Amita Sharma
Investigative ReporterAs the public matters investigative reporter, Amita leads KPBS’ coverage on efforts to undermine democracy, including threats to public officials, bolstering the Big Lie, chipping away at voter’s rights, attempts to overturn election results, eroding institutions and weakening the government's capacity to do its job, as well as civic efforts to engage people with opposing views without rancor.
The goal of the position is to report on the stakes, from a San Diego County perspective, on the United States’ current political moment.
She has spent the last two years reporting on local threats to democracy, including regional extremism, the shrinking of local news coverage while the number of hyper partisan “news” websites grow, censorship at libraries and incivility at public meetings.
Her previous coverage includes: exposing abuses in local nursing homes at the height of the pandemic, including a serial rapist who had worked in several El Cajon facilities and was arrested following her reporting; unearthing a contract between the city of Chula Vista and Motorola that allowed the company to sell data collected by the Chula Vista Police Department; and reporting on discrimination and retaliation in the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office that led to court settlements and the retirement of the Public Defender.
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Three delegates said they want to hear Kamala Harris focus on bread-and-butter issues and reproductive rights in her speech to the convention Thursday. -
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington reports dozens of county election officials in eight states objected to certifying election results since 2020. -
Local news outlets are on life support across the country, but two new California bills are trying to help. -
Raucous meetings since the pandemic prompted the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to institute a change in rules governing public comments. But a local watchdog group is suing the county, alleging the modifications violate free speech rights. -
Democratic Congressman Scott Peters from the 50th District joined KPBS to talk about the race. -
Researchers found women elected officials in San Diego and neighboring Imperial and Riverside counties were four times more likely to be threatened weekly than men. White male conservative politicians are also reporting that threats are getting worse.
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County requiring employees of grocery stores and many other retail outlets to wear masks as of midnight Friday. That’s a tall order, says the California Grocers Association.
- Study: Half of San Diego County families with young kids struggle with costs
- La Jolla, Encanto and … MCAS Miramar? Here's where San Diego wants to tighten ADU regulations
- 50 years later: San Diego’s USS Midway and the fall of Sàigòn
- La Mesa-Spring Valley, Lemon Grove school mental health grants cut early by Trump administration
- Two San Diego nonprofits are poised to lose promised environmental justice grants — but the EPA has yet to tell them