Obamacare still confusing to many taxpayers
MANY Americans who didn’t have health coverage last year saw an average penalty more than twice as high as that in 2014, according to a report from tax services company…
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ) #2 – FBAR report of financial accounts
THE IRS requires specified individuals who file FBAR forms with an interest in “specified foreign financial asset” have a further requirement to file From 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial…
Putative spouse status as a defense to a petition for nullity of marriage
ALL property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in California is community property. Family Code 760. However, there are situations in…
Could the Republican Party establishment stop Trump’s momentum and prevent him from becoming the GOP nominee?
WHAT is going on in the Republican Party nomination contest has become more of a nail-biter than most reality shows, thanks to the unexpected sprint to the front by reality…
The fall of President Marcos
February 26, 1986. There was something odd happening, Camp Crame was the center of army revolt. I wish I could remember it all better without weakening the vitality of the…
Report: Over a third of people shot by LAPD last year were mentally ill
According to a Los Angeles Police Department report made public on Mar. 8, over one third of the people shot by Los Angeles police last year had documented signs of…
Coalition urges Supreme Court to uphold Obama’s executive actions on immigration
A NATIONAL coalition of local government leaders has submitted an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to urge it to reverse a lower court’s decision that blocks President Barack Obama’s…
California ethnic communities rally for domestic workers’ rights
POMONA, Calif. — Filipino and Hispanic community members rallied at the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center on Friday, March 4 to launch the campaign for Senate Bill 1015, aimed at protecting…
Report: Over a third of people shot by LAPD last year were mentally ill
According to a Los Angeles Police Department report made public on Mar. 8, over one third of the people shot by Los Angeles police last year had documented signs of…
Residing in the US indefinitely through an E-1/E-2 Visa
THE E nonimmigrant visa category allows nationals of countries who are a party to certain treaties with the United States to receive visa benefits in order to invest in a…
When filing bankruptcy can help you
DECIDING to file bankruptcy is a difficult decision for most. On one hand, people recognize the immediate relief filing bankruptcy could bring. Once filed, all collection efforts from creditors stops…
Forced labor, unpaid wages, threats of deportation: How to spot labor trafficking
Q. MY employer brought me to America to work as live-in nanny for their youngest child. I would be paid $1,000 per month with weekends off. When we arrived in…
10 tips on child/dependent care
IF you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return….
The whole truth about EDSA 1 may never be told
WHILE doing research at the Library of Congress in Washington DC on the presence of natives of Las Islas Filipinas in Louisiana in the 1700s, I chanced upon a compilation…
LGBT comment backlash: Pacquiao ratings go down in his senatorial bid
AFTER the Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao’s controversial statement comparing people in gay and lesbian relationship to animals, the big question during this political cycle looms: would such remarks that have…
What makes ‘JaDine’ and #OTWOL a hit among Filipinos
When James Reid and Nadine Lustre—a.k.a JaDine—started making some buzz, I wasn’t paying much attention. I love their tandem but I didn’t think they would be the phenomenal loveteam that…
Maestro Dexter Grey: A blend of virtuosity and poetry
Hollywood: His was an era of the musician pianists, faithful to the music in their fashion. Touched by God, he is no longer beholden to the pianistic musicality of fantasies,…
24 hours of confession and mercy buses during lent
SACRED Heart Church in Covina, California held a “24 Hours for the Lord” celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. From 12 pm on Friday, March 4, to 12 pm on…
Homeland Security launches employer pilot program
THE US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the launch of a Known Employer pilot program on Thursday, March 3, assessing a new process for employers who seek to hire…
Trump receives backlash from other Republicans
AFTER Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump claimed victory in seven of 11 states on Super Tuesday, several prominent public figures and news publications expressed that they do not believe Trump…
Families of San Bernardino victims side with FBI
THE battle between Silicon Valley-based tech industry giant Apple and federal law enforcement over access to encrypted cell phone data has continued, with privacy concerns against an investigation over national…
Gov. Brown approves health care package that secures federal funding for Medi-Cal
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday, March 1, signed into law three bills designed to avoid a $1.1-billion cutoff in federal funding for Medi-Cal, which provides health insurance coverage to…
Virata and technocrats ran the martial law economy
A statement issued by the Ateneo de Manila staff pontificated: “The Marcos regime’s economics of debt-driven growth was disastrous for the Philippines. The regime was not interested in inclusive development,…
Direk Wenn Deramas cried with finality: “Cut…! Pack-up!” then, rested
LIFE is a reverie for the judicious but simply a game for hoodwinks… an entertaining tryout for the affluent but a catastrophe for the underprivileged…and a never-ending encounter with uncertainty…
Estate planning done right
In our Filipino community, there seems to be a reluctance to engage in comprehensive estate planning through the execution of living trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. Instead, many families…
Super Tuesday results show Clinton, Trump as frontrunners
Tuesday, March 1 was a big day on the road to November’s presidential elections. Unofficially nicknamed “Super Tuesday,” it is when a dozen states (and one US territory) held nominating contests…
TV and movie director Wenn Deramas passes away at 49
GONE too soon—that is how many people in Philippine showbiz have described how they feel about the passing of box-office director Wenn Deramas last Monday, Feb. 29 due to cardiac…
The NVC is not your ‘attorney’, for free legal advice
MANY people, desiring to save money, try to handle their immigration matters on their own, rather than hiring an attorney. They may have a relative in the Philippines being processed…
The English language exception in US citizenship applications
A LEGAL permanent resident is eligible to apply for citizenship if he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five (5) years and meets all the eligibility…