IN her bid for the White House, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren released an immigration plan this week, a few days after meeting with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members in Las Vegas who posed questions about fixing the broken system. “Our immigration system makes American stronger, not weaker. Part of that is keeping…
MANY people visit the U.S., and upon arrival are allowed to remain for six months. Near the end of that six months, some people decide they want to stay longer, either to spend more time with family, or visit other places within the United States. Accordingly, they file for an extension. If the extension is…
Conclusion of 2 parts Charisse’s natural curiosity as a researcher would normally drive her to check out her story on the internet. But she felt Dolly’s story was told to her in confidence like a secret and so it will stay that way. She purposely didn’t ask for her full name because she enjoyed the…
Suicide by individuals or a group of people have serious medical and psychological implications. The mass killing for a nobler cause atop the Masada fortress by the Dead Sea in Israel added a great historical significance and dimension about the Jewish people. It is a blessed symbol of the indomitable power of survival, principle of…
DAILY news reports flooding our already fatigued psyches have been fixated on Immigration, and the way to cut through the noise and confusion is to keep still and stay focused. Lawful permanent residents and their families should take note that for the most part, things are operating as usual at the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship…
A total of 3,489,270 tourists were recorded to have visited the Philippines for the first five months of 2019, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the numbers — which mark a 9.76 percent increase from the same period last year — are very encouraging. “The numbers are very encouraging….
Catch the largest and longest-running event in North America in its last weekend, July 13 and 14 NEARLY 500 Northern California artists presenting dance and music from more than 17 world cultures spanning four continents performed onstage during the first weekend of the annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival (SFEDF) last July 6 and 7. …
Under AB 392 the state would establish one of the strongest police use of force laws in the country SACRAMENTO — On Monday, July 8, the California Senate passed landmark legislation to strengthen the law on police use of force and reduce the number of deadly police shootings in the state. Assembly Bill 392: The…
Delisted martial law victims and their relatives on Tuesday, July 9, confronted American lawyer Robert Swift about why they were taken off the official list of people to be awarded compensation after winning the Hawaii class action suit that resulted in a nearly $2-billion award for some 6,000 martial law victims. “We were one of…
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, July 9, justified the Philippines’ exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), likening it to a ‘fairy tale endeavor.’ “Better we stick to real science instead of fairy tale endeavors like the ICC which like the Queen in Alice in Wonderland cries out, ‘First the judgment, then the…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, July 5, dared the United States to declare war against China following criticisms he received over his handling of the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing. “We can never win a war with China. But I hope that China would not overdo things also because there is always America pushing…
WHEN news spread that Filipino American chef Charles Olalia’s four-year-old Rice Bar was closing down in May, many loyal customers deemed it a loss for lunchtime eats in Downtown Los Angeles. But when one door closes, another one opens. The 275-square-foot restaurant along 7th Street was quickly taken over by Fil-Am chef AC Boral, who…
PROMINENT international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney will join the legal team representing Maria Ressa, the award-winning Filipino journalist currently facing several criminal charges along with online news site Rappler. “Maria Ressa is a courageous journalist who is being persecuted for reporting the news and standing up to human rights abuses. We will pursue all…
Caltech seismologist and county officials urge residents to stay calm amid predicted aftershocks in the weeks to follow Mississippi has hurricanes, Kansas has tornadoes and California, as we in the Southland were reminded of last week, has earthquakes. In case you missed it, Southern California experienced two strong earthquakes last week: a 6.4 magnitude quake…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s efforts to include a contentious citizenship question in the upcoming 2020 Census continues as the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Monday, July 8 that a new legal team would now be overseeing the census-related cases. DOJ Spokesperson Kerri Kupec announced the transition on Sunday, July 7, but did not give a…
Amnesty International on Monday, July 8, said extrajudicial killings related to the government’s anti-drug campaign continue to occur, destroying lives and devastating communities. The rights group released a report entitled “They just kill: Ongoing extrajudicial executions and other violations in the Philippines’ war on drugs” and urged the United Nations to immediately investigate possible rights…
A NEW website was launched this week as a part of an initiative to combat and prevent exploitation, abuse and trafficking of Filipino migrant workers who hold temporary work visas in the United States. The legal and civil rights nonprofit organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA) launched Ang Karapatan Mo Sa America (Your…
President Rodrigo Duterte has reportedly accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to visit Washington, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez said on Wednesday, July 3. In 2017, Duterte swore he would never step foot in America after a U.S. congressman said he should not be welcomed to the White House due to his lack…
Celebrated state delegate Ron Villanueva sentenced to prison Former Virginia delegate and Virginia Beach councilman Ron Villanueva was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday, July 2 on multiple charges of fraud against the federal government. Earlier this year, the Filipino American Republican pleaded guilty to a list of charges including “falsifying records and…
United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim on Wednesday, July 3 said the U.S. will “stand by” its obligations to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) should an armed aggression against the latter country happen. This response comes after Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s statement that the Philippine government should not wait for an…
WHILE nearly all articles relate to change, let’s depart from that norm and discuss a few deductions that won’t change. 1. Student loan interest deduction: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) allows student loan borrowers to deduct up to $2,500 on the interest paid for student loans every year. Student loan interest is interest you pay…
LOS ANGELES – As the country celebrated its independence this week on 4th of July, freedom takes on a new meaning for Fedelina Lugasan, a victim of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. For decades, the 83-year-old Filipina was enslaved and coerced into a life of domestic servitude without pay or any days off. Lugasan was…
I RECENTLY had a bout with profuse nose bleeding because a small vessel ruptured inside my nasal cavity caused by acute sinusitis. This caused me three trips to the emergency room and overnight confinement in the hospital. This was why I wasn’t able to write for a while since I had to be careful not…
Those who hit the road for the July 4 holiday in California may have noticed an increase in gas prices resulting from a new gas tax that went into effect on Monday, July 1. The tax hike brought California’s already high gas prices up an additional 5.6 cents per gallon. According to the AAA Fuel…
Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao filed a measure this week seeking to establish a Department of Homeland Security to protect the country’s borders against terrorists and other transnational crimes. The bill, which was released to the media on Wednesday, July 3, said the government agency would “prevent terrorist attacks within, and the occurrence of transnational crimes…
Judge orders discovery on issue of racial bias to move forward AN order was made on Friday, July 5 to continue a court case looking into whether the pursuit by government officials to add a citizenship question on the upcoming 2020 Census was motivated by racial bias. U.S. District Court Judge George Hazel issued the…
In light of the recent incident in the West Philippine Sea, Senator Francis Tolentino filed a Senate bill that seeks to implement provisions in international maritime law for the safety of Filipino fishermen’s lives. In his explanatory note, Tolentino said the Bill 209 — also known as the “Good Samaritan at Sea Law — “was…
Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is urging all those who attended the 90th birthday party of former first lady Imelda Marcos to seek immediate medical attention if they start experiencing various symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This is in light of the suspected food poisoning that affected 261 guests on Wednesday, July 3…
Impeachment complaints against President Rodrigo Duterte are “baseless,” Malacañang said on Friday, July 5. In response to criticism over Duterte’s handling of the Recto Bank incident, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told media that any impeachment raps against the president may not have any merit. “An impeachment not only is misplaced, it is absolutely baseless in…
