Jaelynn Grisso

Seattle

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Matter News at Freelance

investigative mmj @CascadePBSNews | co-founder: @matternews_ | formerly @MotherJones @CivilBeat @thenewpolitical @buzz60 + more | @scrippsjschool alum

Featured in: Favicon

matternews.org Favicon

elitedaily.com Favicon

motherjones.com Favicon

clevescene.com Favicon

bignewsnetwork.com Favicon

mahoningmatters.com Favicon

africaleader.com Favicon

dublinnews.com Favicon

parisguardian.com Favicon

bristolstar.com + 6 more

Articles

What a Day: Politics, policy and comedy with Al Franken

2 weeks ago | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso

The Democratic party may have its challenges – including an increasing lack of trustworthiness – but “Democrats stand for something,” said former Senator and comedian Al Franken in conversation with Jane Coaston, host of the What a Day podcast. Their discussion, equal parts jokes and politics, took place during a live recording of the show held at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31. “We should run as Democrats,” Franken said.
WA Supreme Court issues rule to reduce public defense caseloads

2 weeks ago | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso

The Washington State Supreme Court issued an interim rule on Monday to lower by more than two-thirds the number of felony cases that public defenders can have assigned to them each year, while also granting flexibilities for cities and counties to implement the new standards. Under the new standards, public defenders’ caseloads will be limited to 47 felony cases or 120 misdemeanor cases a year — down from a previous limit of 150 felony cases and a few hundred misdemeanor cases.
New Jake Tapper book suggests White House hid Biden health decline

2 weeks ago | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso

Former President Joe Biden’s administration denied his declining health, all while working behind the scenes to adapt to a president who was increasingly unable to do the job. That’s what journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson claim to have found while reporting their new book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.
The Newsfeed: La Resistencia monitors King County deportations

1 month ago | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso

The system of moving people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement often operates behind closed doors.   “That’s the whole thing about ICE detention is so much of it is hidden from view,” said Stan Shikuma, a volunteer with watchdog organization La Resistencia. Yet those flights haven’t escaped notice. La Resistencia volunteers monitor them week after week, and have since 2023.
Washington among the bottom of states in public defense funding

Mar 14, 2025 | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso

Counties primarily shoulder the cost of public defense with the state covering less than 3% on average, making Washington an outlier nationally in how little the state invests in public defense. While defendants have sued Yakima County over delays in their cases, counties also have an ongoing 2023 lawsuit against the state to seek more financial support in meeting their constitutional obligations. “It’s one of our most critical needs,” Yakima County Commissioner LaDon Linde said.
Watch live: Donald Trump to be sworn in as 47th U.S. President

Jan 20, 2025 | cascadepbs.org | Josh Cohen |Jaelynn Grisso |Farah Eltohamy |John Stang

Monday morning, former President Donald Trump will officially return to the office as the transfer of power from the Joe Biden administration takes place. Trump becomes only the second American president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. You can watch streaming live coverage of the event starting at 7:30 a.m. PT on the PBS NewsHour website and on its YouTube page. We will also carry the coverage locally on Cascade PBS, with the coverage slated to end at 1:00 p.m. PT.
Here are the six finalists for Seattle City Council's vacant seat

Jan 17, 2025 | cascadepbs.org | Josh Cohen |Jaelynn Grisso |Farah Eltohamy |John Stang

Former Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales's empty seat before a 2023 meeting. (Amanda Snyder / Cascade PBS) The Seattle City Council narrowed the field of 20 qualified candidates vying to fill the vacant District 2 seat to six finalists on Friday. Former Councilmember Tammy Morales, who represented southeast Seattle from the Chinatown-International District through Rainier Beach, retired from the Council on Jan. 6 with three years remaining in her term.
New WA bill would expand private detention center inspections

Jan 17, 2025 | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso |Farah Eltohamy |John Stang |Lizz Giordano

The Northwest ICE Processing Center is a privately-operated facility in Tacoma that holds detainees for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, seen here in 2019. (Lindsey Wasson for Cascade PBS) House Democrats introduced a new bill to bolster and broaden the state’s authority to inspect private detention facilities amid recent legal battles over the monitoring of the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma. Rep.
Officials inspect Tacoma ICE detention center after legal battle

Jan 9, 2025 | wenatcheeworld.com | Jaelynn Grisso

State labor officials uncovered no violations during a recent inspection of the immigration detention center in Tacoma, but noted ongoing limits to what they can monitor at the privately operated facility. The inspection of the Northwest ICE Processing Center, operated by GEO Secure Services, included a review of the physical facility, health and safety policies, and personal protective gear. Cascade PBS obtained a copy of the health and safety reports through a public records request.
The Newsfeed: WA court weighs new standards for public defenders

Dec 13, 2024 | cascadepbs.org | Jaelynn Grisso

“There was so much pressure,” she said. “It just felt like I couldn’t do anything right. Because there was just so much going on and so little time to get everything done. I think it was hard to balance. Because whenever you’re working on one case, you’re taking time away from another case.”Lucas-Smith left her position in July 2024 after four years because she said the number of cases made her workload untenable. At one point, she said, she had 170 cases – more than half the yearly limit.