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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As Israel threatens to move on Rafah, Hamas is also adding pressure with the release of a video of two of its hostages. One is an American.
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The State Department has found that some Israeli units were responsible for gross violations of human rights, but so far has stopped short of restricting U.S. aid to them.
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Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who turned 24 last month while in captivity, has spent more than 200 days in captivity. His left arm was partially blown off by a grenade during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7. -
The U.N. Security Council met Thursday to debate and vote on the Palestinian application for full membership in the United Nations, which would allow it to vote during U.N. proceedings. -
UN human rights experts say there are credible allegations that Ukrainian POWs have been tortured by Russian forces. Family members of some spoke to NPR about these cases.
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U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia is closing its Hong Kong operation after the city enacted a tough new national security law known locally as Article 23. -
A few days after resigning from the State Department, Annelle Sheline speaks out against the Biden administration's support for Israel and says many of her former colleagues share her concerns.
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A UN resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza passed thanks to a rare US abstention. That angered Israel, which canceled a delegation to Washington to talk about its plans for an assault on Rafah.
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The Security Council voted 14-0 in favor of a resolution demanding a cease-fire through the end of Ramadan in two weeks. The United States abstained from the vote, allowing the measure to pass. -
Families of American hostages being held in Gaza visited the UN Friday to push for the release of the hostages.
