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 children!" cries Linda Martinez, a retired pastor who came to the scene with a bouquet of flowers. "So young. I just can't believe it's real. We just have to help each other." -
The small community of Uvalde, Texas is grieving one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. -
Travis McMichael; his father, Greg; and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan all faced nine criminal counts in Georgia state court, including felony murder, aggravated assault and false imprisonment. -
NPR's team in Tokyo put together our favorite moments of the Games, where participants showed their athleticism, sportsmanship, and what motivated them to compete. -
U.S. track star Allyson Felix surpassed the record after winning bronze on Friday in the 400 meters at the Tokyo Olympics. -
Biles looked happy and relieved after dismounting the four-inch-wide beam, smiling and waving at the crowd to roaring applause in the nearly empty stadium. -
The swimmers are now leaving Japan and the spotlight moves to the track and field events at Olympic Stadium. We'll walk you through the biggest things to watch for until the closing ceremony. -
"We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow - Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!!" USA Gymnastics said. Biles has withdrawn from other events. -
The U.S. players had a 1-0 loss against Canada in the semifinal. They'll take bronze if they win their next game. The U.S. lost its star goalie to an injury in the first half. -
Saunders said she's been open about her mental health struggles so others don't feel alone. It's also why she wears her identities so proudly as a gay Black woman. -
This means they'll head to the semifinal. The U.S. is trying to become the first reigning Women's World Cup champion to win Olympic gold. -
This competition was initially defined by who wasn't competing. U.S. star Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time and the heavy favorite to win, pulled out to take care of her mental health.
