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GBPI Responds to Threatened Executive Order Gutting US Department of Education – Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
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The Trump Administration has threatened an executive order gutting the US Department of Education (ED). ED administers a range of programs of critical importance to Georgians, including Title I programs serving students living in poverty, Pell grants providing aid to Georgia’s college students experiencing need and the administration of programs serving migrant K-12 students and those with disabilities.
The gutting of ED, the agency best positioned to administer these programs and funds for vulnerable Georgians, is especially concerning given that large-scale federal funding cuts are likely on the horizon. This effectively delivers a one-two punch to our state. It does specific harm to individuals in rural school districts like Clay County, where almost a third of the school district’s budget is from federal sources, compared to a county like Forsyth in Metro Atlanta, where federal funding only accounts for 3% of the school district’s budget.[4]
These actions by the administration are layered on top of multiple other harms to Georgians experiencing poverty, including potential historic cuts to programs like Medicaid and food stamps, which support healthcare access and food security for thousands of Georgians from the Golden Isles to the Blue Ridge Mountains. From Staci Fox, CEO of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute:
“Federal funding is tailored to support kids with the greatest needs and therefore is most important in districts experiencing higher poverty, many of which are in rural Georgia. This is an unprecedented dismantling of systems and resources built and calibrated to support students and the schools who serve them. The government should provide equitable access to education to all students and this role must be shared between federal, state and local bodies.”
[1] Dalton, M. (2025, March 6). What shrinking the US Department of Education could mean for Georgia. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/education/what-eliminating-the-us-department-of-education-could-mean-for-georgia/AA42CF5EPZCCFFGEMCJ5OYIJEQ/
[2] James, W., & Ragland, W.. (2024, July 25). Project 2025’s elimination of Title I funding would hurt students and decimate teaching positions in local schools. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025s-elimination-of-title-i-funding-would-hurt-students-and-decimate-teaching-positions-in-local-schools/
[3] University of Michigan. Federal education funding data dashboard (2020-21 academic year). https://poverty.umich.edu/federal-education-funding-data-dashboard/
[4] Georgia Department of Education. Georgia insights: District financial information, Georgia Department of Education, revenues and expenditures (2024). https://georgiainsights.gadoe.org/Dashboards/Pages/District-Financial-Information.aspx
*The following information reflects the legislation passed by the United States House of Representatives on
Many state health departments and programs use acronyms. To help keep track of ones used
The House is rushing the process to fundamentally change the structure of the SNAP program.
The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute works to advance lasting solutions that expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians.
Georgia Budget & Policy Institute
GBPI is committed to tracking how the state of Georgia raises and spends fiscal resources. As the federal government has promised and provided some of these, cuts to programs and funding on the federal level could have deep and lasting impacts on Georgians and on the state’s ability to meet the needs of all its residents.
Submit public comment on Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program extension by February 20th – just complete this easily fillable form:
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Karen Read trial: Day 1 of jury deliberations ends without verdict – USA Today
Karen Read’s fate now rests in the hands of Massachusetts jurors – again.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered impassioned closing arguments Friday in Read’s second murder trial over the death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O’Keefe, ending eight weeks of criminal proceedings.
The judge dismissed the jury for deliberations at roughly 2:40 p.m.
“Don’t you have questions?” one of Read’s lawyers, Alan Jackson, asked jurors in his final message to them. If their confidence in the case against Read isn’t “unshakeable,” leaving no room for doubt, he said the jury must acquit.
Prosecutor Hank Brennan leaned into the phone and vehicle evidence he presented in his final last few words, telling jurors: “Data doesn’t lie.” He added: “The timeline in this case is beyond dispute.”
Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories
Read, 45, is accused of striking O’Keefe with her SUV and then leaving him to die in the snow on the lawn of a friend’s house after the couple got into an argument during a night of heavy drinking in January 2022.
The defense said Read dropped O’Keefe off at the home of their friend and fellow Boston police officer, Brian Albert, and never saw him again. Police, they argued, were biased against Read from the beginning and never investigated evidence suggesting other potential suspects were responsible for O’Keefe’s death.
Now, the 12-person panel will weigh the heaps of evidence and witness testimony presented by the lawyers over the last eight weeks. They will decide whether Read is guilty on three charges: second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death.
The deliberations come nearly a year after the jury in Read’s first trial could not come to a verdict on the charges against her, resulting in a mistrial. Since then, the case has garnered intrigue from true-crime fans nationwide, and Read has amassed a legion of supporters who have held demonstrations professing her innocence.
Catch up here on Read’s retrial.
The judge dismissed the jury for deliberations at roughly 2:40 p.m. They finished for the day, without a verdict, at roughly 4:35 p.m.
The judge began reading the jury instructions at about 1:30 p.m. She explained the definition of reasonable doubt, telling them it “does not mean beyond all possible doubt.”
