Turnout will decide recall election – Important vote is simpler than it seems
By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services California voters have less than two weeks to decide if Gov. Gavin Newsom should be kicked out of office and, if so, which of 46 candidates would be better suited for the job. For those who vote in the Sept. 14 election, the process is relatively simple. The ballot has…
[COLUMN] It’s a seller’s market, should I sell my house now?
Bottom line up front — it depends. It depends on your short-term and long-term goals. Currently, it’s a “seller’s market,” which means that there are more buyers than there are homes available for sale. Along with the historically low rates of financing, we’ve seen bidding wars and offers over the asking price during the past…
New report: 3 in 5 AAPI adults experienced hate in early 2021
Data shows AAPI elders’ growing concern over racial discrimination amid COVID-19 As hate crimes against APIs increased in 2021, more groups of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are reporting that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased fear of racial discrimination. Since December, a disturbing rise in violence and harassment toward AAPI seniors has punctuated the…
Fil-Am siblings reported missing in Northern CA
TWO Filipino American children remain missing after being last seen outside their south Sacramento home last week. Siblings Cheriyah Dizon, 8, and Aaron Safrans, 12, were last seen playing outside their apartment complex in the 8100 block of Waterman Road around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, August 23, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. The…
Californians begin receiving $600 direct payments under expanded Golden State Stimulus
CALIFORNIANS have begun receiving the second round of Golden State Stimulus payments under the program to provide direct relief as the state recovers from the pandemic. Beginning last Friday, August 27, $600 stimulus checks started hitting bank accounts of residents with a Social Security number who earn up to $75,000 annually and did not receive…
LA County’s eviction fighters – With moratoria ending, aid programs ramp up
By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services SINCE the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of dollars have been made available in the U.S. to help people pay their rent. But, now that “eviction moratorium” policies enacted by federal, state, and local governments are set to expire, there’s worry that a “tsunami” of evictions is coming. “All roads…
Arrest warrant out vs ex-US diplomat indicted for illicit sexual conduct in PH
THE Philippines has issued a warrant of arrest against former United States diplomat Dean Cheves for engaging in sexual activity with a minor while posted in the country. The Pasay Regional Trial Court issued the arrest warrant for Cheves, 61, for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Child Abuse Law, and Republic Act 9775…
H.E.R. to make acting debut in ‘The Color Purple’
OSCAR-winning R&B artist H.E.R. is set to make her feature film acting debut in “The Color Purple” movie musical. The story tracks the life of a woman named Celie Harris and her struggles as an African American woman living in the South during the early 1900s. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter…
[OPINION] Finally, we are out of the 20-year ‘forever war’ in Afghanistan: Time to re-channel our resources to building the lives of Americans
MY youngest son Lorenzo was barely 4 years old when we immigrated to the United States, and he celebrated his 4th birthday on September 11, 2001, the day the World Trade Center was bombed by Islamic terrorists on the biggest attack on the United States’ soil. America was never the same again after that. That…
The bucket list: GOD has a list, too
I am suspending my idea series for a Bucket To-Do List for the time being to share a story told to me by Sister Anna. A little back story… Anna Cinco was a classmate in high school who graduated way up the rungs and copped a college degree majoring in Mathematics. She taught at the…
Medicaid vaccination rates founder as states struggle to immunize their poorest residents
MEDICAID enrollees are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 at far lower rates than the general population as states search for the best strategies to improve access to the shots and persuade those who remain hesitant. Efforts by state Medicaid agencies and the private health plans that most states pay to cover their low-income residents has been…
WHO: Delta now dominant COVID-19 variant in PH
THE highly-transmissible Delta variant is now the most dominant COVID-19 variant in the Philippines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday, August 31. “The information we have clearly shows that now, already, the Delta variant has emerged as the dominant variant,” said Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO representative to the Philippines. The Delta variant was found in…
‘A wakeup call and call to action’: Los Angeles County leaders discuss recall election’s impact on immigrant communities
NEARLY two weeks ahead of the crucial gubernatorial recall election in California, community leaders in Los Angeles County are ramping up efforts to mobilize and inform its diverse communities to participate at the polls. In a nonpartisan virtual town hall on Tuesday, Aug. 24, a diverse array of electoral officials as well as religious and…
