Our job as journalists is to hold institutions of power accountable. Tips and documents help us do that and are often the spark to new investigations.

Do you have official documents or data that we should see? Do you have significant information that is in the public interest? We want to know about it.

Here’s how to share information with our reporters as securely and anonymously as possible:

1. Signal: +1-845-553-4170 or +1-602-750-3736
Signal is a free, end-to-end encrypted messaging app. It allows you to text message or call our reporters directly. Signal does not retain any metadata. Download the app here.

2. Postal Mail: 5500 Campanile Drive, PSFA 361C, San Diego, CA 92182
Drop a letter or package in the mail. To maintain your anonymity, avoid putting a return address. Also, use a mailbox rather than going into a post office.

3. Our Staff List: https://inewsource.org/about/#staff

—Shyla Nott, inewsource

Parade board says nay to HiCaliber horses

The Valley Center Western Days Parade board said they don’t want HiCaliber horses participating in their event over fears they will spread a highly contagious horse disease called strangles.

The concerns stem from an inewsource story in March in which former HiCaliber volunteers said strangles was prevalent at the horse rescue, and that it wasn’t being disclosed to anyone on the outside.

The morning after reporter Nicole Tyau published her story, the parade’s board issued a statement:

“HiCaliber will not have or be riding horses in the 2018 Valley Center Western Days Parade.”

(BTW: The parade is today)
Read Nicole’s story
Watch on KPBS Evening Edition

Outside money doubles for DA candidate

With less than two weeks to go before the primary, the outside money reported in the San Diego County district attorney’s race reached new highs this week.

Leo Castañeda reported that spending by pro-Geneviéve Jones-Wright PACs totals $1.5 million — more than double what they had last week.

The PACs backing Summer Stephan have spent nearly $664,000. And while that’s also more than double what they reported last week, it’s about $874,000 behind what’s been spent to help Jones-Wright.

Explore all of the outside spending in the district attorney’s race here.
Read Leo’s story here.
Watch on KPBS Evening Edition.

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San Diego woman says diabetes treatment endangered her health

When Meghan Lynch, who has Type 1 diabetes, saw a Facebook ad last summer for an insulin infusion treatment clinic in Pacific Beach, she thought it might be the answer to lowering her blood sugar.

She said the clinic’s doctor, Dr. James Novak, advised her not to consult with any endocrinologists or other diabetes experts, because they “wouldn’t understand the benefit of this type of treatment.”

Lynch underwent eight treatment sessions over two months, and after each one she became increasingly frightened. She would come home from the treatments and collapse, falling so soundly asleep that neither her two barking dogs nor her roommate could wake her. The sugary beverages she had to drink during the procedure had spiked her blood sugar levels to 400 and higher.

This is senior health reporter Cheryl Clark’s fifth story in her investigation of Trina Health, a national network of diabetes clinics.
Read Cheryl’s story.
Watch on KPBS Evening Edition.

Ashley Rodriguez joins the team

We’re excited to announce that Ashley Rodriguez is joining the inewsource crew as the Donor Engagement Manager.

That means she will work closely with Executive Director Lorie Hearn and the inewsource board of directors to energize and build our Spotlight Club, to spread the word about our in-depth, fact-based reporting and to engage with the community on behalf of inewsource.

Here’s a bit more about Ashley:

For over ten years, she has been working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector of San Diego. She began her career leading community engagement initiatives and managing grants for KPBS. Prior to joining inewsource, Ashley managed fundraising efforts for a local economic policy think tank, Center on Policy Initiatives.

She currently serves as the Vice President of the Sherman Heights Community Center board. She also serves on the board of the San Diego Leadership Alliance and the Victory Fund Campaign board.

In 2016, she completed her master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego.

We can’t wait to welcome her to the newsroom next week!

In the community

Reporter Brad Racino spent Monday afternoon speaking with a group of executives at the Grand Del Mar hotel about the past, present and future of San Diego’s commercial fishing industry in light of the billion-dollar waterfront development called Seaport.

The group asked Brad to speak because he has written extensively about the waterfront over the past two years.

His two long-form stories documenting the North and Central Embarcadero developments can be found here:
North Embarcadero.
Central Embarcadero.

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We’ll let you know when big things happen.

Shyla Nott was the digital content manager at inewsource. While at her role, she ran the website, social media accounts, and curated The Weekender newsletter. She came to inewsource by way of the Midwest where she was the producer for All Sides with Ann Fisher, a daily live public-affairs talk show at...