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May the force be against you

Newton's third law - for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction - is one of the best known slogans in science. And one of the hardest to swallow.

By Bernie Hobbs

You don't have to go to space to see Newton's third law in action, a quick trip to a nearby to a beach or skate park will do it. (Source: NASA)

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By the time we can walk most of us have got a pretty good sense of how to make things move — you just have to push, shove or pull on them. End of story. But every devotee of physics since Newton has told us that whenever one thing in the universe pushes or pulls on another, it cops the same force back on itself. It's like some kind of karmic punching clown.

For an all-pervading law of motion, it doesn't exactly fit with our real life experience of moving. Newton's third law says that when you push something — a friend, a wall — that thing pushes back on you just as hard. And when you walk or jump you push down on the Earth, and the Earth pushes back on you with the same force.

When he started spouting all his 'equal but opposite' stuff, Newton's mates must have thought he was nuts. It still sounds crazy today — when you push on a wall you don't see it push back. Go for a walk and you don't see the ground push up on your feet. And even if the Earth has occasionally moved for you, chances are you weren't jumping on it at the time.

But Newton was right.

Movement always involves two equal forces (action and reaction) pushing two different things in opposite directions. But those two forces don't always produce two obvious movements, especially if one of the things involved is a lot heavier than the other.

The amount of movement you get from a force depends on how heavy the thing you're trying to move is — it takes a greater force to throw a shot-put five metres than to throw a tennis ball the same distance. That's Newton's second law of motion in a nutshell, except his version looks more like this:

Force = mass x acceleration

And Newton's second law is also the reason most of us find Newton's third law confusing, because most of our everyday movements involve one very heavy thing — planet Earth.

Take walking. We walk by pushing down and backwards on the ground. The ground, obedient slave to the laws of physics that it is, pushes up and forwards on our feet, propelling us along. The two forces are exactly the same size, but while the upwards ('reaction') force is strong enough to push your feet up and away, you won't see the floor moving out behind you.

The floor itself mightn't be that heavy, but it's attached to the ground. In physics, that makes the floor part of the Earth, so the force of your downward step is actually applied to the entire planet, floor included. And the planet weighs about 100,000 million billion times as much as you do, so it's no wonder you don't see any movement on its part when you walk, jump or push against anything attached to the ground!

Weirder still, while you can't see any movement, the force of your footstep will actually make the whole planet move (accelerate) — but it's such an infinitesimally small movement there's no way you could notice it. Especially not with all those other clods walking, driving and jumping around all over the place accelerating it in different directions!

Knowing that you can't see its effect when you walk doesn't make Newton's third law any easier to swallow, so it's a good thing you can easily see the reaction to your down-and-back foot action whenever you walk on something that's not that firmly attached to the ground.

Seeing Newton's third law in motion

A few strides down the beach will send a face full of sand out behind you. The loose sand isn't that attached to the ground, so the down and back force of your step is enough to send sand (which weighs much less than the planet) flying. For an even more dramatic (and potentially self-harming) demo, try taking a step forward off a stationary skateboard. The wheels mean there's so little friction holding the skateboard in place that the reaction force to your footstep is enough to shoot it out backwards.

And it's not just walking or skateboarding where you can start to get the hang of those equal and opposite forces involved in every movement — they're obvious anywhere there's not much friction, like in water or air.

When you swim, you're pushing water behind you. You push the water back (action), so it pushes you forward (reaction). Or if you let go of a balloon without tying it off the balloon pushes the air inside it out, so the air pushes the balloon in the opposite direction. And don't be fooled, it's not that the water in the pool or the air outside the balloon are building up and pushing you or the balloon forward — the same thing would happen if you were in space and you threw a handful of water behind you or squirted air out of a balloon. It's the reaction force itself that causes the reaction movement, just like the action force causes the action movement.

And really, if you want to see Newton's third law in action, logging a few space hours is the only way to go. In fact, with virtually no gravity or friction to complicate things up there, you'll get the hang of all three of his laws of motion in no time. But while understanding physics might get easier in space, everything else gets a bit more complicated.

In space, everyone can see your force pairs

For starters, walking in space is next to impossible. If you found something floating around out there to take a step on, as soon as you pushed down on it, it would push straight back up on you. But you wouldn't take any ordinary step. Without gravity or friction to hold anything in place, the two equal and opposite forces would send you both off in opposite directions with no chance of a second step. There'd be no doubting Newton's third law after that.

And any trouble you had grasping his first law of motion (inertia) would disappear soon after that fateful step. From the moment your matching action/reaction forces accelerated you and whatever you stepped on, you'd both keep heading away from one another without changing speed until you eventually ran into some other force.

Space is big and empty, so that could take some time. Especially if you were much heavier than the thing you stepped on.

Your best hope of a return trip is making sure you've packed a really heavy lunch. Don't eat it — throw it in the exact opposite direction of where you want to go. Every movement involves two equal and opposite forces — when you push your lead sandwich in one direction, it pushes you back just as hard in the opposite direction. You won't be travelling as fast as your lunch (unless it was REALLY heavy), because the same amount of force will make a lighter thing move faster than a heavier one. But at least you'll really appreciate Newton's second law (force = mass x acceleration)!

An extraterrestrial field trip with a heavy metal sanger seems like a lot of trouble to go to, and travel insurance would be a nightmare. Here's hoping you can get the hang of Newton's law of universal retaliation with a skateboard, balloon or a trip to the beach.

Thanks to Dr Mark Butler from Gosford High School for his help with this story.

Tags: physics

Published 02 February 2011

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The Meeting Is Brought Forward or Pushed Back? What’s the Difference? 

When you say, “the meeting is brought forward,” you are bringing the date and/or time sooner than initially planned. To use “the meeting is pushed back,” you are extending the date and/or time later than initially planned. The difference is a matter of time. Forward means sooner and back means later.

So, in the event of using either phrase, there will already be a meeting planned. It suggests a change or shift in the meeting’s schedule for one reason or another.

“The Meeting Is Brought Forward”

When you want to reschedule a meeting to a date and/or time closer than what was established, you will use the phrase, “the meeting is brought forward.” Consider the examples below.

The meeting is brought forward from Thursday to today at 3 pm.

The CEO said the meeting is brought forward because his vacation starts on Friday.

Mrs. Parker instructed that the meeting be brought forward .

“The Meeting Is Pushed Back”

For indicating a change away from a meeting’s original time and/or date, you will say, “the meeting is pushed back.”

The meeting is pushed back to next Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Jones indicated the meeting is pushed back to a later time because of his wife’s car accident.

The Human Resources Department insisted the meeting is pushed back to next month.

Incorrect Use of the Phrases

Now that you understand more about the differences between these phrases, it’s a good idea to study how they can be incorrect. As you read them, say them aloud so you can hear how it sounds.

The meeting is brought forward to next Wednesday afternoon.

Mrs. Parker; Mr. Jones indicated the meeting is pushed back to today rather than tomorrow.

Mnemonic Device

The best way to remember the difference between saying, “the meeting is brought forward” versus “the meeting is pushed back” are the last words of the phrases: “forward” and “back.”

Forward = sooner or closer (as supported by “brought”)

Back = far away or at a distance from (as supported by “pushed”)

The difference between “brought forward” or “pushed back” is the element of time in regards to rescheduling a meeting. If you want to say the meeting is sooner, “the meeting is brought forward” and if the meeting is going to be later, you’ll use, “the meeting is pushed back.”

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How to Reset a Tripped Breaker

What to do when a circuit breaker trips.

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

What Causes a Tripped Circuit Breaker

Safety considerations, how to avoid tripped breakers, when to call a professional.

• Total Time: 5 mins
• Skill Level: Beginner
• Estimated Cost: $0

A power breaker trip is an annoying occurrence when the power shuts off and you can't use the microwave, lights, or router. A breaker trip is far more than simply annoying when you need that router to send off a time-sensitive work assignment or when medical devices are diverted to time-limited standby power. Fortunately, it's easy to fix a circuit breaker trip in just a few minutes.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

A tripped circuit breaker is when a circuit breaker automatically shuts off to prevent devices on the circuit from overheating or from receiving excessive power. A circuit breaker protects your home against damaging or harmful short circuits and overloads.

