Kelly Thornton
Investigative Newsource ReporterKelly Thornton is an investigative reporter with Investigative Newsource, a nonprofit journalistic enterprise embedded within the KPBS newsroom. Together they produce investigations and data analysis. Prior to joining the Institute in the fall of 2010, Thornton spent almost two decades at The San Diego Union-Tribune, where she covered everything from city government, military and law enforcement to transportation, politics and business. Ultimately she specialized in criminal justice and legal affairs, winning numerous awards for breaking some of the region’s biggest stories, including the exclusive details of the lives of San Diego-based Sept. 11 terrorists and their associates, the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide, the San Diego killer of fashion designer Gianni Versace, the firing of U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, and many others. In one investigation, Thornton exposed how the city’s most influential and well-connected lobbyists were skirting laws requiring them to publicly disclose their activities. The story prompted a crackdown on lobbyists. In another, she reported the plight of four Iranian brothers, who at the time were the nation’s longest-held post-Sept. 11 detainees. They remained in custody without charges for more than three years, and were eventually released. Thornton is a San Diego native. She is a graduate of Westmont College in Santa Barbara and lives with her husband, son, and Chesapeake Bay Retriever “Dude” in Ocean Beach. She is a 25-time marathoner and a singer in a band.
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Niki De Saint Phalle, a local sculptor, is regarded as the "leading woman artist that has come out of the 20th century." Her sculptors can be found in Balboa Park, Downtown San Diego and more. Celebrate the legacy she and her artwork have left on San Diego, and discover what went into the creation of her piece Coming Together.
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The effort to keep schools safe from mass shooters has ballooned into a multibillion-dollar industry. Companies are selling school districts assurance with high-tech products. -
Explore the rich history of a railway that stretches from Southern-most California into Northern Mexico and onto Arizona.
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James Hubbell is an artistic visionary, working in and of nature with all that it has to offer: stone, clay, iron, water, glass, wood, cement or brick. From the curves of his buildings and his luminous stained glass windows and doors to the elegant twists and curls of his ironwork and stone, Hubbell takes his inspiration from the form, color and diversity of nature.
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A documentary profiling Pedro J. Gonzalez. The story of a man who symbolizes the history of people of Mexican descent in the United States. Fought in the Mexican revolution in 1910. In 1920, he became a famous Spanish radio & recording star of his generation. In 1934, at height of popularity, he was sentenced to 50 years in San Quentin prison as part of one of the most controversial court cases.
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The story of San Diego architectural growth from adobe missions and haciendas to glittering high-rises is the story of the city itself. By looking at San Diego's past, we can better understand why the city looks the way it does and what we might do to shape its future.
- San Diego is building a lot of homes in its most walkable neighborhoods
- City Council clears way for tiered parking rates at San Diego Zoo
- San Diego to pay $875K to man shot with police bean bag rounds and bitten by K-9
- Oceanside city council approves new tenant protections, rejects rent control
- San Diego class-action suit says ICE courthouse arrests are illegal