About Lisa @LisaDNews
Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS NewsHour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work.
She specializes in breaking down complex stories and political disagreements into the key pieces that matter, often translating numbers and fiscal information into accessible stories for the audience.
Prior to joining NewsHour, Desjardins spent nearly ten years with CNN as a senior correspondent and Capitol Hill reporter. Prior to CNN, she reported for the Associated Press, WBTW-TV, WIS-TV, WTS-TV, Reuters, and The Sun News. At WIS in Columbia, South Carolina, she broke news of the compromise to bring down the Confederate flag from the state house dome.
Desjardins earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She also received a first level graduate degree in Russian Studies from the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia.
Desjardins is the recipient of a Peabody Award for CNN’s coverage of the 2008 election and a Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi award for national breaking news for coverage of the Haiti earthquake.
Lisa’s Recent Stories
Health May 25
On Memorial Day, lifting of pandemic restrictions brings both relief and concernThis Memorial Day, as the U.S. honored those who gave their lives in service to the country, the national death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic topped 98,000. Still, more areas loosened their coronavirus restrictions over the holiday weekend, and President…
Health May 19
Why American nursing homes have been hit so hard by coronavirusNursing homes across the country are facing a desperate situation during the coronavirus pandemic. In 17 states, more than half of reported COVID-19 deaths have been at these facilities. Chronic staffing shortages, made worse by the virus, and inadequate infection…
Politics May 15
What 74 former Biden staffers think about Tara Reade’s allegationsWe spoke to dozens of Joe Biden’s staffers, most of whom were women, to get a broader picture of his behavior toward women throughout his career, how they see Tara Reade’s allegation and whether there was evidence of a larger…
Nation May 11
What COVID-19 has meant for dating in AmericaDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants, theaters, parks and other places where people come together are closed in an effort to keep them apart. Meanwhile, people who share a home spending much more time together than they usually do. What do…
Politics May 01
What Biden said in 1st public response to assault allegationFormer Vice President and likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made his first public statements Friday about a sexual assault allegation against him. A woman who served as a Senate staffer says Biden assaulted her in the 1990s. In his…
Health Apr 22
Some states to begin relaxing restrictions, as U.S. deaths pass 46,000COVID-19 was infecting Americans weeks earlier than was officially recorded, according to new California data showing that two deaths in mid-February were associated with the disease. Meanwhile, federal vaccine expert Dr. Rick Bright says he was forced out of his…
Nation Apr 21
READ FULL: Lawmakers reach a deal on $500 billion Paycheck Protection ProgramAfter two weeks of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats agreed on a nearly $500 billion deal to extend rescue programs for millions of small businesses which had run out of funding last week.
Politics Apr 16
It took 13 days for the Paycheck Protection Program to run out of money. What comes next?One of the most sweeping business rescue programs in U.S. history ran out of money Thursday, leaving millions of small business owners and workers in financial limbo. The $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program was completely depleted…
Politics Apr 09
The fight over the next coronavirus aid package, explainedLess than two weeks after passing the largest recovery act in U.S. history, leaders in Washington have quickly agreed that the $2.2 trillion measure was not enough.
Health Apr 03
For some doctors, pandemic means accelerated career launch — or truncated retirementAs the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the U.S., officials are warning that there are not enough medical professionals available to meet the growing needs of patients. The shortage has led to the easing of some regulations, enabling medical students to…
