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South Carolina looks to steady ship against South Carolina UpstateMichael Arrigo was admitted as an expert in Fair Market Value ("FMV") physician compensation and related topics. Newport Beach, CA, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Michael Arrigo of No World Borders has been admitted as an expert in physician compensation by the Superior Court in Stamford, Connecticut. The Court denied a motion in limine aimed to preclude Arrigo's testimony and opinions, subject to voir dire. Mr. Arrigo was admitted as an expert. The case in question , focused on the lost income of an interventional cardiologist specializing in transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). Arrigo's testimony contributed to the court's understanding of the intricacies of assessing damages related to lost income in the medical profession. Arrigo's scope of expertise included examining the Fair Market Value (FMV) of physician compensation, comparing productivity using work relative value units (wRVUs), and benchmarking against similarly situated physicians. His analysis encompassed various factors such as medical specialty, geographic location, years of practice, on-call time, etc. Furthermore, his testimony addressed the lost compensation compared to peers at academic medical centers, considering National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, faculty tenure, and the balance of income derived from teaching versus active medical practice. A leading authority on medical billing and Medicare and Medicaid fraud, Arrigo is recognized for his extensive work in healthcare legislation compliance, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the HITECH Act, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). His expertise extends to healthcare IT, electronic health record forensics, and laboratory billing, reinforcing his status as a distinguished expert. Moreover, Arrigo's knowledge is reinforced by his role as a financial expert under Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933, owing to his leadership in corporate governance, including his service on the board of directors of a publicly traded company. His scholarly contributions include a peer-reviewed article highlighting his clinical documentation improvement research at a leading academic medical center. This research has been pivotal in understanding the significant link between accurate clinical documentation and the evaluation of healthcare services. The court's decision to recognize Michael Arrigo's expertise emphasizes his competence in physician compensation and underscores the importance of qualified testimony in complex medical-legal cases. Arrigo's expertise in the healthcare industry makes him a chosen educator of the trier of fact in litigation, where complex data, medical codes, charges, and payments play a critical role in adjudicating and resolving disputes. About Michael Arrigo Admitted as an Expert in Physician Compensation Mr. Arrigo is one of the leading medical billing experts in the U.S., an expert in Medicare and Medicaid fraud , Medicare Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs), the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSPA), HIPAA Privacy and Security, ARRA HITECH Act Protected Health Information Safeguards, Electronic Health Record forensic audit reviews, laboratory testing and laboratory CPT codes, esoteric testing medical bills, the Certification of Electronic Health Record Technology ("CEHRT”) for promoting interoperability and meaningful use, healthcare IT intellectual property, including the use of blockchain and cryptography, and crypto assets, coverage of healthcare benefits under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA” or "ACA”) as well as rebuttals to life care plans under the Affordable Care Act . He is the primary author of a peer-reviewed article regarding his research in clinical documentation improvement at a leading academic medical center. Mr. Arrigo was admitted as an expert in corporate governance. He led a Sarbanes Oxley internal IT audit of a Fortune 100 public company; his familiarity with Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) guidance and his current service as a member of the Board of Directors of a public company where he serves on the Audit Committee and as chair of the Compensation Committee, qualified as a financial expert as defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act”). Michael Arrigo 620 Newport Center Drive Suite 1100 Newport Beach, CA 92660 https://www.noworldborders.com MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer Carson (202) 792-4980 [email protected]
Sl Green Realty's chief legal officer sells $3.65 million in stockGet ready for a college football bowl season like you’ve never seen. It’s the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff to determine the national champion, with first-round games kicking off Friday, December 20. In the new format, the top four conference champions (Oregon, Georgia, Arizona State and Boise State) receive a first-round bye and automatic entry into the quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams play in the four-game first round, with matchups held at the home stadiums of the higher-ranked participants. The “New Year’s Six” bowls serve as the quarterfinals and semifinals, with the national championship decided Monday, January 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Of course, there’s still plenty of college football postseason action through early January that doesn’t involve the national championship chase. The parade of bowl games begins Saturday, December 14, with the Cricket Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. A