She also explained that the court empaneled 18 jurors at the start of the case, but would only need 12 for deliberations. She said a court officer would randomly choose the 12 jurors. The other six will become alternates.
The prosecution spent much of their closing argument outlining Read’s actions when she realized O’Keefe didn’t come home on Jan. 29, 2022.
Less than 30 minutes after she got home, she left O’Keefe a voicemail message saying, “Nobody knows where you are,” Brennan told jurors.
The next morning, she was frantic, he said. Read called one of O’Keefe’s friends and the sister-in-law of Brian Albert, Jennifer McCabe, and told her she left O’Keefe at the bar the night before, Brennan said. McCabe told Read she had seen her car outside of the Albert house the night before, according to her earlier testimony in the case.
Then, Brennan said Read called another one of O’Keefe’s friends: Kerry Roberts. This time, he alleged, Read said she thought O’Keefe was “hit by a plow.”
Brennan suggested Read was already beginning to cover her tracks in those moments.
“What is causing this extraordinary duress?” he asked.
Later, he told jurors the evidence doesn’t show how a collision between Read’s car and O’Keefe happened. But, the data shows “it happened.”
Brennan finished his closing argument by displaying a photo of O’Keefe to the jury.
Prosecutor Hank Brennan continued to focus the early part of his closing argument on the data presented in the case.
The first point of data, he says: Read was drunk. Her blood alcohol level was “almost two to three times the legal limit.”
Another point: Read’s SUV moved 87 feet in reverse at about the time O’Keefe’s phone locked for the last time, according to data from both machines, Brennan told jurors. O’Keefe’s location data showed lying close to the flag pole outside Albert’s house all night and his battery precipitously dropped in temperature, Brennan said.
He then showed jurors an interview clip of Read, where she wondered if O’Keefe could have attempted to flag her down as she was driving away, then admitted she was trying to garner that reaction.
“She didn’t think he was mortally wounded. But she knew she hit him,” Brennan said.
Brennan laid out the commonwealth’s case in three sentences at the start of his closing argument: “She was drunk. She hit him. And she left him to die.”
He told jurors Read and O’Keefe had a “toxic relationship” and asked them to recall testimony from O’Keefe’s niece about a vacation the family took in Aruba. Amid discord, he said O’Keefe walked away to be alone and Read banged on his door to “have the last word.”
Brennan said it “mirrored” what happened on Jan. 29, 2022.
“The timeline in this case is beyond dispute,” he told jurors. “Data is data.”
Defense Attorney Alan Jackson implored jurors to look at the mistakes investigators made in O’Keefe’s case – including not securing the scene around O’Keefe’s body, not treating Albert’s house like a crime scene and not securing the ring camera of a neighbor across the street.
He reread lewd texts sent by Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in O’Keefe’s case, referring to Read as “crazy.”
When one of Proctor’s friends asked, “Is the homeowner going to catch a lot of shit?” the investigator replied: “Nope, he’s a Boston cop too.”
Jackson reminded jurors of surveillance video showing Albert “skulking through the hallways” of the Canton, Massachusetts police department in the early hours of Jan. 29, 2022, before O’Keefe’s body was found.
The Alberts also sent their dog, Chloe, to a farm in Vermont shortly after O’Keefe’s body was found, Jackson said. The defense has suggested the dog caused the cuts on O’Keefe’s arm.
“Who gets rid of their family pet?” Jackson questioned. “Unless they had something to hide.”
“Don’t you have questions?” he asked jurors, later telling them, “Don’t let the commonwealth get away with this.”
Jackson walked jurors through the defense’s case from the beginning, starting with the hours before O’Keefe’s death. He pointed to a video showing Albert and another man, Brian Higgins, sparring at the Waterfall Bar and Grille where O’Keefe and Read were drinking.
Higgins had texted Read “um… well” after seeing her with O’Keefe, Jackson said, noting that Read had previously flirted with Higgins. The play fighting, Jackson alleged, was practice for a later assault of O’Keefe.
Read, he said, arrived home at 12:36 a.m. She left O’Keefe increasingly angry voicemails because she was “frustrated” he hadn’t come home yet, Jackson suggested.
He then pointed to the forensic evidence, saying, “the science doesn’t take sides.”
“Not a single medical expert, not one has testified that O’Keefe was hit by a car,” Jackson told jurors, and added that there was no evidence of an impact site on O’Keefe’s body.
Prosecutors have suggested cuts on O’Keefe’s right arm were caused by Read’s broken taillight. But Jackson questioned how O’Keefe could have received 36 cuts from the taillight if there were only nine puncture holes in his sweatshirt.
There was “no evidence” O’Keefe was hit by a car, he repeated. “How much more reasonable doubt could there be?”
