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 top leaders of the U.S. organization say postponement from the planned July 24 opening is best, and international officials should ensure that conditions are safe and fair for all competitors. -
Officials say there are simply too many people still on the streets with no justification. The country just registered its largest death toll in a single day since the start of the outbreak. -
The agreement is similar to one announced earlier this week to partially close the U.S. border with Canada. Both will go into effect on Saturday, Trump administration officials said. -
The giant statue of Jesus Christ, which stands nearly 100 feet tall and overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro, also showed images of the words "pray together" in many languages. -
Right now just over 2,000 members of the National Guard are assisting governors in 27 states, but the head of the National Guard Bureau said that number could double by this weekend. -
The State Department is also warning Americans to "arrange for immediate return to the United States" or prepare for an indefinite period overseas. -
As of Thursday afternoon, the number of deaths in Italy from the coronavirus disease COVID-19 exceeds 3,400 — passing China's tally of more than 3,200 deaths. -
"That will be a real-life economic benefit," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. He also ordered that only 25 percent of workers could be in the office, except for essential services.
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"That will be a real-life economic benefit," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. He also ordered that only 25 percent of workers could be in the office, except for essential services. -
The closures come after many school districts and dozens of colleges and universities have temporarily closed or switched to virtual classes because of the disease.
