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Shortly after 7:00 local time this morning, the internet-famous walk for peace monks began the final miles of their 2,300-mile walking journey. They left Alexandria, Virginia, and are set to arrive in Washington, D.C., before 9:30 a.m., where theyll take part in a public event at Bender Arena. The group plans to spend the next three days in and around the nations capital before traveling by bus to Fort Worth, Texas, where the journey began. Find out how they plan to spend the next few days. Who are the monks and why did they walk to D.C.? More than three months ago, a group of about 19 Buddhist monks and their rescue dog companion, Aloka, set out on a 2,300-mile walking journey to promote peace. The movement has been well-received in the United States and globally. Throughout the journey, massive crowds of people have gathered to welcome and celebrate the monks. They started the walk in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 26, 2025. After 108 days of walking, they arrived in Washington, D.C., this morning. The groups Facebook page notes that theyre walking to raise awareness of inner peace and mindfulness across America and the world. The monks have been using their Facebook page to provide updates, share photos, and announce official events. An interactive map powered by Google Maps also let people follow along with the monks in real time. As their message of hope and peace has reached more people, their social media following has continued to grow significantly. They now have nearly 6 million combined followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The monks’ rescue dog, Aloka, who has been part of the walking journey, has become an internet fan favorite. In January, Aloka had surgery to heal a leg injury. Hes doing well, but because hes still recovering, hes been traveling in an escort car that follows the walking route. Aloka has his own official social media accounts. He has a combined following of over 1.5 million fans across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Heres where the monks will be this week The group has shared the following schedule for the week: Tuesday, February 10: 7:00 a.m.: Walk from Alexandria, VA, to Washington, D.C. 9:30-10:45 a.m.: Public Event at Bender Arena Lunch stop: Theyll attend an invite-only lunch at the National United Methodist Church 1:002:30 p.m.: Interfaith Ceremony at Washington National Cathedral 2:30 p.m.: Unity Walk on Embassy Row In the evening, theyll attend a private event at George Washington University Wednesday, February 11: 9:30 a.m.: Walk to Peace Monument / Capitol Hill begins Lunch stop: Theyll attend an invite-only lunch at St. Marks Capitol Hill Church 1:30 p.m.: Begin walking to the Lincoln Memorial 2:30-4:00 p.m: Peace Gathering and Concluding Ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial 4:30-7:30 p.m.: Meditation session with Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara at George Washington University Smith Center Thursday, February 12: 9:00 a.m.: Begin walking from the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Maryland to the Maryland State Capitol 10:00-10:45 a.m.: Peace gathering at the steps of the Maryland State Capitol 12:30 p.m.: Depart for Fort Worth, Texas, by bus Saturday, February 14: The group is set to arrive in Fort Worth around 8:00 a.m. They plan to walk from downtown Fort Worth to the Hng Đo Vipassana Bhavana Center, where the 2,300-mile journey began. The homecoming walking route is approximately six miles. To celebrate the completion of their journey, a peace gathering will be held at the Hng Đo Vipassana Bhavana Center. If youd like to follow along throughout the coming days, check their Facebook page for updates.