• Overloaded circuits : When too many devices are operating on the same circuit and are attempting to pull a higher power load than the circuit can carry, the circuit breaker will trip.
• High-power devices : High amp devices like microwaves , dryers , wall heaters , or A/Cs are turned on for sustained periods, they can cause a power breaker trip.
• Short circuits : In a short circuit, a powered or hot wire makes contact with a neutral wire or when wires are loosened .
• Ground faults: In a ground fault, a hot wire touches anything that is grounded, such as the side of a metal electrical box , an appliance, an outlet , or a bare ground wire.

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Watch Now: How to Safely Reset a Tripped Circuit Breaker

Working around an electrical service panel or circuit breaker board can be dangerous. Your home’s entire electrical load is contained in that box, concentrated around the metal lugs where the service drop’s wires enter the box. Unscrewing and removing the inner dead-front cover within the service panel exposes the highly powered lugs.

What You'll Need

Equipment / tools.

• Circuit breaker directory (if available)
• Rubber-soled shoes
• Safety glasses

Instructions

Locate a flashlight.

Circuit breaker panels tend to be located in out-of-the-way locations with little, if any, ambient light. Find a flashlight. Use the light from a phone if necessary.

Turn Off Devices on the Circuit

Turn off all devices on the electrical circuit. This includes the device that may have caused the breaker to trip, such as a microwave, hairdryer, or A/C, plus all other devices on the same circuit.

Find the Electric Service Panel

The electric service panel, sometimes called a circuit breaker board, is a metal box with a door. The box may be inset in a wall, its face flush with the wall, or surface-mounted where the entire box is exposed.

Places to look: garage , closet, pantry near the kitchen, basement , mudroom, hallway leading to garage or backyard.

One clue is to first find the electric service drop from the main power lines. Usually, your home’s service panel is located below and nearby, on the inside of your home.

Open the Door to the Service Panel

Open the door to the service panel by sliding the plastic switch to the side or up. Next, swing the door open. Use the inset plastic switch as a handle to pull the door open.

Adhi Syailendra / Getty Images

Locate Tripped Breaker

The handle of a tripped circuit breaker should be in the middle position—not left or right. Visually or by feel, locate any breaker handles that differ from the right or left positions:

• Tripped breakers : Tripped circuit breakers have a soft or springy feeling when you lightly press them leftward or rightward.
• Live/active breakers : Breakers that are not tripped are either firmly left or right (depending on which side of the box you're looking at).

Certain breakers, such as Eaton breakers , trip to the off position, not the middle position. Check manufacturer's instructions for your particular product.

Turn the Circuit Breaker Handle to OFF Position

Flip the circuit breaker handle to its firm OFF position, toward the outer edge of the service panel (away from the centerline).

Double and Tandem Breakers

Double pole breakers are double-wide breakers with wide handles. They are often used for dryer or oven circuits. Both sides of double pole breakers operate as one. Tandem breakers are two narrow breakers that share the space of one breaker. Each side operates individually.

Turn the Circuit Breaker Handle to ON Position

Flip the circuit breaker handle to its firm ON position, toward the centerline of the service panel. The handle should seat firmly in place and should make an audible click.

Test Circuit

Turn the device such as the light or A/C back on. If you believe the breaker tripped due to an overload, it’s best to turn on only one device at this time, not multiple devices. Also, choose a device with a lower power draw such as a light fixture.

• Remove some devices from the overloaded circuit and plug them into other circuits that aren’t drawing as much power.
• Avoid running many devices on the circuit at the same time. In a kitchen , for example, stage cooking activities that require power so that they happen in succession, not all at once.
• Install GFCI outlets so that the outlet shuts off before the entire circuit breaker shuts down in the case of a ground circuit. Just note that GFCI outlets are not circuit overload protection, but protection against dangerous ground faults.
• Replace old outlets, light fixtures, and switches which may create short circuits or trip breakers.
• Have an electrician separate hardwired devices that are drawing too much power from a single circuit. The electrician can move devices to another circuit or can set up an entirely new circuit to relieve the load.
• Replace the circuit breaker.

A qualified, licensed electrician is trained to detect the cause of tripped breakers and to fix those causes. If your problem of tripped circuit breakers is more than just an overloaded circuit, you may want to seek the help of an electrician. Unless you are an advanced do-it-yourselfer , it’s best to hire an electrician to wire up a new circuit breaker .

Electrical Panel Safety . Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.

CH Circuit Breakers . Eaton.

Ground-Fault Circuit Interruptors . International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.

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Simple Flying

The anatomy of the pushback.

A forward journey starts by moving in reverse.

The pushback is an ironic part of flying—an aircraft capable of flying many hundreds of miles per hour needs help to move backward at an almost immeasurably slow speed. Nearly every flight starts in this same way. The captain releases the parking brake, and the aircraft is pushed back from its parking stand. Except in rare instances when a plane can "power out" from its parking location, a tug is needed to move the plane away from the terminal. A choreography of triggers and responses is used during every pushback. Here's a step-by-step account of how an airline pushback is achieved.

Prior to the push

Before anyone can start thinking about the pushback, the boarding door(s) need to be closed and the jetbridge removed from the aircraft. In order to close the door, flight attendants are required to conduct a passenger count that matches the number of tickets scanned by the gate agent. Additionally, passengers need to be seated in the "zone" of the aircraft they were ticketed in for weight and balance purposes.

A miscount or discrepancy requires resolution before the boarding door can be closed. This is why flight attendants often request passengers to take their seats as quickly as possible in their assigned seats . When gate agents for flight attendants query if a passenger is onboard and to ring their call button, it's usually not because there's uncertainty if they're on the plane. Rather, that passenger has taken a seat other than the one they were ticketed for, resulting in a weight and balance discrepancy.

Doors closed, beacon on

The boarding door is closed after the captain confirms that the flight attendants' passenger count matches the total generated by the gate agent. At this point, the pilots are interested in the status of the cargo doors and the other service doors. Last-minute bags frequently arrive after all the passengers have boarded, and airline procedures usually don't allow pilots to bring the hydraulic systems to life until every door has been closed. After all the doors have been secured shut, the pilots run the before-start checklist.

Pilots activate the plane's red beacon as part of the before-start sequence. This, along with the removal of the jetbridge, is a cue to the ground staff that the pilots are ready to get into contact with them for the pushback. Ground crews normally connect a headset jack near the plane's nosewheel. Most commercial aircraft have an indicator light in this same area that shows when the pilots have disengaged their ability to steer the plane and have released the parking brake. Both of these are requisite items for a ground crew to push a plane. If the crew tried pushing a plane back without the steering disengaged or the parking brake set, there would almost certainly be damage to the nosewheel assembly.

Starting the pushback

With the headset having been connected, the tug driver now has direct communication between him or herself and the pilots. Large airports have ramp controllers that issue push and start clearances to pilots. After the captain and tug driver have confirmed each other is ready, the first officer calls the ramp tower for clearance. This is usually phrased something like, "Push approved, tail east, call back for taxi." This information is then relayed by the pilots to the tug driver. In the event that headset communications aren't available, there are a series of standard hand signals that pilots and ground crew use to rudimentarily communicate this same information.

Engines are started during most (but not all) pushbacks. Some airports and airlines have policies that forbid engine starts during pushback for safety reasons. If the engines are allowed to be started during the push, the go-ahead is always given by ground staff. Pilots are trained to never start an engine before being told it's safe to do so by the tug driver. During most pushbacks, wing walkers with orange batons are present at both wingtips to ensure clearance. One arm raised and one arm parallel to the ground means it's clear to push, while crossed batons in the shape of an "x" are an indication to stop the push immediately.

Pushback complete

The tug driver will request the captain to set the parking brake after the push is complete. The captain does so and then clears the ground crew to disconnect and remove the tug . Policies differ by airline, but most ground crews stand in the pilot's field of vision while disconnecting the ground equipment. Before walking away, the person who disconnected the headset and towbar (if used) holds a pin or strap above their head for the pilots to view. A pin is used to override steering on some aircraft, while a strap is used to hold other planes in position on lift-type tugs. Regardless of the method, this indicates that every external item used to push the aircraft has been removed and that it is safe for the pilots to taxi. Pilots now move the flaps and slats into the takeoff position, as well as check the flight controls.