great tradition continues in Landover, Maryland, as the Navy Midshipmen take on the Army Black Knights Saturday on CBS at 3/2c. Later on Saturday, the Heisman Trophy is presented to the season’s most outstanding player in a ceremony on ESPN at 8/7c. Finalists are Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (pictured above) and Miami QB Cam Ward. Here’s your complete lineup of College Football Playoff games and other bowl matchups: All times Eastern/Central. Friday, December 20 No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, ABC/ESPN, 8/7c Saturday, December 21 No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, noon/11a c, TNT/Max No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, 4/3c, TNT/Max No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State, 8/7c, ABC/ESPN Tuesday, December 31 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona): TBA vs. No. 3 Boise State, (ESPN) Wednesday, Jan. 1 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta): TBA vs. No. 4 Arizona State, 1/noon c, ESPN Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California): TBA vs. No. 1 Oregon, 5/4c, ESPN Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans): TBA vs. No. 2 Georgia, 8:45/7:45c, ESPN Thursday, January 9 Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida): TBA vs. TBA, 7:30/6:30c, ESPN Friday, January 10 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas): TBA vs. TBA, 7:30/6:30c, ESPN Monday, January 20 National Championship (Atlanta): TBA vs. TBA, 7:30/6:30c, ESPN Saturday, December 14 Cricket Celebration Bowl (Atlanta): Jackson State vs. South Carolina State, noon/11a c, ABC IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama): South Alabama vs. Western Michigan, 9/8c, ESPN Tuesday, December 17 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas): Memphis vs. West Virginia, 9/8c, ESPN Wednesday, December 18 Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, Florida): Western Kentucky vs. James Madison, 5:30/4:30c, ESPN Art of Sport LA Bowl (Inglewood, California): Cal vs. UNLV, 9/8c, ESPN Thursday, December 19 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans): Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston, 7/6c, ESPN2 Friday, December 20 StaffDNA Cure Bowl (Orlando, Florida): Ohio vs. Jacksonville State, noon/11a c, ESPN Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida): 3:30/2:30c, ESPN Monday, December 23 Myrtle Beach Bowl (Conway, South Carolina): Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA, 11a/10a c, ESPN Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, Idaho): Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State, 2:30/1:30c, ESPN Tuesday, December 24 Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu): South Florida vs. San José State, 8/7c, ESPN Thursday, December 26 GameAbove Sports Bowl (Detroit): Pittsburgh vs. Toledo, 2/1xc, ESPN Rate Bowl (Phoenix): Rutgers vs. Kansas State, 5:30/4:30c, ESPN 68 Ventures Bowl (Mobile, Alabama): Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green, 9/8c, ESPN Friday, December 27 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas): Oklahoma vs. Navy, noon/11a c, ESPN Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama): Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt, 3:30/2:30c, ESPN AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Memphis, Tennessee): Texas Tech vs. Arkansas, 7/6c, ESPN DirecTV Holiday Bowl (San Diego): Syracuse vs. Washington State, 8/7c, Fox SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas): Texas A&M vs. USC, 10:30/9:30c, ESPN Saturday, December 28 Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Boston): UConn vs. North Carolina, 11a/10a c, ESPN Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, New York): Boston College vs. Nebraska, Noon/11a c, ABC Isleta New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, New Mexico): Louisiana vs. TCU, 2:15/1:15c, ESPN Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, Florida): Iowa State vs. Miami, 3:30/2:30c, ABC Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Tucson, Arizona): Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado State, 4:30/3:30c, The CW Go Bowling Military Bowl (Annapolis, Maryland): East Carolina vs. NC State, 5:45/4:45c, ESPN Valero Alamo Bowl (San Antonio): BYU vs. Colorado, 7:30/6:30c, ABC Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (Shreveport, Louisiana): Marshall vs. Army, 9:15/8:15c, ESPN Monday, December 30 TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tennessee): Iowa vs. Missouri, 2:30/1:30c, ESPN Tuesday, December 31 ReliaQuest Bowl (Tampa, Florida): Alabama vs. Michigan, noon/11a c, ESPN Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas): Louisville vs. Washington, 2/1c, CBS Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Orlando, Florida): South Carolina vs. Illinois, 3/2c, ABC Kinder’s Texas Bowl (Houston): Baylor vs. LSU, 3:30/2:30c, ESPN Thursday, January 2 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida): Duke vs. Ole Miss, 7:30/6:30c, ESPN Friday, January 3 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Dallas): North Texas vs. Texas State, 4/3c, ESPN Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, North Carolina): Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech, 7:30/6:30c, ESPN Saturday, January 4 Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas): Buffalo vs. Liberty, 11a/10a c, ESPN2 More Headlines:An ode to hot dish, with Food Network star Molly Yeh