“There was no collision. There was no collision,” Jackson told jurors at the beginning of closing arguments, before launching into an explanation of how they should consider the evidence in the case.
He said they were being asked to “stare down injustice” and were the “last line of defense between an innocent woman and a system that has tried to break her.”
If jurors believed the commonwealth’s case against Read “maybe” “possibly” or even “likely” true, Jackson said they would need to acquit Read. To convict Read, he said they needed to have an “unshakeable” level of confidence in the prosecution’s case.
The judge said she intends to hand Read’s case to the jury by the end of the day Friday.
“I don’t want to end the charge and send them home for the weekend,” Cannone said about giving the jury their instructions. “That’s not fair after they’ve waited so long.”
Cannone will allow the defense and prosecution each an hour and 15 minutes to present their closing arguments.
After a lunch break in the afternoon, the judge will read the jury instructions. She said she has asked the jury to stay until 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. to deliberate.
CourtTV has been covering the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, when O’Keefe’s body was found outside a Massachusetts home.
You can watch CourtTV’s live feed of the Read trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings will begin at 9 a.m. ET.
Contributing: Jessica Trufant, USA TODAY NETWORK
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US Open leaderboard updates: Scores, highlights from Friday's second round – USA Today
Sam Burns has taken over the top spot at 3-under-par after a strong performance in the second round at Oakmont Country Club on Friday. He moved up 32 spots from Thursday.
J.J. Spaun sat at the top of the US Open leaderboard to start the day, but is now sitting in second on the leaderboard after shooting a 72 on Friday.
Burns and Spaun will continue to battle at the top of the leaderboard on Saturday with plenty of contenders looming just a few shots back with scoring so hard at what’s traditionally the toughest major on the golf calendar.
Viktor Hovland is third on the leaderboard followed by Adam Scott and Ben Griffin, who are tied for fourth place.
Several golfers, such as Thriston Lawrence and Chris Gotterup, were trying to finish out the round on Friday evening when rain started to pour. Despite the best efforts of some, the weather forced a delay in the action and forced the second round to officially conclude on Saturday morning before the start of the third round can begin.
USA TODAY Sports provided complete coverage of Friday’s second round. Follow along:
Click here to see the complete U.S. Open leaderboard
The rain began to come down hard on Friday and the several players finished out the second round in the evening. The group featured Sam Stevens and golfers such as Edoardo Molinari and Thorbjørn Olesen, who were trying to make the cut.
US Open officials blew the horn at 8:15 p.m. ET, alerting the field that there’s lightning in the area and the action has been delayed. It was mentioned on the broadcast that the final part of the round is expected to begin early Saturday morning.
Sam Burns has sole possession of the top after his play in the second round. He shot a 65 to finish 5-under-par for the day. He moved up 32 spots on the leaderboard Friday, finishing the first two days of the event 3-under-par.
J.J. Spaun took a small step back, shooting a 72 (two-over-par for the round) for the second round. He is currently in second place at 2-under-par as the rest of the field continues to sort itself out to end Friday’s action.
J.J. Spaun is finishing his second round strong after making a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 17, bringing him to 3-under and tying for the lead with Sam Burns.
Shawn Lowry fails to make his putt on the No. 14 hole and quickly realizes it before the disappointment sets in, highlighting the mental pressure this challenging course puts on golfers. As a result, he adds +1 to his score, bringing him to +16 as he heads into the final four holes of the second round. He is not expected to make the cut.
J.J. Spaun remains at -3 and is currently tied with Sam Burns for the lead after making a bogey on the 15th hole as he heads into his final three holes of the second round. Close behind Spaun and Burns are Thomas Detry and Thriston Lawrence, both at -2, tied for third place.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy is struggling again at Oakmont Friday. His front nine included two double bogeys in his first three holes and he’s in a fight just to make the cut for the weekend. It seemed like he might find some momentum after he got a birdie at No. 9 but he followed it up with another bogey at No. 11.
His frustration seemed to boil over at No. 12 after he hit his tee shot into the fairway. His ensuing approach shot sailed into the rough, no where near where McIlroy intended and he immediately tossed his club at least 10 yards. McIlroy managed to save par on the hole, but he’s at 8-over with six holes to go. The cut line currently sits at +6.
J.J. Spaun got back on track with a birdie at No. 11 and then completed a beautiful lag put to save par at No. 12 while Thriston Lawrence’s troubles around the green continued. Lawrence just three-putted for the third-straight hole resulting in a third-straight bogey. In a matter of three holes, Lawrence has gone from having a three-shot lead to giving that lead back to Spaun.
Lawrence’s fast start didn’t last. After briefly taking a three-shot lead on the field, back-to-back bogeys at No. 14 and No. 15 ‒ combined with a birdie by J.J. Spaun ‒ have created a tie atop the 2025 U.S. Open leaderboard again.
