CLEVELAND (AP) — Germain Ifedi became the fourth left tackle to start this season for the Cleveland Browns, lining up Thursday night against the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. Ifedi moved up the depth chart and into the lineup after starter Dawand Jones broke his left leg last week at New Orleans and had surgery. He'll be responsible for blocking quarterback Jameis Winston's blindside. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest sports news delivered right to your inbox six days a week.None

Jets' Ulbrich says Rodgers 'absolutely' remains the team's starting quarterbackNewcastle United missed the chance to move within just two points of second place following a 2-0 defeat against West Ham. Tomas Soucek's header put West Ham in front early on before Aaron Wan-Bissaka doubled the visitors' lead with an effort from just inside the box in the 53rd minute. Here are five things we learned from the game. 'How s--- must you be? We're winning away!' West Ham fans were not used to this. The Hammers had only previously won once on the road all season yet it was the away end making all the noise with further taunts of 'No noise from the Saudi boys!' and 'Where's your famous atmosphere?' as Newcastle grew frustrated following Tomas Soucek's opener. Even Eddie Howe could not hide his feelings, urging his players to 'COME ON!', when they did not take a throw-in quickly. West Ham, in contrast, were happy to slow things down. Lukasz Fabianski took his time with goal kicks. Michail Antonio even took his time coming off the field to get a new shirt after his top ripped in the first half before Newcastle had a flurry of chances right before the break. Lewis Hall fizzed an effort just wide in the 35th minute following a lung-busting run; Fabianski produced a huge save to deny Anthony Gordon just a minute later after a mix-up at the back; and Alexander Isak fired wide from inside the box after chesting down Bruno Guimaraes' superb lofted ball. Newcastle lacked a clinical edge and the Magpies picked up from where they left off after the break with Gordon failing to hit the target from inside the box. Just a couple minutes later, West Ham doubled their advantage. In truth, West Ham looked the likelier scorers - even at 2-0. It was rather telling that Fabian Schar resorted to unleashing a long-range effort before the hour mark that sailed over the bar. Remarkably, Newcastle mustered just two shots on target from 18 efforts. You would not have known that only league leaders Liverpool had conceded fewer goals than Newcastle in the Premier League. Not on this evidence. West Ham may have landed two sucker punches, but Newcastle, who missed the suspended Dan Burn, only had themselves to blame. Let's start with Tomas Soucek's opener. Newcastle have been solid defensively from set-plays, but the Magpies were far from watertight when Emerson Palmieri took West Ham's first corner and swung the ball into the box. Soucek, West Ham's main threat from set-pieces, stepped away from Lloyd Kelly far too easily and headed home unmarked. It was the first goal Newcastle had conceded from 70 corners this season. If that was a sloppy goal to concede, well, Newcastle's defending for West Ham's second was not much better. Bruno Guimaraes was far too casual in the middle of the park and Lucas Paqueta dispossessed his countryman before playing the ball out to Jarrod Bowen on the right. Bowen drew Lewis Hall and Sean Longstaff to him before slipping the unmarked Aaron Wan-Bissaka in. No one got tight enough to the West Ham defender, who had all the time he needed to look up and pick his spot to double the visitors' lead. Newcastle were 3-1 down with a quarter of an hour to go and still managed to win in the corresponding fixture last season, but history was not about to repeat itself. Even if Newcastle had some genuine game-changers on the bench. Harvey Barnes, who scored twice in that bonkers 4-3 win back in March, replaced Joe Willock at half-time with his side 1-0 down. Sandro Tonali then came on for Sean Longstaff when Newcastle were 2-0 behind. Eddie Howe made a double change in the 68th minute, throwing on Jacob Murphy and Callum Wilson for Joelinton and Anthony Gordon, and switching to a 4-4-2 and it very nearly paid dividends. Wilson has caused West Ham nightmares over the years and, in his first appearance since May, the striker had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Craig Pawson after Konstantinos Mavropanos had his hands all over him in the box. VAR did not intervene after the officials 'deemed that the contact was not sufficient for a penalty'. There was to be no grandstand finish on a night Newcastle grew increasingly ragged. Defeating Arsenal, Chelsea and high-flying Nottingham Forest is one thing; how would Newcastle cope as overwhelming favourites against West Ham in the Magpies' first game after the international break? In some ways, this was every bit a test of Newcastle's credentials as a genuine European contender after Eddie Howe's team previously lost at Fulham; drew against Bournemouth and Everton; and required two late goals to turn the game on its head late on versus Wolves. Newcastle, following wins against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Chelsea, had looked more like their old selves before the international break as the Magpies looked to become 'that team nobody wants to play' in the words of Jacob Murphy. Dan Burn, recalling the season Newcastle qualified for the Champions League, when the black-and-whites 'had no fear and just wanted to dominate teams', felt like that mentality was returning. A bullish Sean Longstaff said Newcastle had a group of games 'we think we can target for maximum points' - and rightly so. This felt like a chance to make a fresh statement against a vulnerable West Ham side and move within just two points of champions Manchester City in second place. Instead it ended in frustration. 