The only thing faster than fibre-connectivity in Tiny Township is municipal staff putting together a request on why the township hasn’t received full high-speed internet installation as of yet. During the recent committee of the whole meeting, Coun. Dave Brunelle raised the topic of attending the 2025 Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in January as a delegate, but wanted fellow council members to put together a reason to ask the province to help Tiny Township. “I know we did a delegation at AMO; it was quite successful and productive,” said Brunelle, referencing a joint-meeting with Midland which resulted in a potential solution to septage issues the township faced. When asked by Mayor Dave Evans what the timeline would be to craft a delegation proposal, members of council replied five business days which resulted in muted laughter from many in the room. Evans asked CAO Robert Lamb if it would be feasible have something within that period, which Lamb affirmed. Conversation went to various topics that the township could address to provincial ministers in attendance, but Brunelle cautioned that their suggestions were on a higher provincial level such as municipal insurance, increased OPP billing costs, reduced infrastructure funding and others; Brunelle asked that something tailored more to Tiny specifically be considered. After further consideration, Lamb proposed that Tiny could request an update on the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (or SWIFT) project introduced in 2022, a non-profit, municipally-led broadband expansion project aimed at bringing high-speed internet to rural communities across Ontario. Many locations along the Georgian Bay shoreline received fibre installation in recent years, but not many interior areas of Tiny Township. “There are large portions of our community still that we have been waiting, for I think almost three years now,” said Lamb, “...for applications that were submitted to bring a form of high-speed (internet) to all of our concession roads.” He added: “The provincial government has just made a big deal out of a $100-million deal with Elon Musk with his satellite stuff, yet there are very easy wins that wouldn’t cost nearly that much to be getting – even if it’s fibre on the poles rather than buried on the ground on a lot of our concession roads. Lamb stated that a request could be submitted within the timeframe, which the committee of the whole accepted. Following the meeting, MidlandToday asked Lamb about the importance of high-speed internet in rural areas. Lamb replied that the Simcoe County Access Network was an early form of high-speed that connected municipal offices with libraries, schools and hospitals, and it was time to fill remaining gaps. “One of the largest adopters of technologies that you have out there is actually the agricultural community,” said Lamb. “When you see the large production farming that takes place now, the technology those farms are utilizing – and then not having the ability to potentially download that information and get it as quickly as they would – it has productivity means to it as well.” The 2025 ROMA conference delegation correspondence can be viewed on the agenda page on the Township of Tiny website. Archives of council meetings are available to view on the township’s YouTube channel.How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woesShoppers bemused as Easter eggs hit shop shelves before New Year’s Eve
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met on Tuesday with the leaders of several prominent international industrial companies participating in the third edition of the annual International Industries Forum and Exhibition, held in Egypt from 25 to 27 November. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir, and Mohamed Zaki El-Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Industries. The discussion brought together heads of companies across diverse sectors, including automotive manufacturing, feed industries, home appliances, engineering, wood and furniture industries, food industries, textiles, cosmetics, construction, and desalination plants. During the meeting, President Al-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s commitment to boosting its industrial sector. He outlined the government’s efforts to localize industries, promote the use of technology in production, develop specialized technological industries, and enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The President highlighted the measures Egypt has taken to improve the investment climate, address obstacles faced by investors, and enhance the overall business environment. He reaffirmed that the government would continue to implement necessary policies and decisions to remove any barriers to investment. Al-Sisi also stressed Egypt’s desire to establish strong partnerships with both regional and international entities, ensuring that these partnerships align with the country’s and investors’ mutual interests. He reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting the industrial sector and fostering cooperation with the foreign private sector through joint projects that would transfer expertise to Egyptian workers. Furthermore, the President emphasized the importance of increasing the local component in final products and localizing production requirements within industries. He also pointed to key sectors, such as water desalination and recycling, as critical areas in Egypt’s efforts to localize industry and support national development projects. Mohamed El-Shenawy, the official spokesperson for the presidency, reported that the company heads commended Egypt’s substantial efforts to improve the investment climate and enhance private-sector partnerships. They discussed potential opportunities for cooperation and expressed their eagerness to strengthen collaboration with Egypt in ways that would benefit both sides.
