Michele Kelemen
Michele Kelemen has been with NPR for two decades, starting as NPR's Moscow bureau chief and now covering the State Department and Washington's diplomatic corps. Her reports can be heard on all NPR News programs, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
As Diplomatic Correspondent, Kelemen has traveled with Secretaries of State from Colin Powell to Marco Rubio and everyone in between. The American Academy of Diplomacy called her a "voice of reason," honoring her with the 2023 Arthur Ross Media Award for Distinguished Reporting and Analysis on Foreign Affairs. She was also part of the NPR team that won the 2007 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for coverage of the war in Iraq.
As NPR's Moscow bureau chief, Kelemen chronicled the end of the Yeltsin era and Vladimir Putin's consolidation of power. She recounted the terrible toll of the latest war in Chechnya, while also reporting on a lighter side of Russia, with stories about modern day Russian literature and sports.
Kelemen came to NPR in September 1998 after eight years working for the Voice of America. There, she learned the ropes as a news writer, newscaster, and show host.
Michele earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Russian and East European Affairs and International Economics.
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A former U.S. Marine is home after more than four years in a Russian prison. President Trump says Robert Gilman was freed on humanitarian grounds after supporters raised concerns about his health.
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President Trump announced a breakthrough on his Gaza peace plan last week, but the logistics remain daunting.
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A month after Venezuela's deadly earthquakes, the focus is shifting from rescue to rebuilding -- and the costs are staggering.
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The passports feature an image of President Trump and are only available in person at the Washington Passport Agency — and only by appointment.
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President Trump's image on a limited-edition U.S. passport is drawing long lines from supporters -- and sharp criticism from detractors.
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A U.N. report finds the number of people uprooted by conflicts around the world has fallen and the number of refugees returning home is reaching record numbers. But some haven't returned by choice.
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The Trump Administration stopped admitting refugees and created a new program for white South Africans. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers this week that they "assimilate" more easily.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making the rounds on Capitol Hill for budget hearings, facing questions about how the war in Iran will end and when gas prices for Americans might return to normal.
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Who will replace U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when he steps down this year? Four candidates field questions from member states this week at U.N. headquarters.
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An Israeli whose parents were killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and a Palestinian whose brother died from injuries in Israeli custody say they've become like brothers. Their new book is The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.