EU to end US import penalty sanctions News
EU to end US import penalty sanctions

[JURIST] The European Union [official website] announced Friday its unanimous approval of a measure to end penalty sanctions imposed on $4 billion worth of US exports. The European Council recommended the sanctions end on February 1 and approved a program to reimburse all penalty fees collected in January. The penalty sanctions were put in place after the Senate approved a $5 million annual tax break for US exporters that was later ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization [official website]. Approval of the measure is in response to passage of a corporate tax reform bill [Washington Post report] by the Senate in October that repealed the tax break. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.