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 Mike Pompeo and everyone in between. She reports on the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy and before that the Obama and Bush administration's diplomatic agendas. She was 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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In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, writing about the war in Ukraine, the church or LGBTQ+ life could land you in jail. A new organization helps authors publish books in Russian they couldn't back home. -
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to get a cease-fire agreement for Gaza “across the finish line.” It has been on the table for months, and many are skeptical a deal can be reached.
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The Wall Street Journal reporter and the former U.S. Marine have been released by Russia in exchange for Russian prisoners held in the U.S. and Europe, in what the U.S. calls a historic prisoner swap. -
The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. announces additional aid to Haiti on a lightning visit to the troubled Caribbean island.
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U.S. authorities arrested a 72-year-old Syrian man at the Los Angeles airport -- in a case that activists hope will be a turning point for victims of Syria's ruling regime.
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A Palestinian American doctor says it's now much harder to enter Gaza with medical supplies. He places blame on Israel, Egypt and the U.S. for failing to improve the humanitarian situation .
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Russia has announced that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will face trial for espionage charges. The State Department condemns the decision.
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The council voted 14-0 to support President Biden’s step-by-step plan for a cease-fire, an exchange of hostages and prisoners and an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. -
European countries are stepping up support for Ukraine as NATO foreign ministers gather in Prague. Some also say Ukraine can now use their weapons to strike military targets in Russia.
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The war in Gaza has caused deep divisions in communities around the world. But in the Israeli city of Haifa, some people are working toward dialogue.
