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Despite war and strife, millions of Shia Muslims in Iraq gather for sacred pilgrimage

NPR | By Jane Arraf,

Rob Schmitz, Michael Levitt, Daniel Ofman

Published August 8, 2026 at 4:30 PM CDT

More than 20 million Shia pilgrims flocked to a shrine city in Iraq this week, including millions of Iranians, despite the wars tearing across the Middle East.

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All Things Considered

Jane Arraf

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Rob Schmitz

Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin.

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Michael Levitt

Daniel Ofman

National Guard deployment in D.C. approaches one year

Kat Lonsdorf

President Trump's deployment of the National Guard will hit the one year mark next week. The presence of armed, uniformed troops on the street has become increasingly normalized in the capital.
The daring, 10,000-mile-long journey to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean

Rob Schmitz, Henry Larson, Michael Levitt

NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with Captain Matt Rutherford, who is attempting to be the first person to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean, solo and without any assistance.
How a delivery driver and poet won one of China's highest honors in literature

Rob Schmitz, Daniel Ofman, Michael Levitt

Wang Jibing, a writer and delivery driver, has won one of China's most prestigious award for poetry. Professor Eileen Cheng-yin Chow of Duke University explains why his work has had such huge impact.
Science reporter on how evidence based reporting can be a parent's best friend

Jeanette Woods, Linah Mohammad, Maria Godoy, Rob Schmitz

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks to reporter Maria Godoy about how parents can wade through the noise and opinions to find information to help keep their kids healthy.
Tanker sailors still face danger in the Strait of Hormuz

Rob Schmitz, Henry Larson, Sarah Robbins

An agreement over the Strait of Hormuz is still far away. Tim Wilkins, who works for a tanker industry group, says the ships stuck around the waterway are in limbo, and transiting is still dangerous.