That's the point. It's shifting from gotcha pricing to transparent pricing.
SwingRiver
America wouldn't invade they would follow the Cuba missile crisis playbook: destabilize the regime, support opposition factions, and institute economic sanctions. Russia is the only one that has a recent history of invading neighbors.
NATO troops have been in Poland and the Baltics since '04 and there were positive relations between Russia and NATO during the war on terror period. Relations started to deteriorate when Putin decided to brand NATO as anti-Russian in late 2000s. Back then he saw the writing on the wall that a majority of Ukrainian people wanted to align more with the West which threatened his bloc.
What issues? That's so vague...
Market is awesome now. I've started commuting on bike to Caltrain at 4th and King. I know we have bike lanes on 5th (admittedly I don't know how you'd do it otherwise), but that stretch from Market to King just feels sketchy. Especially with the highway on/off ramps. Every time there is someone running a red light to get onto 5th/Harrison or the cars are backed up getting into the highway so you have to swirve into the oncoming lane.
I disagree. Tying all press to government funding is the surest way to captured media by the ruling party. If journalists are not independent then they are not a check against power.