Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has been sued for alleged fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and other violations, by customers claiming they were overcharged due to the department’s computer billing system, Los Angeles Daily News reported. “DWP’s new billing system is highly dysfunctional,” said Tim Blood, an attorney representing clients in…
Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I have been out of status in the US for many years. During that time, I have missed many joyous and tragic occasions in the Philippines, such as graduations and weddings of my children, funerals, (my father died in the Philippines and I could not go back for the funeral) anniversaries, birthdays,…
Roberto and Rosalie immigrated to the United States in May 2013 through the petition of their only son Carlos, who is in the military, and who lives in North Carolina. They have a comfortable life in the Philippines owning several fish ponds and rice lands in Bataan. They did not really want to migrate, but…
TV host, actress and major endorser Kris Aquino heads the list of prominent personalities celebrating their birthday during the love month of February. Born Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino on February 14, 1971; Kris is the youngest daughter of the late Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. and former Philippine President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. She is the…
A San Francisco lawmaker introduced legislation Monday, Jan. 26, that would enforce statewide regulations on e-cigarettes. “No tobacco product should be exempt from California’s smoke-free laws simply because it’s sold in a modern or trendy disguise,” state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who introduced the bill, said in a statement. “Addiction is what’s really being…
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has been sued for alleged fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and other violations, by customers claiming they were overcharged due to the department’s computer billing system, Los Angeles Daily News reported. “DWP’s new billing system is highly dysfunctional,” said Tim Blood, an attorney representing clients in…
Sunday’s big game will draw millions of excited viewers, who should never lose sight of the electrical hazards that come with enjoying the day. Smart decisions and precautions are the best way to win over the electrical hazards that come with Sunday’s game. Added: January 26, 2015 | By Paul Netter In a football game,…
Researchers have confirmed that the death of a 4-year-old Louisiana boy was caused by a microorganism called Naegleria fowleri, which digests neural tissues. The boy, Drake Smith Jr., spent most of a day in July 2013 playing on a slip ‘n slide. Nine days later he experienced severe headaches, vomiting and developed a 104-degree fever….
Everyday seems to be a constant struggle to decide between what is right and wrong, in small ways that nobody ever sees. You win one day and lose the next day. Some nights, my pillow is like a stone. Doing what is right is something we don’t learn from people who sermonize, or moralize to…
The Federal Reserve reiterated on Wednesday, Jan. 28 that it will be “patient” in raising rates from the record lows, but noted that inflation remains below its target, despite the improving US economy. In a statement after its latest policy meeting, the Fed made clear that no rate increase is imminent. The action was approved…
Sorry SoCal, but Northern California neighborhoods are topping real estate this year. A report from online real estate brokerage Redfin, which calculates the “hottest” US neighborhoods for real estate activity each year, compiled a list based on the number of page views, favorites and Redfin “Hot Homes” in a neighborhood, after adjusting for size. This…
A new study from the JAMA Internal Medicine journal has linked commonly used medicines, including over-the-counter treatments for conditions such as insomnia and hay-fever, to dementia. Medical experts say that people do not need to panic or stop taking their prescriptions. The medication types in questions are all drugs with an “anticholinergic” effect. Researchers at…
FOLLOWING the bloodbath between the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), elements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Sunday, Jan. 25, the fate of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) hangs in a balance. The Bangsamoro Basic Law is a peace pact made…
THE thought that hundreds of poor street children in Manila could have a once-in-a-lifetime experience of having a vacation at a resort — complete with comfortable lodging facilities, good food and fun activities— even just for a few days sounds really great. Not in their wildest dreams, perhaps, would they even think this would be…
ALONG with the outpouring of affection for Pope Francis came a flood of self-righteousness and hypocrisy. When the Pope called for a rejection of corruption in government and society, pretenders to moral ascendancy immediately began pointing fingers at others while implying that they themselves were above reproach. Noynoy Aquino himself could not help positioning himself…