Category:
E-Commerce
Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about five years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.The finding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.Democrats and Hispanic Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Donald Trump back in the White House and his party in control of both houses of Congress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s first term. Democrats’ optimism fell significantly Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a new political party enters the White House generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presidency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”That didn’t happen in 2025.Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%. Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to offset Democrats’ drop.“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said. “And a lot of that was just because the people who identified as Democrats really took it in the chops.”But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the last year of Trump’s first term. A January AP-NORC poll found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations. Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s first year in office, dropping from 69% to 63%.That decrease was sharper than among white and Black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.” This data is a part of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index. The 2025 results are based on data collected over four quarterly measurement periods, totaling 22,125 interviews with U.S. adults who are part of the probability-based Gallup Panel. Linley Sanders, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Target Corporation has reportedly announced that it will cut about 500 roles at the company, partially in an effort to reallocate financial resources to boost the in-store customer experience. The job cuts would be the second major wave of cuts that Target has made in the last five months, and come less than two weeks after the companys new CEO stepped into the role. Heres what you need to know. Whats happened? On Monday, media outlets including CNBC and MarketWatch reported on a memo sent to Target employees by the companys chief stores officer, Adrienne Costanzo, and its chief supply chain and logistics officer, Gretchen McCarthy. In the memo, the executives announced that the chain would be initiating more layoffsthis time cutting around 500 positions. However, the majority of the job cuts will not impact store-level retail workers. Instead, the memo says that about 400 jobs will be lost across its distribution and another 100 jobs will go across its store district level. Fast Company has reached out to Target for comment. We’ll update this story if we hear back. Targets roughly 2,000 stores are divided into geographic districts staffed by corporate regional office workers. The memo stated that the number of these districts will be reduced, and thus some corporate workers overseeing these districts will be let go. Target has around 440,000 employees, most of whom work in its retail division. Job cuts of around 500 mean Target is laying off about 1/10 of 1% of its workforce. Why is Target cutting jobs? Besides a reorganization of its geographic districts, the financial savings from job cuts will allow Target to reinvest more money into front-line in-store staffing. This change also fuels our ability to put significantly more payroll in our storesprimarily in additional labor and hours where needed most, but also in new guest experience training for every team member at every store, the memo stated. In recent years, Target has faced customer criticism that checkout lines have gotten longer and stores have become messier. This has been attributed to lower staffing levels in stores and to store employees being taken off the floor to help fulfill online curbside orders. But the job cuts also come less than two weeks after Targets new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, stepped into the role at the beginning of this month. Fiddelke was named incoming CEO last year and had previously served as the companys operating officer. Fiddelke himself is the one who notified Target employees via memo in October that the company was laying off 1,800 workers. At the time, Fiddelke said those layoffs were a necessary step in building the future of Target and enabling the progress and growth we all want to see. Target hit by external and self-made problems In recent years, Target has had essentially flat year-over-year sales, not helped by the fact that many of its cost-conscious consumers are cutting back on their discretionary spending and inflation surges. A majority of the goods Target sells are discretionary items. Additionally, many of Targets products come from China and other countries in Asia that have been hit hard by President Trumps tariffs, thus raising Targets costs when it imports those goods to the United States. The company also shot itself in the foot last year when it reversed course on its celebrated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the wake of Trump entering the White House for a second term. The reversal of its DEI policies led to fierce consumer backlash and boycotts, resulting in foot traffic falling by almost 8% in many of its stores. How has Targets stock price reacted to the layoff news? Investors in Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) seem unfazed by the news of more job cuts. Yesterday, TGT shares closed roughly flat to $115.52 per share. And in premarket trading this morning, TGT shares are up only about 0.4%. Given this, investors seem to think the layoffs and district changes will have little meaningful impact on Targets financesat least in the immediate term. The good news for Target is that, as of yesterdays close, the companys shares are up over 18% year to date. While the companys stock price is still down about 12% over the past year, TGT shares have now recovered significantly since their November low of around $83.
Category:
E-Commerce
