Some American flyboys are in Finland this month, in an effort to remind Russian President Vladimir Putin where his country’s borders really are.
The 123rd Fighter Squadron, based out of Portland, Oregon, is participating in exercises in Finland over the course of this month.
The F-15Cs of the 123rd will be assisting in improving the readiness of the Finnish Air Force, who has seen an increase in its necessity due to an increase in Russian airspace violations of sovereign airspace.
Finland is not a member of NATO, but has been a participant in the Partnership for Peace program, as well as assisting in ISAF operations in Afghanistan, and participating in NATO exercises, as demonstrated below.
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has solidified North American and European security interests to a degree that may even exceed that of the height of the Cold War.
This in turn has lead to an interest among some to extend the NATO security umbrella.
This has led most recently to Montenegro’s invitation to the alliance, and some suggestions that Sweden and Finland consider alliance membership.
Both Sweden and Finland have historically followed a policy of neutrality, but this has not been entirely adhered to.
Sweden has had intelligence sharing agreements with NATO states since 1954, as well as relying on NATO capabilities in the event of war against the Soviet Union, and in more recent times against simulated Russian airstrikes.
Both countries participate in NATO exercises, and operations, as well as having strong relations with both Denmark and Norway; both founding members of the Atlantic Alliance.
However, the two countries are not equally open to formally joining the alliance.
The Swedish public has rapidly shifted in favor of NATO membership, with 41% in favor, 39% opposed, and 20% undecided as of late 2015. While Finnish support for NATO membership is at a historical high, only 27% support membership.
This is why the American deployment of aircraft into non ally Finland is such a strong signal.
The Americans may be showing a preview of the kind of commitment they would offer if Finland joined NATO.
By creating stronger military and diplomatic ties with Finland through interactions between the 123rd with Finnish units, and other NATO-Finland interactions, the case for affiliation becomes more concrete.
That does not make the Portland based unit’s sale easy.
Greater affiliation with the EU and NATO has historically lead to an increase in likelihood for Russian counter actions, ala the 2008 Russia-Georgia War, and the two year old ongoing fiasco in Ukraine.
It is essentially out of the question that Finland join without Sweden, or vice versa. In addition to the two countries having strong historical ties, as well as sharing a highly convenient border to ferry troops and material over in the event of Russian intervention into Finland, while Sweden joining with Finland might trigger a response against neutral Finland, in order to guarantee buffer space against the perceived NATO threat.
The Oregon Air National Guard is thus pulling double duty in appealing to both the remaining non aligned Scandinavian countries, as well as improving Finland’s unilateral readiness.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Photo Credit: cryogenic666/Flickr (CC by SA 2.0)
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LIVE Results: Ohio Voters Refuse To Legalize Marijuana After Contentious Campaign
Loading ...Update: Multiple national media outlets, including the Associated Press has projected that Issue 3 will be defeated tonight.
Voters across Ohio went to the polls today to vote on a series of ballot measures that could have big implications in their daily life. Two of the three ballot measures have to do with the potential legalization of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use.
If passed, Issue 3 would allow Ohioans to use marijuana and would allow for a small select group of growers- 10 in total. Some, including a large amount of state lawmakers oppose limiting the grower pool to just 10 sites and want to see a more free market approach to how the marijuana market is set up in the state.
If passed, Issue 2 would mean that Issue 3 could not be enforced. Issue 2 would “prohibit monopolies, oligopolies and cartels that deliver economic gain to individuals from being inserted into Ohio’s constitution,” according to WLWT.
Live Results: As Of 1:55 AM EST
Percent of State Vote Counted: 97.61%
Issue 3- Marijuana Legalization:
Yes: 35.86%
No: 64.14%Issue 2- Anti- Marijuana Monopoly:
Yes: 51.68%
No: 48.32%Stay with Rise News as we follow the results
Cover Photo Credit: Brett Levin/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Does Tinder Prove That “True Love” Is A Myth?
Online dating can be a minefield.