'Alexander the Great', the banner in the Gallowgate End read. Opposite, in the Leazes End, a sea of blue and yellow flags spelt out 'Isak' in Sweden colours. It was a fitting tribute from Wor Flags to a player Eddie Howe has suggested can prove himself as 'one of the world's best. Isak had the ball in the back of the net after just five minutes, expertly chipping Lukasz Fabianski, but it was ruled out for offside. Few would have predicted that Newcastle would fail to score in the following 85 minutes. Just like against Brighton, which was Newcastle's first game after last month's international break, the Magpies paid the price for their wastefulness at home and visiting teams will start to take encouragement from this. It's quick and easy to join. Just click this link and select 'Join Community' to get started. Plus you can follow our new Newcastle United channel right here - just follow this link Your informational will be hidden, you'll only ever receive messages from the Chronicle Live sports team, and you can leave any time you like. For more information, click here . You can read our Privacy Notice here.

In the last year, with most Israelis focused on the post-Oct. 7 war in Gaza, settlement construction in the West Bank has ballooned alongside new roads and infrastructure, including a dramatic increase in the establishment of unauthorized settler outposts. In a new report, Israeli human rights groups describe what they say are significant structural and legal changes by the Israeli government, the most religious and right-wing in the nation’s history, that “alter the face of the West Bank.” The day after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, Israel’s hard-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, posted a comment on the social platform X that reflected the delight of the pro-settlement camp. Using the biblical terms for the occupied West Bank, he wrote, “2025 is the year of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.” Yisrael Medad, a spokesperson for an umbrella group of West Bank settlements, says he is encouraged by Mr. Trump’s victory, noting that in his first term as president, settlements were declared not to be a violation of international law, reversing longstanding U.S. policy. “The brave man is the one who seizes the opportunity, and that is what we have to do now and do the best we can,” says Mr. Medad. Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s hard-right finance minister, posted a comment on the social platform X the day after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election that reflected the delight of the pro-settlement camp. Using the biblical terms for the occupied West Bank, he wrote, “2025 is the year of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.” Bitter responses followed from some Israelis, who berated him for not wishing instead for more consensus outcomes: the end of the multifront war that the country has been battling since coming under Hamas attack in October 2023, and the bringing home of the 101 hostages still held in Gaza – an ongoing national trauma. But the pro-settlement movement in Israel – including Mr. Smotrich, its main advocate in the government – is exulting at what it perceives as a possible green light from the incoming Trump Middle East team to pursue annexation of the West Bank, even without the support of the broader Israeli public. In constructing the current government coalition, the most religious and far-right in the country’s history, two years ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu granted Mr. Smotrich unprecedented power to oversee Israel’s settlement enterprise and civil administration in the West Bank. So much so that many experts say annexation of the part of the West Bank where most Jewish settlers live has already become a reality, sparking ire both regionally and internationally. For decades the existence and growth of settlements have been an obstacle to forging a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. In the last year, with most Israelis’ focus on the post-Oct. 7 war in Gaza, settlement construction in the West Bank has ballooned alongside new roads and infrastructure, including a dramatic increase in the establishment of unauthorized settler outposts. In a new report, Israeli human rights groups describe what they say are significant structural and legal changes by the government that “alter the face of the West Bank and the structure of Israeli control there.” The government, the report says, is “methodically implementing a strategy designed to achieve the political vision of applying full Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank, while establishing a reality of Jewish supremacy and forcing the Palestinians living in the area into to the smallest possible geographical space.” Yael Berda, a legal scholar and professor of sociology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says the recent spike in settler violence is not haphazard, but fits into a plan to transfer Palestinian residents from what is known as “Area C,” the 60% of the West Bank that has both Jewish and Palestinian communities. “They are [de facto] annexing where there are Jews living, which is why the fight is so intense to get Palestinians who live there off the land,” says Dr. Berda, author of “The Bureaucracy of the Occupation in the West Bank.” Palestinians have long claimed all areas of the West Bank as part of their own future state, while settlers see the territory as their biblical birthright. For them, Palestinian statehood is