Put it in reverse!

Some planes are capable of a "power back" maneuver. All but lost to a previous era of flying, it was once common to see McDonnell Douglas MD-80 variants powering back from gates without needing a pushback tug. The thrust reversers, known commonly as "buckets" or "clamshells," deploy as shields against backward thrust produced by the engines. Thanks to their design, as well as their higher mounting points on the aft fuselage of the aircraft, MD-80s, and similar planes, could reverse off the gate if need be. If you haven't seen this maneuver, do a quick internet search for "MD-80 power back," and you'll find a few great examples.

Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here .

A push for every journey

Every pushback is a choreography. So many things have to go right to push a plane back safely. Redundancies are built into every element of a commercial flight for this reason. As evidence, pushbacks at large airports usually require at least six people (one controller, two pilots, and three ground staff) to be in agreement with the operation. For passengers, the pushback is the genesis of a journey. Planes need to move a few meters backward before they can speed thousands of kilometers forwards.

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Definition of push back phrasal verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• The company has tried to push back on the claim that it paid no taxes.

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Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

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Service fees: How much should you charge and what to do if clients push back

Post date: Feb 29 2024

Date: Feb 29 2024

By: Cindy Sosroutomo

TORONTO — Carol Murray usually doesn’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but at the end of 2023 she vowed to do just one thing: to always charge fees for her travel services.

The Toronto-based travel advisor and owner of Your Vacation Home, who prior to 2024 was inconsistently charging clients here and there, tells Travelweek that the pandemic “changed everything” – including her take on service fees. 

“We found out how vulnerable we advisors are,” she says. “If our clients have to cancel their trips, trips that we poured hours into creating, we have to still be paid for our services, regardless if the trip happens or not.”

Now, Murray charges an amount each time, based on how much work is required and the number of passengers. “It’s $250 for up to four people and it will increase from there,” she says, adding that she’s no longer concerned about possible push-back from certain clients.

“In some cases, travel advisors don’t get that much from the supplier and yet we’re doing tons of work for the client. That is not sustainable for a business,” says Murray. “We are professionals and experts and we need to be paid for our time. All advisors need to charge fees, finally making it a norm across the industry.”

WHY ARE AGENTS STILL NOT CHARGING FEES?

In a perfect world, every travel advisor would be charging service fees to compensate for their time and hard work. But the reality is, only a small percentage of advisors are consistently doing it – why?

“The biggest reason is confidence,” says Zeina Gedeon, President and CEO of Trevello Travel Group. “For a very long time, travel advisors did not believe they should or could charge service fees because they were getting commissions. There are also many advisors new to the industry who are concerned about building their client base, and others who’ve been working with clients for a long time and don’t want to now implement a fee.”

Gedeon does note, however, that more and more advisors are implementing service fees post-pandemic.

“Many advisors re-evaluated their businesses during the pandemic and realized that they cannot depend solely on commissions. They worked so hard to cancel, rebook, cancel, rebook flights and in the end everything got cancelled, and they did all this for no fees and no commission! They realize now the true value of the services they offer,” says Gedeon.

Flemming Friisdahl, Founder and CEO of The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) is also seeing an increase of travel advisors charging fees.

“100% we are seeing more fees coming in, as a percentage of sales. However, it’s still a fairly small number of advisors doing it routinely. But more and more are becoming comfortable charging for their time. I wish it was more the norm than not, but we are getting there,” he says.

HOW MUCH SHOULD ADVISORS CHARGE?

When it comes to how much a travel advisor should charge a client, there’s no one-size-fits all; it all boils down to what the advisor is comfortable with, how much they value their time, and the type of booking being made.

“The amount varies based on an advisor’s experience, expertise, location and the type of booking,” says Gedeon. “However, we give our advisors some general guidelines when they consider charging service fees, around 10%-20% of the total cost of the trip, or a flat fee based on the component of travel, like flights, hotel, FIT and vacation package. Every advisor is different, and they should find a fee structure that works best for them and their business model.”

Friisdahl, who sees both ends of the scale with some advisors charging up to $2,000 for a J class airline ticket while others charge nothing, says that TTAND offers a model on service fees though it’s 100% up to the travel advisor to follow it or not. But he’s quick to add that it’s not so much about the amount, but rather about getting consumers used to the idea of a service fee in the first place.

“Remember when we all used to fly from YVR to YYZ and we had a meal included? And now the airlines charge for meals. Nobody barks at paying for this because it has become the norm. So we have to ask everyone to jump on the wagon and make sure consumers know that a professional travel agent’s time is worth money,” says Friisdahl.

HOW DO YOU BROACH THE SUBJECT?

It can be an awkward conversation when mentioning to the client what your service fee is, especially if it’s an existing client and you never charged one before. This is why Murray tells them up front, before she starts working on building their itinerary, to avoid any surprises in the end.

“I think it’s more expected now and better received because clients understand that they need us more than they realized! They also understand that we should not ‘work for free.’ Those days have passed,” says Murray.

Gedeon also agrees that starting with transparency is key: “Be upfront about your fee structure from the beginning. Clearly explain that as a professional travel advisor, you provide personalized service and expertise that go beyond simply booking flights and accommodations. Emphasize to clients that the fees are a reflection of the time and expertise that goes into planning their trip, and remind them that they are paying for a personalized service that will save them time, money and hassle in the long run.”

Friisdahl adds that travel advisors should treat a service fee the same as they would for other extra costs, like airline taxes and fuel surcharges: “It is simply part of the cost of travelling! The advisors I’ve talked to just make it part of the entire conversation and they don’t stop to make a big deal about it.”

WHAT IF THE CLIENT PUSHES BACK?

It’s to be expected that some clients will push back on the idea of paying a service fee, especially if they can find another travel advisor who doesn’t charge one at all. But if this happens, Friisdahl says honesty can be the best policy.

“Tell them the truth, that you’re not paid commission and this is why you’re charging a service fee. Tell them that your time is worth money – the truth is the best way to explain it,” he says. 

Gedeon adds that the key to handling clients who don’t want to pay the fee is to focus on the benefits of working with a travel advisor and to address their objections with empathy and professionalism.

“Advisors need to be confident and show the client the value in working with them, focusing on how their services can save the client time and alleviate stress when planning their trip,” says Gedeon. “The personalized service they offer, their access to exclusive deals and amenities, the knowledge they have for the destination, and the support they provide the client while planning the trip, while they’re on their trip and during any emergencies that may arise – all of this justify the cost of your service fees and help retain clients who may initially be resistant to paying them.”

WHAT IF YOU’RE CHARGING TOO LITTLE?

For travel advisors who have already implemented a service fee, how do they know if they’re not charging enough? And how do they raise their fee without scaring away their existing clients?

Gedeon recommends four tips:

• Re-evaluate : “We recommend re-evaluating your fees on a yearly basis. You should be continuously researching what other advisors in your area or niche are charging for similar services. Assess your value proposition to make sure your fee structure reflects the value your client receives. And always take into account your clients’ feedback and consider their expenses.”
• Space it out : “Rather than implement a significant fee hike all at once, consider gradually increasing your fees over time. This allows clients to adjust to the new pricing structure and help minimize the risk of scaring them away.”
• Give notice : “Always give clients advance notice of any fee increases, and explain the reasons behind the change. This demonstrates transparency and allows clients to prepare for the adjustment in pricing.
• Get feedback : “Advisors should keep track of clients’ responses to the fee increase and be prepared to adjust their pricing strategy if necessary. Solicit feedback from clients to understand their perspectives and address any concerns they may have.”

This article appears in the Feb. 29 issue of Travelweek. 

Tags: Lead Story, TTAND

Cindy is Deputy Editor at Travelweek and has worked for the company since 2007. She has travelled to more than 50 countries and counts Kenya, Morocco, Thailand and Turkey among her favourite destinations.

