NPR News: 07-03-2026 8AM EDT

Windsor Johnston· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Iranian government is preparing for the funeral of the Iranian supreme leader who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in March. The official ceremonies will begin tomorrow. NPR's Hadil Al-Shalchi reports it's meant to be a show of force by the Iranian regime.

Hadil Al-Shalchi0:22

[military band playing] A military band was heard in a video distributed by Iranian state media showing a delegation of world religious leaders paying their respects at the coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Saturday, there will be memorial ceremonies and processions in Tehran and the city of Qom. Then the remains will be taken to Shia holy sites in Najaf and Karbala in Iraq. The ayatollah will be buried next Thursday in his birthplace of Mashhad. Iranian authorities are expected to shut down streets and the airspace. The last time a massive funeral held in Iran was for Ayatollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Held in 1989, that funeral drew about 10 million mourners. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Istanbul.

Windsor Johnston· Host1:07

A dangerous heat wave is spreading across more than half of the country ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. Miriam Wasser of member station WBUR reports the extreme heat is driving up electricity demand and putting additional pressure on power grids.

Miriam Wasser1:24

Peak electric demand usually occurs between 4:00 and 8:00 PM on hot summer days. That's when people