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.
-
KPBS Midday EditionA UC San Diego researcher helped draft new dietary guidelines for cancer prevention, they encourage people to limit alcohol, dairy products and red and processed meats. -
KPBS Midday EditionThough California Chrome's Triple Crown hopes were dashed this weekend when the horse tied for fourth place in the Belmont Stakes, the 3-year-old's career is far from over. -
California’s charter cities have come under scrutiny in recent years because of three high-profile municipal bankruptcies. Locally, San Diego is the largest of eight charter cities in the county. Escondido is also flirting with the idea of becoming a charter city. But there is disagreement over whether charter cities are good for taxpayers.
-
KPBS Midday EditionThe California Arts Council and the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation team up to fund art programs in state prisons including painting and playwriting courses Donovan State Prison in San Diego County. -
KPBS Midday EditionThe Environmental Protection Agency released major new rules to reducing carbon emissions from existing power plants on Monday. How will California — and San Diego — measure up? -
KPBS Midday EditionSan Diego has a great deal of experience in the handling of illegal border crossers, the arrests, detention and legal proceedings of deportation. But that all takes on a different perspective when the illegal border crossers are children.
-
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.
- New test for colon cancer could spot it before it spreads
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it's shutting down
- The places in San Diego meeting their housing goals will blow your mind
- San Diego 101: Why is it so hard to build housing?
- San Diego International Airport opens new entrance roadway to cut down traffic