To Dr. Richard Pan, a California-based pediatrician, the idea of living a long, healthy life should not be a partisan issue. Unfortunately, it’s become one: He knows that topics like vaccines, healthcare, and science at large are now extremely politicized, and that whoever has the power to shape our policies can have a big impact on the health of Americans. Pan has seen that firsthand in his time serving in California’s state assembly and then senate, where he authored landmark legislation around vaccines, health insurance, and even a law that led California to produce its own insulinwhich paved the way for the state to offer the medicine for as low as $11. Now, Pan is running for Congress, motivated by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s anti-vaccine agenda and broad issues around healthcare affordability. I swore in medical school as part of my oath to help people and improve health, he says. Part of my career commitment would be to say, Okay, well, I tried doing that at the state [level] and succeeded. Now I need to go to the federal government.’ Pan is part of a wave of experts in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) who are running for Congressional seats in response to the Trump administrations attacks on science, facts, and also affordability. From doctors to scientists to math teachers, Democratic candidates, frustrated with the federal governments actions, see an opportunity to use their STEM skills to win seats in Congress, and eventually shape policies that help the public. While some of these candidates have prior political experience, others are completely new to politics. Dr. Richard Pan listens as senate bill 277 is passed at the California state capitol building in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, June 25, 2015. [Photo: Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images] RFK Jr. as a tipping point Pan first ran for Californias state assembly in 2010 after witnessing the effects of the Great Recession. The state struggled to pass a new budget, and funding shortfalls led to cuts to various health services. I decided things were so bad that I would throw my hat in the ring and run, he says. He flipped the Republican seat. Pan served in the State Assembly until 2014, and the state Senate from 2014 to 2022, before returning to medicine full-time. When RFK Jr. was announced as the Health and Human Services secretary, though, Pan saw it as a tipping point. He had already confronted RFK’s vaccine skepticism as a state lawmaker, and he saw RFK’s role in Trump’s administration as something that could upend everything he worked on to help Californians. At the state level, Pan authored legislation that restricted vaccine exceptions; that law went into effect the same year California saw a massive measles outbreak. California hasn’t had such a large outbreak since. But measles cases are surging across the country, and RFK Jr. has been behind much measles vaccine misinformation. That risks everyone, Pan says. As cases increase, risks rise even for vaccinated individuals. When RFK Jr. spread false claims about vaccines during his Senate testimony, people started calling Panreporters, community membersasking what he was going to do about all the health protections being undone by the federal government. I said OK, then Im going to Congress, because thats where the problem is now, he says. Pan is running for the House in Californias 6th District. That seat is currently held by Democrat Ami Bera, who is challenging a Republican in the redrawn 3rd District. “Evidence and reason and the facts” Pan isnt the only STEM expert who was asked to take action in response to the Trump administration. Manny Rutinel, a microbiologist, first responder, and environmental lawyer, says community members asked him to step into the political ring for both his position in the Colorado legislature and his run for Congress. Rutinel is now running to represent Colorados 8th districta seat Democrats lost by less than 1 point in 2024. The incumbent, Republican Gabe Evans, is running again, and multiple race ratings have called a toss up for 2026. To Rutinel, the stakes of both his campaign, and similar campaigns across the country, are clear. To be able to put a stop to the horrors of what the Trump administration and RFK Jr. are doing to our government, our institutions, our services, we need to take back Congress, he says. He already sees his science background, along with his working-class background, reaching potential voters. In the first quarter of 2025 fundraising, his campaign raised more than $1.1 million, with an average donation of $32. The message is resonating, he says. We want folks who are standing up for what’s right, who are using evidence and reason and the facts to be able to put forth legislation that actually helps people instead of hurting them. Problem-solving mentalities Jake Johnson has taught high school math for the past 20 years. Hes never been involved in politics, but now hes running to represent Minnesotas 1st Congressional Districta seat currently held by Republican Brad Finstad. He knows his reasoning could sound like a cliche, but he stands by it. I genuinely have enjoyed solving problems for two decades, he says, and I think that sort of spirit and mindset is something that is maybe missing a little bit in Washington these days. The neighbors in his district seem to like that problem-solving mentality, too. Johnsons campaign raised $100,000 the first day it launched. In both Q2 and Q3 of 2025, he outraised Finsad; Johnsons average donation is under $50. Though hes completely new to politics, Johnson is hopeful about his campaign; he describes himself as a crazy optimist. Hes also buoyed by the other STEM candidates he sees running across the country, many who arelike him, Pan, and Rutinelbacked by 314 Action, a PAC that is specifically working with STEM candidates in response to the Trump administration. We live in such a time of polarization where people get their facts from different sources [and] when we can’t agree on basic fundamentals, we cant have powerful, thoughtful conversations as a community, he says. Weve got to get back to establishing some truths as much as we possibly can. Public confidence in scientists Already in 2026, 314 Action is working with more than 150 STEM candidates nationwide. Many of those races are for Congress: beyond Pan, Rutinel, and Johnson, the