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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Alaa Abdel Fattah, one of Egypt's best-known bloggers, has a long track record of criticizing the government; he's been doing it over the course of four regimes. -
Detained journalists and activists have been writing about the harsh conditions and remain sharply critical of the government despite the risk that they could face additional punishment.
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Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was Egypt's first-ever democratically elected president. A year after he was elected, he was ousted by the military following massive protests against him. Morsi goes on trial Monday, accused of inciting violence against protesters. -
Egypt's state-run television station has worked under four different leaders in less than three years. For the past year, it has been pro-Islamist and pro-President Mohammed Morsi — before his ouster. Then it abruptly began reporting the military's view once again. -
The 70-acre patch of agricultural land is prime real estate next to Cairo, and it has been the subject of a long fight over ownership. -
In Cairo you can get just about anything delivered at almost any hour of the night. Have the flu? You can order vitamin C and meds from the pharmacy at 2 a.m. One deliveryman has been dodging tear gas and clashes to get Lebanese takeout to people's doors. -
Cairo's Tahrir Square was the focal point of the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak last year. During recent renovations, a large mural depicting the struggle was whitewashed — only to be repainted by supporters. Now, Egyptians are at odds over how to memorialize the events. -
Throughout the government's transitional period, the Egyptian pound remained stable because the government shored it up through foreign reserves. As those reserves reach dangerously low levels, concern is mounting that a major currency devaluation is imminent.