Ant drops 29, T-Wolves force Game 5 vs. Mavs

DALLAS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns finally found his rhythm, and the Timberwolves finally closed a game in the Western Conference finals.

Now they head back to Minnesota for Game 5 on Thursday night to see if they can make things even more interesting against Dallas.

Towns scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half and the Wolves held off the Mavericks 105-100 on Tuesday night to avoid a sweep.

Anthony Edwards had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Wolves stayed alive in their first trip to the conference finals in 20 years, and just the second in the franchise’s 35 seasons.

Towns, who was shooting 28% from the field in the series coming in, was 9 of 13 from the field, including four of five from deep. And that was after picking up fifth foul midway through the third quarter.

“Being aggressive,” Towns said. “Ain’t no time to have any doubts in your mind, especially at this time, it’s Game 4, down 3-0. Ain’t no time to have any doubts.”

Luka Doncic had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his sixth triple-double of these playoffs, but he and co-star Kyrie Irving were just 13 of 39 from the field. Irving, who was 14-0 in his career in closeout games coming in, made just one of six from long range and finished with 16 points.

“That game’s on me. Just didn’t give enough energy,” said Doncic, who was 7 of 21 from the field, including 1 of 5 in the fourth when he and Irving had combined as closers to build the big series lead. “They won one game. We’ve just got to focus on the next one.”

The Wolves have led in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter of every game in the series, and this time they finished.

Towns put the Wolves ahead for good on a 3-pointer with 5:41 remaining, then hit another from deep the next time down. His third 3 of the final quarter put Minnesota up six with three minutes to go.

“He was super confident,” Edwards said. “He wasn’t worried about any shots previous to the shots that he hit tonight. He played exceptionally well.”

Edwards put the Wolves up five with a jumper just inside the arc with 39 seconds left, and Minnesota hung on despite Edwards fouling Doncic on a made 3-pointer for a three-point Dallas deficit with 12 seconds to go.

Doncic missed the free throw, and Naz Reid hit a bucket to push the margin back to five with 11 seconds remaining.

“It’s hard to close in this league,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said after his team shot 29% from 3 in the second half. “Understanding we didn’t play our best. Give Minnesota credit. They did.”

The biggest sign of Towns’ rhythm came in the third, when he scored 10 points in the first seven minutes before picking up his fifth foul for elbowing P.J. Washington Jr. in the face as Towns went up for a shot.

The call against Towns prompted a technical foul against Minnesota coach Chris Finch from the second row, where he’s been confined since the start of the second round of the playoffs because of a knee injury that required surgery. Assistant Micah Nori has been roaming the sidelines.

Finch flirted with a second technical, which would have meant an ejection, a few minutes later when Edwards was called for his fourth foul going for a steal against Daniel Gafford.

“To have him be on the sideline but behind the bench for the majority of these playoffs, you forget the impact he can have,” said Mike Conley, who scored 14 points. “When your coach is up getting technicals and yelling and when you see him hobbling around to do it, it’s impressive. It lit a fire on all of us.”

Towns fouled out in the final two minutes, while Edwards and Rudy Gobert, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds, finished with five apiece.

“We weathered a lot of foul trouble out there, which was frustrating to say the least,” Finch said. “Credit to our guys. They found a way to win the game. It was a lot like Games 1 and 2, and we were able to get it done tonight.”

The Wolves avoided being the 16th team out of 21 to get swept after losing the first three games of a series that started at home. Now they’ll try to be just the fourth to force at least six games.

Jaden Hardy scored 10 of his 13 points in a 3:38 stretch that spilled into the first bucket of the fourth quarter, a corner 3 that pulled Dallas within two. Four of the game’s 11 lead changes came in the fourth.

The Mavs were without rookie center Dereck Lively II, who injured his neck when Towns accidentally kneed him in back of the head in Game 3.

Maxi Kleber, who has been out since May 3 with a separated shoulder, returned to give Dallas another option inside. But Daniel Gafford didn’t have his regular tag team partner as a rim protector at center, and the Wolves shot a series-best 53% from the field.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

• Edwards praises Towns after Game 4: 'The reason we won'
• Report: 76ers prepared to offer Butler max extension
• What the odds say: Where will Bronny land in the NBA draft?
• Thunder's Presti: 'I missed' on Hayward trade
• Kyrie: Playing in Dallas has helped me 'find my peace'

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Bad biden policies and weapons shortages are hurting ukraine’s fight: they feel ‘abandoned’.

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The slow trickle of US aid and restrictive Biden administration policies have forced Ukraine onto the “back foot” in its fight against Russia — as the enemy forces continue their unrelenting push into Ukrainian territory near Kharkiv, the second-largest city in the country.

“Right now, the Russians have the initiative across the entire theater. They’re dictating the place, the time, the intensity and the tempo of military operations,” George Barros, the Institute for the Study of War’s Russia team lead told The Post.

“The Ukrainians are on the back foot and are forced to react.”

The Biden administration just announced it would send an additional $275 million in aid to replenish Ukraine’s supply of “urgently needed” weaponry, such as rockets and artillery rounds — but it could be too little, too late.

The latest package is the fifth tranche of aid for Kyiv since Congress approved a $60 billion supplemental package last month, however, as US lawmakers debate the bill, it choked off the flow of weapons to the region for months.

That delay has been costly, forcing Ukraine to cede additional territory while creating a crisis of morale for the country’s volunteer armed forces.

“This time last year there was no problem with Ukrainian manpower. There were volunteer drives where men were signing up in huge numbers. They were coming off successful counteroffensives in 2022 and received new equipment from the West in early 2023. Morale was high and things were hopeful for the future,” Barros said.

But things look very different today after a series of setbacks on the battlefield and the slow response by Congress to approve more aid.

“[Ukrainian forces] feel abandoned. Morale is low, they don’t feel supported. They know DC is constraining their ability to defend themselves,” Barros said.

“They’re not enthusiastic about going to fight because they understand there are materials shortages, so there’s no guarantee they’ll be equipped, armed, and trained properly.”

Even though Congress finally passed the supplemental package, American equipment has been slow to reach the front lines at scale, spreading Ukrainian forces thin as they make the most of already constrained resources.

Russia was well aware of both this delay, and likely timed their advance on Kharkiv to start on May 10 because it was after the aid package was passed but before equipment started to reach the front.

Barros said Russia pressed ahead with the operation even though they had only amassed half of their desired 60,000-100,000 troops, “because if they waited a couple more weeks then the Ukrainian situation would be more stable.”

Even when US arms and munitions shipments finally reach Ukraine in greater numbers, it is unlikely to be enough to enable the country to launch effective counteroffensives against Russia.

“The tactical situation will improve for the Ukrainians, but the operational situation I don’t think is going to improve barring significant policy changes,” Barros said, pointing to restrictive rules of engagement that prohibit Ukrainian forces from striking at Russian forces from within Russia.

“I remain hopeful that Washington undertakes a course correction.”

Fully aware of this limitation, Russia has positioned its weaponry and forces just across the border from Ukraine, bringing them close to within artillery range of Kharkiv without fear of being attacked.

“One way the US can blunt the Russian offensive and help the Ukrainians seize the initiative is to change the rules of engagement for America-provided weapons,” Barros said.

Olexsandra Ustinova, head of Ukraine’s paramilitary commission on arms and ammunition, recalled an instance where they spotted Russian forces “sitting one or two kilometers from the border inside Russia” but that “there was nothing we could do about it,” The Times reported .

Ever since US weapons began flowing into Ukraine, the country has been bound by an agreement that it would not fire them into Russian territory, a restriction put in place over the Biden administration’s fears the war could escalate into World War III.

Slowly but surely, cracks have started forming in the prohibitive policy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the New York Times this week that his country not being allowed to launch US-made artillery into Russia gave its military rival a “huge advantage.”

The second-guessing of the hamstringing policy has even reached the US State Department.

After a recent trip to Kyiv, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has started pushing the administration to back off the policy, the Times reports.

However, the outlet said Blinken’s proposal was still “in the formative stages” and it was unclear whether Biden would be on board.

Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, who left the department in March, said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that striking offensive targets over the Russian border “ought to be fair game,” particularly after Russia escalated hostilities with its assault on Kharkiv.

“It’s important to get away from the current approach, going from famine to feast where we give the Ukrainians a whole bunch of equipment and appropriate a lot of money, but infrequently,” Barros said, noting that the last appropriation from Congress was in December, 2022.

“We give them enough to evade catastrophe once the situation becomes very dire, but it’s not enough. As long as we have policies that deliberately tie Ukrainians’ hands behind their back, as long as we send aid in a way that’s counterable by Russian command, we’re not going to allow the Ukrainians to be successful.”

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The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Scheduling things with people can be complicated. Not only does everybody have to be available on the same day and at the same time, but everybody has to understand the language used to make the actual plan.

Let's have the meeting on the 11th at noon. Hmm, that worked for me last month but it doesn't work for me this month. Can we move it up an hour? Actually, it'd be better for me if we just pushed it back a week and kept it at noon. Nope, I'd need it moved up an hour that week too. Oh—turns out that's even better for me. Let's do it then.

So just when are these people meeting? Is it the 4th or the 18th? And are they meeting at 11 or at 1? It's distinctly possible that they're going to show up at different times on different days, all because of two little adverbs: up and back .

"Let's just put a pin in this."

When used to talk about schedules, they become contrasting words, temporarily abandoning their usual partners, down and forward (or forth ). The odd partnership may be part of the confusion, as each word takes on characteristics of its own antonym.

Just what does it mean if we move a meeting up an hour ? If the phrase makes you visualize your planner, with the morning at the top of the page and evening at the bottom, you likely understand up an hour to mean "an hour earlier." So, for a meeting that's regularly at noon, a meeting that's moved up an hour takes place at 11 a.m. But if you think of up as being a distance away, you may understand up an hour to mean "an hour later"—that is, 1 p.m.

And how about if we move or push a meeting back a week ? Most people assume the meeting is a week later than originally scheduled— back , like up , is a distance away. (But when we "go back in time" we go to an earlier point in time, so could one be forgiven for thinking back a week means sooner rather than later?)

It's the metaphor itself that is problematic, of course. We're making statements about time with words about distance and direction. No wonder it gets confusing.

The surest way we can think of to prevent scheduling mishaps is to be explicit: use earlier (or sooner ) and later . Or even actual numbers. (Just do your best to show up on time.)

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Red Sox, free agent addition had mutual interest dating back to offseason

• Updated: May. 27, 2024, 2:59 p.m. |
• Published: May. 27, 2024, 1:34 p.m.

The Red Sox signed Brad Keller on Sunday. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) AP

• Christopher Smith | [email protected]

BALTIMORE — Mutual interest between pitcher Brad Keller and the Red Sox existed long before the two sides agreed to a contract late Saturday .

“I talked to the Red Sox earlier, back when I was looking for a team early in spring training,” said Keller who is expected to be used in long relief.

Keller instead signed a minor league contract with the White Sox who promoted him April 28. But he allowed nine earned runs in 16 ⅔ innings (4.86 ERA) over five appearances and the White Sox designated him for assignment May 20. He elected free agency and spoke with Boston “throughout the week.”

“Ultimately it came down to the night before,” Keller said.

The two sides came to terms at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday. Keller then flew out of Atlanta at 8 a.m. Sunday for his physical. He passed and the Red Sox activated him for Sunday’s game.

He was at his brother’s house in Georgia. Keller said his brother lives about an hour from the airport. So he woke at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday to fly to Boston, then flew here to Baltimore with the team Sunday night.

“It’s been crazy,” he said. “A lot of travel, a lot of sitting around waiting. But I’m super excited to be here. Yesterday was hectic. Waking up early and being in Boston in time for the game. But yeah, really excited to be over here.”

Manager Alex Cora said, “We’ve been actually following him the last few years because the stuff is very intriguing.”

Keller said joining the Red Sox felt like “a great fit.”

“Honestly, just working with Bails (Andrew Bailey) as the pitching coach and seeing what they’ve done with all the guys over here I think definitely played a factor in a lot of it,” he said. “Yeah, they’ve just done an amazing job. Talking with (chief baseball officer Craig) Breslow and Bails and hearing some feedback that they’ve already given me and what we want to work on, I’m just really exciting about it.”

Keller said “obviously the pitching staff has been incredible.” Boston ranks second in the majors in team ERA (3.09).

“They’ve already given me feedback on pitches I’ve threw in the past and working on getting back my sinker and getting back a sweeper or something like that. Kind of just get to work on a couple things,” he said.

Keller said he “stayed fresh” during his week as a free agent.

“Threw bullpens, played catch, worked on a lot of things that I felt like needed improving,” he said. “Excited to get the chance.”

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Insider: Josef Newgarden doesn't want to be IndyCar's superhero or black hat. But he is.

INDIANAPOLIS – The moments after the checkered flag fluttered in the waning sunlight Sunday evening felt almost like a replay. Josef Newgarden sped through his Victory Lap, parked his red and yellow No. 2 Chevy on the Yard of Bricks and burst through a small hole in the fencing he’d pinpointed a decade ago as his entry into a raucous celebration with the people who make the Team Penske driver’s Indianapolis 500 experiences so special.

But if you watched closely, there were hints this was not the 33-year-old’s first. His crew was there to greet him . His route through the boisterous crowd and brief entry into the grandstands was more seamless. And he took a moment or two more to sit among his emotions – helmet on, perched on the edge of the outer wall – before fully, publicly coming to terms with the immensity of his achievement.

“I need a second,” he belted into the ears of chief mechanic Chad Gordon, who’d slunk through the fence and waded into the crowd to fetch his two-time 500-winning driver . For nearly 20 seconds, Newgarden’s wife, Ashley, stood behind her husband as he sat almost motionless on his seat etched into the barrier that separated him from the ecstasy of this grand achievement and what comes next.

Finally, Ashley put her hands on her husband’s shoulders and asked plainly, “Hey Josef, are you okay?”

Josef, still with his back to her, didn’t rush to answer, but Gordon replied with a wide grin, “ He’s fine, he’s just exhausted.”

With NBC’s Marty Snider waiting patiently with his camera crew, Newgarden gathered his thoughts, his helmet now traded in for a red Firestone winner’s cap, and somehow folded his muscular frame back through the fence. But before he addressed the world as one of 21 men to have won the Greatest Spectacle in Racing multiple times, Newgarden pivoted to face the sea of colors in the crowd one more time.

He gripped the fence with both hands, rattling it like a caged lion, and then stepped down to face the music as one of the 500’s most passionate, but perhaps also its most reluctant, champion.

The spoils – the ring, the limited-edition TAG Heuer watch, another top-of-the-line Chevy Corvette pace car for the Newgarden garage and whatever portion of the $4.288 million winner’s purse is his – are nice, but they come with a price.

For one more year, Newgarden – a self-described extreme introvert – will be the IndyCar and IMS frontman. And this time it comes after many of his competitors remain publicly and privately fed up with his and Team Penske’s explanation for the program’s push-to-pass scandal.

Doyel: Josef Newgarden edges Pato O'Ward in classy duel for second straight Indy 500 win

In what felt like a truly rare, honest, unfiltered Josef Newgarden soundbite, IndyCar’s first back-to-back 500 winner in more than 20 years offered a raw response to those who have – and continue – to question his integrity.

“They can say whatever they want at this point,” Newgarden said to NBC’s Snider. “I don’t care anymore.”

Newgarden: Weathering paddock ire 'illuminating experience'

During Newgarden's nearly 30-minute press conference the Friday morning of IndyCar’s Barber Motorsports Park weekend, roughly 48 hours from being stripped of his season-opening win at St. Pete for his role in the team’s scandal that involved illegal use of IndyCar’s overtake system, Newgarden bared his soul and told “his truth” in front of a room full of reporters, cameras, recorders and a paddock trying to separate fact from fiction. As he himself recognized how outrageous his story was , he opened the door for his detractors to call him every name in the book – well, all except one.

