PUBLIC support for Obamacare hit its all-time low in a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll—even as most Americans say the Supreme Court should not block federal subsidies at the heart of the health care law. With the high court set to rule on the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act, the survey reflects the…
CALIFORNIA court leaders voted unanimously on Monday, June 8 to a rule change allowing drivers to contest traffic violations without first paying for them. The rule, requested by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, will bar local courts from charging drivers bail before they can challenge traffic tickets. The emergency rule, adopted by the state Judicial Council,…
PRESIDENT Barack Obama expressed his frustration on Monday, June 8 about the continued broken immigration system in the United States, and how federal court rulings have stalled his executive orders, vowing to keep pushing to fix the system. Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Krün, Germany with world leaders, Obama said that he…
THE Philippines is scheduled this week to submit a 300-year-old map to the international tribunal, which will bolster its case against China’s territorial claim of the South China Sea, the Malacanang said Monday, June 8. “China’s claim is about historical title,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a press briefing. “This old map would certainly…
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I am a US citizen (I got my green card through my US citizen husband), and I petitioned my mother. But she was denied at the Embassy because the consul said I am not her daughter. During her medical exam at St. Luke’s, the doctors were questioning her how I could be…
Good samaritan client seeks to discharge $2o,ooo lawsuit; Senior seeks solution for wrongful death $1.0M lawsuit “ Only 10% of California foreclosures are judicial. 90% of foreclosures are extrajudicial where there is no lawsuit and no court judgment is involved. Extra-judicially involves only a notice of default that is recorded with the county recorder’s office,…
DURING initial consultations, some debtors contemplating filing bankruptcy have expressed their personal preference of filing Chapter 7, instead of Chapter 13, for various reasons such as a shorter time frame to get a discharge under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. While a majority of bankruptcy filings may qualify for Chapter 7, some might not. One…
RECENTLY, I had a third year international college student do a consultation with me. She had married her US citizen boyfriend. She hired an “immigration consultant” referred to her by her aunt in Chinatown. This consultant helped her complete an I-130 petition, but failed to file a green card application. Additionally, he had filed an…
THERE are three basic types of audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. Correspondence audits are the simplest ones – W2s, 1099s and other items that can be easily resolved by mail. Office audits are more complicated and involve small businesses and individuals with difficult issues. The exams are conducted at the IRS offices (not your…
Q: MY employer has been sued in a class action by another employee who is trying to collect unpaid wages. All the employees, including me, received a Notice from an Administrator saying that the attorneys who filed the class action want to obtain my name and contact information because I might be a member of…
AS we go through life, we are likely to encounter several bumps along the way. This is especially true when it comes to our finances. I’m sure you’ve heard of people who have had overnight successes. But sometimes just as quickly, the financial responsibilities that often come with the success can quickly overwhelm the unprepared. …
QUESTION: I have a bunch of assets in other places than California. Also, I will be moving soon. Is there a Will I can use here for my Last Will and Testament? Answer: There are those people who come from other countries, or will move to another country or who will move to another State….
A QUESTION that invariably arises during divorce proceedings is whether assets are properly characterized as community or separate property. If property is characterized as community property, it must be divided between spouses equally upon dissolution of marriage. Fam. Code Sec. 2550. Under California community property principles, a general presumption exists that property acquired during marriage…
THERE is a quiet army of gentle women who wear their tact like a uniform. They look after elderly people with long-term needs. Whether in a high-rise, multi-storey building, a cozy condo or in an elegant and sprawling California-style bungalow (where a caregiver is a cocooned for five days or a whole week) he/she is…
PERHAPS the surrogates of Vice President Jejomar Binay are scratching their heads over how their tactic of aggressively probing Senator Grace Poe’s nationality and qualifications to run for President in 2014 have boomeranged against them. They were, after all, doing the Filipino people a service to help them make the intelligent choice come May 2016,…
President Barack Obama on Tuesday, June 2, signed the USA Freedom Act into law, reforming the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records. The legislation still permits the government access to this data, although it will have to file requests to obtain the information from phone companies. “After a needless delay and inexcusable…
FOLLOWING a debate filled with personal stories of loss, the California Senate on Thursday, June 4, approved a highly controversial measure that would allow terminally-ill patients to end their lives with drugs prescribed by physicians. The proposal, Senate Bill 128, is modeled after a voter-approved law in Oregon, the Death with Dignity Act. The right…
Raises health and environmental concerns A CLEANUP operation was underway on Wednesday, June 3, on a four-mile stretch of coastline in Long Beach, Calif. that was closed the day before after an unexplainable amount of tar balls washed ashore. About 55 gallons of the sticky substance were collected by 4:00 am, and samples will be…
A 13-YEAR-old girl from Tacoma, Wash., committed suicide by jumping off an interstate bridge on Friday, May 29—days after her father filmed himself cutting her long hair as punishment for an unspecified wrongdoing. The video was posted on YouTube. Fil-Am Izabel Laxamana, a student at Giaudrone Middle School, left several notes to her family before…
THE Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved a measure on Wednesday, June 3, to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, making it the biggest city in the nation to make such a move. The city council voted 13-1 in favor of an ordinance to raise the minimum wage, giving its support…
“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole… her true beauty is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows…” – Audrey Hepburn TURNING 80 is one great milestone in every person’s life especially among women… an enviable life’s stage seldom attained and…
THE Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved a measure on Wednesday, June 3, to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, making it the biggest city in the nation to make such a move. The city council voted 13-1 in favor of an ordinance to raise the minimum wage, giving its support…
A FILIPINO math teacher at Barstow High School in Barstow, Calif. received multiple awards this year in recognition of a flipped classroom teaching style that incorporates digital presentations so students can complete lectures at home rather than in class. Peter Esperanza, a Laguna native, was awarded an Apple Distinguished Educator for 2015, received the first-ever…
STARTING May 26, 2015 the Department of Homeland Security US Citizenship and Immigration Services began accepting applications for employment authorization from certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B non-immigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status. Eligibility Requirements. DHS amended the regulations to allow certain individuals to accept employment in the United States as follows:…
HAVE you wondered what the numbers mean that a hygienist calls out while examining your gums? They’re readings of the gum pocket depths in your mouth, and they’re an important part of monitoring your gum health. Pocket readings help us measure inflammation Pocket depth refers to your gums’ attachment to your teeth. If there’s an infection in your gums,…
• CHECK your fluids and perform regular maintenance. • Confirm proper tire pressure to avoid a blowout and improve fuel economy. • Keep yourself cool with a/c and your vehicle cool by parking in the shade. The arrival of summer marks an ideal time to make sure your car or truck is in good working…
Oats and Grains Tested for centuries, and loved by billions around the world, oats and whole grains, high fiber cereals, are most effective in naturally lowering blood cholesterol and in making bowels regular. A morning of fruit juice, oats and grains, MINUS rice, ham, sausage, bacon and eggs, is one great habit that is in…
President Barack Obama on Tuesday, June 2, signed the USA Freedom Act into law, reforming the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records. The legislation still permits the government access to this data, although it will have to file requests to obtain the information from phone companies. “After a needless delay and inexcusable…
A recent MERS outbreak in South Korea—the largest outside of Saudi Arabia, where the disease first emerged in 2012—is likely to grow, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, has infected at least 25 people in South Korea and killed two, the organization said Tuesday, June 2. “Doctors have…
IN the diverse, densely packed city of San Francisco, known for its high living costs, 77 percent of voters last year approved a series of pay hikes that will boost San Francisco’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2018. Still, tensions on Valencia Street in the Mission District remain over the recently approved statewide…