Fake accounts, bad intentioned users and conversations that can only be classified as cringeworthy.
But for those using apps like Tinder, finding a legitimate connection with someone can be hindered by a factor you don’t always think about; your location.
What happens if your search range on the app is 25 miles, but your “true love” is 26 miles away?
Sure, that may be overthinking it, but just like in real life, it’s a real possibility that you could be passing by your potential significant other simply because they’re located slightly outside your search distance.
There are 1.4 billion swipes and 26 million matches per day on Tinder.
One of those matches lead to Arianna Johnson meeting her husband Ben.
Arianna said she wasn’t expecting to meet her future husband through Tinder.
Photo Credit: @markheybo/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
She had been using the app for a year on and off, going on a few dates, with three turning into what she considers actual relationships.
At the time, Arianna had her search distance maxed out to 100 miles.
“I did it because it allows for potential matches,” Arianna said.
Arianna recalls Ben being around 20 to 30 miles away from her when the two originally matched.
For Arianna, distance wasn’t going to be the biggest hurdle in meeting someone, but talking to a stranger might have been.
“When you go to a coffee shop…you don’t know if a person is single or taken,” Arianna said. “It’s ‘hard to talk to a total stranger…If I saw my husband in public without Tinder, I probably would have never gone up to talk to him.”
Unfortunately for the rest of us, cases like Arianna and Ben’s serve as an outlier to overall online dating statistics.
According to Pew Research, only 5% of Americans who are married or are in committed relationships say they met their significant other online.
The good news is, Pew Research also indicates that online dating has lost much of its negative stigma, with only 23% of American adults believing people who use online dating sites are desperate, and 59% now say that Online dating is a good way to meet people.
So now we can swipe away without the majority of people giving us the stare down.
Small victories right?
Arianna Johnson met her husband Ben on Tinder.
You should be worrying about the truly important things when using online dating.
Read More: RFK Jr And Donald Trump Might Team Up To Undermine Vaccinations
Things like coming up with a witty pick-up line they’ve never heard of before, or making sure your pictures and bio page describe you as the perfect match, straying away from the hyperbolic nonsense that would lead your date to realize you are way lamer than they initially thought.
In all seriousness, the biggest obstacle preventing you from meeting that special someone might still be starting that initial conversation.
Stressing about missing your “true love” because you didn’t set your search distance high enough is superfluous.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Connie Ma/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Little Haiti Gentrification War: Business Owners Cry Racism As New Landlord Allegedly Forces Out Haitians
What’s News In This Story?
–A developer is forcing out Haitian owned businesses from two commercial strips that he recently bought near the intersection of NE 2nd Ave and 82 St in Miami.
–The developer, Thomas Conway has been accused of unfairly targeting Haitians and treating non-Haitians better.
–Most of the businesses are on month-to-month leases and Florida law allows for landlords to end those type leases with 15 days notices.
–Some of the businesses have been open for decades, including a Haitian owned tuxedo store that has been in operation for 32 years.
-Chronic road construction has also caused severe hardships for the businesses. One barbershop says that they have lost 60% of their customers over the last year due to the construction.
–Haitian community activists are calling for public officials to intervene and provide support to the affected businesses.
Little Haiti is about to get a whole lot whiter.
That’s if you believe dozens of Little Haiti business owners and community activists who are claiming that a real estate developer is forcing Haitians out of two commercial strips in a fast gentrifying area of Miami, while giving white owners better treatment.
The business strips are on the East and West side of NE 2nd Ave near the 82nd St intersection.
The buildings were recently purchased by Thomas Conway, a young real estate entrepreneur who has been active in the northern section of Little Haiti.
The buildings are full of dozens of business, ranging from a travel agency, to a bakery and a Metro PCS.
Most of the businesses are run by Haitians.
Over the past two months, local shop owners say that Conway has been trying to force them out.
Multiple owners claim that Conway has refused to accept their rent checks so he can get rid of them and court records obtained by the Miami Herald show that the new landlord has already started eviction proceedings on 13 of the 15 businesses at 8200 NE Second Ave. and 201 NE 82nd St.
