THE $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by Congress included an allocation of $5 million toward an earthquake warning system in California that would begin next year. Scientists have attempted to make this system more widely available, but funding remained a long-time obstacle. The system would not predict earthquakes, but would provide people with up to…
Federal prosecutors sued New York City on Thursday, Dec. 18, as the city has allegedly not acted fast enough in reforming Rikers Island jail, particularly in how it deals with adolescent inmates. In a report by the Justice Department, findings from a 2 ½ -year investigation conducted from 2011 to 2013 revealed there was a…
On Wednesday, Dec. 17, New America Media and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA (AAAJ-LA) hosted a media briefing to discuss President Obama’s recent executive action on immigration and the stakes for health care coverage in California’s diverse communities, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). “America has always been a nation of immigrants,” said…
ALTHOUGH Miss Philippines Valerie Weigmann failed to bring home the crown at the 64th Miss World pageant last December 15, she is still proud to have represented the country. In fact, her fans are just equally supportive of her, in spite of her loss. Valerie was one of the 25 semi-finalists, and was also in…
With the 2014 midterm elections behind us, one demographic has both Republicans and Democrats buzzing. Based on exit polling of the 2014 midterm elections, 50 percent of Asian American support went to the Republicans. This is in stark contrast to 2012, when President Barack Obama and the Democrats won the Asian American vote in a…
Are there holidays or special events coming up in your life? If so, chances are there are going to be lots of photos taken. Everyone has a camera now, right? Let’s visit about ways to help you prepare your smile. SOME people are just lucky. They seem to look fantastic in every photograph! Naturally photogenic. For…
The January 2015 Visa Bulletin provides more great news for Filipinos, as the priority dates in the various family and employment categories continue to move forward. 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….
There are more and more fast food chains requiring their food handler to use gloves when preparing food items, as an indication of hygiene and food safety. The holiday season inspires people to eat out, the time of the year when more acute gastrointestinal incidents happen. The idea, on the surface, appears to be a…
A former professor who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting underage boys while traveling to the Philippines was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday, Dec. 15. Walter Lee Williams, 65, who previously taught at the University of Southern California (USC), also received a sentence of 10 years of supervised release and was mandated to…
A new analysis by NASA scientists reveals that it would take approximately 11 trillion gallons of water to remedy the drought that has plagued the Golden State for the last three years. Data was collected by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites—which were the first to develop a calculation of how much water…
They say, “traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Cliché and overused —yes, that statement is. However, you cannot deny the things that traveling do which make you a person better than who you were before you left. For one, you make memories that you would have never experienced had you…
A THIRD of Filipinos are expecting a more prosperous Christmas celebration. According to a recent Pulse Asia survey conducted from Nov. 14 to 20, 34 percent of the 1,200 respondents said Christmas would be more prosperous this year, up by 12 points from 22 percent last year. During this season, it is easy to get…
READY or not, Christmas will be here in a week. Gifts. Christmas decorations. Holiday parties. Christmas carols. They all set the stage for another festive holiday celebration. One of the very popular Christmas carols that we have grown up to and still sing up to now as we countdown to Christmas is the song “The…
“SINGKO lang po, singko lang po, (Just five centavos, just five centavos) Singko lang po ang ibigay niyo. (Just give us five centavos). Ayos na ang buto-buto.” (Everything will be okay) “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” never had a less literal translation. Funny how I caught myself singing it. Reading about the devastation caused…
IF YOU are thinking of a relative, friend or yourself who may possibly qualify for President Obama’s immigration amnesty, you are probably confused about how this immigration program works. This is not surprising because the President’s announcement only came out on November 21, 2014, barely two weeks ago. The President calls his immigration program “deferred…
A new analysis by NASA scientists reveals that it would take approximately 11 trillion gallons of water to remedy the drought that has plagued the Golden State for the last three years. Data was collected by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites—which were the first to develop a calculation of how much water…
EACH of us encounters those sad stormy days, when we feel very small, very fragile and very frightened, as if one might shatter into a thousand pieces and break into heartrendering sobs at simple as “are you feeling better now?” Today, I made peace with the past: with that body and face I’ve been born…
PRESIDENT Barrack Obama’s executive action on immigration reform announced last month will affect many communities and families, granting at least 5 million undocumented immigrants protection from deportation should they meet requirements. To the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, one of the most rapidly growing populations with over 17.3 million in the US, the…
THE Staten Island case of Eric Garner, the African-American man killed in a chokehold involving an unindicted New York City police officer, has made headlines all over the world and in hundreds of communities. Concerned cries for justice have echoed throughout the Asian American community, where academics and civil rights advocates have been proactive in…
AUTHORITIES investigating a massive fire that engulfed an entire apartment building complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles are seeking two men captured on video near the scene around the time the blaze started. The second man, caught on a freelance news video, was seen lurking around the site and pushed away by firefighters. A…
MANUFACTURING output in the US hit its biggest gain in nine months in November, surpassing Wall Street’s 0.5 percent growth estimate for that month. The overall industrial capacity used was at its highest in more than 6 ½ years, while the percentage of manufacturing capacity used in November climbed to its highest since December 2007,…
TWO major global payment technology companies are being sued in the United States by the hosting service provider used by WikiLeaks for blocking payments to the website. American lawyers representing DataCell ehf, the Icelandic company that processed payments for WikiLeaks, brought legal charges against MasterCard and Visa on Monday, Dec. 15 seeking in excess of…
AUTHORITIES investigating a massive fire that engulfed an entire apartment building complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles are seeking two men captured on video near the scene around the time the blaze started. The second man, caught on a freelance news video, was seen lurking around the site and pushed away by firefighters. A…
By Rudy M. Viernes Filipino-Americans of Marin County in North Bay, Caifornia will hold a devotional five-day series of masses called “Simbang Gabi” from December 16 to 20 at the St. Isabella’s parish church at One Trinity Way in Terra Linda, San Rafael, CA. This is the fifth year that this Filipino tradition is held…
I SPENT most of my time this week visiting our seminarians who are on parish internship this year. As always, I feel happy when I hear them express their excitement and joy in ministry. This makes me hopeful about the future of the church; we’ll have happy priests! As a priest involved in seminary formation,…
THE Philippines government’s efforts to improve the economy paid off after an international credit watchdog raised the country’s credit rating. Moody’s Investors Service recently upgraded the Philippines’ foreign and local bond ratings to Baa2, just a notch bellow investment grade from Baa3, noting that the outlook for the rating was stable. The upgrade, according to…
FOR several years now, Filipinos’ joyful anticipation of the Christmas season has been challenges by the wrath of Mother Nature that seemed to have been unleashed just before the holiday season. This year has not been different. After praying for and commiserating once again with our kababayans back home who had been victims of the…
(Frequently-Asked Questions on Gift Tax) IF I receive a gift, do I have to pay a gift tax? No. The donee (recipient) is not responsible for paying the gift tax. Who pays the gift tax? The donor (the person giving you the gift) is responsible for paying the gift tax. What is considered a gift?…
WE previously reported on a case of warehouse employees at Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc., a company which provides warehouse space and staffing to Amazon.com, who sued their employer in a class action, alleging that they spent as much as 25 minutes per day of unpaid time going through required security screenings at the end of…
ON November 20, 2014, President Obama announced a series of executive actions which will greatly benefit many individuals residing in the United States without proper documentation. The main premise of the executive order is to promote family unity in the United States. To meet this goal, President Obama has announced DAPA, which stands for “Deferred…