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Instabase Appoints Marketing Veteran Junie Dinda as Chief Marketing OfficerThe film adaptation of Wicked is breaking box office records and is likely to be the biggest movie of the Thanksgiving season. But it’s also become ground zero for a newly invigorated debate about theater etiquette that’s been raging for a few years now and is only getting more heated as more people than ever whip out their phones to take photos and videos of the latest big movie. Or start singing . And I’m here to tell these people to knock it off. As I was scrolling the dying corpse of what was once called Twitter, I came across a tweet of someone sharing a photo they took of Wicked’s title card while watching the hit movie in a theater. They asked people to share their photos of seeing Wicked . Hundreds of people did . It was all very depressing and frustrating to see. It then led to even more people calling out the initial post and getting into online debates. The arguments that the people taking photos usually trot out include things like, “I had my screen dimmed and only took one or two pictures!” or “I paid money, I’m allowed to use my phone!” or even “I want to chat with my friends while watching a movie.” All of these arguments are dumb. I don’t care how dim your device’s screen is, you taking a photo is annoying. I’d also wager that anyone willing to hoist their camera up—possibly blocking other people’s view of the screen—to take an image of the movie in a packed theater is likely the kind of person who might also start singing or talking loudly, ruining the experience for other people trying to enjoy the film. Also, you paid money for a ticket to watch a movie. That’s it. That ticket doesn’t magically make you more important than anyone else or absolve you from following the same rules that apply to all moviegoers at your theater. How many fucking ads and videos begging you to turn off your phone and be quiet do you need to see before the movie starts? And if you want to chat with your friends or text or video call them or whatever, why are you doing that in a theater? If you are trying to reach someone because of an emergency, step outside. If someone you really want to talk to DMs you, step outside. If you get a phone call, please, step outside! One time while at a movie, I got a phone call from my father. I had my phone set to vibrate and when I got the call, I looked down, saw he called, got up and texted him from the hallway. It wasn’t an emergency, so I told him I’d call back later, put my phone away, and went back to my seat. It’s really that easy. Stop ruining the experience As for taking photos or videos of the screen for TikTok or whichever social media platform you prefer, just don’t do it. Perhaps you don’t care about the experience of seeing a movie in a dark theater, but a lot of people do. A lot of folks pay money, not a small amount these days, to eat some popcorn and enjoy a movie on a big screen in a room where we all collectively agree to be quiet and focused on one thing: the movie. It’s a truly amazing and magical experience. That might sound corny or like I’m taking movies super seriously, but I’m just being honest. I think you should watch movies however you want at home. Watch the latest arthouse flick on your phone. Binge the same MCU movies over and over and claim they are true cinema. Fine! But when you are in public in a theater, you have to act better. You have to have good movie manners. And look, I get it. I’m far too online. My job forces me to be online all the time. My phone is with me 24/7. I check the news at 2 a.m. and work on my vacation. I understand it might be hard to disconnect. But what I love about seeing a movie in a theater is that it forces me, for a few hours, to truly disconnect from reality and all the stresses of living online and just... disappear into a movie. Take advantage of this one rare moment where society (mostly) agrees on disconnecting and being quiet. When some jackass starts using their phone, it breaks all of that, especially if the screen is bright or they are being loud. I don’t want to hear your text message notification noise. I don’t want to see your phone’s glowing screen in the corner of my eye. I just want to watch a movie in a dark, quiet room on a giant screen for like three hours, and I paid money to do so. Don’t ruin that. If you can’t stop using your phone or talking, then go watch a movie at home and do whatever you want. That’s fine! Just leave theaters for people able to keep their phones in their pockets, muted and mostly forgotten, for a few precious hours. Please.
