Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief for $5K debt THERE are clients who received a large amount of cash before they file for bankruptcy. They may have received cash from a refinance of their residence with net cash out, obtained a business loan, or sold an asset. These, and similar type of transactions, generate cash for…
ON July 14, 2015, the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) announced that it will begin testing the collection of biometric exit data of limited foreign national air travelers departing the US at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport using enhanced mobile devices. As you may be aware, the CBP, under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is…
SEARS Department Store in North Hollywood, California, hired Alejandro Gamiz in 2005 as a maintenance worker. From 2009 to 2012, while working for Sears, Gamiz created peep holes in the women’s restrooms and dressing rooms and the children’s dressing rooms in order to spy on them while they’re undressing in these rooms. Gamiz also installed…
QUESTION: I had a deportation order years ago. I re-entered the U.S. illegally, got caught and was convicted in U.S. District Court for illegal reentry. I am serving a three year sentence. Is there anything that I can do? Answer: Actually, there was a great case that just came out of the Ninth Circuit Court…
Choosing the proper entity for your business (Part 3 of 5) S CORPORATION is a corporation that has elected to be taxed under Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code. This type of entity enjoys both the limited liability of corporations and absence of double taxation of sole proprietorships and partnerships. The corporation elects to be…
A CLIENT of mine said he never saw it coming. Everything he ever wanted in life, he always purchased on credit. The “pre-approved” credit cards just kept coming in the mail and he never said NO to any of them. Buy now and pay later, why not? As long as they allow you to pay…
LAST Wednesday, many kababayans rejoiced about the news that the Obama administration will be looking to reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families sooner through a new policy. Balitang America Correspondent Rommel Conclara spoke to Fil-Vets who have been waiting for news like this for decades because for these heroes, time is of…
The US finance arm of Honda Motor Corp. has agreed to return $24 million to borrowers in a settlement with regulators who alleged that the company discriminated against minority car buyers by overcharging them on auto loan interest rates. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau found that American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC), the finance arm, made…
Starbucks is spearheading a coalition of 17 US-based companies in an initiative launched Monday, July 13, to hire 100,000 young Americans facing systemic barriers to jobs and education. The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, looks to boost circumstances for 5.5 million Americans between the ages of 16 to 24, who are not in school or unemployed. The…
Bank of America reported Wednesday, July 15, that its profits more than doubled in the second quarter, as consumer deposits and mortgage originations rose and expenses dipped to their lowest since the financial crisis. The bank reported a net income of $4.9 billion, marking a 145 percent increase. An improvement in credit among US consumers…
Uber, the popular ride-sharing app used in 57 countries across the globe, took a giant blow in its home state on Wednesday, July 15, when an administrative judge recommended that the company be fined $7.3 million and be suspended from operating in California. In her decision, chief administrative law judge Karen V. Clopton of the…
Following his win against Manny Pacquiao on May 2, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is taking his time choosing his next opponent. With undefeated boxer set to protect his 48-0 record in less than two months, Mayweather appears “really close” to officially choosing who he will face in the ring for what could be the final round…
RESEARCH shows that multiracial Asian Americans have moved to the top of the racial hierarchy of online dating preference patterns in the US. In a new study to be published in “American Sociological Review,” researchers from the University of Texas and University of Massachusetts examined 6.7 million initial messages sent between heterosexual women and men…
PRESIDENT Barack Obama has called for a major overhaul of the nation’s criminal justice system, urging Congress to pass legislation to improve sentencing laws, particularly those affecting minorities, for non-violent crimes. “Mass incarceration makes our country worse off, and we need to do something about it,” Obama said on Tuesday, July 14 at the NAACP’s…
PALAWAN, an island in the Philippines, was voted the No. 1 island in the world by Condé Nast Traveler, a leading luxury lifestyle and travel magazine. Traveler readers rated it an 88.750. Writer and traveler Lindsay Talbot traveled there to take photos and enjoy the exotic island’s natural, wondrous beauty, capturing sites like the Twin Lagoon,…
