Merrit Kennedy
Merrit Kennedy is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She covers a broad range of issues, from the latest developments out of the Middle East to science research news.
Kennedy joined NPR in Washington, D.C., in December 2015, after seven years living and working in Egypt. She started her journalism career at the beginning of the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and chronicled the ousting of two presidents, eight rounds of elections, and numerous major outbreaks of violence for NPR and other news outlets. She has also worked as a reporter and television producer in Cairo for The Associated Press, covering Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan.
She grew up in Los Angeles, the Middle East, and places in between, and holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from Stanford University and a master's degree in international human rights law from The American University in Cairo.
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NPR's team of journalists has arrived in Tokyo. Their journey shows the challenges of just getting to the largest event in sports in the middle of a global pandemic. -
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Cosby's due process rights were violated when he was charged for a 2004 assault after prosecutors told him they wouldn't bring criminal charges against him. -
More than 150 people remain unaccounted for after a 12-story condo building partially collapsed near Miami. Rescue workers are using sonar and dogs to search for survivors in the rubble. -
Magawa is credited with saving lives. The African giant pouched rat has found 71 land mines and 38 items of unexploded ordnance. Now, he has reached retirement age after five years of service. -
Amy Cooper filed a federal lawsuit against her former employer, saying the company never investigated the incident that led to her firing — the confrontation between her and Christian Cooper. -
Officials in Gaza say at least 230 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict. In Israel, 12 people have been killed. -
"If I had grandchildren, I would certainly recommend they get vaccinated," President Biden's chief medical adviser said. COVID-19 vaccines for younger children are being tested in clinical trials now. -
In Washington, calls for an end to the fighting have intensified, including among Democrats in Congress who support Israel and even some Republicans. -
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell said what happened to George Floyd last May was "so simple that a child could understand it." Blackwell quoted a 9-year-old witness who said, "Get off of him." -
Defense attorney Eric Nelson told jurors there was no evidence Chauvin "intentionally, purposefully applied unlawful force."