A hot start by Thriston Lawrence has given the U.S. Open a new leader. Lawrence has birdies on three of his first four holes to move to 6-under for the tournament. He has a two-shot lead on first-round leader J.J. Spaun.
Thomas Detry’s second round has been a wild ride so far, and he’s only through five holes thus far. He started off with a double bogey on his first role (No. 10), birdied No. 11, then bogeyed No. 12 and got it together for a par at No. 13. But the 14th hole is where it all went a little crazy.
Detry holed out his approach shot from 141 yards for an eagle and it pushed him back into the top five of the U.S. Open leaderboard.
A birdie at No. 11 by Thriston Lawrence and J.J. Spaun’s second bogey of the second round have created a two-way tie atop the leaderboard with both Lawrence and Spaun at 4-under for the tournament. There are now just five golfers under par as of 3:30 p.m. ET Friday.
J.J. Spaun continues to gain traction and, after another birdie on No. 6, increases his lead by two shots, sitting at -5 through six holes.
After a lengthy par 5 on the third hole, J.J. Spaun regained the lead by making a birdie on the fourth hole, bringing his score to -4. The leaderboard remains competitive, with Sam Burns and Thriston Lawrence tied for second place at -3.
Rory McIlroy’s terrible close to the first round carried over into his start to the second round. McIlroy just wound up with a double bogey at No. 1 after hitting his tee shot into one of Oakmont’s treacherous fairway bunkers. His second shot out of the sand went just 17 yards and then went through another three-shot adventure around the green.
McIlroy now sits at 6-over for the tournament and will now be up against it trying to make the cut throughout his second round.
J.J. Spaun’s time alone atop the 2025 U.S. Open leaderboard has come to an end after his first bogey of the tournament on Oakmont’s No. 3 hole. He’s now tied for first at 3-under for the tournament with Sam Burns and Thriston Lawrence, who has to yet to tee off. There are only eight golfers currently under par for the tournament and nearly 35 golfers are within six shots of the lead.
The world’s No. 1 golfer and a two-time U.S. Open champion both struggled around Oakmont Friday, but held it together enough to make the cut and stay within reach of the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend.
Scheffler sits at 4-over par after posting back-to-back rounds over par for the first time this year. He had six bogeys on Thursday and another five on Friday, but is probably one good round Saturday from being back in contention.
Koepka got off to a good start by firing a 2-under 68 that had many wondering if he was back to form. But two birdies on the first three holes to begin Friday’s second round, Koepka had his issues with Oakmont’s treacherous terrain. He finished with seven bogeys over his final 13 holes and sits at 2-over heading into the weekend
Sam Burns’ capped off his charge up the second-round leaderboard with a long putt to save par on the par 4 ninth hole at Oakmont after hitting his tee shot way off the fairway. His 5-under 65 on Friday is the best round of the tournament thus far and puts him in a tie for second at 3-under for the tournament as he heads to clubhouse.
The 28-year-old from Shreveport, Louisiana could very well end up in the lead heading into Saturday’s third round given how tough the course is playing … for everyone but Burns at the moment. He has as many birdies through 36 holes (11) as Dustin Johnson had the entire tournament when he won the U.S. Open at Oakmont in 2016.
The main feed for U.S. Open coverage is moving from Peacock to NBC stations around the country beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Click here for everything to know about the TV and streaming coverage for this year’s U.S. Open.
J.J. Spaun ended his first round as the leader in the clubhouse at the 2025 U.S. Open and he began his second round Friday in the same position. Though Sam Burns has charged to within one shot of him Friday morning, Spaun’s 4-under 66 held overnight and into the afternoon wave of tee times at Oakmont. Let’s see how he handles the pressure with a leaderboard that’s really packed together because of the tough scoring conditions.
The golfers putting together the two best rounds of the morning wave at Oakmont Friday are now tied for second behind J.J. Spaun on the 2025 U.S. Open leaderboard. Sam Burns and Viktor Hovland each birdied No. 4 and then Hovland followed with another birdie on No. 5.
Both started their second round on the back nine and moved to 3-under for the tournament. Both sit just one shot behind Spaun. Burns has six birdies. Hovland has five birdies and an eagle.
Friday’s second round got another jolt from Victor Perez.
He used a 7-iron for his tee shot on the 192-yard par 3 No. 6 and wound up with the second hole-in-one ever recorded during a U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Perez celebrated by chest bumping his caddie. The shot also moved Perez to +1 for the tournament and into the top 15 on the leaderboard.
Watch for yourself here:
Burns was off to a good start on Thursday afternoon before struggling down the stretch on the back nine to ruin an otherwise strong first round. But he’s shaken that off and come out swinging again on Friday, putting together perhaps the best round on course at the moment.
Burns has surged up to third on the leaderboard at 3-under for the tournament after five birdies and a bogey through 12 holes, despite starting on the back nine that he had so much trouble with during the first round.