SOCIAL media was ablaze on Wednesday, July 15 when the hashtag #GrowingUpFilipino became a trending topic. From Instagram posts to telling tweets, nostalgic people everywhere took to social media to post about what it was like to grow up in a Pinoy household. YouTube sensation AJ Rafael tweeted: “Before going outside – grandma: ‘where’s your…
THE US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is retracting some work permits for DACA recipients. In June, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program reached its third anniversary, allowing eligible undocumented immigrants who came into the US at a young age to apply for temporary relief from deportation and obtain two-year work permits. Over…
“Kung tayo’y matanda na, sana’y ‘di tayo magbago…Kailan man nasaan ma’y ito ang pangarap ko… Makuha mo pa kayang ako’y hagkan at yakapin…hanggang sa pagtanda natin… Nagtatanong lang sa ‘yo ako pa kaya’y ibigin mo… kahit maputi na ang buhok ko…” “Huwag kang mag-isip ng ano pa man…Mga paliwanag mo’y ‘di na kailangan… At kahit…
My father was just a little boy growing up in Bataan during World War II. He believed his life and that of his brothers were spared by the Japanese only because they were too small to be viewed as threats to the soldiers. Eventually, brave Filipino and American soldiers fought side-by-side to liberate the country…
They’re too close for comfort many observers say, but singer Erik Santos said that he does not want to put a label on his relationship with singer-actress Angeline Quinto. The two didn’t deny either that they’re special to each other, but Angeline said that she is not yet ready to be in a relationship. “We…
PEOPLE with diabetes are mindful of their bodies’ feedback. Effective diabetes management requires frequent blood sugar checks, careful dietary planning, and close monitoring of other symptoms. But with all the things diabetics have to consider, they often miss warning signs from another crucial area—the mouth. Why are oral care and diabetes so intertwined? Recent studies have revealed…
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 date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
IF you are adopting a child from a foreign country and wish to bring the child to the United States, you must comply with the adoption laws of the child’s country of origin, the laws of the United States and the laws of your state of residence (“home state”). In addition, you must comply…
The growing threat of international terrorism, which apparently is without territorial boundaries, has prompted the Department of State (DOS) to tighten its rules of entry into the US. DOS is the governmental entity that works hand in hand with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is in charge of prospective immigrants to the US. …
Is viagra useful for women? Preliminary report from 12-week study at Northwestern University in Chicago and UCLA Medical Center on 202 post menopaual or post hysterectomy women show that viagra (Sildenafil), the blue pill, is as effective for the females as it is for the males. The action of the drug is to open up…
FRUSTRATED by the lack of governmental action on immigration reform, California lawmakers are considering a measure to allow work permits for undocumented farmworkers. A similar effort died three years ago, opposed by immigrant rights groups and powerful California labor unions, preferring a comprehensive national approach to immigration issues. But a divided Congress did not overhaul…
THE US Justice Department on Tuesday, July 14, moved to seize $12.5 million (about P565 million) in assets belonging to Filipina businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who has allegedly embezzled millions from bribery and kickback schemes. A report on the FBI website states that state prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture complaint to recover assets that Napoles…
The bell tolls for many. It always does. They took their leave in poignant numbers. We loved them and we lost them—men and women who had the power to move us in very special ways. They left memories and images that death cannot diminish: a high swatch of beauty, grace, passion, anguish and delight. We…
PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino is reportedly very pleased with a report in TIME Asia concerning the high level of optimism among Filipinos with respect to their job prospects. According to a Gallup poll, cited by the publication, some 66 percent of Filipinos feel good about landing a job – a figure higher than the 51 percent…
DONALD TRUMP: either you love the guy or hate him. This is especially true in the context of politics and the race to the White House. Filipinos in America are divided as well in how they look at this real estate mogul/reality TV show star, and now US President wannabe. Most Democrats and many Independents…
