NATO aircraft bombed Serbian positions in 1994 in reaction to massacre of civilians (Wikipedia).

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, allegedly prompted by a desire to keep the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at bay, may be backfiring.

The prime ministers of Finland and Sweden on Wednesday met in Helsinki, Finland, and announced they would make a decision on joining NATO “within weeks,” according to Associated Press.  That’s a speed-up of a process of evaluation begun shortly after Russian forces moved into its western neighbor.

Those Scandinavian nations have chosen to avoid alliance with other Western democracies, but in the face of the Russian move, such policies are being reconsidered.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of “military and political consequences” if those nations applied for NATO membership. Under the NATO treaty an attack on any member by another country is considered an attack on all, potentially leading to a wider war in which the U.S, Canada and most European nations would be arrayed against Russia, which has struggled in its efforts to conquer Ukraine.

Subway shooter suspect is arrested

FRANK JAMES (NYPD photo).

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the shootings Tuesday in a Brooklyn subway, according to United Press International.

Frank James, 62, will face a variety of federal charges, including allegations of committing terrorist acts. He could face life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Ten people were injured by gunfire and other injured in the chaos caused by a smoke grenade and the shooting.

Sports: Kershaw was perfect for seven

Three-time National League MVP Clayton Kershaw showed on Wednesday that he’s still a force to reckoned with. On Wednesday, he pitched seven perfect innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins 7-0 in Minneapolis. In deference to last season’s forearm injury, he was pulled after throwing 80 pitches.

The Twins got one hit off a reliever to spoil the no-hitter.

That victory improved the Dodgers’ record to 3-2 and moved them into third place in the NL West, a game back of first place Colorado (4-1). San Francisco is in second at 4-2. The Angels (3-3) were idle today.

Weather: Clouds on the horizon

Thursday should be sunny in the West Orange County area, but after that, skies should be cloudy. The forecast calls for a daytime high of 72 (overnight low of 55) tomorrow, but some clouds for the next eight days, with daytime highs in the low- to mid-70s and winds in the 10-to-12 mile an hour range. Overnight lows should be in the mid-50s.

Business: Amazon raising fees

A 5 percent surcharge will be levied on some sellers by Amazon, according to Businessinsider.com

According to the report, the reason for the charge is inflation, especially with regard to the cost of fuel. The charge – effective on April 28 – applies to third-party sellers, and not to shoppers, but could be passed on to consumers.

• Wall Street was cheerful on Wednesday, with all three major indexes reporting increases. The Dow Jones Average rose by 1.01 percent, Nasdaq by 2.03 percent and the S&P 500 by 1.12 percent.