Loss of 1.7 million immigrants fuels United States labor shortage and inflation
Close to 15% of job openings that employ immigrant or foreign-born workers in the U.S. are still vacant, while the legal immigration system is in dire straits. From meat packing to home building to STEM professionals to nurses, the post-pandemic economy is reeling from a labor force decimated by restrictive immigration policies, which worsened under…
[COLUMN] Belle Mariano wins Outstanding Asian Star 2022 at Seoul Int’l Drama Awards
KAPAMILYA star Belle Mariano has been named as Outstanding Asian Star 2022 by the 17th Seoul International Drama Awards, according to an article in PEP.ph. The singer-actress and model, who is part of the hugely-popular Philippine love team DonBelle (with screen partner Donny Pangilinan), is the first Filipina to win the award, and the third…
[COLUMN] News capsules
THE average life expectancy in the United States “dropped for a second straight year from 2020 to 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic once again playing an outsize role in the decline,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This has been the lowest since 1996, dropping from 77.0 years to 76.1. The…
[COLUMN] The good book on money
WHEN something goes wrong regarding personal finance, our mental default setting is that we need someone else to help fix the problem. But if we stop and think about it, there is really nothing new under the sun, as Ecclesiastes says. Our guidelines for how we should live then as now, come from the Good…
[COLUMN] Atty. Gurfinkel answers immigration questions from Kapamilya in San Diego on part 1 of Citizen Pinoy’s ‘Your Tanong, My Sagot’
LEADING U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel visited San Diego, where he answered questions of Kapamilya from the “America’s Finest City” and neighboring areas. In Part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” viewers will hear answers to the following immigration concerns: Kathy, of Mira Mesa, wants to know if a person can visit the U.S….
ConGen Neil Ferrer highlights trade, investment and business opportunities in PH at 2022 Int’l Conference of PH-US Chambers of Commerce
SEATTLE – Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer participated in the 2022 International Trade and Business Development Bi-Annual Conference titled, “Convergence – Technology, Convenience, Sustainability,” organized by the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce on August 18-20. In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer presented promising developments in the Philippines as well as opportunities for Philippine-U.S….
SF Supermarket West Covina, CA – now open!
SF Supermarket, which is conveniently located at 3650 Nogales Street, West Covina, CA 91792, opened its doors for the first time on September 1, 2022. The public was invited to celebrate its Grand Opening. SF Supermarket offers fresh fruits and vegetables, delectable seafood, meat and a variety of wet and dry goods. It has the…
Excessive heat warning extended in LA County
The Los Angeles County Health Officer has extended a heat warning as high temperatures have been forecast for the coming week. The areas include Downtown LA, LA County, Santa Clarita, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, LA County Beaches, Malibu Coast and Antelope Valley. “While it is very important that everyone take…
[COLUMN] Permanent residency through marriage to US citizen spouse
ONE traditional way of obtaining permanent residency for most immigrants is through a petition by a U.S. citizen spouse. As a spouse of a U.S. Citizen, an alien is considered an immediate relative and entitled to immediately apply for a green card inside the United States. This is usually done by simultaneously filing an I-130…
‘He stood his ground’: California state senator will leave office as champion of tough vaccine laws
By Angela Hart/Kaiser Health News SACRAMENTO — A California lawmaker who rose to national prominence by muscling through some of the country’s strongest vaccination laws is leaving the state legislature later this year after a momentous tenure that made him a top target of the boisterous and burgeoning movement against vaccination mandates. State Sen. Richard…
Filipino workers celebrate ‘modest’ minimum wage increase, urge workers to recognize their rights
Per county ordinance, employers in unincorporated areas of LA County must pay workers at least $15.96 an hour THIS past July 1, an ordinance within Los Angeles County that slightly raised the minimum wage took effect, increasing to $15.96 within unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County and $16.04 within the city of Los Angeles. The…
CDC recommends updated COVID boosters targeting omicron variant
THE U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended on Thursday, Sept. 1 that eligible Americans receive an updated coronavirus booster shot that would help fight the omicron variant. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations to use updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years…
Biden attacks new normal in speech on democracy
By Peter Schurmann/Ethnic Media Services What is happening today in America “is not normal.” That was the gist of President Biden’s prime-time on Thursday, September 1 delivered in front of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both drafted. Voter suppression, partisan gerrymandering, money in politics, the Electoral College, the…
Can kids safely return to school amid ongoing covid pandemic?
By Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services As kids return to school this fall, parents have some homework to do: helping to keep their kids safe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccines now available for children as young as six months, doctors and public health officials encourage parents to get their kids and themselves vaccinated and…
Melette Lampino: Living a life of significance after retirement
FROM being actively involved in community affairs to spending lots of time with her loved ones, Melette Lampino has been making the most of her new-found free time. But before her retirement, Melette Lampino’s public service experience includes 42 years of California State service as a Public Health Chemist and Environmental Scientist; member of the…
[COLUMN] Bankruptcy: When life doesn’t go as planned
LIFE just happens. Sometimes even the best laid plans can go wrong. How do you respond when this happens to you? Do you easily give up when you’re overwhelmed? Remaining calm can be difficult when things are chaotic and so the usual reaction is panic. Bankruptcy can be a lifesaver for people who are at…
[COLUMN] How important is it to have a living trust?
THINKING about one’s demise is not something people want to spend time thinking about. However reality is that we all have to face this one day. It is just a matter of whether you depart this world prepared or unprepared. If you pass away with at least $184,500 in gross assets and you do not…
[COLUMN] Which debts are discharged in Chapter 7 bankruptcy?
THE constitution of the United States of America allows bankruptcy to its citizens and residents to allow them to become productive again if they are saddled with accumulated debt. The Supreme Court calls Chapter 7 bankruptcy a “the fresh start.” You may have good income but debt repayment could be eating up all of your…
[COLUMN] The fight for human labor trafficking (modern day slavery) victims continues
Q: MY employer brought me to America to work as live-in nanny for their youngest child. I would be paid $1,000 per month with weekends off. When we arrived in Los Angeles, my employer took my passport. I was then made to work 7 days a week, up to 16 hours per day, taking care…
Senator Cortez Masto, AAPI community leaders discuss impact of Inflation Reduction Act on Nevadans
Las Vegas – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) hosted a roundtable on Wednesday, August 31 with Asian American and Pacific Islander community leaders in Las Vegas to discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act will lower health care costs, create good-paying clean energy jobs, and combat climate change. Senator Cortez Masto and participants discussed the cost-cutting provisions…
[COLUMN] Health news
STEM cell embryo Neuroscience news revealed that researchers headed by Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, Professor of Mammalian Development and Stem Cell Biology from the University of Cambridge, “have created model embryos from mouse stem cells that form a brain, a beating heart, and the foundations of all other organs of the body – a new avenue for…
[COLUMN] Removing the conditions of your permanent residence without your petitioning spouse’s participation
A person who obtains his/her green card via marriage to a U.S. citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional permanent resident has a green card that is valid for 2 years. In order to continue to have permanent resident status after 2 years, the…
LA County under excessive heat warning amid record breaking temps
THE Los Angeles County Health Officer has issued a Heat Warning as high temperatures have been forecast until Monday, Sept. 5. The areas include Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, LA County Mountains, Antelope Valley and the Downtown LA/LA Basin. The LA Department of Public Health is reminding residents…
Las Vegas designer Alma T debuts her first collection at Asia Pacific Fashion Week
The nurse-turned-designer had a 15-look collection from her newly launched fashion line ‘The Cages’ Last month, Filipina fashion designer Alma Tomenio – owner of her own Las Vegas-based fashion label Alma T Collection – was showered with emotive applause following the presentation of her latest (and first) collection at the Las Vegas edition of Asia Pacific Fashion Week (APFW)….