not only a security threat, but also an anathema to historic Jewish claims. The violence in Area C, which has included deadly settler rampages, led the Biden administration to impose sanctions on a key settler group – a development that Israel’s right-wing is hoping a Trump White House will undo. According to Dr. Berda, the main goal of the government’s controversial judicial overhaul plan, which elicited months of massive pro-democracy demonstrations in Israel in the months before the Israel-Hamas war, was West Bank annexation. By weakening the Supreme Court and the state’s legal advisers, she argues, the government had hoped to stymie the very institutions that have served as the primary check on the settlement project. Under Finance Minister Smotrich, almost 6,000 acres of West Bank land have been declared state land and 50 new settler outposts have been established with organizational and funding support from the government, according to Hagit Ofran, who leads Peace Now’s Settlement Watch division. With these outposts, “Small groups of settlers take over huge amounts of land and on a daily basis kick out Palestinians from their land, not allowing them to go there with their flocks or cultivate their land,” says Ms. Ofran. “They are taking hill after hill, and the government puts $75 million into their development – something we had not seen before. ... What I suspect we will see under Trump is the expulsion of Palestinians will be even more organized.” The most recent example of one kind of rule for Jewish settlers and another for Palestinians in the West Bank is the decision last week by new Defense Minister Israel Katz to end administrative detention only for settlers – a step the Biden administration condemned. Administrative detention is a tool used by Israel to detain terror suspects without trial. In an act of brazenness Friday, Jewish settlers even attacked senior Israeli military officers, including a general in charge of the army’s command in the West Bank. Yisrael Medad, a spokesperson for The Yesha Council, an umbrella group of West Bank settlements, condemned violence of any kind carried out by settlers, saying its perpetrators were outside the movement’s mainstream. He says he is encouraged by Mr. Trump’s victory, noting that in his first term as president, settlements were declared not to be a violation of international law, reversing longstanding U.S. policy and opening the door to annexation. “The brave man is the one who seizes the opportunity, and that is what we have to do now and do the best we can,” says Mr. Medad. According to Eitay Mack, an Israeli human rights lawyer who has represented Palestinians in the West Bank, “If full annexation happens, there will no longer be a hybrid regime of democracy within the Green Line [the official borders of Israel] and authoritarianism in the West Bank – but just an authoritarian regime based on race.” Mr. Smotrich, who says there is no such thing as a Palestinian people, said following Trump’s election, “We will apply the sovereignty, together with our American friends.” Among those friends is Mike Huckabee, named by Mr. Trump as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel. The former Arkansas governor and evangelical minister has said he doesn’t view the West Bank as occupied land, nor the half-million settlers there as occupiers. Signaling the opportunity he sees in Mr. Trump’s return to power, Mr. Netanyahu has appointed Yechiel Leiter, a former settler leader and an advocate of annexation, as Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

Irish Government doubted UK campaign to ‘save David’ TrimbleCHERRY HILL, N.J., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Real Good Food Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGF) ("Real Good Foods” or the "Company”), a leading health and wellness frozen and refrigerated foods company, announced today that, on November 20, 2024, the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq”) notified the Company that the Company's failure to timely file its Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”), for the period ended September 30, 2024, serves as an additional basis for the delisting of the Company's securities from Nasdaq, per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). The Company previously presented its plan to file all delinquent periodic reports with the SEC, including the Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024, and requested an extension to do so at a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the "Panel”). The Panel has not yet issued its decision following the hearing. Despite the efforts described above, there can be no assurance that the Company will ultimately regain compliance with all applicable requirements for continued listing or that the Panel will grant the Company a further extension. About Real Good Food Company Real Good Foods (Nasdaq: RGF) is a leading health and wellness frozen and refrigerated foods company, providing a better way to enjoy your favorite foods. The Company's mission is to provide "Real Food You Feel Good About Eating”, making delicious, nutritious foods that are low in sugar, low in carbohydrates and high in protein. The Real Good Foods family of products includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks - available in over 16,000 stores nationwide with additional direct-to-consumer options. To learn more, please visit our website at realgoodfoods.com or join us on social media @realgoodfoods - where we maintain some of the largest followings in the frozen food industry today. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements are subject to considerable risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including statements regarding the timing of the filing of Company's late periodic reports and amendments to prior periodic reports, the Company's plan to request a hearing to appeal its delisting determination by Nasdaq, and the Company's plan to request various extension periods to regain compliance with the Listing Rule. The Company has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipate,” "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will," or "would," and similar expressions or the negative of these expressions. Forward-looking statements represent management's current expectations and predictions about trends affecting the Company's business and industry and are based on information available as of the time such statements are made. Although the Company does not make forward-looking statements unless it believes it has a reasonable basis for doing so, it cannot guarantee their accuracy or completeness. Forward-looking statements involve numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause its actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements predicted, assumed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause its actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including the risk of further delays in the filing of the Company's late periodic reports and restated financial statements in amendments to prior periodic reports, the discovery of additional information regarding the error identified in the Company's previously issued consolidated financial statements, the scope of the anticipated restatement of previously issued financial statements as a result of the error, the remediation by management and the Company's independent registered public accounting firm of the identified material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, the Panel's determination following the Company's appeal of its delisting decision, the Panel's decision whether or not to grant the Company various extension periods following the submission of a hearing request to regain compliance with the Listing Rule, the Company's ability to regain compliance with the Listing Rule and other continued listing standards and other risk factors described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Company from time to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this press release. Investor Relations Contact The Real Good Food Company 3 Executive Campus, Suite 155 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 [email protected]

Willy Adames agrees to $182 million, 7-year deal with the Giants, AP source says Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year deal with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move. The 29-year-old Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers. Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 newcomer Arizona State will represent the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch the 12th-ranked Sun Devils beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game. The Sun Devils with 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham are 11-2 after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have won six games in a row. Iowa State is 10-3, already the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history. No. 16 Iowa State falls short in Big 12 title game again, this time with CFP at stake ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State. Four years ago, neither Iowa State nor Oklahoma had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before the Sooners' 27-21 victory. The Cyclones haven't won a conference title since going 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1912. Big 12's Yormark brings up hard choices for fans before sparsely attended title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — College football fans are facing some hard choices in the expanded playoff system with some teams set to play away from home multiple times. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark raised that point No. 12 Arizona State's 45-19 victory over 16th-ranked Iowa State. The announced crowd of 55,889 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys appeared far smaller. Yormark says he remains committed to having a Big 12 title game. Besides the issues of fans, there have been suggestions that some leagues might be better off without title games as it relates to playoff hopes. Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn finished in the middle of the pack in a pair of lower-level downhill events as she competed for the first time in nearly six years. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail after stepping away from the sport because of injuries. Vonn wasn't concerned with times and places in the races so much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races she had enough points to enter World Cup events. Justin Thomas with big drives and a few big putts takes 1-shot lead over Scheffler in the Bahamas NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Justin Thomas has a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Thomas is using a slightly longer driver and has been blasting away. He also was helped by two long putts on the back nine that carried him to 66 at windy Albany Golf Club. Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole that cost him the lead and he never caught up. He still shot a 69 and will be in the last group with Thomas on Sunday. Tom Kim had a 62 and was two shots back. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy gets restructured deal after 3-9 season, according to reports Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy will be staying on with a restructured deal. That's according to news reports published on Saturday. The deal reportedly will shift some of his salary to revenue sharing with players. The Cowboys were among the preseason favorites in the Big 12, but a rash of injuries and problems at quarterback tanked the team, and the Cowboys went 3-9. The school's Board of Regents held a special meeting on Friday morning regarding his status, but no immediate action was taken. The fact that Gundy has 169 wins in 20 years plus a hefty buyout likely saved him from being fired outright. Norris takes pole for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and Hamilton 18th in Mercedes farewell ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Lando Norris took pole position for the last Formula 1 race of the season alongside teammate Oscar Piastri to put McLaren on the verge of a first constructors’ title in 26 years. Norris’ last lap put him .209 of a second faster than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. .020 further back. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton qualified 18th for his last race with Mercedes after a bizarre incident wrecked his final qualifying lap. A plastic pole marking the inside of a corner was knocked loose by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Hamilton drove over it. Man City drops more points after draw with Crystal Palace and Man United loses again Manchester City’s Premier League title defense has taken another blow after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. Four-time defending champion City ended a seven-game winless run on Wednesday by beating Nottingham Forest. But City has dropped more points on Saturday after the draw at Selhurst Park. It could have been worse for City after Palace led twice. Pep Guardiola’s team is fourth in the standings and eight points behind leader Liverpool. Liverpool has a game in hand after its derby with Everton was postponed due to a storm. Malinin and Glenn win as US figure skaters take 3 gold medals at Grand Prix Final GRENOBLE, France (AP) — Ilia Malinin has landed six quadruple jumps and Amber Glenn has ended a 14-year wait for gold for the United States on an historic day for American figure skaters at the Grand Prix Final in Grenoble. Malinin and Glenn won their individual events and Madison Chock and Evan Bates retained their ice dance title on Saturday to earn the U.S. three of the four senior gold medals. Glenn continued her breakout unbeaten season and three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto had to settle for third place.Grizzlies vs Thunder Game HighlightsFáilte Ireland has unveiled their programme for New Year’s Festival Dublin 2024, launching a music trail across some of the city’s most beloved venues. This year’s festival was officially launched by Cian Ducrot, Saibh Skelly, Liam O’Maonlai, Ciaran Moran and Hot Girl at Dublin Castle, as they shared their excitement for this year’s celebrations. With a variety of events spanning a number of days, all across Dublin County, there’s sure to be something for everyone to ring in the New Year in style. Developed by Fáilte Ireland in association with the Office of Public Works, New Year’s Festival Dublin is Ireland’s biggest New Year Celebration with 3 days of celebrations taking place across the county from 30 December 2024 through to 1 January 2025. This year differs slightly from the regular scheduled event, with organizers introducing a curated music trail, which will feature live performances from Ireland’s up and coming musicians and DJs across a host of Dublin venues. Whelans, O’Donohue’s, The Grand Social, The Workman’s Club, Wigwam, The Storyteller and Hyde Dublin, will set the scene for the new initiative, which features entirely free events across two days. The festival will also host a new NYF Dublin Fireworks Spectacular, with firework displays taking place in two locations across Dublin, in partnership with Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Events will take place in iconic Dublin venues including Dublin Castle and Meeting House square. Celebrate the New Year at the Echoes of Ireland Concerts, Countdown Concert, family friendly Countdown Concert Matinee, NYF Dublin Music Trail, NYF Dublin Fireworks Spectacular and New Year’s Day Concerts. Chatting to Extra.ie at the launch, Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland said: ‘It’s great to be here in Dublin Castle. It’s great to be announcing the New Years Eve Festival, because it’s a great thing for Dublin. It brings people into the city, brings visitors to the city, and it’s also good fun.’ A post shared by NYF Dublin (@nyfdublin) ‘There’s a whole plethora of free events, you know? So we’ve got the music trail, which we’re launching today, which is about eight venues across the city, so ‘Whelan’s, Workman’s Club with 18 acts. So that’s great for people to actually come into the city and experience this. Not only that, we have fireworks displays at 8pm in Dún Laoghaire and in Howth, again, a free event and a wonderful thing for families to maybe get out and celebrate New Year a little bit earlier.’ ‘While it is about getting people into the city and tourism, it’s also about promoting Irish culture and Irish musicians, and we have a fantastic lineup. I mean, the list is endless,’ she boasted. Headline act Cian Ducrot echoed these sentiments, sharing his excitement at leading the stacked lineup. ‘I mean, I think there’s no more magical, exciting gig, and I think, you know, any chance to be able to do a show that’s different than, you know, a tour or a festival, something like, really special, something unique,’ he praised. ‘It’s going to be such a unique show. I can’t wait. I’ve been really looking forward to it for a while now.’ Visit http://www.nyfdublin.com/ and www.visitdublin.com for more .

