Gay marriage now legal in 30 states Unexpectedly and without comment, the Supreme Court turned away appeals from five states seeking to prohibit gay and lesbian marriages. The high court’s order effectively makes gay marriage legal in 30 states, including California, Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York. On Monday, Oct. 6, Supreme Court justices brought…
LOS ANGELES – A new survey shows Main Street’s plan to boost wages and raise prices in the business sector. More small and mid-sized businesses plan to raise their employees salaries, according to a fall report in the PNC Bank Economic Outlook Survey. About 38 percent of US business owners surveyed said that they expect…
PRESIDENT Obama addressed growing frustration on immigration issues, telling Hispanics and immigration rights activists that presidential action is “not a question of if, but when.” Obama spoke Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual gala dinner, warning activists that his eventual actions will spark “intense political opposition that could threaten the durability…
LOS ANGELES – Advocacy groups and community leaders came together on the steps of City Hall on Friday, Oct. 3, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the signing of AB 60, a new law that would essentially provide a driver’s license to all Californians, regardless of immigration status. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of…
The recent weekend enthusiastically set the Filipino-American community in a frenetic mode with a hullabaloo of invites and requests stirring the mid-social stratum in a frenzied whirl. The hustle and bustle of the compulsive invitations inadvertently turned the already overly excited situation into a more fidgety arena of simultaneously celebrated occasions with so little preparations…
LOS ANGELES — In a new study by the New England Journal of Medicine, long-term birth control is found to work best for preventing pregnancies and abortions in sexually active teens. The Contraceptive CHOICE Project based in St. Louis gave 560 young women, who were deemed “at high risk” for pregnancy, free access to birth…
INDEED, dentistry is serious business. But that doesn’t mean we have to take ourselves too seriously all the time, right? Here are some dental-related fun facts: • A typical elephant’s molar weighs nearly nine pounds. • In 1994, a West Virginia prison inmate braided dental floss into a rope to escape! • The first toothbrush with animal…
Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I am out of status, but my employer filed a labor certification for me in 2010. The Department of Labor has already certified my labor certification, and the USCIS has approved my employer’s I-140 petition. The priority date on my case is now current, and I want to file for adjustment of…
One thing I truly enjoy about my job is my relationship with my clients. I get to speak with CEOs, Presidents from large corporations and small business owners from various industries, which keeps things interesting. The biggest difference that I see between large and small business are resources. The one thing that tends to elude…
The year 2014 may be tagged as the most romantic ever, evident on the number of proposals and engagements that happened for showbiz couples. In August, GMA 7 power couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes got engaged on live TV, while Sen. Chiz Escudero proposed to actress Heart Evangelista during their vacation at an exclusive…
LOS ANGELES – California Governor Gerry Brown recently approved Assembly Bill 2501, an act that bans the use of “gay panic” or “trans panic” defenses in court. Officially, AB 2501 amends Section 192 of the Penal Code, relating to manslaughter. In the past, the “panic” defenses were used by murder trial defendants to argue for…
Virgin America announced that starting January, it will add seasonal flights from Las Vegas to Boston. From Jan. 8 to April 28 of next year, Virgin will fly four times a week between Boston Logan International Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. The airline will also expand its schedule of flights between John F….