“You guys can call me every name in the book. You can call me incompetent, call me an idiot, call me an (expletive), call me stupid, whatever you want to call me,” Newgarden said then, fighting back tears. “But I’m not a liar.”

He convinced few.

From Colton Herta and Scott Dixon to Michael Andretti and Tony Kanaan, virtually every corner of the paddock has been unwilling to accept the stories of Newgarden, team president Tim Cindric and others . In the wake of the controversy, Newgarden fought against the widely held public perception that he’d further closed himself off from the field, with Graham Rahal claiming during bullpen interviews on Day 1 of 500 practice that Newgarden hadn’t spoken to a single one of his competitors in three weeks.

IndyCar's $4 million man: With BorgWarner back-to-back bonus, Newgarden's 500-winning payout sets record

“That’s what Graham told you? Well, I’ll leave it at Graham’s word,” Newgarden said sarcastically on May 14, as Rahal stood 20 feet behind him at IMS. “I’ll say this, I haven’t talked to Graham, but there’s a lot of guys here. How many? 34? He’s one guy I haven’t talked to. I can confirm that.”

Hours after his win Sunday, Newgarden claimed he was “grateful for the experience” of the scandal and called it “illuminating.”

“I know what I take from this, personally. I know what it showed me, which I’m thankful for,” he said. “I think it shows you things that maybe weren’t fully clear, but are very clear now.”

When asked Monday by IndyStar to elaborate, Newgarden plainly said he was “disappointed” to see how many of his competitors lashed out over a story that both feels somewhat over, but with so many questions unanswered.

“It was definitely disappointing to see a lot of the exterior. You see the worst in humanity, which is unfortunately in a lot of us. We’re all humans, and you see the worst part of people – often when you’re not asking to see it,” he told IndyStar. “It’s sorta tough to be faced with it, but within that is a learning experience.

“We’re all human at the end of the day, so how can things like that not affect you? Especially if you look at it. It’s true, it can affect anybody, regardless of what you say, and the perception of it was just on another level, compared to what reality is. I don’t know how you can’t wrestle with that, and certainly I did.”

A passionate winner, but a reluctant champion

Newgarden’s internal battles, though, have only begun. Now seemingly rid of the burden of public perception, the sport’s newest back-to-back 500 winner strides – or perhaps is shoved – back into the spotlight for a whirlwind week that a year ago utterly drained him. Various national media hits and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building on Tuesday make way for opening the NASDAQ Wednesday morning and throwing out the first pitch for Mets-Dodgers in the afternoon.

In his press conference Sunday night , Newgarden said he recognized the necessity for the whirlwind media tour but also noted he was going to try and be “more measured” and steal back more “personal time” to recharge his batteries.

Sitting down with IndyStar on Monday, Newgarden was more direct in stating his plans to try and personally negotiate away some of his media commitments, despite having just taken home the 500’s largest purse and done something – going back-to-back – that only five others have.

It’s all part of the Newgarden package: the fiery, almost spiteful celebration and the exuberance, and the wish to immediately shrink back into the series’ background.

How it happened: Josef Newgarden wins second straight Indy 500 in duel with Pato O'Ward

“I liken it to building a house. You don’t know how to until you build one, and once you do, you’re like, ‘Oh, now I know how to do this. We should build another one,’” Newgarden said Monday. “(After winning the 500 last year) I feel a little more prepared to say, ‘OK, we have to do this. This is the commitment, but how do we carve out and build the schedule a little differently to survive and make sure the championship is still in focus?’

“I’m really not built for it, but it comes with the job, and if you like driving race cars at this level and in this series, you’ve got to take everything that comes with it. It’s not the part that I like, but it’s okay because I care about IMS and the Indy 500 and the series’ health.”

The introspection is mildly ironic, but perhaps all the more interesting, in that Newgarden and his Ken doll-like looks, body-builder physique and boyish laid-back demeanor years ago seemed to be the perfect fit for a poster boy in the making. Three seasons no better than 13 th in points turned into three wins in two years as a dark horse title contender. At 25 he joined Team Penske, which had just won the 2016 championship with the team’s most recent newcomer, Simon Pagenaud.

Newgarden wasted no time. With nine podiums and four wins, the 2017 championship was his. In the years that followed, including a second title in 2019 and three consecutive runner-up finishes, the Team Penske driver seemed from the outside a perfect foil to Scott Dixon’s legendary career. Newgarden built a first decade in the sport seemingly on-track to break some of the sport’s most hallowed records.

But to Newgarden – the driver who not long ago opined that a 10-win season, something not seen in more than 50 years, could be in the cards – his ‘good’ is never good enough. Bettering his top-level performances and producing them more consistently are the simple tasks that drive him – not boosting his public persona; ironic, coming from the understood star of Seasons 1 and 2 of ‘100 Days to Indy.’

“It’s just not me. I love the competition. I’m a diehard competitor, and I want to compete to the ‘nth’ degree. That’s what I live for. That’s what makes my heartbeat, but everything else around it is not why I show up,” said Newgarden, who said he wished he could skip his speech at Monday night’s Victory Celebration. “I show up for the people around me, and I love seeing the joy and the commitment from every individual on my team, but I’d much prefer we could send team members to go do all this stuff.

“It’s my job to speak at times, so I’ve got to learn how to do it. I try to excel at everything I do, but it doesn’t mean I enjoy it.”

Unsurprisingly, Newgarden says he shudders at the idea of being positioned as the face of IndyCar, arguing that the sport on the rise “needs more than one person” out front.

“For a lot of years, everyone has been looking for this one individual to carry the sport and that we have to have a superstar, but I still don’t subscribe to that,” he continued. “I think it takes a lot of individuals to make the sport great, and it’s more than one storyline. You need a lot of different angles, and I think we have that.”

Newgarden was then asked, ‘If you’re so uncomfortable with being positioned as IndyCar’s savior and superstar, would you say you almost feel more comfortable wearing the black hat as the villain some have portrayed you as?’

As most humans might react, Newgarden initially bristled. Very, very few, after all, aim to be Darth Vader rather than Luke Skywalker. And yet, the driver set to carry IndyCar’s torch for the next 12 months, like it or not, said he’s simply going to be himself and let others paint the narrative.

“I’m not trying to wear the black hat, but if people look at me and see one, then I can’t change that. I can’t change the way they think and feel, and quite frankly, it’s none of my business,” Newgarden said. “I’m just going to keep trying to do what I think is the right thing. Sometimes, that’s subjective, and I’ve got to go with what feels right, and that’s different for some people, but I try to do the right things at all times.

“One thing I think I’ve learned is there are a lot of people – and this is common in sports – where if you have too much success, and I put all of Team Penske in this category, people want to see you fail. I think that just comes with the territory. If people want to see us fail because we win too much, I’ll happily accept that position.”

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U.S. Seeks to Join Forces With Europe to Combat Excess Chinese Goods

Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen warned that China’s industrial strategy posed a global threat that requires a united response.

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By Alan Rappeport and Liz Alderman

Alan Rappeport is traveling with Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen in Germany and Italy this week. Liz Alderman is the chief European business correspondent.

Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said on Tuesday that the United States and Europe needed to work together to push back against China’s excess industrial capacity, warning that a wave of cheap Chinese exports represents a grave threat to the global economy.

Ms. Yellen’s remarks, delivered during a speech in Germany, highlighted what is expected to be a central topic of discussion when the Group of 7 finance ministers meet in Italy this week.

“China’s industrial policy may seem remote as we sit here in this room, but if we do not respond strategically and in a united way, the viability of businesses in both our countries and around the world could be at risk,” Ms. Yellen said at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, where she received an honorary doctoral degree.

China’s excessive production of green energy technology has become a pressing trans-Atlantic concern in recent months. Officials in President Biden’s administration have grown increasingly worried that his efforts to finance domestic manufacturing of clean energy and other next-generation technologies will be undercut by China, which is churning out steel, electric cars and solar panels at a rapid clip.

The Biden administration is now looking to Europe to help the developed world prevent the kind of China shock of the early 2000s, which helped decimate manufacturing in exchange for cheap goods. Last week, Mr. Biden increased tariffs on some Chinese imports, including levying a 100 percent tax on electric vehicles. He also formally left in place levies on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods that President Donald J. Trump had imposed.

