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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Allyson Felix and Quanera Hayes have spoken out about the joys of motherhood and the obstacles that female athletes face that men don't. -
Historically, U.S. women have been incredibly dominant in beach volleyball at the Olympics. April Ross and Alix Klineman handily beat a duo from Australia to win gold in Tokyo. -
Several athletes were tied for first as they began the final climb. The elite climbers faced off in three events, testing their speed as well as their problem-solving. -
At the Olympics, dressage riders lead horses through complicated routines set to disco beats, 80s jams, classical and everything in between. The music is meant to highlight the horse's best qualities. -
It's no accident that the track feels fast to runners. The Italian company that designed the track says its goal is to take "human speeds to levels never reached before." -
"You're running against grown men, so you've got to do everything you can to beat them," Erriyon Knighton said. He's had a dramatic rise in track, beating a long-standing record set by Usain Bolt. -
This event pitted the world record holder against the defending gold medalist. Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad are both U.S. athletes. Both beat the previous world record. -
Biles looked happy and relieved after dismounting the balance beam, smiling and waving at the crowd to roaring applause. She's still experiencing the "twisties" but has found ways to cope. -
Is she the best long jumper of all time? "I am," she says. "Point-blank." Reese doesn't hold the world record, but she's established herself as an extraordinary athlete over a huge number of years. -
The world record was absolutely smashed with the fastest field ever to run the men's 400-meter hurdles. Norway's Karsten Warholm took gold and Rai Benjamin won bronze for the U.S.