A Catholic priest new to San Francisco has banned girls from becoming altar servers in the future. “We’d like to get back to an altar boy program, which is a proven, effective way to promoting vocations to the priesthood,” said Father Joseph Illo. “So boys get closer to the altar, and as you know, the…
At the State of the Union address in 2014, immigration activist and DREAMer Cristian Avila sat in the House of Representatives gallery as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama. At the time of President Obama’s speech, Avila, who came to the US as a young child, had completed a weeks-long fast on the National…
Sorry SoCal, but Northern California neighborhoods are topping real estate this year. A report from online real estate brokerage Redfin, which calculates the “hottest” US neighborhoods for real estate activity each year, compiled a list based on the number of page views, favorites and Redfin “Hot Homes” in a neighborhood, after adjusting for size. This…
A Catholic priest new to San Francisco has banned girls from becoming altar servers in the future. “We’d like to get back to an altar boy program, which is a proven, effective way to promoting vocations to the priesthood,” said Father Joseph Illo. “So boys get closer to the altar, and as you know, the…
THE Los Angeles City Attorney’s office is taking steps to protect immigrants who may be affected by President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration from scam artists. “The president has taken executive action on an important opportunity to obtain temporary legal status for immigrants within this region,” said City Attorney Mike Feuer. “With that opportunity…
THE Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday, Jan. 26, that ambiguous language in union contracts should not automatically be interpreted in favor of workers. The case involved a chemical company, M&G Polymers USA, a subsidiary of Italy-based Mossi & Ghisolfi International, where contracts from the 1990s provided healthcare benefits to retirees under the company’s pension….
THE Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) reported a 3.6 percent drop in student attendance during the first semester, a number that could cost it more than $100 million in state funding. On Jan. 13, LAUSD reported an average daily attendance of 513,765.9, down from last year’s 532,932.8. Each 3 percent decline in attendance costs…
TRAVEL booking website Expedia has acquired online travel agency Travelocity for $280 million from Sabre Corporation. “Travelocity is one of the most recognized travel brands in North America, offering thousands of travel destinations to more than 20 million travelers per month,” Expedia President and CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a news release. Travelocity now joins…
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is seeking a roughly 25 percent cut in civilian workers’ injury-leave pay, an unusually generous benefit that some believe has contributed to increasing taxes. Along with healthcare and pension costs, injury-leave pay is one of several areas where the city is seeking concessions from labor, the mayor confirmed. Union representatives…
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is seeking a roughly 25 percent cut in civilian workers’ injury-leave pay, an unusually generous benefit that some believe has contributed to increasing taxes. Along with healthcare and pension costs, injury-leave pay is one of several areas where the city is seeking concessions from labor, the mayor confirmed. Union representatives…
THE Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) reported a 3.6 percent drop in student attendance during the first semester, a number that could cost it more than $100 million in state funding. On Jan. 13, LAUSD reported an average daily attendance of 513,765.9, down from last year’s 532,932.8. Each 3 percent decline in attendance costs…
THE Los Angeles City Attorney’s office is taking steps to protect immigrants who may be affected by President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration from scam artists. “The president has taken executive action on an important opportunity to obtain temporary legal status for immigrants within this region,” said City Attorney Mike Feuer. “With that opportunity…
Automakers BMW and Volkswagen are partnering with ChargePoint, the largest electric vehicle charging network, to install 100 express high-speed charging stations along two busy highways on the east and west coast. The companies made the announcement on Thursday, Jan. 22, specifying the stations will be placed 50 miles apart on the Interstate 5 between Portland, Oregon and…
Soybean workers exposed to agrochemicals found in Monsanto biocides and herbicides experience cell damage and elevated DNA, a new study has found. The study, published in the journal Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, examined 127 individuals, 81 of whom were exposed to biocides while out on Brazilian soybean fields. The remaining 46 were not…
A new study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that drinking coffee could reduce the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by as much as 20 percent. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and the Yale School of Public Health found…
