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The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page. If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet. FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted. The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.AMESBURY, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Provident Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:PVBC), the holding company for BankProv (the "Bank"), today announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a new stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 883,366 shares of its common stock, or approximately five percent of the current outstanding shares. The repurchase program was adopted following the receipt of non-objection from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston . The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Repurchases will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its stockholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b -18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares. About Provident Bancorp, Inc. Provident Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PVBC) is the holding company for BankProv, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts . With retail branches in the Seacoast Region of Northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire , as well as commercial banking offices in the Manchester / Concord market in Central New Hampshire , BankProv delivers a unique combination of traditional banking services and innovative financial solutions to its markets. Founded in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1828, BankProv holds the honor of being the 10th oldest bank in the nation. The Bank insures 100% of deposits through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit bankprov.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements, such as statements of the Company's or the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as, "expects," "subject," "believe," "will," "intends," "may," "will be" or "would." These statements are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which are beyond the Company's or the Bank's control), and actual results may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements (which reflect management's analysis of factors only as of the date on which they are given). These factors include: general economic conditions; interest rates; inflation; levels of unemployment; legislative, regulatory and accounting changes; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank; deposit flows; our ability to access cost-effective funding; changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio and the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; competition; our ability to successfully shift the balance sheet to that of a traditional community bank; real estate values in the market area; loan demand; the adequacy of our level and methodology for calculating our allowance for credit losses; changes in the quality of our loan and securities portfolios; the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans; our ability to retain key employees; failures or breaches of our IT systems, including cyberattacks; the failure to maintain current technologies; the ability of the Company or the Bank to effectively manage its growth; global and national war and terrorism; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on our operations and financial results and those of our customers; and results of regulatory examinations, among other factors. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investor contact: Joseph Reilly President and Chief Executive Officer Provident Bancorp, Inc. jreilly@bankprov.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/provident-bancorp-inc-adopts-stock-repurchase-program-302320082.html SOURCE Provident Bancorp, Inc.WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while the Republican represented Florida's western Panhandle. Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the committee's work. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report said. Before the report came out, Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticized the committee's process. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Gaetz , who was first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his selection by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Justice Department . Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated interest in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. The committee painted a damning portrait of Gaetz's conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages, financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments, to document a party and drug-fueled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the report said Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.” That same year, investigators said, Gaetz arranged for a staffer to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges made public, he appeared to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asked one woman if she had a “cute black dress” to wear. There were also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits was a text exchange that appeared to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asked Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report said there was no evidence Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her. The woman told the committee she did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But Gaetz stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Florida law says it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor. The law does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor's age as a defense. Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings “vindicate” the accounts of his clients and “demonstrate their credibility.” “We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known,” Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the committee earlier this month in voting to release the report despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against making the report public, the committee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote that while the members did not challenge the findings, “we take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee’s well-established standards,” to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. Guest added that releasing this report sets a precedent that “is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences.” But Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democratic member of the committee, said that for transparency, it was crucial for the public and Congress as an institution to read the findings. "I think that’s important for my colleagues here in the House to know how the committee reviews certain acts," he told The Associated Press. "Some of these were obviously conduct that crossed the line, but some of them weren’t.” Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal court to intervene. He cited what he called “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argued that he was no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction because he had resigned from Congress. The often secretive, bipartisan committee has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after the Nov. 5 election Day to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the committee's jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer in the House and had withdrawn from consideration for Trump's Cabinet. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own inquiry of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its investigation, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it does not disclose information about investigations that do not result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the department for records. After a back-and-forth between department officials and the committee, the department only handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the committee's report. The report said Gaetz was “uncooperative" throughout the committee's investigation. He provided “minimal documentation” in response to the committee’s requests, it said. “He also did not agree to a voluntary interview.” ___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
The lock took over as skipper at the start of the Scott Robertson reign this year, with Cane confirming he's departing for Japan at the end of this campaign. Barrett says Cane has been an immense help since he's stepped into the role. Live commentary of the All Blacks and Italy from 9am tomorrow on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeart Radio. INTERNATIONAL RUGBY COVERAGE WITH ACCESS SOLUTIONS. ELEVATING YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS TO A HIGHER LEVEL.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present Friday with the surprise drop of a new album. The Grammy winner's 12-track “GNX” is his first release since 2022's “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” and his sixth studio album overall. It also comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. Lamar first teased the album with a cover art and video snippet of “GNX,” which features multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff as a co-producer on every track except for “Peekaboo.” Other notable producers include Sounwave and DJ Mustard , who both contributed production on the hit “Not Like Us,” the ubiquitous diss track emanating from the Drake feud. Lamar's former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on a couple songs including “Gloria” and “Luther,” which also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn through “If This World Were Mine." On the opening track “Wacced Out Murals,” Lamar raps about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental) car with listening to Anita Baker. He brings up Snoop Dogg posting Drake's AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track on social media and Nas congratulating Lamar for being selected to headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. Lamar also shows admiration for Lil Wayne, who expressed his hurt feelings after being passed over as the headliner in his hometown. Lamar, 37, has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.” The surprise release caps a big year for Lamar, who was featured on the song “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin — a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year. Lamar is up for seven Grammys, fueled by “Not Like Us,” which earned nods for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: “Like That” is up for best rap performance and best rap song, too. 1. “Wacced Out Murals” 2. “Squabble Up” 3. “Luther” (feat. SZA) 4. “Man at the Garden” 5. “Hey Now” 6. “Reincarnated” 7. “TV Off” 8. “Dodger Blue” 9. “Peekaboo” 10. “Heart Pt. 6” 11. “GNX” 12. “Gloria” (feat. SZA)
RNA Therapeutics Market Future Trends, New Opportunities, Business Growth, Share, Global Size, Demand, Key Segments And ForecastHARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s 2023-24 Legislative Session closed Dec. 1 and the next session, while officially underway, doesn’t fully begin until lawmakers are sworn into office Jan. 7. Looking back, members of the state House and Senate introduced 3,862 bills and 924 resolutions across the two-year session. There were 77 bills adopted into law in 2023 and 162 adopted in 2024. The combined total of 239 was far fewer than the previous six legislative sessions. There hasn’t been a lower total since 2009-10 when 226 bills advanced into law — the last time the Pennsylvania General Assembly had a partisan divide. Democrats controlled the House while Republicans led the Senate. Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, often cites the challenge of advancing legislation with a split government. That dynamic won’t change in 2025-26. Though there are 20 new members joining the legislature — 16 in the House, four in the Senate — the respective parties defended their majorities. Republicans have a 28-22 advantage in the Senate while Democrats maintained a 102-101 margin in the House. What follows is a look back at the outcome of legislation proposed last session by area lawmakers. Tim Bonner — 17th Legislative District Rep. Tim Bonner, a Republican, returns to the Pennsylvania House in 2025-26 for his third full term. He won a special election in 2020 to represent the former 8th Legislative District and has since won three straight elections to the House. After redistricting took hold in 2022, he’s represented the redrawn 17th District which includes parts of Mercer and Butler counties. He ran unopposed in 2024. In the now-expired 2023-24 session, Bonner was appointed to the committees on Ethics, Health, Judiciary and State Government. He also was the Republican chair of separate subcommittees on Health Facilities and Family Law. A legal battle that began in late 2022 carried almost throughout the entire two-year session, ending in September with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that impeachment proceedings against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, couldn’t continue on procedural grounds. Bonner, a longtime prosecutor in Mercer County, would have served in a prosecutorial role had the impeachment trial began. The 2023-24 session saw Bonner sponsor 33 bills or resolutions — 17 as a prime sponsor. All but one of those were introduced in the first half of the two-year session. One advanced out of the House, none became law. Members of the Pennsylvania House unanimously supported Bonner’s bill proposing that nursing facilities be required to provide notice of legal representation whenever a facility resident applies for Medicaid. Once in the Senate, however, the bill didn’t receive consideration. He did see a provision from a bill proposal rolled into the commonwealth’s updated Wiretap Act last year, which now allows for the discreet recording of robocalls and telemarketers if there is a suspicion of fraud. Bonner, a member of the conservative Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus, joined a lawsuit filed by 24 state lawmakers against President Joe Biden, Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of State concerning Pennsylvania’s shift to an opt-out automatic voter registration process at PennDOT driver's license and photo ID centers. The former opt-in process had been in place for 30 years before the change. The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge for lack of legal standing. Bonner was among 12 Republicans who voted in favor of a bill that proposed a medical debt relief program within the Department of Health. He opposed both budgets last session along with a proposed ban on “ghost guns.” He voted in favor of a bill seeking to increase transparency on campaign contributions by tax-exempt organizations and he voted along with 31 other House Republicans in support of the proposed Marriage Equality Act. Parke Wentling — 7th Legislative District Rep. Parke Wentling will serve his sixth term in the Pennsylvania House during the 2025-26 Legislative Session. Wentling, a Republican, represents western Mercer County which makes up the 7th Legislative District. He was re-elected after running unopposed in the primary and general elections in 2024. During the 2023-24 session, Wentling’s committee assignments were Environmental Resources & Energy, Games & Fisheries, for which he served as Republican vice chair, Local Government, and Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development. He also served as Republican chair of the Subcommittee on Townships. Wentling sponsored 24 bills and resolutions last session, five as the primary sponsor and all introduced in 2023. One advanced to the state Senate, none made it into law. His legislation included a two-bill package with the support of House Republicans that sought to consolidate workforce development programs. Another proposed to expand eligibility for low-interest loans and lines of credit through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. A resolution introduced by Wentling sought to urge U.S. Congress to eliminate emissions testing regulations on vehicles which he and fellow Republican co-sponsors argue are unnecessary because of advances in automotive fuel efficiency and because testing equipment for mechanics is reportedly obsolete. He also proposed a bill to repeal Pennsylvania’s Frozen Dessert Law and its mandate for monthly testing, finding that the law’s requirements are duplicative with other federal and state regulations. His bill advanced to the Senate and the law was repealed, however, it was accomplished through a similar bill introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward. Wentling voted against each budget last session and he also opposed legislation that funded state-related universities, increasingly targeted by Republicans concerned with rising costs to families, administrative directives on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as abortion-related research. He was among a majority of House Republicans who voted to support bills seeking to enshrine certain protections from the Affordable Care Act into state law should Obamacare be overturned — allowing adult children to remain on their parents’ health policies up to age 26 and also protecting coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. He did not, however, support a third measure seeking to prohibit health insurers from imposing annual or lifetime monetary limits on core benefits of health insurance policies. The bills cleared the House but weren’t considered in the Senate. Michele Brooks — 50th Senatorial District The start of the 2025-26 Legislative Session marks the midway point of Republican Sen. Michele Brooks’ third term in office. Her district, the 50th, includes Crawford, Mercer and most of Lawrence counties. Her current four-year term expires in 2026. In 2023-24, Brooks served as majority chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and vice chair of the Finance Committee. Her other committee assignments were Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Communications & Technology, Education, Rules & Executive Nominations and Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness. She sponsored 248 bills and resolutions last session including 60 bills and eight resolutions as a prime sponsor. The focus of the bills she introduced included eliminating inheritance taxes on siblings and other relatives, enacting consumer protections, the creation of a lost dog registry, extending the statute of limitations for the crime of drug delivery resulting in death, including sales taxes in advertised retail prices, addressing Lyme disease and expansive efforts to serve firefighters and EMS providers. Among the bevy of bills of which she was a prime sponsor, six became law and four others advanced to the House. The rest remained in the Senate. Motorcycles will be included in Pennsylvania’s Automobile Lemon Law after a Brooks bill became Act No. 151 of 2024, extending protections for manufacturer defects to a new class of vehicle. Senate Bill 500, a bipartisan bill known as Owen’s Law, became Act 32 of 2023. It allows for medical prescriptions through Medicaid of donor milk for children younger than 12 months. Brooks was successful in expanding Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law. Act 134 of 2024 adds urgent care centers to designated locations where parents may safely surrender newborns if they feel unfit to care for the child. She also secured an amendment to Pennsylvania’s Public School Code through Act 55 of 2024 which will allow professionals in skilled occupations to more easily receive state certification to teach at career and technical schools. Her bill was amended as part of budget negotiations to include numerous negotiated updates to the code beyond her original intent. Act 66 of 2023, born out of Brooks’ Senate Bill 941, eases eligibility and qualifications to become a drug treatment counselor and increases counselors’ patient caseload capacity during an opioid epidemic, defined as 1,000-plus opioid overdose deaths in three consecutive years. Pennsylvania schools must notify parents and guardians in writing whenever ticks are removed from students under Act 120 of 2024. Schools must provide information on the symptoms of Lyme disease and must preserve the tick for parents or guardians to either send into a state lab for analysis or allow the school to do so. Results are confidential.Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Price Cut Heavily In Sudden Flash Sale
Provident Bancorp, Inc. Adopts Stock Repurchase ProgramPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has a bone bruise on his left knee and will miss two games, the team said Thursday. The 76ers said George did not suffer any structural damage when he that he hyperextended during in Wednesday night’s loss at Memphis. The game marked the first time this season the All-Star trio of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey started a game together. George will miss home games Friday against Brooklyn and Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, his former team. A nine-time All-Star, the 34-year-old George will be evaluated again on Monday. dropped the Sixers to 2-12, the worst record in the NBA headed into Thursday night’s games. George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with Philadelphia after five seasons with the Clippers. He has averaged 14.9 points in eight games this season. Embiid has been out with injuries, load management rest and a suspension, while Maxey was sidelined with a hamstring injury. An expected contender in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers haven’t won since an overtime victory against Charlotte on Nov. 10. ___ AP NBA:
Check out 2024’s most luxe Advent calendars — including a $115K lineup dripping with gold and diamondsWASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while the Republican represented Florida's western Panhandle. Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the committee's work. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report said. Before the report came out, Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticized the committee's process. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Gaetz , who was first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his selection by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Justice Department . Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated interest in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. The committee painted a damning portrait of Gaetz's conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages, financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments, to document a party and drug-fueled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the report said Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.” That same year, investigators said, Gaetz arranged for a staffer to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges made public, he appeared to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asked one woman if she had a “cute black dress” to wear. There were also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits was a text exchange that appeared to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asked Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report said there was no evidence Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her. The woman told the committee she did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But Gaetz stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Florida law says it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor. The law does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor's age as a defense. Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings “vindicate” the accounts of his clients and “demonstrate their credibility.” “We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known,” Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the committee earlier this month in voting to release the report despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against making the report public, the committee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote that while the members did not challenge the findings, “we take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee’s well-established standards,” to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. Guest added that releasing this report sets a precedent that “is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences.” But Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democratic member of the committee, said that for transparency, it was crucial for the public and Congress as an institution to read the findings. "I think that’s important for my colleagues here in the House to know how the committee reviews certain acts," he told The Associated Press. "Some of these were obviously conduct that crossed the line, but some of them weren’t.” Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal court to intervene. He cited what he called “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argued that he was no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction because he had resigned from Congress. The often secretive, bipartisan committee has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after the Nov. 5 election Day to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the committee's jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer in the House and had withdrawn from consideration for Trump's Cabinet. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own inquiry of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its investigation, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it does not disclose information about investigations that do not result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the department for records. After a back-and-forth between department officials and the committee, the department only handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the committee's report. The report said Gaetz was “uncooperative" throughout the committee's investigation. He provided “minimal documentation” in response to the committee’s requests, it said. “He also did not agree to a voluntary interview.” ___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
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Google AI Tool Could Fast-Track 3D Game Development and RetailAn international crime ring may be behind burglaries targeting the homes of professional athletes across the US, although experts caution that local groups could also be responsible. In recent weeks, several NFL players and an NBA player have been robbed while traveling for games, including Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce and his teammate Patrick Mahomes. The FBI is investigating whether the burglaries could be connected to a transnational crime operation with links to South America, a source familiar with the investigation told the BBC's US partner CBS News. "It's a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they've focused on NBA and NFL players, and it's all over the country," a source familiar with the situation told NFL.com. But Michael Tabman, a former FBI special agent, said there could be a simpler explanation. "It could be possible that you have some capable burglars in Kansas City who maybe have some inside information," he said. "And you'll notice, when a crime starts getting covered a lot, it starts popping up elsewhere, so like a copycat." The BBC has contacted the FBI and Kansas City police for comment. The burglaries have been taking place across the country. Kelce's home was robbed on 7 October as he was starting a game against the New Orleans Saints. Officials said $20,000 (£15,900) in cash was stolen from his $6m home. A burglary was also discovered at Dallas Cowboys player Linval Joseph’s home on Monday, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis was robbed earlier this month. The athletes make for easy targets in part because they have valuable belongings and public schedules, security experts said. "In any professional football event, for instance, there's 106 players, 53 on each team, that are not going to be home, not including coaches. And some of those players may have very lucrative contracts and live in nice places," said former FBI agent Jeff Lanza. The NFL has been warning players about the crimes, sending a memo this week which said "organised and skilled groups" appeared to be targeting them. The memo said the groups were tracking the players' whereabouts on social media and through public records. It said criminals had been conducting surveillance by posing as joggers, maintenance workers or delivery people, eventually gaining access to the homes through side doors or even scaling walls to get through windows and balconies. Those details suggests the criminals have some level of sophistication, Mr Lanza said. "You'd have to have people that would maybe do some surveillance to see the comings and goings of the potential targets, that no one else is home, maybe people to understand if there's an alarm system that's been employed," he said. Mr Lanza said the FBI's involvement in the investigation - which would normally be handled by local officials - suggests the crimes are "more orchestrated and organised and tied to a bigger organisation". But other explanations are also likely, he said. "It could be some punks that just know the Chiefs are playing that day and that Patrick Mahomes and Kelce are going to be at the stadium, along with their families, because they show them on TV," he said. Mr Tabman, meanwhile, said law enforcement are likely to catch whoever is behind the thefts, especially if they are able to track down items that were stolen and are being sold. Police have already found a watch stolen from Kelce's Missouri home, ABC News reported. “You'll pull on that one thread that will make this unravel," Mr Tabman said. "It won't happen tomorrow, but I believe there's a very good chance that the FBI, in co-operation with local law enforcement, will be able to break the case."
The Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School will host an enrollment information session from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the school, 1 Commercial St., for current-year transfers and new students starting in the fall. Families interested in enrolling at BART are invited to attend. A Spanish translator will be in attendance. The enrollment information session will provide an overview of BART’s college preparatory arts and technology curriculum, enrollment process, special education services, and BART’s unique role in Berkshire County. Preregistration is welcome but not required. RSVP at tinyurl.com/3rmj77tv or contact BART’s Enrollment Team at 413-743-7411, ext. 732, or via email to enrollment@bartcharter.org . BART application deadlines are noon Jan. 7 for an immediate seat in grades 6, 9 or 10, and Feb. 25 to be included in the primary lottery for new students in grades 6-10 for the 2025-2026 school year. BART is a free public charter school educating middle and high school students in grades 6-12. Visit bartcharter.org for more information.FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setupBy HALELUYA HADERO The emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce novel and detailed online reviews with almost no work has put merchants , service providers and consumers in uncharted territory, watchdog groups and researchers say. Phony reviews have long plagued many popular consumer websites, such as Amazon and Yelp. They are typically traded on private social media groups between fake review brokers and businesses willing to pay. Sometimes, such reviews are initiated by businesses that offer customers incentives such as gift cards for positive feedback. But AI-infused text generation tools, popularized by OpenAI’s ChatGPT , enable fraudsters to produce reviews faster and in greater volume, according to tech industry experts. The deceptive practice, which is illegal in the U.S. , is carried out year-round but becomes a bigger problem for consumers during the holiday shopping season , when many people rely on reviews to help them purchase gifts. Where are AI-generated reviews showing up? Fake reviews are found across a wide range of industries, from e-commerce, lodging and restaurants, to services such as home repairs, medical care and piano lessons. The Transparency Company, a tech company and watchdog group that uses software to detect fake reviews, said it started to see AI-generated reviews show up in large numbers in mid-2023 and they have multiplied ever since. For a report released this month, The Transparency Company analyzed 73 million reviews in three sectors: home, legal and medical services. Nearly 14% of the reviews were likely fake, and the company expressed a “high degree of confidence” that 2.3 million reviews were partly or entirely AI-generated. “It’s just a really, really good tool for these review scammers,” said Maury Blackman, an investor and advisor to tech startups, who reviewed The Transparency Company’s work and is set to lead the organization starting Jan. 1. In August, software company DoubleVerify said it was observing a “significant increase” in mobile phone and smart TV apps with reviews crafted by generative AI. The reviews often were used to deceive customers into installing apps that could hijack devices or run ads constantly, the company said. The following month, the Federal Trade Commission sued the company behind an AI writing tool and content generator called Rytr, accusing it of offering a service that could pollute the marketplace with fraudulent reviews. The FTC, which this year banned the sale or purchase of fake reviews, said some of Rytr’s subscribers used the tool to produce hundreds and perhaps thousands of reviews for garage door repair companies, sellers of “replica” designer handbags and other businesses. It’s likely on prominent online sites, too Max Spero, CEO of AI detection company Pangram Labs, said the software his company uses has detected with almost certainty that some AI-generated appraisals posted on Amazon bubbled up to the top of review search results because they were so detailed and appeared to be well thought-out. But determining what is fake or not can be challenging. External parties can fall short because they don’t have “access to data signals that indicate patterns of abuse,” Amazon has said. Pangram Labs has done detection for some prominent online sites, which Spero declined to name due to non-disclosure agreements. He said he evaluated Amazon and Yelp independently. Many of the AI-generated comments on Yelp appeared to be posted by individuals who were trying to publish enough reviews to earn an “Elite” badge, which is intended to let users know they should trust the content, Spero said. The badge provides access to exclusive events with local business owners. Fraudsters also want it so their Yelp profiles can look more realistic, said Kay Dean, a former federal criminal investigator who runs a watchdog group called Fake Review Watch. To be sure, just because a review is AI-generated doesn’t necessarily mean its fake. Some consumers might experiment with AI tools to generate content that reflects their genuine sentiments. Some non-native English speakers say they turn to AI to make sure they use accurate language in the reviews they write. “It can help with reviews (and) make it more informative if it comes out of good intentions,” said Michigan State University marketing professor Sherry He, who has researched fake reviews. She says tech platforms should focus on the behavioral patters of bad actors, which prominent platforms already do, instead of discouraging legitimate users from turning to AI tools. What companies are doing Prominent companies are developing policies for how AI-generated content fits into their systems for removing phony or abusive reviews. Some already employ algorithms and investigative teams to detect and take down fake reviews but are giving users some flexibility to use AI. Spokespeople for Amazon and Trustpilot, for example, said they would allow customers to post AI-assisted reviews as long as they reflect their genuine experience. Yelp has taken a more cautious approach, saying its guidelines require reviewers to write their own copy. “With the recent rise in consumer adoption of AI tools, Yelp has significantly invested in methods to better detect and mitigate such content