1. THE standard deduction is doubled: Republicans want to simplify our tax code so more people can claim standard deductions instead of more complicated itemized deductions. This becomes a reality after the new law doubled the standard deduction from $6,350 to $12,000 for single filers, from $9,350 to $18,000 for heads of households, and from…
One traditional way of obtaining permanent residency for most immigrants is through a petition by a US citizen spouse AS a spouse of a US 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 Petition…
IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word conjures up images in your mind of losing everything you have and not having a financial future. Relax. It’s not what you think. Regardless of…
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would put an end to “chain” migration as a feature of immigration law is worrisome and ill-advised. What he really means is that he would eliminate “family reunification” — a proviso which enables naturalized citizens to petition for immediate family members to immigrate — as a feature of U.S….
TRUMP denied it. The president of the United States tweeted he did not describe certain nations from Africa as “shithole countries” during a bipartisan meeting on immigration when he rejected a bipartisan deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump also denied he demanded that people from Haiti be removed from negotiations…
“What are you looking for?’ they said to him, “Rabbi (which translated means teacher) “where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see. –John 1:35 WHERE shall we find God? In a distant space? In a sacred place? In the desert, the sea, or on a mountaintop? Where does he dwell? In…
The start of a new season means different things to different people. But as a hair expert, it primarily means one thing for me: new season equals new haircut.Winter is here and it’s the best time to hit up the salon and get your season haircut. But before you do, check out these chicest hairstyles and…
Pressures to pass immigration bill by Jan. 19 deadline heightened PRESIDENT Donald Trump took to Twitter Friday morning, Friday, January 12, denying reports of him using off-color remarks during an Oval Office meeting the previous day on immigration policies with both Democrat and Republican lawmakers. The remarks on Thursday, January 11 made headlines following a…
More Filipinos are opposed to the idea of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declaring a revolutionary government, according to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Based on the survey results released Friday, January 12, 39 percent of Filipinos opposed the proposal to establish a revolutionary government, while 31 percent supported it. The remaining…
The Filipinos as Roman Catholic devotees are known to be overly zealous and extremely “fanatic” believing that whatever their intentions will be duly answered and rewarded. Being a nation with a predominantly Roman Catholic population, the Philippines is consistently regarded as a very religious nation… the only (Catholic) one in the Far East and the…
Majority of caregivers were Filipino The owner of six adult care facilities operating in the San Fernando Valley’s quiet West Hills neighborhood has been slapped with citations of over $7 million for wage theft and other law violations. This makes it the largest wage citation in Southern California in the last three years. Adat Shalom Board…
In terms of economic growth, the World Bank (WB) expects that the Philippines will continue to outpace its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia for the next three years. In its January 2018 Global Economic Prospects report released Wednesday, January 10, the Washington-based lender said it expects the Philippines to sustain robust economic growth even as…
Ruling allows current DACA recipients to renew their enrollment AMID the intense fight over the protections of DREAMers, a federal judge issued a nationwide directive late Tuesday night, January, 9, ordering the Trump administration to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. United States District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco, likely halting…
Cause of Wednesday fire still undetermined AN Island Pacific supermarket in the Los Angeles Koreatown neighborhood has been destroyed after going up in flames just past midnight on Wednesday, January 10. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) received 9-1-1 calls from passersby starting at 12:30 a.m. early Wednesday morning, according to LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey….
CALIFORNIA has become the first state in the nation to be a “sanctuary state.” This means California will not cooperate fully with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in apprehending illegal aliens or in connection with enforcing immigration laws. However, this does NOT mean people who are out of…
NEW Year, new resolutions, new life. For some of you, the New Year is a time for reflection, and to realize that changes are needed to be able to lead and live the life you’ve always wanted to lead. Sometimes, divorce happens. The following seeks to address or clarify some common misconceptions about divorce. “What…
Nineteen years ago, I wrote my article entitled “How to Prevent Cancer”, a serious topic I also discussed in my book, Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children (www.philipSchua.com). A review on cancer in the United States in 2014 by the American Cancer Society revealed that almost 50 percent of cancer deaths were related to smoking, unhealthy…
Cause of Wednesday fire still undetermined AN Island Pacific supermarket in the Los Angeles Koreatown neighborhood has been destroyed after going up in flames just past midnight on Wednesday, January 10. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) received 9-1-1 calls from passersby starting at 12:30 a.m. early Wednesday morning, according to LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey….
AMOUNTS for tax returns in 2017 are compared with amounts in 2016. Exemption credits: a. $114 from $111 – Single, Married filing separately, Head of Household. b. $228 from $222 – Married filing jointly. c. $353 from $344 – Dependent. d. $114 from $111 – Age 65 or older. You are considered to be 65…
OPRAH WINFREY delivered a powerful, empowering and inspiring speech after she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award during the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7. It is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” Since the first time this award was…
Trump pledges support for ‘clean DACA bill’ as long as increased border security is confirmed A bipartisan pair of Congress members on Sunday, January 7 reached a deal on the defunct Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which will also include plans to strengthen the United States-Mexico border. Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas) and Pete Aguilar…
President Donald Trump’s first-ever national security strategy presents new opportunities in furthering the alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines, according to a senior researcher at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP). In line with the Trump administration’s “America first” platform, the new National Security Strategy (NSS) — released last December — encompasses…
Pres. Trump wants to eliminate “chain migration,” which allows people to petition extended family members, such as brothers and sisters, married children, adult (over 21) children, and even parents. The only family-based petitions that would remain would be for spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens or green card holders. The president further wants to…
THE client is 50 and operates a business. There is a state court judgment against him for $80K. Is this judgment dischargeable in bankruptcy? The answer is: If the judgment is for breach of contract only, the $80,000 is dischargeable. If the judgment is affirmative for FRAUD, then the $80,000 fraud judgment is not dischargeable….
Q: I WAS severely injured in a recent car accident while returning to work on an errand. I had to undergo multiple surgeries. I missed several weeks of work and will need more time off for treatments. I am afraid to tell my employer about my need for more time off because I might be…
IN the case of In re Marriage of Wilson, the Mother was attempting to enforce child support arrears against the Father for the period in which the child was not living with the Mother but instead was living with the Grandparents. The Father filed a request for an order in court, seeking a stay of enforcement…
REPUBLICANS hail the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as their biggest legislative achievement under President Trump. It’s the first major tax overhaul since the days of fellow Republican Ronald Reagan. The new tax law causes wide implications. It affects your decision to buy or rent a home or your decision to send your kids to private…
DO you need help with debt problems but are too embarrassed to even talk about them? Perhaps you’re under a lot of stress due to your finances but don’t even know where to turn for help. As a bankruptcy attorney, over the years I have met a lot of people who were simply too embarrassed…
The election of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 raised hopes of a clean, corruption-free government that was also progressive and dynamic (unlike the passive and pass-the-buck tenure of President Benigno Aquino III). In America, the election of President Donald Trump was met with consternation by those who knew him to be the quintessential snake oil…
Since January 1, 2018, the state with the biggest Filipino population in the United States has been selling recreational marijuana after voters in California legalized the practice in a November 2016 ballot measure. Recreational marijuana has already been legalized in seven other states and the District of Columbia, while 29 states — plus the District…
