day,” Mitsingas said. “We would do dinner together at least once a week. Since COVID, it’s been hard because I miss her even though she lives close by.” Papp is one of 400 living at St. Paul’s Senior Services three facilities where the nonprofit swif

This is Part One of a two-part series on racism and the education system. Part Two will be published on Monday, Sept. 28. The education system is “particularly effective at reproducing racial inequality” and is one of the best examples of structural racism in our society, said author Robin DiAngelo, in a recent talk presented by San Diego’s National Conflict Resolution Center. DiAngelo, author of “White Fragility,” was featured with Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How to be an Antiracist,” in the A

While the term "struggling" is frequently used to describe artists, "resilient,"  "resourceful" or "entrepreneurial" may be more accurate descriptions. Whatever their chosen artistic pursuit,  most artists struggle to find affordable housing or studio space while drawing on considerable inner resources to continue creating their art and maintaining other jobs to support their passion. The pandemic created an extra challenge for Barrio Logan visual artists when it struck hard in mid-March, affec

IVN San Diego Editor's Note: This Supreme Court ruling could have a big effect on San Diego. A proposed hotel tax increase came just short of winning a two-thirds vote in March. Supporters will likely seek a court ruling on the measure. The following is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Email it to hoa@ivn.us. In a roundabout, passive way, the California Supreme Court last week handed a big victory to the advocates of higher taxes. Without comment, the justices declined to take up