February 2019 priority dates
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories. A priority…
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Davao court denies hold departure plea against Trillanes
THE Davao Regional Court Branch 54 on Tuesday, January 15, denied the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a hold departure order against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV…
Arroyo: Medical marijuana works
SPEAKER Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday, January 15, said she believes in medical cannabis, and has used cannabis medical patches before. “I am an author of that [medical marijuana bill]. I…
The little blue pill
Twenty years ago on August 7, 1999, I wrote about Viagra, a headliner around the world then when this “chemical gold” was first introduced by Pfizer a year before. This…
Nevada Assemblymembers Nguyen, Frierson speak before APIA community
LAS VEGAS — Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen of Nevada’s 10th District (AD-10) and Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson spoke before the Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) community on Saturday, January 12. As…
In his return to Las Vegas, Pacquiao signals fight vs. Broner won’t be last
LAS VEGAS — There is no sign that Manny Pacquiao’s fight on Saturday, January 19 will be his last. In a sideline interview with reporters on Wednesday, January 16, the…
Fil-Ams Nico Santos and Vincent Rodriguez III grace cover of Advocate magazine
Actors share experiences of being leading Asian American entertainers in the LGBTQ community IN the March 2019 issue that looks at the increasing representation of Asian Americans in the LGBTQ…
What is immigration services fraud?
IN this week’s column, we will address immigration services fraud that commonly targets vulnerable immigrants community by giving unauthorized and fraudulent immigration services. Immigration services fraud occurs when dishonest lawyers…
Jeff Bezos getting a $137 billion divorce without a prenup
ON January 9, 2019, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos jointly made a statement in Jeff’s twitter account that they are getting a divorce. As many people know, Jeff Bezos is the…
Senior wants Chapter 7 to discharge $30K in credit cards
THE client is 64, a young senior. I say young because I consider seniors in their 60s as still active and robust. Except for more white hair, they still feel…
The bucket list: Watch the Perseids! (3rd of a series)
”…Humility, like darkness, reveals the heavenly lights.” —Henry David Thoreau Select a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your…
FBI opens counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s Russian ties, concerned he’s a threat to US national security
AMID President Donald Trump’s fabricated “emergency” crisis at the border that has caused the longest government shutdown in U.S. history because he won’t sign a spending bill without his wall,…
Survey: Self-rated poverty in PH drops by 2 percent
THE latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that the number of Filipino families who consider themselves poor significantly dropped from the previous quarter’s 52 percent to the latest 50…
Duterte to respect people’s will on Bangsamoro law — Palace
Malacañang on Monday, January 14 said President Rodrigo Duterte would respect the “people’s call” on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). This announcement comes a week before a plebiscite in parts…
Study: Housing workforce shortage is barrier to affordability
California needs at least 200k new residential construction workers OAKLAND, Calif. — According to California’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), the golden state must dramatically increase the productive capacity…
US Navy commander fired for sex solicitation in PH
A COMMANDER has been sacked from his position on a U.S. Navy submarine after he admitted that he hired female prostitutes while he was in the Philippines on March 2018….
Utility company PG&E to file for bankruptcy
Does not expect customers to experience impact in services CITING potential liabilities from California’s recent wildfires that took place in the last two years, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) said on…
Filipina assumes post as Asian American Journalists Association’s new executive director
COMMUNITY leader Naomi Tacuyan Underwood is the new executive director of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Underwood joins AAJA from the Washington, D.C.-based Faith & Politics Institute, where she served…
Palace to Trillanes: You, not Duterte, are ‘crazy’
Malacañang on Monday, January 14 said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV must have been referring to himself when he called President Rodrigo Duterte “crazy,” shrugging off the opposition senator’s tirades against…
Pulse Asia: Duterte still most trusted, highest-rated exec
ACCORDING to the most recent Pulse Asia survey, President Rodrigo Duterte is still the highest rated and most trusted top government official in the last quarter of 2018. The poll…
First LAUSD strike in 30 years underway
‘Teachers are the most important in our community’ CHILLY temperatures and rainfall didn’t deter the more than 30,000 Los Angeles educators, teachers union members and public school advocates from walking…
Privacy commission to probe Philippine passport data breach
THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Monday, January 14, said that it will conduct a fact-finding investigation on the alleged data breach in the Philippine passport system. NPC Commissioner Raymund…
Jon Jon Briones joins new Ryan Murphy series “Ratched”
Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones will be part of Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix show, “Ratched,” joining a star-studded cast such as Sarah Paulson, Sharon Stone, and Cynthia Nixon. In an…
Fil-Am to direct first-ever Pixar short featuring Filipino characters
Pixar will have its first-ever short film featuring Filipino characters, created by a Filipino-American story artist at its studio. Bobby Rubio — whose work at Pixar Animation Studios includes “Incredibles…
A new year’s vow to pay it forward
Let us start the year right by being doing more positive deeds. Let us start by paying it forward. “’Pay it forward’ is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a…
Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases
UNDER Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions (2011) 52 C.4th 541, the California Supreme Court ruled that persons who are injured and who are pursuing a personal injury claim cannot…
The challenges and rewards of fostering
AS a social worker for the only Asian-focused foster family agency in the United States, I often get asked what the challenges and rewards are in fostering a child. We…