Down and out clients seek Chapter 7 fresh start in life
WE will discuss two recent cases involving clients who truly need a fresh start in life with no debts owed to anyone. The first case involves an individual who has…
Read More
Should you submit an offer in compromise (OIC) to the IRS?
IF YOU cannot pay all your taxes owed to the IRS, you may make an offer to pay a smaller sum to fully pay all taxes, penalties, and interests. This…
Should supervisors, lead persons, and foremen be paid overtime?
Why a fixed monthly salary may shortchange some employees Q: I WORK as a supervisor/team lead at a manufacturing plant. I supervise a few employees but I can’t hire or…
Do you have these early signs of debt trouble?
HOW much debt is too much? Are you worried that you have accumulated more debt than you can afford to pay back? One of the smartest things you can do…
A Whole New World, same beautiful voice: Lea Salonga has still got it
Lea Salonga made entertainment and social media headlines this week after her performance with the four-man opera group Il Divo at a show on their European tour, titled A Musical Affair….
Admission under ‘assumed name’ is legal admission for subsequent Adjustment of Status
THE US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit granted a joint motion to dismiss a case in which it had previously ruled that a person who entered the US…
Kababayans respond to new immigration benefits for the undocumented
FILIPINOS have expressed mixed reactions over new bills enacted into law in California that will help undocumented immigrants be able to work and live in America without fear of imminent…
Negligence
AFTER weeks of ignoring reports of recruitment by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the southern part of the country, the Philippines has heightened its security in…
‘La Traviata, the woman gone astray’
OPERA was born in Italy at the end of the 16th century. Some say that opera is a stepchild of the arts—a sort of mongrel offspring to ballet, music, drama—and…
Slower lanes, longer waits at drive-thrus
Hungry folks who speed into the drive-thru lane at fast-food restaurants may begin to notice that service hasn’t been that fast. As the menus of different fast-food restaurants get more…
Supreme Court denies gay marriage appeals
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…
Some small businesses prices, wages confidence increase
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…
Activists dismayed by Obama’s immigration deferral
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…
Low Pinoy turnout seen for undocumented license forums
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…
Overlapping social events in so limited time
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…
Teens and birth control: what you need to know
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…
Dental-related fun facts
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…
My priority date is current, Why am I being told I can’t file for adjustment of status?
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…
Getting the word out with advertising
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…
John Prats and Isabel Oli now engaged; Coco Martin in hot water for Bench show
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…
Pinoy LGBT group lauds CA ban on gay, transgender ‘panic’ defense
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…
Virgin America to increase seasonal flights to Boston and New York
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…
Secret Service chief resigns amid security scandals
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…
Traveling, how much does it cost?
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…
Carson welcomes Nueva Ecija vice mayor
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…
With new benefits for undocumented immigrants in CA, should other states follow?
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…
Flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop
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…
One is a lonely number
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…
Gov. Jerry Brown approves series of new laws
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…