US SECRET Service Director Julia Pierson abruptly resigned on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 1 in the wake of multiple security breach scandals involving the White House. Pierson “offered her resignation, and I accepted it,” said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson in a statement. “I salute her 30 years of distinguished service to the Secret…
Whenever we travel, we grow. The places we visit offer opportunities and lessons that make us better persons. Their delicacies and cultures allow us to broaden our perspective; and eventually see the world in a whole new light. The locals and their stories—we learn so much from. Indeed, the places we travel to give us…
Two Fil-Am youths honored for craft excellence CARSON, Calif.— The top city officials in Carson welcomed a key local government official from Nueva Ecija on Monday, Sept. 29, while honoring two other Fil-Am youths for excellence in their respective fields. Carson City Mayor Jim Dear and Mayor Pro Tem Elito Santarina gave a warm welcome…
IF Filipinos are to cast their votes on who will be their next president, Vice President Jejomar Binay will be the runaway winner, garnering 31 percent of the votes. Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas will be lagging behind with only 13 percent. Based on the recent Pulse Asia survey results, Binay still tops…
Gridlock in Congress may have stalled the passing of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, but undocumented immigrants in California will now enjoy immigration benefits despite their status. This has been made possible when California Governor Jerry Brown signed three bills into law, which will help about three million undocumented immigrants — including many kababayans. California…
IN THE 2004 US presidential elections, the Republicans portrayed George W. Bush as a man of firm conviction, steadfast, decisive, the kind of leader America needed in fighting the war in Iraq. On the other hand, they branded Democratic standard bearer, John Kerry, as indecisive and prone to change his position on issues — a…
LAS VEGAS – On this dry, heated day and hour in September, the whole city is breathing and heaving like a tired beast. On the strip that controlled all the luxurious hotels, cursing motorists are melting down encased in a steeled impotence, trapped in a horrendous gridlock. But come hell or high waters, people flock here…
California becomes first state to ban plastic bags LOS ANGELES — Governor Jerry Brown has made some big decisions affecting the whole state of California this week. In a series of new legislations, Brown has approved of a gun restriction and signed several bills concerning privacy and paparazzi laws, prevention of further abuse of foster…
California becomes first state to ban plastic bags LOS ANGELES — Governor Jerry Brown has made some big decisions affecting the whole state of California this week. In a series of new legislations, Brown has approved of a gun restriction and signed several bills concerning privacy and paparazzi laws, prevention of further abuse of foster…
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti warned on Monday, Sept. 29, that the city government will be ‘coming after’ LAPD and LAFD personnel who might be abusing a program that pays them tax-free salary while out on injury leave. “Watch out. We’re going to make sure that we’re coming after you,” Garcetti…
Advocates call on LA County Supervisors to let ICE agreement, which sunsets September 30, to expire or risk becoming a nation-wide pariah Los Angeles – The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a leading immigrant rights organization in California, warned the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Monday that a vote for…
30 September 2014 – The Multicultural Health Awareness and Prevention (MHAP) Center at St. Vincent Medical Center held a press conference on September 18, in partnership with the Consulate Generals of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, and Thailand to encourage the community to attend the Free Multicultural Health…
AS I minister to seminarians, I can’t help but thank God for the generosity of their hearts. They have responded to the call of God to be priests. They’re willing to make the sacrifice of not having the pleasures of this world to follow Jesus, to be his missionary disciples to the world. It’s quite…
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Monday, Sept. 22 challenged his administration’s critics to file charges against his allies if they really believe that these officials have been corrupt. “The Ombudsman in particular is ready to investigate complaints, even those coming from anonymous individuals,” said Aquino in response to a question from a Harvard student about…
“HE was already there and he have time to visit a gun store to satisfy his hobby. He’s able to satisfy his stomach by going into [McDonalds] but the community was never given any sense to be with the president,” Dr. Orlando Cagampan of Los Angeles told Balitang America Correspondent Steve Angeles. This was a…
Throughout California’s history, including the last thirty years, there is not a state or federal regulator that does not deserve some, if not substantial, criticism. The collapse of the banking system, which caused five million California homeowners to be desperately underwater, was due to the deliberate lack of oversight by state banking authorities. This should…
SECTION 523(a)(8)(A)(ii) of the current bankruptcy code states that “an obligation to repay funds received as an educational benefit, scholarship or stipend;” is not dischargeable in bankruptcy unless excepting such debt from discharge would impose an undue hardship on the debtor and the debtor’s dependents. An adversarial proceeding is required to determine if a student…
THE Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recently discussed the immigration implications of certain gang-related offenses. In Matter of Hernandez, 26 I&N Dec. 397 (BIA 2014), the respondent was charged with committing vandalism that caused over $400 in damages in violation of California Penal Code (PC) section 594(a) with a gang enhancement allegation pursuant to PC…