Hovland, a 27-year-old Norwegian is climbing up the leaderboard, scoring a 4-under through the first portion of his second round. Hovland has three birdies and carded an eagle on 17 before giving back that shot on the next hole with a bogey on the nearly 500-foot 18th hole. He is one shot off the lead after beginning his back nine with a 23-foot birdie putt on 1. Sam Burns is also 4-under for the second round and two shots off the lead, after his birdie on the second hole.
The world’s number one player is having an even second round. After scoring a birdie on the par 4 10th, Scheffler’s next four holes ended in par, before he ran into trouble on the 15th, ending with a double bogey. He is currently at 3-over, just above the current projected cut line of 4-over. Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, and Justin Thomas are among the notables who are in danger of missing the cut.
You can get latest leaderboard updates and tee times here
After bogeying his first hole of the second round, Brooks Koepka, who is a two-time winner of the U.S. Open, bounced back to birdie the next two holes on 11 and 12 and is now one shot off the lead. Sungjae Im is off to a rough start after scoring bogey on the par 4 second hole and now sits at 1-under.
You can get latest leaderboard updates and tee times here.
The 2025 U.S. Open will be broadcast by NBC and USA Network throughout all four rounds, with USA Network the sole home for first-round action on Thursday, June 12 and NBC and USA Network splitting coverage for the second, third and final rounds. All four rounds of the U.S. Open will be live streamed on Peacock, usopen.com, the USGA app and Fubo, which offers a free trial. Peacock will also broadcast U.S. Open All-Access, its whiparound-style offering, on all four days.
For a full list of tee times, you can find Thursday’s starts here.
All times Eastern; (a) amateur; (1 or 10) starting hole
All odds via BetMGM on Thursday, June 12.
Weather forecasts are according to the Weather Channel:
Picks made ahead of the US Open’s first round:
“Scheffler has by far the shortest odds to win the U.S. Open, but it’s for a good reason. He has won three of his last four tournaments, including the PGA Championship, and has finished no worse than T-25th in any event this season.
“Scheffler’s success is largely thanks to his strong tee-to-green game. He ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee to green (SG:T2G) but has also been the tour’s second-best scrambler. That combination should allow him to have fewer issues than others with Oakmont’s brutal rough and could ultimately deliver him his first U.S. Open title.”
“Don’t let him throw you off the scent with his first non-top-20 major finish in three-plus years or a surprisingly poor putting performance at the Memorial. If Xander can find the groove with his driver, he has as good a chance as anybody to win this thing. Don’t forget: He’s played eight U.S. Opens in his life, he’s never finished worse than 14th, and he has six top-7s. Book this man for a win, cover your bases with a top 10.”
“How can I go with any other player? Scottie is back in alpha mode, and a U.S. Open at Oakmont — golf’s toughest test on the game’s toughest course — will identify the most complete player as champion. That’s Scottie. Third leg of the career grand slam comin’ up!”
“With high rough, give me the guy who’s hitting wedges into the greens. It’s hard to bet against Scottie Scheffler, but I’m predicting a DeChambeau repeat.”
“If you aren’t going to bet on Scottie Scheffler, you should stick to betting the ‘without Scheffler’ market. We haven’t seen a golfer listed with as short of odds as +280 to win a major since Tiger Woods in his prime, but in my opinion, his odds should be even shorter.
“He has won three of his last four starts, including running away with the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Over the last six months, Scheffler has gained 0.73 true strokes per round more than any other golfer in the world. The 0.73 strokes per round gap between Scheffler and the second-ranked golfer, Bryson DeChambeau, is the same as the gap between DeChambeau and Sepp Straka.”
Picks made ahead of the US Open’s first round:
“Straka hasn’t yet won a major but has turned into one of the PGA Tour’s most consistent players. He ranks second to only Scheffler in total strokes gained (SG: Total) and ranks top-three in both strokes gained approaching the green (SG:APP) and greens in regulation (GIR) percentage. He missed the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship this year but has finished top-three in two of his last three events, including a win at the Truist Championship.”
“Conners is another one of those golfers who is super accurate off of the tee, hitting 559 of a possible 812 fairways. He is so-so in driving distance, which isn’t a bad thing. He’ll likely be able to avoid some of those deep fairway bunkers as a result. He ranks 10th on Tour in SG: Off-to-Tee, while checking in 13th in GIR (69.64%), so he knows how to make up for his modest driving power.”
“(Henley) is coming off two missed cuts in major championships, but he has five top 27 finishes at the U.S. Open in his last six tries. He had his best-ever finish at the U.S. Open in 2024 with a T7 at Pinehurst No. 2. He is coming off of a T5 at the Memorial, where he gained over nine strokes from tee to green, and only a cold weekend putter kept him from challenging (Ben) Griffin and Scheffler.”
