What’s new: Death of a taxpayer
ESTATE and gift tax basics • Form 706 must be filed: 1) To elect portability regardless of the size of estate, to transfer deceased spouse unused exemption (DSUE) to surviving…
Read More
Cigarettes: The macho killers
SOME years ago, I was asked to create an ad campaign to debunk the argument that a non-smoking section in restaurants and other public places could spare non-smokers from the…
Reversing his long-held position, Trump strikes Syria: What changed?
Amid his historic 35 percent approval rating and an ongoing investigation into his alleged conspiracy with Russia to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, President Donald Trump ordered a…
A call for piety
“MAY the virtues of kindness and benevolence that Christ exemplified serve as our inspiration to aid in the plight of our less fortunate fellowmen. Let the story of crucifixion challenge…
One is a lonely number
LAS VEGAS – On this heated and dry day in April, the whole city is breathing and heaving like a tired beast. On the strip that controls all the luxurious…
On observing Holy Week
ARE you ready for Holy Week? Are you ready to enter deeply into the mysteries of our faith–the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Are your hearts…
Common misconceptions about bankruptcy part 2
(Part 2 of 2) HERE are some more misconceptions about bankruptcy that we did not discuss last week: 1. Will I lose my house? Normally, debtors get to keep their…
Should employees be paid for doing tasks while not clocked in?
Q: I WORK as a “team member” in the service industry in Los Angeles. Before we clock-in for our shift, we are required to attend a “huddle,” or a meeting…
Trump’s revised travel ban executive order is halted
QUESTION: I know that Trump issued a second executive order. What is happening with this one? Answer: The District Judge in Hawaii has ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. In…
Debt problems: What to do when you don’t know what to do
ARE your debts keeping you up at night? Are you always worried about money? Are you barely surviving and can’t even keep up with minimum payments on your credit cards?…
Why I became a citizen at 79
by Florencio Sunga Mallari, Sr. IN March 2008, my life took a big turn when I moved to the United States from the Philippines. I was full of hope as…
Despite Democrats’ filibuster, Trump’s nominee for Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch now confirmed after Senate Republicans fire back with ‘nuclear option’
AFTER more than a year of contentious debate over who should succeed the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in the Supreme Court, the Senate on Friday, April 7 confirmed President…
Supporting public media
After a very contentious election last year, I am hopeful that we can set aside the partisan bickering that has plagued the halls of government throughout our great nation. In…
Undocumented parents — what you need to know
Recent developments in immigration law have certainly caused a great deal of fear and worry among immigrant families. Fear can either propel to action or can immobilize and paralyze. In…
Angelo Antonio Maristela, Renaissance-bred artist
In the realm of the art world, realism has been accurately considered the highest form of painting creativity due to the proximity of the art work to the original appearance…
The meaning of Holy Week
For Christians, Holy Week is definitely a very sacred time of the year. Starting on Palm Sunday onto Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday; it is a time…
Interesting facts about Easter Sunday
Easter is the Sunday that marks the end of the Holy Week and is greatly influenced by the Christian faith as it reminds believers to remember the sacrifice of the…
Filipino traditions and practices during Holy week
In a country where Roman Catholics make up 81 percent of the population, it is no surprise that Filipinos have numerous traditional events during Holy Week. In the early days,…
Is it safer to travel by bus or plane?
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I overstayed my visa, and am now out of status (TNT). I’m living in California, and want to visit my relatives on the East Coast. I’m afraid…
Immigration law in 2017: Will I be deported?
AT the National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region 10 Regional Empowerment Conference in National City on March 25, 2017, I was asked this question: There are many in our…
Is the patient death rate in the US lower among non-US-schooled MDs?
ABOUT 25 percent of physicians practicing in the United States graduated from foreign medical schools who had their internship/medical/surgical residency training in the U.S. More than 22,000 of them are…
Nothing is for always
There is a memory of loss that fall provokes, like feeding the earth’s exhaustion, satisfaction and weariness, making us wonder. How we deal with all the other endings in our…
Trump smoke and fire: Spies, lies, and the Russian ties
“SOME people in the Trump campaign may end up in jail,” revealed Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro in a CNN interview on Tuesday, April 4. The congressman’s declaration comes after more…
Airport woes
FOR a country that has been branded with the “worst airport in the world” tag in 2011 and 2013, the last thing it needs is another reason to inconvenience its…
What it means to love, to achieve, and to serve
AD maiorem Dei gloriam, the Latin motto of the Jesuits which means “For the greater Glory of God,” is a phrase that we often use to express our motive when…
Pearls of motherly wisdom from ‘Mama Lina’ Navarro
IF I had a penny for every time I would tell myself and others that ‘mothers know best,’ I’d probably be very rich now. Truth of the matter is: we…
Common misconceptions about bankruptcy
“ An honest debtor is one who truthfully discloses his financial affairs, income and expenses, assets and liabilities in his bankruptcy petition.” HAVING literally represented several thousand clients in successful…
Latest developments on H1-B visa under the Trump presidency
IT’S H-1B season again. On 4/3/2017, the USCIS will start accepting H-1B applications for the 2018 fiscal year. As you may be aware, the H-1B non-immigrant visa is used by…
Protecting ‘managers’ from wage theft
Should they be paid additional wages? JAIMIE Quinby, Linda Gomes, and Eric Fontes worked as “General Managers” (GMs) for ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA) in its California locations….
Extreme vetting and entering the US
QUESTION: I have already received my visa at the Consulate. Now I have heard about this extreme vetting and do not know what it means. Will I no longer be…