Southwest
Buddhist monks walking 2,300 miles from Texas to DC go viral with 1M+ social media followers
Buddhist monks have set off on a trek across the country on foot that has drawn national attention as they travel from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., as a part of a monthslong journey they describe as a spiritual practice.
The more than 2,300-mile journey they have named the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center’s Walk for Peace began in late October and is estimated to conclude later this winter in the nation’s capital.
The walk, according to the group’s official page, is intended to promote peace, compassion and mindfulness during a time they say the country is marked by division and uncertainty.
“This is not a protest,” the monks say in public statements. “It is a spiritual practice.”
AT LANCASTER MARKET, I WITNESSED AN AMERICA THAT STILL WORKS — NO POLITICS REQUIRED
Buddhist monks who are participating in the “Walk For Peace,” arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
The monks are affiliated with a Texas-based Buddhist meditation center.
They describe the walk as a moving meditation as they continue to pass through cities, small towns and rural communities across the U.S.
They have been greeted by supporters who have gathered along the route, walking short stretches with the group and offering food or simply observing quietly as they pass.
The Monks are keeping a blog that tracks their journey in real time. On the blog they say those who “visit the venerable monks along our path, we tie a blessing string around your wrist—a simple thread that carries profound meaning.”
According to the blog, the cord is a reminder and every time the wearer sees it, “in a moment of stress, during a difficult conversation, when patience feels impossible—it gently calls you back to the intention you set when you met us: to walk with us in spirit, to nourish peace, mindfulness, loving-kindness, and compassion in your daily life.”
“It is a connection string between this journey and you, a tangible link that says: you are part of this walk for peace. We are walking together, always,” they write.
Buddhist monks who are participating in the “Walk For Peace,” are seen with their dog, Aloka, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
WITHOUT GOD, NEW YORK’S DREAM TURNS HOLLOW. MY WALK ACROSS AMERICA PROVES IT
In addition to the monks, Aloka, a rescue dog the monks refer to as the “Peace Dog,” has become an unexpected focal point of the journey.
During the journey, photos and videos are being shared online and show Aloka traveling along highways and sidewalks, resting during breaks and greeting supporters.
These special moments have helped the monks’ walk gain traction on social media, where their Facebook following recently surpassed 1 million followers.
Millions of supporters are sharing messages of encouragement and reflection in response to the journey.
“I am so inspired. Thank you — the United States so desperately needs this message,” one follower wrote.
Another supporter said the walk has had a personal impact on their daily life.
Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the “Walk For Peace,” Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
“Praying for you all each night. You have opened a light within me that makes me want to be a kinder, more peaceful person. I think now before speaking and have become more aware of my breathing,” the follower wrote. “Your trip has a lot of people thinking and restoring hope back in our country and peaceful thoughts throughout the day. It is simply wonderful, the journey you are on.”
Others said the message resonates with them during a turbulent period for the country.
“The message of peace is resonating with so many in America during these scary times,” another supporter commented.
So far, the Buddhist monks have made it across much of the country, prompting online searches and interest in the walk, the monks’ mission and their destination in Washington. The videos have circulated widely as the group continues eastward.
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They continue to emphasize that the walk is non-political and open to people of all backgrounds, describing peace as “not a destination, but a way of living.”
The monks say their message remains the same: peace begins with individual action — one step at a time.
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A 48-year-old man who led law enforcement on a dangerous pursuit lasting more than an hour is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of a man and a woman at an upscale Pomona apartment complex Thursday, police announced.
Officers with the Pomona Police Department responded to the Monterey Station Apartments, located at 180 E. Monterey Ave., near North Garey Avenue, just before 3:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting, according to a department news release.
Police, along with responding Los Angeles County firefighters, found the two victims in a fourth-floor apartment.
Paramedics immediately began life-saving measures, but both victims were ultimately declared dead at the scene, investigators said.
Neighbors told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade that the suspected shooter, Robert Galtman of Pomona, shot his girlfriend and another resident of the apartment complex.
“He shot the girl, that was the girlfriend,” one woman, a resident of the building who did not want to give her name, told KTLA. “I know them because he had tried to hit on me and told me the situation that she was beating him up and that she cheated on him with this guy, the one that was killed.”
Authorities were searching Galtman, who was believed to be in dark-colored sedan that fled the apartments northbound on Towne Avenue near Holt Avenue.
