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." -
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. -
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. -
"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. -
Police fatally shot the suspect they say rammed a car into a barrier and then lunged at officers with a knife. One officer was killed, and another was injured. -
The top U.S. prosecutor for the District of Columbia cited a "disconnect" after federal prosecutors in Arizona said there was "strong evidence" that pro-Trump rioters intended to kill officials. -
On Monday evening, Jupiter and Saturn appeared closer to each other in the sky than they have for hundreds of years in what has become known as the Great Conjunction. -
The Trump Administration says the policy change will help law enforcement apprehend criminal suspects. Rights advocates describe it as a serious breach of privacy against vulnerable populations. -
The apology seemed to be an attempt to turn the page for the embattled team amid criticism that the punishment meted out by the league was too light given the scale and longevity of the cheating. -
"The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," said World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