Investors looking for stocks to hold on to for a while might want to consider dividend-paying companies. Besides offering a regular stream of passive income, dividend stocks have generally outperformed their non-dividend peers over the long run. That's not surprising. Maintaining a growing dividend program through good times and bad requires a rock-solid business. Healthcare companies have an added advantage since they are in a defensive industry that performs comparatively better when the economy slows down. With that backdrop, let's consider two healthcare dividend stocks for investors focused on the long game: Merck ( MRK -0.44% ) and Medtronic ( MDT -0.15% ) . 1. Merck The market's forward-looking nature explains why Merck's shares are down by 10% this year. Investors are already focusing ahead to 2028, when the company's biggest moneymaker by far, the cancer drug Keytruda, will lose patent exclusivity in the U.S. And even before that, Keytruda could face competition from an investigational therapy called ivonescimab that is being developed to treat non-small cell lung cancer , among other diseases for which Keytruda has earned indications. Is there any way for Merck to get out of this bind? Yes, there is. First, the company has been working on a subcutaneous version of its crown jewel that should earn many of the same indications as the original and extend its patent life. Ivonescimab's challenge might be real, but the medicine won't earn approval in the U.S. for at least a couple of years or so. Furthermore, Merck is being proactive, as shown by its recent partnership with privately held China-based LaNova Medicines to develop LM-299, a bispecific antibody in the same class of medicines as ivonescimab. Something might come out of Merck's partnership with LaNova, or maybe it will be a bust. The important point is that Merck, a longtime leader in oncology, will seek to find ways to get around this new challenge. The company's success will also depend on products in other fields. That includes the newly approved Winrevair, a therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension; Merck's vaccine business; its animal health unit, and more. Its pipeline features more than 60 programs in phase 2 studies and more than 30 in phase 3 clinical trials. The company hasn't maintained its leadership in the pharmaceutical industry for decades by accident. Expect it to do the same for much longer. Meanwhile, its financial results remain solid. Third-quarter revenue grew by a decent 4% year over year to $16.7 billion. The company's adjusted earnings per share of $1.57 were down 26% compared to the year-ago period, but that was because of acquisition-related expenses. It's nothing to worry about for investors. Meanwhile, the dividend has increased by 80% in the past decade, and the company's forward yield tops 3.18%, compared to the S&P 500 's average of 1.32%. Despite its poor stock market performance this year, Merck can overcome its challenges and continue rewarding shareholders with payout increases. 2. Medtronic Medtronic, a medical device specialist, has struggled a bit in the past few years. Besides the pandemic severely disrupting its business, the company also dealt with slow revenue growth. The company had plans to shed some of its low-growth units, but it eventually went back on that decision (although it did exit the unprofitable ventilator business). Still, the stock is worth buying for long-term dividend investors for three reasons: Its solid position in its market, several exciting growth opportunities, and an incredible dividend track record. To the first point, Medtronic is one of the largest medical device companies in the world. Its portfolio has dozens of products, it routinely earns new approvals and indications, and it operates in over 150 countries. Medtronic has successfully navigated the healthcare industry for decades. That is no small feat in and of itself. Secondly, the company is looking at some exciting opportunities. One of them is its diabetes care segment, which has been its biggest growth driver for some time. In the second quarter of its fiscal 2025, ended Oct. 25, revenue increased by 5.3% year over year to $8.4 billion. That's pretty good. However, the company's diabetes care unit increased sales even faster, reporting revenue of $686 million, or 12.4% higher than the year-ago period. One of the business' most important products in this segment is its innovative MiniMed 780G insulin pump. Given the large addressable market in diabetes -- which affects more than a half-billion adults worldwide -- there is more work to be done here for Medtronic. The company is also developing a robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system, called Hugo, which is undergoing clinical trials in the U.S. The RAS market is severely underpenetrated. As Medtronic pointed out last year, less than 5% of procedures that can be performed robotically currently are. It could be another important long-term opportunity for the company. And the third reason to make Medtronic a long-term holding: It has increased its dividend for 47 consecutive