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( MENAFN - IANS) Nairobi, Dec 13 (IANS) The Kenyan government will provide a safe corridor for the migration of skilled labour force to travel and settle abroad, generating revenue for the exchequer through remittances, senior officials said ahead of International Migrants Day, which is observed annually on December 18. Julius Bitok, the principal secretary for immigration and citizen services, acknowledged the pivotal role of migrant workers in socioeconomic development, skills transfer, and cultural vitality, whose legal protection is critical, reports Xinhua news agency. Bitok said the government is committed to a migration agenda that promotes the welfare of local citizens and those of neighbouring countries to achieve growth and stability. "Migration is critical to our nation's development agenda because it promotes talent, cultural diversity, skills and technology exchange. We will ensure there is safe and orderly migration," Bitok said. Ahead of this year's International Migrants Day, Kenya and the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a two-km walk in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, to raise awareness of migrants' rights and the benefits of regular migration pathways. Bitok said Kenya has domesticated global instruments to provide a safe haven for migrants from the region escaping from climate emergencies, conflicts or economic uncertainties. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu said the day serves as a wakeup call to harness the talent, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of migrants to fuel economic growth and social renewal in Kenya. According to Njogu, Kenya is committed to providing legal status to migrants from neighbouring countries and overseas, besides ensuring they have access to basic services like education, health, shelter and gainful employment. IOM Kenya Chief of Mission Sharon Dimanche noted that multilateral institutions have partnered with national governments to facilitate legal migration to bridge the skills gap and foster innovation, peace and cohesion. The 2024 International Migrants Day will be observed under the theme of "Honoring the contributions of migrants and respecting their rights," which underscores their positive contribution to host countries' welfare. MENAFN13122024000231011071ID1108992012 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
A rash of bad third-quarter results from key listed companies hit the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in November, leading to relatively subdued trading activity during the month. External factors also loomed large. The US presidential election affected the SET significantly for the first two weeks of November, and we saw foreign fund outflows that continued through the rest of the month. With Donald Trump winning, investors expect the US economy to strengthen, with all roads pointed towards the US bourses. However, enthusiasm seemed to fade in the second half of the month. SET fundamentals were actually weak in November, but brisk trade in the large-cap Delta Electronics Plc kept the index from falling too much. In fact, every 1-baht change in the DELTA share price was roughly equivalent to a 1-point index change. DELTA shares were supporting the SET until the last week of November, when the stock was placed on a trading alert list and subsequently fell 28 points in one day, pushing the main gauge down 22 points. The Thai market continued to weaken, hitting its low for the month at 1,421.96 points before clawing back to end the month at 1,427.54, down 2.6% from a month earlier. Average daily turnover was 43.1 billion baht, down by 19.6%. Foreign net selling for November was 13.7 billion baht, compared with net buying from local institutions of 3.8 billion baht and retail investors of 8.5 billion baht. Vayupak Fund activities also appear to have pulled back in November. Trump Trade 2.0 has been the talk of analysts since his election win. Both corporate and personal income tax are expected to be reduced, with import tariff hikes specifically for products from China, Mexico and Canada. These increases are expected to lift inflation in the long term and mean the Fed may not be able to decrease interest rates as much as previously expected. The US 10-year bond yield surged to almost 4.5% in early November, while US stock markets reached new highs in the immediate aftermath of the election. Other than the Trump victory, the other big factor influencing the SET in November was the third-quarter results of listed companies. They were mostly negative, with less than 30% of the results beating market expectations. Roughly 30% of the results were in line with forecasts, while more than 40% missed market expectations. This worsened SET sentiment, signalling downward revisions in market earnings forecasts for this year and next. Thus far in December, negative sentiment has continued to pressure the SET. However, we believe investments from tax-saving Thai ESG funds could act as a saviour for the SET at the end of the year. The tax allowance was raised to 300,000 baht and the holding period reduced to five years, seeking to entice investors to buy TESG funds, similar to tactics for long-term investment funds in the past. Net buying of shares by local institutions has picked up in early December and we believe these to be from TESG funds. DECEMBER PICKS Our investment theme this month focuses on companies that could be targeted by TESG funds and should benefit from the festive season, namely Airports of Thailand (AOT), the IT retailer COM7, 7-Eleven operator CPALL, and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB). In