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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The Byzantine-era architectural marvel has been used as a museum since 1934 and is widely regarded as a symbol of peaceful religious coexistence. A court ruling Friday revoked its museum status. -
"There's no light switch here. It's more like a dimmer," Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. "That dimmer is this toggling back and forth between more restrictive and less restrictive measures." -
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to some of the world's fastest-growing economies. But the World Bank projects its economies could pull back as much as 5.1% this year, driven by the coronavirus pandemic. -
The number of coronavirus cases in New York is doubling every four days — a marked decrease from early on in the outbreak, when it was doubling every 2 1/2 days. -
The team remembers him as "one of the truly magical dribblers and shooters in basketball history." Neal played 22 seasons for the Globetrotters. -
After three inconclusive elections, Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz are reportedly close to a deal to rotate as prime minister, with Netanyahu taking the first turn. -
The Dept. of Homeland Security has pushed back the enforcement deadline for REAL ID from Oct. 1, 2020 to Oct. 1, 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. -
It's not clear how long the measures, which affect foreigners holding valid visas and residence permits, will remain in place. Exemptions will be made for diplomats and plane crews. -
It is a major victory for the Native American tribes and environmental groups fighting against the project. The judge has not decided whether oil can still flow in the meantime. -
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian leader says he's pushing back a constitutional referendum that could pave the way for him to remain in power until 2036.