Just before 5 p.m., officers with the California Highway Patrol spotted his vehicle traveling northbound on the 5 Freeway, officials confirmed to KTLA. When officers attempted a traffic stop, he failed to yield and led authorities on a high-speed pursuit that lasted more than an hour.
During the pursuit, he made a U-turn on the freeway and headed southbound before exiting in Castaic and taking Lake Hughes Road through the hills toward the Antelope Valley.
Sky5 was over the dangerous chase as Galtman was seen tossing unknown items from the vehicle, including some type of liquid, swerving dangerously onto the shoulder and refusing to stop as at least four CHP units followed closely behind.
He initially dodged several spike strips deployed by officers, at one point driving on the shoulder in Lancaster before clipping one of the strips with the vehicle’s left side, causing both tires to deflate.
Still refusing to stop, Galtman continued at about 30 mph until a CHP officer accelerated and performed a PIT maneuver that spun the vehicle and disabled it.
He was quickly surrounded by officers with guns drawn but did not immediately comply.
Following law enforcement commands, Galtman exited the vehicle, surrendered and was taken into custody.
The identities of the two victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Authorities have not released a motive in the deadly shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Pomona Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 909-620-2085.
A stand-up comedian is set to face criminal charges in the first case filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s newly created Business Tax Fraud Unit, officials announced Thursday.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant is comedian and actor Carlos Mencia. District Attorney Nathan Hochman is scheduled to announce the charges during a 2 p.m. news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles.
Officials have not yet disclosed the nature of the charges.
The prosecution marks the first case brought by the Business Tax Fraud Unit, a specialized division created under Hochman’s administration to investigate and prosecute tax-related crimes involving businesses.
Mencia, whose real name is Ned Arnel Mencia, rose to fame through his stand-up comedy career and as the host of the Comedy Central series Mind of Mencia.
The comedian has previously faced tax-related issues. In 2021, reports indicated that the Internal Revenue Service filed liens against three properties he owned in Georgia over more than $1 million in unpaid federal income taxes.
The District Attorney’s Office said Thursday’s announcement will be streamed live on its social media platforms.
No additional information about the case was immediately available Thursday morning.
KTLA will update this story following the district attorney’s announcement.
Multiple people were arrested after local and federal law enforcement agents descended upon L.A.’s MacArthur Park to carry out a nighttime narcotics enforcement operation.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) descended on the park at around 9 p.m.
Among the personnel who arrived at the scene was First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who joined authorities in overseeing the operation.
In a statement, LAPD said officers were “assisting our federal partners in a joint narcotics enforcement operation in the MacArthur Park area. This operation is focused solely on drug-related criminal activity. There is no connection to immigration enforcement.”
More than 100 law enforcement members were involved, including around 60 DEA agents and 55 LAPD officers. As officers converged on the park, many people were seen running away.
Six people were eventually taken into custody for felony drug charges.
Officials told KTLA’s Jillian Smukler that they intentionally waited until nightfall after frustrated business owners said that most of the visible drug activity occurred at night, following previous raids that took place much earlier in the day.
“We’ve been hearing that a lot of stuff has been moving to later in the day, so that’s why we’re coming out later in full force to show them that this is not a joke,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, a DEA spokesperson. “We are taking the park back for the people. This will happen. It’s going to take time, but it will happen.”
DEA agents are supporting LAPD efforts as part of a long-term strategy to eradicate a troubling increase in drug activity at MacArthur Park.
Authorities had targeted the park multiple times in the past for narcotics-related operations.
The latest incident occurred on June 4 as officers carried out a mission named “Operation Free MacArthur Park,” which involved serving arrest and search warrants in the area surrounding the park. Thirteen people were arrested for various offenses and officers recovered drug paraphernalia during the operation.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at the time that authorities were targeting the demand side of the drug trade, going after small-time drug dealers and the drug addicts who are using every day.
“I refuse to allow MacArthur Park to be a cemetery, and that’s what it’s been,” Hochman said. “Because we’ve had individual after individual after individual die of drug overdoses, so much so that the local fire department spends much more time trying to revive people with Narcan who are on death’s door than they do putting out fires in this area.”
Authorities told KTLA they will maintain a presence at the park and work to eliminate all drug activity, allowing the park to be a safe place for residents and visitors.
“We remain committed to keeping our communities safe and informed as this operation continues,” LAPD said.
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