Bonuses, commissions and shift differentials entitle employees to more overtime pay
Q: I WORK in the service industry and I often receive performance bonuses on top of my hourly rate. I also work a lot of hours (50 to 60 hours!)…
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Do you have a right to see an immigration judge even if you committed a crime?
“ In the United States, the law gives rights to foreign nationals. Some of these rights include due process and appeals. This is why you can fight your case and…
Life cycle of an audit
(Part 2 of 3) 6. YOU first receive a contact letter advising you that your return has been selected for examination. It spells out the preliminary areas for audit. You…
Warning to parents who cosign their child’s student loans
YOU want to help your children go to college and if you’re like most parents, you would do anything to help them get a good education. At some point, you…
WARNING: Beware of fake ICE/immigration agents and officers
To Kababayans who are undocumented immigrants or those who have been overstaying and working illegally in the United States, please beware. I know many of you have been experiencing sleepless…
LA region survey finds alcohol and tobacco products are still more available than healthier foods at local markets
LOS ANGELES – Health officials from Los Angeles County, Long Beach, Pasadena, and Orange County, unveiled new survey findings regarding the availability and marketing of tobacco, alcohol, and food products…
What if you could speak directly with Christ?
LENT is the season when words and teachings of Christ are presented in a thousand pulpits across the nation — self-righteously, mournfully, nasally, coldly, feebly, flamboyantly, blandly, and violently. Ministers…
The importance of having a qualified immigration attorney in these uncertain times
Immigration policy and enforcement continues to evolve undergoing a large shift and uncertainty abounds. Undocumented immigrants fear ICE knocking at their door and those with lawful immigration status, but who…
Colon cancer rising among young people
WHILE colon cancer rates have been going down among the elderly (55 and older) since the 1980s, they are increasing among those in their 20s and 30s. This was the…
New enforcement memorandum by DHS Secretary John Kelly
WHAT is happening? On January 27, 2017, the President signed the Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” (Executive Order 13769) This Executive…
Jimmy Gomez: Fighting for California’s values and people
Assemblymember and Calif. 34th Congressional District candidate Jimmy Gomez shares his reasons and passion in continuing to serve his constituents On Tuesday, April 4, the special primary in California’s 34th…
Death of a taxpayer part 2
WE discussed previously the requirement for consistent basis reporting between the person receiving the property and the decedent’s estate. Applicability of filing requirements for US Citizens for transfer certificate. 1….
Unsolicited advice to the Duterte trolls
IN January 2017, The New Republic, a liberal US magazine, ran an article by journalist Sean Williams entitled, “Rodrigo Duterte’s Army of Online Trolls”: “Since Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the…
Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping him during the election without any evidence: Another conspiracy theory to deflect issues?
AMID the growing support for a bipartisan and independent investigation to find out if there was/is collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign before, during and after the 2016 presidential…
Exonerated
DESPITE her predicament, a defiant Senator Leila De Lima denounced the recent move by government prosecutors to prohibit all parties from discussing the senator’s cases in public. “I refuse to…
Meet the outstanding couple for The Beautiful Life Celebration 2017: Mr. and Mrs. Reynaldo & Nora Diego
As the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun.” In that case, Rey and Nora Diego’s marriage of 51 years flew by like a blur. They both still yearn…
Lent: Not closing off but engaging in
WE had the pleasure of having Bishop Joseph Brennan celebrate Ash Wednesday mass at the seminary last week. In his homily, he shared a funny act he put on while…
Enhancing public safety in the interior of the United States
Executive Order 13768 ON January 25, 2017, President Trump issued one of his controversial executive actions on immigration, Executive Order 13768 entitled “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the…
Eligible debtors should seek BK relief
SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipe out of all dischargeable debts or a consolidation and reorganization through a Chapter 13. They usually…
Should you sign that independent contractor agreement?
Q: TWO years ago, I signed up with an agency to work as a nursing assistant assigned to patients in private homes. Recently, the agency asked me to sign a…
Can my removal be expedited?
QUESTION: I have heard that with Trump’s executive order and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo and with further items to be processed, people are being thrown out of…
Life cycle of an audit
(Part 1 of 3) WHILE audit penetration has, decreased, the quality of audits has improved. Auditors undergo specialization training. They conduct economic reality audits that involve looking at issues beyond…
Is Duterte’s war on drugs a ‘crime against humanity’? Fil-Ams weigh in
THE latest Human Rights Watch (HRW) report says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may be held responsible for the extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs, which has claimed the lives…
The making of a president
The president wears a prestigious crown. The protocol, the linguistics, circumlocution are intimidating at first, but then becomes a second language. There is something about the aura of president that…
Fil-Am co-founder of Snapchat worth $4 billion
Robert “Bobby” Murphy named one of the youngest billionaires in the world The introduction of the smartphone in the mid-2000s and the genesis of the start-up business culture ushered in…
Parokya ni Edgar consistently nails rock band dominance
The 60s and 70s gave a rapid emergence of boy bands not only in the US and European countries but in Manila, principally. Since music is said to be the…
What should I do if ICE comes to my home?
WITH the election of Donald Trump as president, and his pledge to fulfill his campaign promise of enforcing immigration laws (with news reports of immigration raids throughout the country), many…
Beating heart surgery
WHAT is OPCAB? OPCAB stands for off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, which is the most popular minimally invasive heart bypass operation today, one that is done on a beating heart….
Tightening the screws
THE screws are tightening on both sides of the Pacific, pretty much like the garote that snuffed the lives of the Tres Martires, Padres Burgos, Gomez and Zamora. Sooner or…
Trump gives himself an ‘A’ for achievement in his first month as president: How do you rate him?
DONALD TRUMP has been the president of the United States for a little more than a month now, and when asked in a TV interview how he would rate himself,…