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 fire erupts at a warehouse storing oil and tires in the port's duty-free zone, sending waves of fear through the devastated city. By early Thursday evening, the fire was reportedly under control. -
The university says Jessica A. Krug has quit, effective immediately, after a blog post published under her name said she had assumed various Black identities even though she is a white woman. -
Robert Hadden has been arrested in connection with the abuse of dozens of female patients, including minors. He has been accused of abuse in the past but avoided jail time in a previous case. -
Gen. Frank McKenzie, who is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, says the U.S. presence will drop from 5,200 to 3,000 troops in a move he says shows confidence in Iraqi army. -
The probe will focus on whether the recent tragedies "may be symptomatic of underlying leadership, discipline, and morale deficiencies throughout the chain-of-command." -
United's CEO says the change was a top request from customers. Delta and American followed suit after United's announcement. Airlines are trying to coax wary customers to return amid the pandemic. -
The Hall of Famer led the Georgetown men's team to 24 consecutive postseason appearances. He was the first Black coach to win a national men's college basketball title. -
Reta Mays was charged with killing seven patients by injecting them with insulin. She worked as a nursing assistant on the night shift at a Veterans Affairs medical center in Clarksburg. -
So far, 71 players have tested positive for the coronavirus, the MLB said on Friday. "I'm actually kind of pleased it's as low as that," the league's medical director says. -
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.
