Rachel Martin
Rachel Martin is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
Before taking on this role in December 2016, Martin was the host of Weekend Edition Sunday for four years. Martin also served as National Security Correspondent for NPR, where she covered both defense and intelligence issues. She traveled regularly to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Secretary of Defense, reporting on the U.S. wars and the effectiveness of the Pentagon's counterinsurgency strategy. Martin also reported extensively on the changing demographic of the U.S. military – from the debate over whether to allow women to fight in combat units – to the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Her reporting on how the military is changing also took her to a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico for a rare look at how the military trains drone pilots.
Martin was part of the team that launched NPR's experimental morning news show, The Bryant Park Project, based in New York — a two-hour daily multimedia program that she co-hosted with Alison Stewart and Mike Pesca.
In 2006-2007, Martin served as NPR's religion correspondent. Her piece on Islam in America was awarded "Best Radio Feature" by the Religion News Writers Association in 2007. As one of NPR's reporters assigned to cover the Virginia Tech massacre that same year, she was on the school's campus within hours of the shooting and on the ground in Blacksburg, Va., covering the investigation and emotional aftermath in the following days.
Based in Berlin, Germany, Martin worked as a NPR foreign correspondent from 2005-2006. During her time in Europe, she covered the London terrorist attacks, the federal elections in Germany, the 2006 World Cup and issues surrounding immigration and shifting cultural identities in Europe.
Her foreign reporting experience extends beyond Europe. Martin has also worked extensively in Afghanistan. She began reporting from there as a freelancer during the summer of 2003, covering the reconstruction effort in the wake of the U.S. invasion. In fall 2004, Martin returned for several months to cover Afghanistan's first democratic presidential election. She has reported widely on women's issues in Afghanistan, the fledgling political and governance system and the U.S.-NATO fight against the insurgency. She has also reported from Iraq, where she covered U.S. military operations and the strategic alliance between Sunni sheiks and the U.S. military in Anbar province.
Martin started her career at public radio station KQED in San Francisco, as a producer and reporter.
She holds an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, and a Master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University.
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Ohio County Prosecutor: Pandemic Puts More Stress On Families Dealing With AddictionEven though Vinton County, Ohio, hasn't had high infection rates of the coronavirus, social restrictions have made it harder to keep drug users and their children safe, says Trecia Kimes-Brown. -
Mark Green talks to NPR about what it's like leaving during a global health crisis — and what the future may hold for the agency. -
NPR surveyed the 50 states about their contact tracing capacity. Amid coronavirus, states expand Internet voting experiments — raising security fears. And, Airbnb bookings drop amid pandemic.
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What does Congress need to do to prepare for reopening the country? Georgia's dine-in restaurants and theaters are allowed to open. And, COVID-19 may change basic human interactions like handshakes.
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White House issues guide to help states reopen. For the first time in decades, China's economy shrinks — because of the pandemic. And, questions remain regarding the precise origins of COVID-19.
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President Trump will give guidance to governors on reopening states. First-time claims for jobless benefits will be announced. And in India, fears contact-tracing has crossed into discrimination.
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The coronavirus is hitting African Americans especially hard. Republican Sen. Tim Scott says the federal government is trying to keep black communities informed. -
News Brief: WHO Funding, Reopening The U.S., Antibody TestsU.S. ends WHO funding pending a review of its handling of COVID-19. President Trump backpedals comments that only he can reopen the U.S. And, tests to detect past COVID-19 exposure hit the market.
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Experts say before the U.S. can reopen, advancements must be made in testing and tracing the sick. Has President Trump's pledges to fight COVID-19 materialized? And, Spain eases lockdown rules.
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The U.S. coronavirus curve rises while China's flattens. The pandemic opens a new front in the abortion battle. And, Bloomberg staffers say they were promised jobs through November, some are suing.
