NIH worker charged after threatening tax assessor with anthrax News
NIH worker charged after threatening tax assessor with anthrax

[JURIST] A Maryland employee of the National Institutes of Health [official website] has been charged under the Terrorism Prevention Act [PDF text] with spreading false information and making a hoax for threatening a tax assessment board with anthrax. Michelle Ledgister, 43, lost a claim for relief with the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office for land she owns in Parkland, Florida. According to an arrest warrant executed Monday, she left a phone message at the office identifying herself as an NIH worker and said, "You guys now have anthrax spores once again, so do be careful." A hazmat team searched the building but found no dangerous material. She faces up to five years in prison if convicted. 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.