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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Southern California is enjoying a comfortable stretch of below-average temperatures that should continue through Father’s Day, but a strong heat wave is looming.
A significant warming trend will begin early next week before peaking Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
“Another one of those ridges of high pressure is expected to build in, with temperatures really heating up,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said. “We’re looking at temperatures reaching triple digits in parts of the High Desert and Inland Empire as well.”
An extreme heat watch has been issued for parts of Los Angeles County, including Woodland Hills, Pomona, Pasadena, Santa Clarita and other areas, from Tuesday morning through Thursday evening.
Temperatures in those areas could range from the upper 80s to 100 degrees.
The Weather Service suggested the following actions:
- Continue to monitor the latest forecasts, as the amount of heating is still uncertain
- Adjust plans now to stay cool next week
- Check in with elderly neighbors and family members to ensure they are aware of the hot forecast
The high-pressure system is expected to weaken on Thursday, bringing cooler temperatures as we head into next weekend.
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.
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