Most of the businesses are on month to month leases and Florida law allows for landlords to end leases with only 15 days notice.
The situation has become so untenable that many of the business owners called a press conference on Thursday with the Haitian rights group Family Action Network Movement (FANM).
To add to to their misery, an ongoing construction project has ripped up parts of NE 2nd Ave for nearly a year and dramatically hurt business in the area.
The iconic Miami restaurant, Football Sandwich Shop has been closed for multiple months due to the same construction.
Marleine Bastien, the leader of FANM said that many business owners were angry that local authorities have not offered financial assistance to their struggling businesses.
“Some of them wonder, is this a way to get them out?,” Bastien asked during the press conference. “Because usually when businesses are impacted, they get some type of relief. But not these Haitian businesses.”
Bastien also said that Haitian businesses are facing discrimination because they were the only ones asked to leave by Conway.
Ramon Alvarez owns a barbershop on the strip of the westside of NE 2nd Ave.
Alvarez said that Conway lied to his face about what his intentions were about the future of the building and that the decision to force out his barbershop was racially motivated because of the Haitian staff he has.
“They see this as a black business,” Alvarez told RISE NEWS. “Everybody out. I don’t know, it’s scary.”
Alvarez said that Conway seemed very reasonable when the new landlord first approached him a few months ago after buying the property.
Alvarez said that Conway told him the plan was to fix up the building and put on a new roof.
Alvarez also said that Conway told him that the rent would gradually go up from the current $1,400 a month to $3,500 a month.
Alvarez said that he was ok with this new arrangement.
“I can manage it and If I can’t afford it one day I’m going to say, ‘Mr. Thomas, I got to go.'”
But Alvarez said that Conway changed his tune and even refused to accept a rent check.
Now, Alvarez said that he’s been told he is going to be evicted.
He’s not the only one.
“I’ve been eight years here,” Pierre Richard Maximillien, the owner of a travel agency said. “The guy next door to me who sells tuxedos and marriage dresses has been there 32 years. It’s a lifetime.”
A few doors down from Alvarez’s barber shop, Lucia Garcia runs The Furtnitue Store.
Garcia attended the press conference in support of the Haitian owners and said that she felt like Conway was treating her business differently than the others.
Garcia is Hispanic.
“We have not received any threats,” Garcia told RISE NEWS. “We have not received any eviction notices. We have been given until June to leave, supposedly due to construction. But we have received very different treatment.”
Lina Hargrett, the owner of the Empty Apartment said that she just recently signed a year lease to stay in the same building where Alvarez and Garcia have their businesses.
Hargrett said that she had not been asked to leave the building and seemed unaware of the controversy that was swirling.
Hargrett has a light complexion.
Hargrett’s store and the Metro PCS are the only two businesses that seem unaffected by the moves.
Both have two year leases.
Conway refused to speak to a reporter from RISE NEWS when reached via phone on Thursday, and hung up.
“Unfortunately, I can’t take this call at the moment,” Conway said before hanging up. “I appreciate it.”
In 2015, Conway opened MADE At The Citadel, a well-known co-working space on NE 2nd Ave and 83rd St.
It was reported in 2017 that he intends to turn the building across the street from MADE At The Citadel into a food hall.
A rendering for that building, which is called The Citadel, is available online.
The Citadel used to house the Federal Reserve in Miami and got its name from, wait for it, an historic fort in Haiti.
Gary Louis has worked as a barber for over 15 years at the shop that Alvarez now owns.
He has to pay to keep his chair there and has stayed despite losing 60% of his business due to the road construction.
Louis said that he’s stayed because he was excited about the changes in the neighborhood and thought that he would prosper from them.
“The city hasn’t done anything for the Haitian community at all,” Louis said. “So now, something is brought to life where we’ve seen the city has finally taken care of the community. But now as I’m seeing it, it’s not being cleaned up for primarily the Haitian community. It’s just mainly for a new form of business that does not include the Haitian community at all.”
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