The 2015 Boston Book Festival has selected author Jennifer de Leon's short story "Home Movie" for this year's 'One City One Story' read. The story centers on a Guatemalan wife and husband living in Boston with their three children. The plot is drawn primarily from the personal experiences of de Leon's own parents who were also Guatemalan immigrants. "Home Movie" portrays the life of an immigrant couple, split between sticking it out in their new country and returning to the old.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States escalated its fight against the Islamic State in Syria on Friday, pledging the first open deployment of military boots on the ground, even as U.S., Russian and other diplomats pressed a new peace effort that America hopes will hasten the departure of Bashar Assad.
Up to 50 special operations troops will be sent to assist Kurdish and Arab forces in northern Syria, American officials said. The move marks a significant departure for President Barack Obama, who for years has resisted putting ground forces in Syria even as he has gradually intensified the U.S. military response to what counterterrorism officials worry is a growing Islamic State threat in Syria and Iraq.