PH to adopt online health pass for int’l travelers starting Sept. 1
INTERNATIONAL travelers entering the Philippines will now be required to register through an online portal beginning September 1, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, August 27, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the use of OneHealthPass. “The Inter-Agency Task Force approved on Thursday,…
Filipino artist Errol C. Mendoza and his colorful visions
Errol C. Mendoza illustrates alternative visions of humanity with varied colors evocative multiple styles showing diverse images of the contemporary world. Existential tones characterize his creation: the meaning of the world is illuminated by the “natural candle” that each of us personifies. The defining moment of the artist is when he believes the artist has…
[COLUMN] Dear pro-life Filipinos: Amid the Delta variant threat, less than 1% of fully vaccinated people test positive for COVID
I HAVE been getting private messages from kababayans here in the United States and in the Philippines, seeking my advice regarding getting vaccinated against COVID. They all say they are confused because of conflicting messages they get from different people, especially from among Filipinos who are very vocal about their mistrust of the government and…
[COLUMN] Swing trading
Part 3 of 3 Swing trading captures short to medium-term gains over weeks or months (as opposed to day trading that captures gains in one day). The main difference between swing and day trading is the time frame. Day traders work with a short time frame whereas the swing traders work with a much longer time frame. If you are patient as…
[COLUMN] Private employers may soon require all its employees to be COVID vaccinated
Q: I work for a private company in California that is not in healthcare or education. My employer just sent a company-wide memo requiring that all employees must be vaccinated in order to be allowed into the workplace. I read that vaccination is only mandatory for healthcare and school workers. Because I don’t work in…
[COLUMN] Prospective client refuses to face reality of debt problems
Once in a while, there will be a prospective client who will come to see me to argue against himself. I say client argues against himself because he has decided not to face the reality of his debt problems. First, client already has two judgments against him. One judgment is for $33,000 and another is…
[COLUMN] Should you modify your child and spousal support obligation if you lose your job?
IF you have an existing child support or spousal support obligation (court order) and you are laid off from your job causing a major loss of income, you may want to consider modifying your existing child and spousal support order. You are not automatically relieved from your obligation to pay a court ordered child and…
[COLUMN] Insurance carrier’s duty to investigate
Maximizing the client’s recovery Insurance carriers have a duty to investigate all claims. This duty is the same regardless of the kind of insurance at issue. This duty applies to first-party claims “your own insurance” — that is when a policy-holder has submitted a claim to her own insurance carrier, such as a claim under…
[COLUMN] Why hiring a debt settlement company can make your problems worse
IF you are delinquent on your debts, you may be able to avoid dealing with the bill collectors for a few months but sooner or later, you will still need to face the reality of your debt problems and do something to protect yourself. For example, creditors will probably wait until you are 60 days…
[COLUMN] K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States
Several options exist for a U.S. citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However,…
Purchasing car insurance that is right for you: Melody Avecilla of GEICO will show you how
FILIPINA Melody Avecilla’s successful career in the insurance industry started after migrating to the United States. Previously an international flight attendant, she was advised by family members living in the country for years to look into insurance as an option for her next career, as it has been an essential commodity in the U.S. household…
Filipina star Lovi Poe lands role in Hollywood movie
FILIPINA actress and singer Lovi Poe is set to star in the upcoming Hollywood movie “The Chelsea Cowboy,” a biopic based on the life of actor, gangster, and lothario John Bindon. According to Deadline, Poe will play British blues singer Dana Gillespie who employed Bindon as security and also provided him with access to the…
Report: 7 in 10 AAPI women over 50 impacted by anti-Asian hate
SEVEN in 10 older Asian American and Pacific Islander women have been impacted by anti-Asian hate and racism, according to a new study released by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), a progressive advocacy and community-organizing group. The latest report released on Tuesday, August 24 found a “staggering” 70% of AAPI women 50…
As minorities grow, their political representation relies on redistricting
By Jenny Manrique / Ethnic Media Services The 2020 Census count shows what demographers have been anticipating in recent years: The United States is an increasingly diverse nation with minorities growing rapidly in comparison to white Caucasians. At the same time, efforts to restrict the electoral rights of these minorities are advancing in at least…