WITH an ongoing labor dispute between West Coast ports workers and their employers, Labor Secretary Tom Perez traveled to San Francisco on Tuesday, Feb. 17, to help broker an agreement between both parties. Cargo backlog at the ports has reached a near gridlock amid contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents…
Perhaps the heart is not just a sort of Valentine, nor just a beating thing in our chest that sustains life. It is also the wellspring of faith, hope and love—all the musings in the human heart—meanings, metaphors, even humor, which jumpstarts the imagination about its significance, as the most popular symbol. Would a heart-filled…
I HAVE never attended a Jewish service in my entire life until last summer when my friend Armando invited me to a Shabbat while spending a week-long of vacation in San Francisco and in the Bay Area. “Sure, I’ll go,” I responded quickly to Armando’s invitation. “I’ve always wanted to experience a Jewish service and…
Vigorous running may do more harm than good. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that light jogging is best for longevity. Those who absolutely did not jog were just as likely to die as those who jogged strenuously and frequently, according to the study. Researchers examined 5,048 healthy…
MAJORITY of Filipinos are sympathetic to the families of the 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) troopers who were allegedly killed and slaughtered by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Since the massacre, the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is undeniably in peril….
I CONFESS. I am a hopeless romantic. I love romantic comedies. I cry watching love stories — whether the ending is a happy or a sad one. Today is Valentines’ Day. Let me be cheesy and mushy. Here are some of the “kilig” love quotes I found in different sources that want to share with…
IF we thought we would not see any president heaped with more spite than Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos, think again. At the rate insults are being hurled at Benigno S. Aquino III, he could yet set a record of sorts. The massacre of 44 Special Action Force troopers is just the latest incident that…
White House will hire 1,000 more employees to implement Obama’s immigration action The 3 seniors who need bankruptcy relief THIS must have been my pre valentine seniors’ week for bankruptcy relief. The first senior who comes to see me only owes $15,000 of credit card debt. She is a widow and 75 years old. She retired…
LAST month President Obama announced several executive actions which will provide deportation relief to many families, documented and undocumented. The executive action will aim at securing our borders, making convicted and dangerous criminal offenders a priority for removal. Under the new actions, hardworking and law abiding residents will be granted several benefits that will assist…
IT’S after 6pm, a dark evening in Los Angeles. The only street parking available on a curb is marked red. You park there. After two hours, you return to your car and you see a parking violation ticket. The fine for parking on a red zone is violation of Section 80.56E of the Municipal Code…
Premium Tax Credit for individuals and families IF YOU purchased health coverage from a state or the federal Marketplace and are eligible for the premium tax credit, file Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, with your federal income tax return. If you previously chose to have advance payments of the premium tax credit paid directly to…
A CLASS of “Review Appraisers,” employed by Bank of America (BoA) through its subsidiary, Landsafe, recently obtained approval of a settlement for $5.8 million. The employees sued BoA for alleged overtime violations, itemaized wage statement violations, meal and rest period violations, waiting time penalties, and civil penalties against the employer. The employees, who primarily proofread…
THE USCIS has recently announced that it will start accepting applications for the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on February 18, 2015 (and not a day earlier). Based on the 11/20/2014 USCIS Memorandum from USCIS Director Leon Rodriquez, the DACA program which was initially implemented in 2012 is expanded as follows: • Remove…
REVERSING what has been over 5 years of illogical jurisprudence Immigration Judges (“IJs”) and the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), the US Supreme Court recently rejected the BIA’s decisions in Matter of Blake, 23 I&N Dec. 722 (BIA 2005), and Matter of Brieva, 23 I&N Dec. 766 (BIA 2005) which had held that §212(c) relief…
EVERYDAY, I meet with couples who are deeply in debt. In a lot of cases, I can feel the stress level that they are experiencing while the couple is in my office. Emotions often run high and you can feel the tension in the air. There can be a lot of finger-pointing, resentment, anger, etc….
President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday, Feb. 13, encouraging widened sharing of cybersecurity threat information between companies in the private sector and the US government. “Government cannot do this alone. But the fact is that the private sector can’t do it alone either because it’s government that often has the latest information on…
Filipinos still awaiting TPS relief LOS ANGELES – Since President Barack Obama announced his executive action on immigration last November, hundreds of departments and organizations have been gearing up to implement the plans that are estimated to affect millions of undocumented residents living in the United States. Federal agencies such as the United States Citizenship and…
THE Metropolitan Water District is considering the limitation of deliveries and implementation of water rationing starting July 1, depending on statewide drought conditions. “Southland consumers have responded to the water conservation challenge this past year. We all, however, need to be prepared to take water saving to another level this summer if water-supply conditions don’t improve,”…
Early in the morning when most people are sleeping and barely any major appliances are running, chances are a significant amount of power is being consumed. This happens due to what energy researchers call the “miscellaneous electrical load,” or MEL, which consists of various electronics and other items that are not lighting, heating and cooling…
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said on Tuesday, Feb. 10, that the company is investing $850 million into a California solar farm. “We know in Apple that climate change is real,” he said, according to Reuters. “The time for talk is passed. The time for action is now.” The company is working with Tempe, Ariz.-based…
In just a couple of weeks, the world will once again commemorate the triumphant symbolism of its female populace in connection with the international celebration of Women’s History Month. And yes, March is earmarked for this notable event. Recognizing the achievements of women has been a widespread scene in every community organization especially during this…
THE Metropolitan Water District is considering the limitation of deliveries and implementation of water rationing starting July 1, depending on statewide drought conditions. “Southland consumers have responded to the water conservation challenge this past year. We all, however, need to be prepared to take water saving to another level this summer if water-supply conditions don’t improve,”…
Filipinos still awaiting TPS relief LOS ANGELES – Since President Barack Obama announced his executive action on immigration last November, hundreds of departments and organizations have been gearing up to implement the plans that are estimated to affect millions of undocumented residents living in the United States. Federal agencies such as the United States Citizenship and…
In the last four years, the city of Cerritos issued a historic high of 708 business licenses. It also posted a record year in sales with nearly $3 billion, which helped generate close to $30 million in sales tax. This money goes into the city’s general fund, which helps provide programs and services for Cerritos…
This Saturday, February 14, is the day of love, wine and roses and I have asked some of my friends—especially happily married couples—on how they will celebrate Valentine’s Day. Their answers vary from giving red roses (a symbol of the day), special gifts, a romantic lunch or dinner, a weekend getaway, or simply spending…
While medications are designed to make us feel better, in some cases their side effects can instigate a second, completely different, problem. That’s why dentists encourage patients to “open up,” in more ways than one! If you have medical conditions, or if you are taking any medications, please make sure we’re aware of them at…
THE March 2015 Visa Bulletin provides more great news for Filipinos, as the priority dates in the various family and employment categories continue to move forward. In fact, the priority date for workers has moved forward to June 1, 2014. Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the…
DACA Expansion: Revised Eligibility Requirements. Beginning February 18, 2015, the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) will begin accepting requests for expanded DACA. Many young individuals have already taken advantage of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which was introduced in 2012. While this does not provide a pathway to getting lawful…
An immigrant parent can never have a married child under petition. If the beneficiary gets married before he or she gets a green card (or before the petitioner naturalizes), the petition is automatically void upon the marriage, even if the child was ‘single’ when the petition was filed. Change in a person’s marital status could…
Why is lovemaking good for us? Scientific evidence suggests that clean sex is good for us in more ways than one. Here are some of the dozen reasons why it is so. 1. Sex is a beauty treatment. Medical tests show that when women make love they produce amounts of the hormone estrogen, which makes…
