On homilies
THE Church sees the homily as an opportunity to address a “people hungry, sometime desperately so, for meaning in their lives.” The homily attends to feeding that particular hunger. In…
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Dysfunctional
FOUR vital agencies of the Philippine government are currently headless after three of the commissioners retired and the other one recently resigned. This February, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto…
Mandatory vaccination for kids? What people are saying
THE resurgence of measles in the past year has revived the debate over the need and the urgency for the government to use its police power and require parents to…
Senior client seeks chapter 7 to discharge $200k of income taxes; Parents hurry to legalize status to cover younger daughter who actually qualifies for Obama amnesty
Client seeks to discharge $200k of taxes CLIENT is an investment & financial broker who advises people how to invest their retirement accounts. He is now 60 years old. During…
Individual shared responsibility provision for individuals and families
Affordable Care Act (ACA – ObamaCare) THE Individual Shared Responsibility provision of ObamaCare requires taxpayers to either: • Have qualifying health care coverage, • Qualify for an exemption, or •…
Can your Facebook photos be used against you in a lawsuit?
MARIA Nucci slipped and fell at a Target store in Palm Beach, Florida. She sued Target for personal injury, claiming, among other things, that she has become physically handicapped experiencing…
Can you settle credit card debts to avoid bankruptcy?
MOST people are unaware that credit card companies will negotiate with you if they believe that it is in their best interests to do so. Many times you can negotiate…
DACA II may be filed starting February 18, 2015
THE USCIS has announced that it will begin accepting applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) under the expanded guidelines the President announced last November, on February 18, 2015. …
West Coast port employers expect shutdown due to congestion
WEST Coast seaports could shut down as soon as next week if dockworkers and their employers cannot reach a new contract, according to Pacific Maritime Association officials intending to pressure…
Millions affected in Anthem data breach
Anthem Inc., the nation’s second largest health-care provider, began informing the public Wednesday, Feb. 4, of a data breach compromising the information of about 80 million customers and employees. “What…
Horrifying literary works on stage, theater, et al…
Noticeably there is a paucity of horror literary pieces being adapted for stage presentation and theater performances as compared to musical, comedy, romance, and even merely documentary-style that are universally…
Candidate seeks to change conversation in LA City Council
LOS ANGELES — For David Ryu, serving on city council isn’t just about representing ethnic minorities. It’s about giving a voice to another underrepresented group. “Even more underrepresented than Asians…
Lab offers up to $13,000 for human feces
A non-profit organization on the east coast is paying healthy people up to $13,000 a year for their feces. OpenBiome, which is based in Medford, Mass., administers frozen stool to…
California used 22 percent less water in December
Californians used 22 percent less water statewide last December compared to the same month in 2013, finally meeting Governor Jerry Brown’s goal of a 20 percent reduction in monthly water…
Calif. could end ‘opt out’ exemption in vaccination policy
In light of the measles outbreak that began in California’s Disneyland, two state lawmakers said Wednesday, Feb. 5, they would introduce legislation making it harder for parents to opt not…
Lawmakers seek to re-introduce biofuels reform bill
Four Democratic and Republican lawmakers attempted to introduce a bill Wednesday, Feb. 4, that seeks to eliminate ethanol fuel-blending mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The legislation would…
Pope Francis is the first pontiff ever to address Congress
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, will address a joint meeting of Congress on Sept. 24 of this year, House Speaker John Boehner confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 5. This is the…
Bank robbery suspect fatally shot after car chase in Chino
Police shot and killed a man after he allegedly robbed a bank in Corona, Calif. and led officers in a car chase that ended in Chino on Feb. 4. Few…
Obama denounces those who seek to ‘hijack religion’
Welcomes the Dalai Lama and major faith leaders at National Prayer Breakfast President Obama condemned terrorists seeking to use religion as a rationale for carrying out violence around the world,…
Sony Pictures executive resigns in hacking aftermath
Amid the fallout of the Sony Pictures hacking crisis, studio head co-chair Amy Pascal is stepping down from her post. The departure was widely expected, ever since the entertainment studio…
Bill could require Nevada preteens to be vaccinated against HPV
A bill introduced Monday, Feb. 2, in the Nevada Senate would require preteens in the state to be vaccinated against meningitis and the human papillomavirus (HPV) before enrolling in private…
High blood pressure: The silent killer
What is High Blood Pressure? High Blood Pressure, or Hypertension, is a condition where the person’s blood pressure is persistently elevated beyond what is medically considered normal level. Normal blood…
FCC reveals big win for net neutrality
Stronger regulations and protection for open Internet Net neutrality advocates celebrated a victory on Wednesday, Feb. 4 with promises of stronger federal authority to enforce and protect open broadband Internet….
Considerations for dental patients with special needs
FOR both children and adults with special needs, dental care can be challenging. In some cases, limited coordination can make brushing and flossing tricky. In other cases there may be…
Nothing is happening with my labor certification case; should I try DAPA instead?
Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I am out of status, but in 2006, my employer sponsored me for a green card through labor certification or PERM. The Department of Labor certified my…
Driver’s license and other programs for undocumented immigrants in 2015
I. AB60: Driver’s License. Undocumented Immigrants are now eligible to apply for a Driver’s License in California. On January 1, 2015, a new law called AB60 became effective in the…
Filipina singing group Hi-Pertensions headlines fundraising concert on Feb. 21
The internationally known Filipina singing group Hi-Pertensions will be headlining a fundraising concert entitled, Thank You for the Music, on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Harbor Light, 4760 Thornton Ave., Fremont,…
Bank robbery suspect fatally shot after car chase in Chino
Police shot and killed a man after he allegedly robbed a bank in Corona, Calif. and led officers in a car chase that ended in Chino on Feb. 4. Few…
Not guns, but bullets that kill
THEY consist of running bits of metals through the flesh of men—large, small, pointed, square, round and splintered bits that tear and kill. It is not the metal in its…
Senate faces showdown on Homeland Security, immigration bill
Senate Democrats put Congress on hold for a second time Wednesday, Feb. 4, blocking a Republican bill that would finance the Department of Homeland Security along with rollbacks of President…