the transport space, AOT will enjoy a boost from the tourism high season. In 2025, we expect the number of tourists to grow 14%, while management conservatively projects revenue growth of 10%. AOT's expansion plan is on track and should increase capacity at its six airports to 70 million passengers, up from 60 million currently. We appreciate that as the expansion will happen gradually, capital expenditure should also be booked gradually, rather than in big chunks. With an ESG rating of A and CG rating of 5, we believe AOT will be targeted by TESG funds. The IT retailer COM7 is enjoying its quarterly peak for the year. While its third-quarter net profit of 709 million baht was 10% below our expectations, the launch of the new iPhone 16 has been a hit and that revenue will be fully recognised in the fourth quarter. The company also started a new business line -- solar cells -- and is expecting to enter the SET50 index starting next year. The convenience store giant CPALL continues to be a top pick. We remain focused on domestic retail and expect the company to benefit from a buoyant tourism industry. Moreover, we believe CPALL will benefit from the next round of the government's 10,000-baht handout at the beginning of 2025. Ready-to-eat products continue to be outperformers, offering higher margins. With an ESG rating of AAA and CG rating of 5, CPALL should be another target for TESG funds. Lastly, we like SCB, one of the few banks to report better than expected third-quarter earnings (10.9 billion baht, up 13% year-on-year and 9% quarter-on-quarter). SCB is preparing for lower interest rates; management expects every 1% decline in the policy rate to impact its net interest margin (NIM) by 25-30 basis points for both loans and savings. As SCB expects rates to fall by 50bps, the downside to its NIM should be only 12-15bps. With a yield of 9% per year, SCB's high dividend payout is one of its key selling points.
Longview’s defense has been a game-changer throughout the 2024 football season, and will need to step up again when it faces Klein Collins’ high-scoring offensive attack during Saturday’s UIL 6A Division II Region II semifinal at Lufkin’s Abe Martin Stadium. Every Texas high school football program sets an early season goal to practice and play the week of Thanksgiving, and Longview appreciates the fact that it has reached this point over the past five seasons. “We’re very thankful for the opportunity to continue our season,” said Longview athletic director and head football coach John King. “It is nice to be practicing the week of Thanksgiving. We need to try and make the most of it.” Longview’s defensive play has been one of the biggest factors in this year’s run because it limited its first 12 opponents to an average of 16.5 points per game. That success rate is expected to be tested by a 7-5 Klein Collins’ offense that averaged 32 points in the same amount of outings this season, and earned a 70-21 area round win against The Woodlands College Park on Nov. 22, so the Lobos are preparing for players like Braydon Schoggin, Carlton Hayden, KaJuan Gathers and Ty’drick Finley. “They’re very potent,” King said of Longview’s opponent this week. “They’re good at running the football, and they can use the quarterback in the run game. They [also] control the ball with play-action [passes], so they’re going to be difficult to prepare for.” Luckily for 10-2 Longview, its defensive unit is finding its stride at the right time. It started the current month with back-to-back shutout wins against District 10-6A opponents North Forney and Royse City between Nov. 1 and Nov. 8. The group then recorded 28 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, four fumble recoveries, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two defensive scores and one interception between the 23-13 bi-district playoff-opening home win against Naaman Forest at Lobo Stadium on Nov. 15 and the come-from-behind 35-28 overtime neutral site area round win against Lancaster at Dallas’ John Kincaide Stadium on Nov. 22. Many Longview players have contributed to their defense’s season-long and recent success. Kason Brooks has been the most efficient standout with 132 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, three touchdowns, two pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2024. Joining that production has been Jamayis Morrow’s 122 tackles, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and one sack, and Brenden Reese’s 106 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. “Everybody’s important on the team, but our senior leadership has been good this year,” King said of Longview players like Brooks, Morrow and Reese. “Those guys have stepped up and led the right way.” Longview also benefited from fellow defensive leader Isaiah Horton’s 74 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one fumble recovery and one touchdown during the first 11 games in 2024 before he suffered a season-ending injury during the bi-district outing. The Lobos have expected a lot from their reliable trio since the UIL postseason began, so they know a possible advancement past their 2023 UIL 5A Division I Region II semifinal finish will depend on the entire unit continuing to answer the call. That has already been on display through two playoff games because Morrow has produced 26 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks, Brooks has recorded 24 tackles, eight sacks and five tackles for loss, and Reese has earned 20 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. “Our defense has been strong all year, and it’s just a never-say-die mentality,” said King. “We’ve lost some guys to injury, and it’s been next man up.”