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Walking Mediation: Benefits, How To Get Started and 3 To Try – TODAY.com
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If you’re an avid walker, chances are you engage in the activity for cardiovascular health, calorie burn and increased mobility. But you’re likely reaping the mental benefits as well, even if you don’t realize it. A daily walk is a great way to combat stress, boost your mood and decompress after a long day — and a walking meditation can help you get even more out of it.
Walking is a great form of physical exercise, but it’s also a great opportunity to practice mindfulness, too.
“Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, without judgment,” Laurasia Mattingly, meditation and mindfulness teacher, previously told TODAY.com.
It also entails being “aware of one’s body, mind and feelings,” Jennifer Dragonette, Psy. D., executive director at Newport Institute, added.
With more people working from home since COVID hit, I’ve been encouraging clients to break up their days by going on a transition walk after work before getting ready for their evening at home. And many saw astounding mental health improvements.
One of my clients said she felt better after her transition walk than she did after a meditation class or a massage; another turned her transition walk into a reflection time in which she mentally listed off all of the things she was grateful for that day.
I, too, have been trying to incorporate meditation on my daily walks. I try to focus on setting the tone for my day with a morning walk that’s not just about movement, but more so about creating an open, clear mind.
What is a walking meditation?
A walking meditation is when you combine movement (walking) and meditative practices. This can be a more formal, guided meditation, or you can just try to practice mindfulness and focus on what’s going on around you.
Primarily, a walking meditation is all about being more aware of your surroundings, body and thoughts, and trying take yourself out of the autopilot setting we often find ourselves in during the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life.
Yes, you can meditate as you walk. The practice is called walking meditation, and it can provide a range of benefits. The walking can boost cardiovascular health and metabolism, help with weight management, and improve mental health. The meditative piece also has mental health benefits.
For those that find it difficult to be in the present moment, or are skeptical about the benefits mediation, combining movement with your mindfulness practice can be a game changer. “Mindful walking is an easy way to incorporate meditation into everyday life and can be an easier way for beginners to learn how to practice mindfulness versus a seated meditation,” explained Dragonette.
The top benefit of walking meditation is that it can allow you to reap some of the documented benefits of meditation — such as less stress, lower anxiety levels, improved attention span and decreased risk of memory loss — in a less intimidating setting because you’re not sitting still.
“Typically when we do physical activities like walking, our mind is elsewhere. We are thinking of emails we need to send or what we need to check off on our to do lists of ruminating on something someone said or did,” Mattingly said.
“It is beneficial to do any activity mindfully because it brings body and mindfulness together. As we walk, we feel our feet touching the earth; we feel the sensation of the ground meeting the feet, each step can then become our destination. Mindfulness allows the mind to come back to the present rather than living in the future or the past.”
Exercise and meditation both work to accomplish similar outcomes, so engaging in them simultaneously is a one-two punch when it comes to boosting our mental health.
“Both regular exercise and mindfulness are proven ways to help with issues like stress, as well as support the treatment of anxiety and depression. Practicing walking meditation regularly can help one be more connected to their body and surroundings while simultaneously making them happier and healthier,” said Dragonette.
If you’re convinced that a mindful walk may be just what the doctor ordered, here is a simple check-in to do with yourself that next time you lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement.
“As you walk, feel the sensation of each part of the physical process of walking from heel to toe including choosing one foot to start with, lifting it, moving through space and feeling it touch down,” said Dragonette. “As you are walking, pay attention to some of the sensations and movements you typically don’t pay attention to, like how your feet make contact with the ground or your arms swing as you walk.”
Start with sound. “Begin to notice the sounds of life happening around you. Notice if you’re adding judgment. Rather than judging a sound as good or bad, we can mentally note ‘loud’ or ‘pleasant’ or whatever the sounds maybe. Just noticing things as they are without adding a layer of judgment,” said Mattingly.
Then move on to your other senses. “Notice and describe the world around you with all five senses: What exactly do you see, hear, smell, even taste? What textures can you feel?” said Dragonette. “The experience will be different for everyone but trying to focus on your surroundings like the weather, the breeze, birds chirping, leaves falling and the way your body moves can be great starting points.”
Do the same no-judgment check in with your physical body, said Mattingly. “Ask yourself: How does my body feel in this moment? Tired? Restless? Energized? And can we honor our bodies however they feel in the moment?”
It may be helpful to do a mental run through of each body part. “Start at the bottom of your feet and notice all the sensations. For example: Is there tingling? Is there coolness or heat? Do these sensations move? And again no judgment. We meet our feet with curiosity,” said Mattingly.
“We can work our way up the body noticing all sensations in the legs, the abdomen, hips, hands, arms, fingers, shoulders, neck, face and top of the head. … We can scan the body for any areas of tightness or tension and with each breath invite in a gentle softening.”
