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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"If I had grandchildren, I would certainly recommend they get vaccinated," President Biden's chief medical adviser said. COVID-19 vaccines for younger children are being tested in clinical trials now.
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"The companies must deliver. They must honor their obligations," the European Commission's president said after both AstraZeneca and Pfizer said they were experiencing shipping issues.
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Most of the invitees work in the central Florida area, though all of the NFL's 32 clubs will pick health care workers from their communities to receive free tickets to the sport's biggest game.
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The Biden transition team also announced that Dr. David Kessler will be the White House's chief science officer for the COVID-19 response.
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"The stark reality is that we will run out of beds for patients in the next couple of weeks unless the spread of the virus slows down drastically," London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Friday.
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The new deal effectively doubles the federal government's order from the company. Pfizer says the U.S. government has agreed to pay $1.95 billion for the additional doses.
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The Republican governor's office said he is "experiencing mild symptoms with a cough and slight fatigue." McMaster's wife also contracted the virus but his office said she is asymptomatic.
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Hours after the EU's drug agency signed off on the vaccine, the European Commission approved its use, clearing the way for inoculations to begin across Europe.
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The president, who is being treated for COVID-19, has been downplaying the severity of the disease. He said falsely that, compared with the flu, COVID-19 is "in most populations far less lethal."
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Prosecutors say those charged attempted to steal more than $175 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, which is meant to provide relief to small businesses impacted by the pandemic.