Can a conditional greencard holder file an immigrant petition?
Beneficiary spouse of marriage based immigrant petition’s where the marriage was less than 2 years old at the time of the immigrant visa or status was approved are issued a…
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Client seeks to discharge civil judgment, garnishment and substantial credit card debt
WHEN it rains, it pours. When push comes to shove, and your back is up against the wall, you may think of many desperate things that you can do to…
City attorneys to review cases for Proposition 47
When California voters approved Proposition 47 on Nov. 4, California became the first state in the country to reduce drug possession offenses to misdemeanors. Advocates of the legislation say the…
People watching as we age
Everywhere people are talking about themselves, discussing their doings, their loves, their fighting, their poems, their goals, their music, their meeting their movies, their millions, their misfortunes—their celebrity (or notoriety)…
One year later, millions still displaced by Haiyan
Fil-Am leaders renew call for TPS WHEN super typhoon Haiyan—or locally known as Yolanda—struck the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, it left devastating consequences that continue to plague the country…
China suspected of breaching data in USPS computer networks
CHINESE government hackers are suspected of hacking computer networks of the United States Postal Service (USPS), jeopardizing the information of more than 800,000 employees. The FBI informed the Postal Service…
Reports reveal AT&T, Verizon track users’ web activity
WIRELESS giants AT&T and Verizon may be violating privacy laws with coding that tracks its users’ web activity. Recent reports have revealed that these telecommunications providers have been tracking more…
Poor sleep quality linked to brain shrinkage, study finds
It is often said that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but what is not so widely known is that poor sleep quality may reduce the size of the…
Establishing the American Dream of homeownership for all Asian Americans
Every study has demonstrated that our nation’s twenty million Asian Americans seek the American Dream of homeownership. Among many Asian American groups, including Filipino Americans and Vietnamese Americans, the percentage…
Cardinal Tagle’s challenge to the Filipino priests in the USA: Meet people at their “wells”!
I’M writing from Orlando, Florida while attending the 2nd General Assembly of the National Association of Filipino Priests—USA. I remember fondly the first assembly that we held three years ago…
Resilience
A YEAR ago, the Philippines welcomed an unwanted visitor. Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) with winds up to 235 kilometers per hour and a tsunami-like storm surge ravaged most…
Will the Republicans’ win over the Democrats in the Midterm Elections be good for America?
The 2014 Midterm Elections are over and the balance of power has tilted in favor of the Republicans. The Grand Old Party (GOP) now controls both the House of Representatives…
Japan’s largest airline brings in-flight meal prepared by Michelin-starred restaurant
Menu for business class starts Dec. 1 LOS ANGELES – Who says airplane food has to be subpar? This December, Japan’s largest airline All Nippon Airways will be serving dishes from…
Social media, the New Roman Colosseum
The other day, I came upon a shocking news headline on FaceBook, “George W. Bush Arrested for Cocaine Possession.” It was datelined Dallas, Texas, July 24, 2014. Intrigued, I read…
Clients in forties seek chapter 7 fresh start
WE will discuss two new cases involving clients who seek a fresh start in life with no debts owed to anyone. Both sets of clients are in their forties. The…
Fraud offenses and false use of social security number as CIMTs
MORE than a year ago, I discussed in an article the immigration consequences of using a false social security number. In Beltran-Tirado v. INS, 213 F.3d 1179 (9th Cir. 2000),…
Can you take early distributions before you retire?
TOUGH times may necessitate dipping into your retirement funds before retirement. Look at the tax impact of such a move. You may be shocked to find out what you are…
When “getting back” an employee becomes illegal retaliation
EVERY now and then, our law firm receives calls from persons who inform us that supervisors reduced their hours, or suspended them for a trump up charge, in order to…
Is your family-owned business struggling financially?
THE recession has been tough on a lot of small businesses. And if you have a family-owned business that is your only source of income, the business may not even…
Study finds working irregular shifts reduces cognitive ability
A RECENT study found that working a job with irregular shifts comes with a price tag greater than the challenge in adjusting sleeping patterns: doing so has a long-term effect…
Walt Disney Studios announces new “Toy Story” and “Star Wars” films
On Nov. 6, Disney announced the continuation of two of their biggest film sagas, Star Wars and Toy Story. The major studio announced the official title of the new Star Wars:…
Aboard a floating carnival
The most notable about time in an ocean voyage is that it is so purely relative. What a fragment is in space, a moment is in time. We sailed in…
UC system plans to increase tuition by 5%
Gov. Brown, student against hike Administrators at the University of California proposed a new plan to increase tuition by as much as 5 percent in the next five years, drawing…
Unused vaccines cost California nearly $1 million per year
FLU season can begin as early as October each year, at which time thousands of free and affordable vaccines are available to the public. But according to a report from…
Over 2 million recalled GM cars not repaired
Nearly half of 2.59 million recalled General Motors vehicles remain unrepaired nine months after the automaker issued a recall due to faulty ignition switches. As of Oct. 31, a total…
Hyundai, Kia fined $100 million for overstating fuel economy
South Korean auto companies Hyundai and Kia owe a $100 million fine for exaggerating the fuel economy estimates of 1.2 million cars. An investigation conducted by the Department of Justice…
Corazon Cajucom Reyes carves her niche & stamps her mark
Being an achiever doesn’t necessarily need one to be somewhat unapproachably recondite and stops being a woman. On the 16th day of June, 1944, a future humanitarian leader who could…
Will Immigration Reform be passed by the new Congress?
The US midterm elections took place on Tuesday, November 4 and no doubt you have heard a lot about what the results mean for this country. Immigration reform was a…
Unused vaccines cost California nearly $1 million per year
FLU season can begin as early as October each year, at which time thousands of free and affordable vaccines are available to the public. But according to a report from…
UC system plans to increase tuition by 5%
Gov. Brown, student against hike Administrators at the University of California proposed a new plan to increase tuition by as much as 5 percent in the next five years, drawing…