MOSCOW (AP) — In a striking shift, President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are embarking on a tentative path toward closer ties and possible military cooperation, as the bitter rift over Ukraine gives way to common cause against the Islamic State group.
After weeks of accusing Moscow of trying to prop up Syrian President Bashar Assad by bombing U.S.-backed rebels, Obama changed his tune on Wednesday, praising Putin as a "constructive partner" in a nascent diplomatic effort to resolve Syria's civil war. Putin, too, has issued conciliatory signals, softening his tone about the U.S. and calling for the U.S. and Russia to "stand together" against the extremist threat.
BOSTON – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, may not be "slamming the door" on new Syrian refugees, but he said he's unwilling to accept more until he's convinced none represent a threat to the state.
Baker joined more than a dozen other governors in rejecting new refugees from the war-torn country following the terrorist attacks that left more than 130 dead in Paris late Friday. At least one of the attackers reportedly traveled a common refugee route across Europe and carried a Syrian passport.