The United States hopes that a united front will convince China that its largest trading partners are prepared to erect trade barriers that will prevent Chinese electric vehicles, batteries and panels from dominating Western markets.

Ms. Yellen emphasized on Tuesday that the United States was not trying to carry out an anti-China policy, but said China’s actions posed a threat to the global economy that warranted a coordinated response.

She pointed to China’s push to dominate clean energy technology and other sectors, saying that ambition “could also prevent countries around the world, including emerging markets, from building the industries that could power their growth.”

The trend toward protectionist policies is likely to become another point of contention between China and the world’s most advanced economies. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, derided Mr. Biden’s decision to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods last week as a “political maneuver.”

“We hope the U.S. can take a positive view of China’s development and stop using overcapacity as an excuse for trade protectionism,” Mr. Liu said.

The new U.S. tariffs could put additional pressure on Europe to erect trade barriers of its own to prevent China from redirecting more of its exports there. Europe’s officials are already considering additional levies on Chinese cars, which pose a particular threat to Germany.

About 37 percent of all electric vehicle imports to Europe are produced in China, including Chinese brands and ones made by Tesla and German automakers with plants there. Europe is the world’s second-biggest E.V. market, and imports there skyrocketed last year to $11.5 billion, from $1.6 billion in 2020.

The European Commission is investigating whether Chinese state subsidies intended to help the country’s companies make cheap cars are damaging Europe’s auto industry. The sector provides nearly 14 million direct and indirect jobs in Europe, and the six million cars that it exported last year generated a trade surplus of more than 100 billion euros.

Europe’s investigation could result in preliminary duties on Chinese electric vehicle imports as soon as July, though any tariffs are likely to be far lower than the 100 percent imposed by the Biden administration. But unlike Europe, which is already importing cars from China, the United States has erected several barriers to prevent Chinese E.V.s from coming to its shores.

Europe’s investigation into China’s subsidies and whether they merit tariffs has aggravated a political divide. Some countries, such as Germany, which is Europe’s biggest maker of electric cars, have been against an investigation. German officials are wary of pressing penalties that might incite Beijing to shut out German carmakers such as BMW and Volkswagen.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a speech in Stockholm last week, “We should not forget: European manufacturers, and also some American ones, are successful on the Chinese market and also sell a lot of vehicles that are produced in Europe to China.” He added that at least half of electric vehicles imported to Europe from China were Western brands.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, has been pushing for “de-risking” Europe’s relationship with China. Her approach is backed by President Emmanuel Macron of France, who hosted his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, this month and has urged Brussels to step up protection against what his administration sees as unfair Chinese competition.

The Brussels investigation has focused less on whether China is dumping large numbers of cars into Europe and more on how subsidies have allowed E.V.s made by BYD, Geely and SAIC, the three biggest Chinese E.V. makers, to offer cut-rate prices. The Chinese government has criticized the European Union for not investigating Western brands with factories in China — including Tesla, which exports more E.V.s from China to the European Union than any other producer.

The Rhodium Group , an independent think tank that focuses on China, said that to compensate for Chinese state subsidies, the European Commission would have to impose duties of up to 50 percent on Chinese E.V.s. But the group suggested that such a move would be unlikely in Europe unless officials took a more “drastic” review of World Trade Organization rules, and suggested that tariff rates of 15 to 30 percent were more realistic.

In the meantime, Chinese electric vehicle makers, including BYD and Great Wall Motor, are setting up factories in Hungary to build cars that would be viewed as European-made products, which could raise trade issues eventually with the United States.

The Biden administration is watching with similar concern as Chinese car companies invest in factories in Mexico, which could potentially be used to enter the U.S. market.

Following her speech, Ms. Yellen told reporters that the United States and countries in Europe have different concerns when it comes to commerce with China and, as a result, they could use different tools to address them. But she added that because many of the concerns about China’s heavy subsidization of exports are broadly shared, it is “more forceful to communicate to China as a group.”

The approach by the United States and Europe to work together to confront China does pose the risk of retaliation, inflaming trade tensions that could weigh on the world economy. Chinese officials said last week that they would respond to the new trade measures imposed by the United States.

In an interview with The New York Times this week, Ms. Yellen argued that the new U.S. tariffs were targeted and that she did not believe that China wanted to escalate tensions.

“I anticipate some response on China’s part, but my hope is that it’s moderate and proportional,” Ms. Yellen said.

Alan Rappeport is an economic policy reporter, based in Washington. He covers the Treasury Department and writes about taxes, trade and fiscal matters. More about Alan Rappeport

Liz Alderman is the chief European business correspondent, writing about economic, social and policy developments around Europe. More about Liz Alderman

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Meaning of push something back in English

Push something back.

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• buy time idiom
• carry something over
• inefficiency
• inefficiently
• retardation
• set someone back (something)

push back something | American Dictionary

Push back something, push sth back | business english, push sth back, translations of push something back.

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the highest point of a mountain

Keeping up appearances (Talking about how things seem)

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KneelPushTrip

Kneel, Push, Trip

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A classic physical comedy bit, sometimes known as a "table top". Alice is having an argument with Bob. Charlie comes up behind Bob and gets down on his hands and knees. Alice then pushes Bob who takes a step backwards and trips over Charlie.

If done in an actual fight rather than as a prank, this often indicates that the pranksters are out to humiliate their opponent rather than seriously hurt them. In a serious context, it's actually a common street-fighting technique... when you outnumber your opponent, obviously.

Do Not Try This at Home : The victim could land on the back of their head, potentially leading to serious head injury.

