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
Politics Sep 19
What every Republican senator has said about filling a Supreme Court vacancy in an election yearRuth Bader Ginsburg's death leaves a vacancy on the Supreme Court just before the presidential election, as Justice Antonin Scalia's did in 2016, when Barack Obama was president. Here’s what Senate Republicans said in 2016, and what they’ve said publicly…
Politics Sep 19
Can Trump replace Ginsburg on the Supreme Court before the election?Into a year of unprecedented crisis and divide, the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg adds more political drama, and a core question: Will President Trump be able to seat a new justice on the Supreme Court, potentially…
Politics Sep 18
Biden, Trump campaign in Minnesota as its early voting period beginsThe presidential campaign spotlight is on Minnesota Friday, with both Joe Biden and President Trump visiting a state that has become a new battleground -- and is one of the first in the country to begin early voting. Minneapolis officials…
Politics Sep 14
Western wildfires highlight divergent stances of Trump, Biden on climate changeThe wildfire disaster in the American West is highlighting a major political difference between President Trump and Joe Biden: their perspectives on climate change. While scientists increasingly warn that climate change is driving extreme weather events like the western fires…
Politics Sep 03
Trump faces fallout for remarks about voting twice as Biden visits family of Jacob BlakePresident Trump is taking his reelection campaign to Pennsylvania for a Thursday evening rally. He is also facing scrutiny over Wednesday remarks in which he urged people to vote twice, which is fraudulent. Meanwhile, Democratic opponent Joe Biden spent the…
Nation Aug 31
U.S. intelligence ensnared in politics over election security briefingsWith Election Day just over two months away, Americans will begin casting ballots in a few weeks. The U.S. intelligence community has already warned of multiple attempts by foreign powers to intervene in the November election. But now comes word…
Politics Aug 21
What happened when Democrats threw an all-virtual conventionIt's official: Joe Biden is now the Democratic nominee for president. But there was no confetti, no balloon drop, no applause or even a crowd. The pandemic-era four-day convention was all-virtual -- which meant no chance to sell a vision…
Politics Aug 20
Biden’s long and painful path to Democratic presidential nominationFormer Vice President Joe Biden has spent decades in public office. On Thursday night, he will finally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. We look back at Biden’s personal story, fraught with tragedy and resilience, and his long political…
Politics Aug 19
Politics This Morning: What to expect from Night 3 of the DNCThe second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention featured the official nomination of Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee as well as speeches from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Bill Clinton, professor and former second lady Jill Biden and…
Politics Aug 17
Politics This Morning: What to expect from the DNCThe Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday in an unprecedented and largely virtual format. Join the PBS NewsHour’s Daniel Bush and Lisa Desjardins for a preview of what to expect from the week and what to watch on the first…
