diff --git a/lisp/help-fns.el b/lisp/help-fns.el
index 043c79f3900..20fe382cb09 100644
--- a/lisp/help-fns.el
+++ b/lisp/help-fns.el
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ FILE is the file where FUNCTION was probably defined."
   ;; of the *packages* in which the function is defined.
   (let* ((name (symbol-name symbol))
          (re (concat "\\_<" (regexp-quote name) "\\_>"))
-         (news (directory-files data-directory t "\\`NEWS\\($\\|\\.\\)"))
+         (news (directory-files data-directory t "\\`NEWS\\(\\'\\|\\.\\)"))
          (place nil)
          (first nil))
     (with-temp-buffer
diff --git a/lisp/org/ob-core.el b/lisp/org/ob-core.el
index 7300f239eef..ede35e154a3 100644
--- a/lisp/org/ob-core.el
+++ b/lisp/org/ob-core.el
@@ -2995,7 +2995,7 @@ situations in which is it not appropriate."
   "If STRING represents a number return its value.
 Otherwise return nil."
   (unless (or (string-match-p "\\s-" (org-trim string))
-	      (not (string-match-p "^[0-9-e.+ ]+$" string)))
+	      (not (string-match-p "^[0-9e.+ -]+$" string)))
     (let ((interned-string (ignore-errors (read string))))
       (when (numberp interned-string)
 	interned-string))))
diff --git a/lisp/org/org-agenda.el b/lisp/org/org-agenda.el
index 83f30bf96af..5a2ba027f97 100644
--- a/lisp/org/org-agenda.el
+++ b/lisp/org/org-agenda.el
@@ -7734,9 +7734,9 @@ the variable `org-agenda-auto-exclude-function'."
 	   (negate (equal strip-or-accumulate '(4)))
 	   (cf (mapconcat #'identity org-agenda-category-filter ""))
 	   (tf (mapconcat #'identity org-agenda-tag-filter ""))
-	   (rpl-fn (lambda (c) (replace-regexp-in-string "^\+" "" (or (car c) ""))))
-	   (ef (replace-regexp-in-string "^\+" "" (or (car org-agenda-effort-filter) "")))
-	   (rf (replace-regexp-in-string "^\+" "" (or (car org-agenda-regexp-filter) "")))
+	   (rpl-fn (lambda (c) (replace-regexp-in-string "^\\+" "" (or (car c) ""))))
+	   (ef (replace-regexp-in-string "^\\+" "" (or (car org-agenda-effort-filter) "")))
+	   (rf (replace-regexp-in-string "^\\+" "" (or (car org-agenda-regexp-filter) "")))
 	   (ff (concat cf tf ef (when (not (equal rf "")) (concat "/" rf "/"))))
 	   (f-string (completing-read
 		      (concat