“Ask yourself: What mood is here? Maybe anger, maybe frustration, maybe joy, maybe all of it,” said Mattingly. “Can we allow ourselves to feel how we feel without judgment, understanding there is no right or wrong way to feel?”
Breathing is a large part of a traditional seated meditation, and that doesn’t change just because you’re moving. “The slow breathing associated with meditation is believed to help calm the nervous system and will lead to overall well-being,” said Dragonette.
Whether you are taking a relaxing, meditative walk and breathing in and out slowly, or you’re huffing and puffing through an interval walk, focusing on your breath is an easy way to bring your mind back to the present and check in with your body.
Note how slowly or quickly you are breathing and how it feels to fill your lungs with air and then empty them. If you are taking a leisurely walk, or cooling down from a workout, experiment with controlling your breath by inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, and then exhaling for four counts.
During this whole process, it is inevitable that thoughts are going to pass through your mind. It’s OK — and completely normal — for your mind to wander. “Notice when your thoughts take over, then smile and let them go when you take the next step to redirect your attention back to your walk,” Dragonette explained.
If you want to take a more mindful approach to walking, there are simple ways that you can turn a regular walk into a moving meditation. The next time you head out for a walk, hit the treadmill, or even walk indoors around the house, try focusing on one of these prompts.
Getting outdoors for a walk is especially good for our mental and physical health. Making a conscious effort to pay attention to natural elements not only keeps a common route feeling fresh, but it can deliver a dose of perspective and help ground you. Consciously observing the trees, sun, clouds, road or flowers brings you out of your own thoughts and into the possibilities of the world.
For example, when I tune in to the beautiful trees in the parks in Chicago, the lakefront of Lake Michigan, and the flowers in bloom along the high rises, I feel like a higher power and a larger universe exists beyond just me. Focusing on nature brings me back to earth, literally, and helps put anything I’m stressed about into perspective.
Sometimes I even stop to smell newly planted flowers or touch a tree trunk or look down at the pebbles or cracked sidewalk underneath my shoes. Connecting to nature almost makes me feel like I’m on a vacation; I’m in a different mental state of mind, and when I come back from my walk, I feel refreshed and like I have new ideas and ways of thinking.
Research shows that regularly practicing gratitude can improve your mood, combat stress and help you sleep better — and it is good for your physical health, too.
My client who turned her transition walk into a gratitude walk said this daily practice helps her be calmer with her kids and led to a happier relationship with her husband. She got out of the house and reflected as an outsider looking into her home with these prompts:
She gave herself however much time as she needed to complete the mental list. She enjoyed the walk and movement, but also had her mind focused on the positivity and gratitude that it fostered. The longer she spent in this state of mind, the easier it was to come home and actually see these qualities in her family and her job.
If this resonates with you, try using your walking time to mentally practice gratitude and list off the things that you’re grateful for that day. You may be surprised how much it shifts your mindset.
Are you preparing for a big presentation at work or initiating an important conversation with a friend or family member? A positive pump-up walk serves as a confidence boost. Follow these steps:
During my pump-up walks, I play my favorite music and try to channel my inner confidence and tell myself that what I have to say matters. I finish feeling totally pumped up and confident in myself.
Stephanie Mansour is our TODAY Fitness contributor, a certified personal trainer and a yoga and Pilates instructor. She also leads workout routines and challenges in our new Start TODAY app. The app brings together the best in wellness, providing on-demand fitness videos, weekly and monthly fitness challenges, custom healthy meal plans geared toward your goals and daily inspiration to keep you moving. Download the app.
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Environment Canada warns of severe thunderstorms, possible funnel clouds in Alberta – Global News
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People living across much of central and southeastern Alberta are being urged to keep an eye to the sky Friday.
Environment Canada has issued a series of severe thunderstorm watches for a large area of central Alberta stretching from just south of Hinton, through Edmonton to the Montana border in the southeast.
The national weather agency said thunderstorms are developing over the Alberta foothills and will move to the northeast through the afternoon and evening, with some of them possibly severe enough to produce large hail, heavy winds and heavy rainfall locally.
A special weather statement has also been issued for much of the same area, from Swan Hills in the north to Innisfail in central Alberta, warning that conditions are also favourable for the development of funnel clouds.
In some cases, the statement said, the funnel clouds could intensify enough to become weak landspout tornadoes.
While landspout tornadoes don’t normally cause significant damage, Environment Canada warns they can still be dangerous and strong enough to topple trees, damage roofs and toss debris short distances.
Residents are being advised to treat the sighting of any funnel cloud seriously and seek shelter.
With weather radar already showing some storms already developing, the Alberta Hail Suppression Project has launched several aircraft to seed the clouds with silver iodide to help reduce the severity of any hailstorms.
Environment Canada said the thunderstorms are expected to weaken late Friday evening.