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• In the Marvel UK series Battletide , Death’s Head II and Killpower pull this on the demon warlord Termagaira in the final battle. It pushes him over the edge of the tower they’re fighting on, and he’s then Impaled with Extreme Prejudice at the end of his fall.
• Happens to the central character in the Chick Tract The Loser . Apparently this is what happens on the mean streets in Chick's world where no one has heard of Jesus.
• In The Lone Ranger / The Green Hornet #5, the Lone Ranger and Elliot Ness do this to defeat Black Bart (Ness does the kneeling, the Ranger does the pushing).
• The flashback in the first few pages of the 2004 Richard Dragon shows Richard getting shoved backwards over a kneeling bully back when he was a kid.
• A variation in Scooby Doo Teamup ; as Scarecrow tries to escape, Batman appears in front of him. Scarecrow backs up, yelling at the Caped Crusader to stay away...and trips over Scooby, who was sitting behind him.
• Shogun Warriors : Megatron can't fly, so when they fight it atop a huge hovering spaceship, Raydeen and Dangard Ace use this trick to send it plunging off the side and into the ocean below.
• A potential variation in an old Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen comic — a Daily Planet employee called Jimbo Jones pretends to fall in front of a crook to trip him, whereupon Jimmy hits him, finishing the job.
• Wonder Woman (1942) : In issue 42 a fixer tries to bribe the Holliday Girls so that Rita will intentionally lose a race. In response Rita kneels behind him while Bobby and Etta sock him in the jaw, sending him tripping over Rita as he tries to regain his footing and hit the girls.
• There's a scene in The Princess and the Frog where Facillier manages to pull this trick on Naveen using their shadows.
• Children's Party at the Palace : How Burglar Bill is defeated - Just William kneels down behind him, then Horrid Henry pushes him over, and finally he's dogpiled by the Lost Boys.
• Clownhouse : When Casey and Geoffrey are confronted by a Monster Clown in the attic, Geoffrey hits him repeatedly in the head with a piece of timber , forcing him to back up. As he does so, Casey kneels down at the top of the stairs. The retreating clown trips over him and takes a Staircase Tumble .
• Coup de Torchon : This demonstrates what a Butt-Monkey Lucien is, when two pimps do this to humiliate him. This despite the fact that Lucien is a policeman. Soon Lucien goes on a murderous Roaring Rampage of Revenge .
• Frankenstein Island : When the balloonists first arrive on the island, Curtis starts haranguing Mark about being a sinner. Dino signals to Mark and then kneels behind Curtis. Mark gives Curtis a shove and he falls backwards over Dino on to the sand.
• In Give Me Liberty (1936) , a couple of yokels who liked Henry's speech do this to the British official who shows up in the church to arrest Henry.
• Two kids do this to another kid in one of the establishing shots of Lone Peak High School in Only Once .
• In Safety Last! , Harold Lloyd's character meets a policeman who happens to come from his hometown. While this cop is making a phone call, Harold boasts to his friend Bill about the "pull" he has with the police and sets up this trick. Unbeknownst to Harold, his buddy finished his call while Harold was talking to Bill and a second cop is now on the phone and takes the fall. He winds up pursuing our heroes for the rest of the film.
• The girls pull this trick on the boys during their game of touch football on the beach in Satan's Cheerleaders .
• Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend : While creating a distraction to allow Maitland and Clegg to escape from the gallows, Brother Abraham tells his flock to keel in prayer. One of them kneels directly behind Sanders. Abraham them gives Sanders a shove that sends him toppling over the kneeling man.
• The Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Books : In The Berenstain Bears and the Nerdy Nephew , during recess of Ferdy's first day, Too-Tall pushes him backward over a kneeling Skuzz, and then does it again when Ferdy gets back up.
• Faerie Tale : Sean and Patrick use a variant to defeat the Shining Man: Sean gets on hands and knees behind the Shining Man, and Patrick, who is a star Little League pitcher, grabs a handy baseball-size item and throws it at the Shining Man as hard as he can. The Shining Man stumbles backward from the impact, then falls over Sean and through a magical doorway, and becomes trapped on the other side.
• Joe Pickett : During the alien scare in Trophy Hunt , the sixth-graders in Lucy's school start doing this to the younger kids; saying "Don't look up" and then, when the kid does, pushing them over an accomplice kneeling behind them.
• Old Kingdom : Played for Drama in Abhorsen to defeat The Dragon . Lirael's attack makes Hedge step backwards and trip over the Disreputable Dog. However, they're fighting in the Afterlife Antechamber and the fall forces Hedge to see the stars of the Final Gate; he's unnaturally prolonged his life for so long that the sight of the Gate immediately calls his soul away to its rest.
• In Dr. Seuss ' book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish , a pair of fish do this to another fish while all three of them are underwater. The two doing the pushing are described as "very, very bad".
• A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles children's novel has the Turtles and Splinter take a camping trip. Raphael and Michelangelo do this to Donatello (with Mikey kneeling and Raph pushing) when they get into a discussion on whether or not Bigfoot exists.
• This prank is described in James Edward Alexander's Transatlantic Sketches published in 1833, making it Older Than Radio .
• A sketch from The Carol Burnett Show had Carol playing Queen Elizabeth II trying to reward a very picky soldier. He didn't want a medal, he wanted a pony. When he specified he wanted a blue pony, Elizabeth (after having a royal fit) whispered something to Prince Philip, who then casually walked behind the soldier while whistling "Rule Brittania". Philip then knelt so Elizabeth could push the annoying soldier.
• Frontier Circus : Done by Ben and Tony when they get in argument with a mine owner in "Winter Quarters".
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 : The film Pod People opens with a scene of some unpleasant poachers. When one of them crouches down behind the leader, Joel gets excited and stands up so he can pretend to push the leader over.
• Psych : In " There Might Be Blood ", Shawn tries using this at one point against someone with a gun during a standoff. Gus has no interest in being the “tripper”, and it never actually happens.
• Voyagers! : In "Created Equal", Bogg knocks a large gladiator backwards over Jeff.
• In one The Whitest Kids U' Know sketch, this prank is parodied by one coworker getting down on his hands and knees behind his boss while the boss is talking to another coworker, and silently mouthing to the coworker to push the boss. The coworker just doesn't get it, though. This goes on for several minutes .
• The music video "Right Now" by Van Halen features an animation of three figures pulling this stunt with the subtitle "Right now, our government is doing things we think only other countries do."
• Their Team Xtreme tag team partner, Lita , did a variation on this once in a tag team match in 2003, using one opponent ( Molly Holly ) as a launchpad to hit the other opponent ( Gail Kim ).
• In 1989 in WCW, Lex Luger and Michael Hayes faced Kendall and Barry Windham . The match ended with Kendall charging at Luger for a clothesline while Hayes knelt down behind him , and the Windhams winning the match. This led to Luger and Hayes feuding with each other over the US title.
• The Midnight Express 's "Double Goozle", in which Bobby Eaton charge at an opponent and clothesline him while Stan Lane clips his legs out from under him.
• NWA jobbers the Mulkey Brothers managed to win a bout qualifying them for the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tournament one year by doing this accidentally to their opponents, the masked Gladiators. Randy was on his hands and knees after being beaten by one of the Gladiators and then the Gladiator tripped backwards over him while setting up Bill for a slam. Randy landed on top, 1-2-3!
• Roddy Piper would regularly have his bodyguard, "Ace" Bob Orton Jr. , kneel down behind a guest on Piper's Pit, so he could shove the guy and knock him down
• Some of the enemies in Kingdom of Loathing use this as an attack. Examples include the horrible tourist family, The Sierpinski Brothers, and The Avatar of Sneaky Pete , who is so smooth, he does this to you by himself .
• This is Spike 's Down Throw in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale , where one of the infamous monkeys from his game series waits behind the victim.
• Thrilling Intent : The group attempts this frequently, with varying levels of success. Then, during the climax of the BIG WAR arc, they defeat Xin with a truly epic one.
• In Girl Genius , Agatha and Krosp do a variation on this with Othar, pushing him out of their small airship.
• In Homestuck , after Vriska is retconned back to life , her montage shows her do it behind Gamzee so Terezi can push him.
• Celebrity Deathmatch : In " Deathmatch: The Motion Picture ", Harpo Marx kneels down behind John Wayne while Groucho pushes him.
• Dragons: Riders of Berk : In "Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Young Man", Ruffnut and Tuffnut do this to Snoutlout when he tells them to kiss his pointy shoes.
• DuckTales (2017) : In "The Beagle Birthday Massacre!", Webby and Lena pull this on one of the Beagle Boys: Webby jumping on his head and yanking his hat down over his eyes and throwing him off balance while Lena crouches down so the Beagle Boy trips over her.
• Family Guy : In "Stewie B. Goode", Peter gets Meg to crouch behind Brian so he [Peter] can push him into the pool. However, Brian walks out of the way before Peter runs over to him, and Peter ends up hurting himself and Meg. Peter: Meg, you did it wrong!
• In Futurama when Bender lets it slip that he can't get up if he's knocked on his back , his friends immediately approach him to try and test the theory. As he's backing away from them, Amy crouches behind him.
• Go Go Gophers : The Gopher Indians did this to a police officer in "The Cleveland Indians".
• The Penguins of Madagascar : The Penguins do this to the exterminator in "Stop Bugging Me", in a technique called 'The Harder They Fall'.
• Sabrina and The Groovie Goolies : Batso and Ratso do this to Super Ghoul twice in the song "Super Ghoul".
• On The Simpsons episode "Bart Sells His Soul", Bart dreams that the other kids are playing with their souls and he's all alone. Nelson at first appears to sympathize with Bart, but he's really playing this prank with his own soul.
• In the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Grandma's Kisses", SpongeBob is practicing what he's going to tell his grandmother about being a grownup. Patrick then adds, "Then you get behind her and I'll push," to which SpongeBob responds that they didn't agree on that.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) : One episode had the Turtles confronting Shredder at a museum. After disarming Leonardo, he asks if they honestly thought they could take on a Ninja Master. What he doesn't see is Michelangelo getting into position behind him, allowing Leo to enact this and turn the tide of battle.
• Young Justice : The boys do this to Blockbuster in "Fireworks". Kid Flash runs at Blockbuster and dives between his legs (at superspeed), then kneels behind him. The confused Blockbuster turns to look at Kid Flash and then turns back just in time to see Aqualad and Superboy flying at him. They punch him in the jaw and he falls backwards over Kid Flash. Kid Flash then remarks that he "learned that one in kindergarten".
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