on our platform,” the company said in a statement. The Coalition for Trusted Reviews, which Amazon, Trustpilot, employment review site Glassdoor, and travel sites Tripadvisor, Expedia and Booking.com launched last year, said that even though deceivers may put AI to illicit use, the technology also presents “an opportunity to push back against those who seek to use reviews to mislead others.” “By sharing best practice and raising standards, including developing advanced AI detection systems, we can protect consumers and maintain the integrity of online reviews,” the group said. The FTC’s rule banning fake reviews, which took effect in October, allows the agency to fine businesses and individuals who engage in the practice. Tech companies hosting such reviews are shielded from the penalty because they are not legally liable under U.S. law for the content that outsiders post on their platforms. Tech companies, including Amazon, Yelp and Google, have sued fake review brokers they accuse of peddling counterfeit reviews on their sites. The companies say their technology has blocked or removed a huge swath of suspect reviews and suspicious accounts. However, some experts say they could be doing more. “Their efforts thus far are not nearly enough,” said Dean of Fake Review Watch. “If these tech companies are so committed to eliminating review fraud on their platforms, why is it that I, one individual who works with no automation, can find hundreds or even thousands of fake reviews on any given day?” Spotting fake AI-generated reviews Consumers can try to spot fake reviews by watching out for a few possible warning signs , according to researchers. Overly enthusiastic or negative reviews are red flags. Jargon that repeats a product’s full name or model number is another potential giveaway. When it comes to AI, research conducted by Balázs Kovács, a Yale professor of organization behavior, has shown that people can’t tell the difference between AI-generated and human-written reviews. Some AI detectors may also be fooled by shorter texts, which are common in online reviews, the study said. However, there are some “AI tells” that online shoppers and service seekers should keep it mind. Panagram Labs says reviews written with AI are typically longer, highly structured and include “empty descriptors,” such as generic phrases and attributes. The writing also tends to include cliches like “the first thing that struck me” and “game-changer.”
AMESBURY, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Provident Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:PVBC), the holding company for BankProv (the "Bank"), today announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a new stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 883,366 shares of its common stock, or approximately five percent of the current outstanding shares. The repurchase program was adopted following the receipt of non-objection from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston . The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Repurchases will be made at management's discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its stockholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial performance. Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b -18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares. About Provident Bancorp, Inc. Provident Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PVBC) is the holding company for BankProv, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts . With retail branches in the Seacoast Region of Northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire , as well as commercial banking offices in the Manchester / Concord market in Central New Hampshire , BankProv delivers a unique combination of traditional banking services and innovative financial solutions to its markets. Founded in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1828, BankProv holds the honor of being the 10th oldest bank in the nation. The Bank insures 100% of deposits through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit bankprov.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements, such as statements of the Company's or the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as, "expects," "subject," "believe," "will," "intends," "may," "will be" or "would." These statements are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which are beyond the Company's or the Bank's control), and actual results may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements (which reflect management's analysis of factors only as of the date on which they are given). These factors include: general economic conditions; interest rates; inflation; levels of unemployment; legislative, regulatory and accounting changes; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank; deposit flows; our ability to access cost-effective funding; changes in liquidity, including the size and composition of our deposit portfolio and the percentage of uninsured deposits in the portfolio; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; competition; our ability to successfully shift the balance sheet to that of a traditional community bank; real estate values in the market area; loan demand; the adequacy of our level and methodology for calculating our allowance for credit losses; changes in the quality of our loan and securities portfolios; the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans; our ability to retain key employees; failures or breaches of our IT systems, including cyberattacks; the failure to maintain current technologies; the ability of the Company or the Bank to effectively manage its growth; global and national war and terrorism; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on our operations and financial results and those of our customers; and results of regulatory examinations, among other factors. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investor contact: Joseph Reilly President and Chief Executive Officer Provident Bancorp, Inc. jreilly@bankprov.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/provident-bancorp-inc-adopts-stock-repurchase-program-302320082.html SOURCE Provident Bancorp, Inc.How to transform leftover festive chocolates into quick and easy desserts
Bryce Young has added key element to his game in Year 2, showing an ability to scramble, make plays