years and offers a forward yield of 3.20%. The company could become a Dividend King pretty soon and maintain its payouts for many years thereafter. That makes it a top income stock to buy and hold for good.VISTA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Flux Power Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLUX ), a developer of advanced lithium-ion energy storage solutions for electrification of commercial and industrial equipment, today announced that on November 20, 2024, it received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that it was not in compliance with requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) as a result of not having filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024 (“Form 10-Q”) and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 (“Form 10-K”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). This notification has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq. Under the Nasdaq rules, the Company has until December 16, 2024, to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule. If Nasdaq accepts the Company’s plan, then Nasdaq may grant the Company up to 180 days from the prescribed due date for the Form 10-K to regain compliance, or April 14, 2025. If Nasdaq does not accept the Company’s plan, then the Company will have the opportunity to appeal that decision to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The Company is working diligently to complete its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and plans to file its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q as promptly as practicable to regain compliance with the Listing Rule. About Flux Power Holdings, Inc. Flux Power (NASDAQ: FLUX) designs, manufactures, and sells advanced lithium-ion energy storage solutions for electrification of a range of industrial and commercial sectors including material handling, airport ground support equipment (GSE), and stationary energy storage. Flux Power’s lithium-ion battery packs, including the proprietary battery management system (BMS) and telemetry, provide customers with a better performing, lower cost of ownership, and more environmentally friendly alternative, in many instances, to traditional lead acid and propane-based solutions. Lithium-ion battery packs reduce CO2 emissions and help improve sustainability and ESG metrics for fleets. For more information, please visit www.fluxpower.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and other securities law. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words and phrases such as “anticipated,” “forward,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “may,” “intend,” “remain,” “potential,” “prepare,” “expected,” “believe,” “plan,” “seek,” “continue,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, the expected filing date of its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and ability to regain compliance under the Nasdaq listing rule. All of such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the completion of the review and preparation of the Company’s financial statements and internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures and the timing thereof; the discovery of additional information; delays in the Company’s financial reporting, including as a result of unanticipated factors; the Company’s ability to obtain necessary waivers or amendments to the Loan Agreement in the future; the risk that the Company may become subject to future litigation; the Company’s ability to remediate material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting; risks inherent in estimates or judgments relating to the Company’s critical accounting policies, or any of the Company’s estimates or projections, which may prove to be inaccurate; unanticipated factors in addition to the foregoing that may impact the Company’s financial and business projections and guidance and may cause the Company’s actual results and outcomes to materially differ from its estimates, projections and guidance; and those risks and uncertainties identified in the “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2023, and its other subsequent filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. Flux, Flux Power, and associated logos are trademarks of Flux Power Holdings, Inc. All other third-party brands, products, trademarks, or registered marks are the property of and used to identify the products or services of their respective owners. Follow us at: Blog: Flux Power Blog News Flux Power News Twitter: @FLUXpwr LinkedIn: Flux Power View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125289701/en/ CONTACT: Media & Investor Relations: media@fluxpower.com info@fluxpower.comExternal Investor Relations: Chris Tyson,Executive Vice President MZ Group - MZ North America 949-491-8235 FLUX@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY BATTERIES ENERGY OTHER ENERGY SOURCE: Flux Power Holdings, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125289701/enAI's next frontier: Selling your intentions before you know them

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.