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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President Trump dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the kingdom amid international tension over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. -
The president observed some of the worst-hit areas during a helicopter tour, including Florida homes that had been ripped from their foundations. "Some of them have no trace of a home," Trump said. -
Some evacuees are unwilling or unable to bring their pets with them, leaving them in a dangerous position. Rescuers have been tracking down scared animals in danger and bringing them to safety. -
The National Hurricane Center says the storm's eyewall is ashore in North Carolina, where more than 20 inches of rain has fallen and storm surge has reached 10 feet in some places. -
Moonves has been accused by at least 12 women of sexual misconduct, including forcing women to perform sex acts on him. He claims that he abided by the principle that " 'no' means 'no.' "
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"We don't reject any theories," said Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia's space agency. That includes sabotage, though he suspects it was more likely a "technological error."
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The shooting happened during a Madden NFL competition at a video game bar in downtown Jacksonville. A male suspect killed at least two people before taking his own life. Eleven others are injured. -
Texas is one of the largest producers of wine in the U.S. But the grapevines in the High Plains are facing a threat that's causing them to twist and wither. And it's coming from the cotton fields. -
A white supremacist rally took place next to the White House on Sunday, one year after the "Unite the Right" demonstration by the same organizer turned deadly in Charlottesville, Va. -
The Thai Navy SEALS say four of the 13 people who had been trapped for more than two weeks have been rescued. Rescue efforts began Sunday morning.