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Niva Bupa Health Insurance Celebrates Father’s Day with #World’sMostResponsibleDad Campaign – The Tribune
New Delhi, Delhi, India – Business Wire India • Partners with Blinkit to distribute specially designed greeting cards across Delhi, Gurgaon, and Mumbai to select buyers.
• Ropes in renowned author and influencer Durjoy Dutta to reach out to young fathers.
Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited has launched a campaign – #World’sMostResponsibleDad on the occasion of upcoming Father’s Day to celebrate the unwavering commitment and responsibility of fathers to secure their family’s health and future.
Fathers are usually the fulcrum around which the entire family revolves. They are natural providers who often go out of the way to keep their family happy and safe. However, as per a consumer immersion conducted by Niva Bupa, only about 20% of fathers currently hold a health insurance policy. This data is a stark reminder that while fathers are doing everything for the wellbeing of their family, they are not taking charge of their own health which is so crucial in ensuring that their family’s future is secure.
#World’sMostResponsibleDad campaign is rooted in a powerful consumer insight: New fathers often feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility. They often tend to priorities their loved ones’ needs over their own. From juggling meetings to make time to spend with their newborn, to changing baby diapers and packing lunchboxes, fathers go the extra mile to keep their family happy. As young fathers navigate their schedules while performing their “father duties”, it can lead to stress that can impact their health. What fathers don’t realize that if their health suffers, it can affect not just them but the whole family they work so hard to protect.
The campaign acknowledges that while fathers may make small everyday mistakes, what truly matters is getting the big things right, like securing their own health with health insurance and thus ensuring that family’s future is protected. Taking this responsible step ensures peace of mind and financial security, safeguarding the entire family against unexpected health challenges. Fathers embracing health insurance set a strong example of care and preparedness, reinforcing their role as protectors and providers in the family.
As part of this campaign, Niva Bupa has partnered with Blinkit to distribute specially designed greeting cards across Delhi, Gurgaon, and Mumbai to buyers of diapers, baby food and other kids related items on Father’s Day weekend (June 14th & 15th). The greeting card has heartwarming message along with playful checklist to help dads reflect if they qualify as the #World’sMostResponsibleDad.
For this campaign, Niva Bupa is also collaborating with renowned author and influencer Durjoy Dutta to amplify the message to new fathers and families on Instagram and other digital platforms. This collaboration will ensure that the campaign reaches young fathers who are stepping into the journey of responsibility and are keen to secure their family’s health and future.
Speaking about the initiative, Nimish Agrawal, Director – Digital Business Unit & Chief Marketing Officer at Niva Bupa Health Insurance, said, “At Niva Bupa, we understand that a father’s true responsibility goes beyond the daily hustle—it’s about ensuring the long-term health and well-being of the family. This campaign is our way of nudging fathers to prioritize their own health for the sake of their family’s future. Health insurance is a fundamental step towards safeguarding the future and ensuring peace of mind for the entire family.” The campaign underscores the importance of health insurance in a father’s toolkit of responsibility. By securing health insurance, fathers not only protect themselves and their loved ones but also provide a shield for their family’s future. Niva Bupa Health Insurance empowers families to face life’s uncertainties with confidence.
Here is the Campaign link for your reference: https://youtube.com/shorts/2U6aHtAZjOc?feature=share About Niva Bupa Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited is a Public Listed Company on Stock exchange(s). The company’s purpose is to give every Indian the confidence to access the best healthcare. It intends to play the role of an enabler in the lives of its customers and help them live life without constraints. This is reflected in its brand philosophy – ‘Zindagi Ko Claim Kar Le’.
As of March 31, 2025, Niva Bupa has over 212 physical branches across India. It additionally offers health insurance through its ecosystem partners including 1.8+ Lakh agents, 540 brokers, and over 100 Banca & Other Corporate Agency Partners. The company currently covers 20 million+ lives and has 10,421 hospitals empanelled in its hospital network.
Niva Bupa has consistently maintained 90%+ claim settlement ratio over the last 4 financial years, having ended FY25 with claim settlement ratio of 92.4%. With an employee base of over 8,900 people, the company is a certified Great Place to Work five times in a row.
(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff).
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The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia
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Creatine in your coffee: Genius fitness hack or overhyped blend? – Times of India
The TOI Lifestyle Desk is a dynamic team of dedicated journalists who, with unwavering passion and commitment, sift through the pulse of the nation to curate a vibrant tapestry of lifestyle news for The Times of India readers. At the TOI Lifestyle Desk, we go beyond the obvious, delving into the extraordinary. Consider us your lifestyle companion, providing a daily dose of inspiration and information. Whether you're seeking the latest fashion trends, travel escapades, culinary delights, or wellness tips, the TOI Lifestyle Desk is your one-stop destination for an enriching lifestyle experience.
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