PAC is backing Bale Dalton, former chief of staff at NASA and first-time political candidate running for Floridas 7th District; and Audrey Denney, an agricultural scientist and educator running in Californias 1st District, among others. There are also STEM candidates running at more local levels, like Nirav Shah, who was director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, and who is now running for Maine’s governorship. Americans public trust in government has been eroding. Only 17% of Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always or even most of the time, according to Pew Research. But they still largely trust scientists. A January 2025 Pew Research study found that 77% of U.S. adults say they have a great deal or fair amount of coincidence in scientists acting in the publics best interest. Public confidence in scientists has dropped slightly since the start of the pandemic, but scientists continue to rank higher in confidence than elected officials or business leaders. To 314 Action, the current debates in Congress over vaccines, healthcare, and more point to a need for more STEM candidates. The PAC both recruits candidates and reaches out to candidates already running; recently, it said that all of its 150-plus STEM candidates outraised their opponents in the last quarter of 2025. The PAC has faced criticism for taking and concealing donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, in a 2024 Oregon Congressional race; 314 Action pushed back against the reporting at the time before campaign documents became public. “As Trump and RFK Jr. ramp up their attacks on science and health care, 314 Action’s mission to recruit and elect more Democrats with science backgrounds has never been more urgent,” Erik Polyak, 314 Action’s executive director, said in a statement. “We work with a broad political coalition of individuals and organizations laser-focused on advancing winning campaigns.” To some, it might not be obvious that STEM experts would enter politics. Members of Congress tend to come from fields like law or business primarily (though education and public service are also dominant backgrounds). But to Dr. Pan, and others in STEM currently running for office, the idea makes clear sense. Pan cites Rudolf Virchow, the father of modern pathology, who said that “politics is nothing but medicine at a larger scale.” “The nature of politics right now demands that we actually enter the political field and practice medicine on a larger scale, as Virchow said, because it’s under attack,” Pan says. “One of the major sources of the problem right now is the current administration and the current people in Congress.”
Category:
E-Commerce
The boomers are all about money. Gen X is like, is it all about money? Millennials are like, where is the money? And Gen Z is like, what is money? Thats the conclusion Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler came to on an episode of her podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler. Since the episode aired last year, a clip has since been shared widely of her breaking down how each generation relates to money. She adds, “That’s my bad stand-up about it.” As the clip has gained traction online, on TikTok, actor Freddie Smith said that Poehler “totally nails it.” He then took it one step further and broke it down in terms of how each generation’s economy helped shape their attitude toward money. He says that for boomers, who lived through an economic boom, accumulating wealth was easyor at least easier than it has ever been since. Baby boomers currently hold more than $85 trillion in assets, making them the richest generation by far. Therefore, they earn the title all about the money. Millennials, meanwhile, were handed a map and told the exact steps to follow to find the financial success their parents enjoyed. Only when they got there we open up the treasure chest and there’s two f-ing coins in it, explains Smith. Now, theyre all struggling through their millennial midlife crisis trying to come to terms with all the ways theyve been sold a dream. Then theres Gen Z. They’re going to work and they’re getting paid direct deposit on Fridays and as soon as that money hits the account, it just goes automatically to their bills. They don’t actually ‘touch’ money,” says Smith. Disillusionomics has come to define a generation thats lost faith in the traditional markers of stability. What once defined financial successa house, a family, retirementfeels increasingly out of reach for the youngest working generation. “This is such a true representation of what we’re all screaming about right now, Smith concluded. What is going ON?” (An explanation for Gen X doesnt appear in the video, which doesnt do much to beat the forgotten generation allegations.) Poehlers soundbite emerged from a discussion with Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur about shifting workplace environments, particularly in Hollywoodbut also beyond. Schur suggests theres a historical belief in Hollywood that if something good comes out of a chaotic environment, then its taken as validation: this must be the best way to produce great work. Its similar to how the eat-sleep-work lifestyleakin to the infamous 996 schedulehas recently gained momentum among certain tech companies. So we better not try to fix the chaos, he says. When a rational person would think, let’s fix the chaos. If the chaos is fixed, he suggests, people will still be able to produce just as good workbut without putting up with a toxic work environment as part of the deal. Schur says this attitude has improved in Hollywood in recent years. Poehler agrees, putting this down to a push from younger generations, who have just reminded us that we don’t need to put up with behavior that we were used to putting up with. Thanks to Gen Zs penchant for work-life balance, people are just a little bit less okay with having their lives ruined at work, she says. When Schur, 50, and Poelher, 54, were coming up in Hollywood, you put your head down and you try to survive, Schur recalls. The generation behind us, and especially the one behind that generation, looks at chaos and goes likeoh, then no, thank you.
Category:
E-Commerce
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