1. December 20th 2017
2. 20th December 2017 To Now

2017 (Wednesday). 2012 (Thursday) 2011 (Tuesday) December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. 11 days remain until the. On This Day In History - December 20: anniversaries, birthdays, major events, and time capsules. This day's facts in the arts, politics, and sciences. Wednesday December 20th 2017: 2 4 9 18 20 - Tuesday December 19th 2017: 4 6 14 18 21 - Monday December 18th 2017: 1 8 9 24 30 - Sunday December 17th 2017: 4 26 30 34.

December 20th 2017

• related portals: Executive Orders of the President of the United States.

Executive Order 13818 of December 20, 2017
Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50U.S.C.1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act ((50U.S.C.1601 et seq.) (NEA), the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Pub.L. 114−328) (the 'Act'), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 ((8U.S.C.1182(f)) (INA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,:

I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, such as those committed or directed by persons listed in the Annex to this order, have reached such scope and gravity that they threaten the stability of international political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons. I therefore determine that serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat. I hereby determine and order:

Section 1. Property.

(a) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:

(i) the persons listed in the Annex to this order;

(ii) any foreign person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General:

(A) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse;

(B) to be a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in:

(1) corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery; or

(2) the transfer or the facilitation of the transfer of the proceeds of corruption;

(C) to be or have been a leader or official of

(1) an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, any of the activities described in subsections (ii)(A), (ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section relating to the leader’s or official’s tenure; or

(2) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order as a result of activities related to the leader’s or official’s tenure; or

(D) to have attempted to engage in any of the activities described in subsections (ii)(A), (ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section; and

(iii) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General:

(A) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of:

(1) any activity described in subsections (ii)(A), (ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section that is conducted by a foreign person;

(2) any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(3) any entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, any of the activities described in subsections (ii)(A), (ii)(B)(1), or (ii)(B)(2) of this section, where the activity is conducted by a foreign person;

(B) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(C) to have attempted to engage in any of the activities described in subsections (iii)(A) or (B) of this section.

(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the effective date of this order.

Section 2. Immigration.

The unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens determined to meet one or more of the criteria in section 1 of this order would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and the entry of such persons into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, is hereby suspended. Such persons shall be treated as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of July 24, 2011, (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International Emergency Economic Powers Act Sanctions).

Section 3. IEEPA.

I hereby determine that the making of donations of the types of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50U.S.C.1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.

Section 4. The prohibitions in section 1 include:

(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and

(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Section 5. Transactions.

20th December 2017 To Now

(a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Section 6. For the purposes of this order:

(a) the term 'person' means an individual or entity;

(b) the term 'entity' means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; and

(c) the term 'United States person' means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.

Section 7. Interests.

For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to this order.

Section 8. Authorization.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to me by IEEPA and the Act as may be necessary to implement this order and section 1263(a) of the Act with respect to the determinations provided for therein. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States. All agencies shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement this order.

Section 9. Adoption of rules and regulations.

The Secretary of State is hereby authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to me by IEEPA, the INA, and the Act as may be necessary to carry out section 2 of this order and, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the reporting requirement in section 1264(a) of the Act with respect to the reports provided for in section 1264(b)(2) of that Act. The Secretary of State may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States consistent with applicable law.

Section 10. Effect of determination.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and interests in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination.

Section 11. Reports.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50U.S.C.1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50U.S.C.1703(c)).

Section 12. Effective date.

This order is effective at 12:01 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, December 21, 2017.

Section 13. Intention of law.

This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Donald J. Trump

THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 20, 2017.

ANNEX

1. Mukhtar Hamid Shah; Date of Birth (DOB) August 11, 1939; alt. DOB November 8, 1939; nationality, Pakistan
2. Angel Rondon Rijo; DOB July 16, 1950; nationality, Dominican Republic
3. Dan Gertler; DOB December 23, 1973; nationality, Israel; alt. nationality, Democratic Republic of the Congo
4. Maung Maung Soe; DOB March 1964; nationality, Burma
5. Yahya Jammeh; DOB May 25, 1965; nationality, The Gambia
6. Sergey Kusiuk; DOB December 1, 1966; nationality, Ukraine; alt. nationality, Russia
7. Benjamin Bol Mel; DOB January 3, 1978; alt. DOB December 24, 1978; nationality, South Sudan; alt. nationality, Sudan
8. Julio Antonio Juarez Ramirez; DOB December 1, 1980; nationality, Guatemala
9. Goulnora Islamovna Karimova; DOB July 8, 1972; nationality, Uzbekistan
10. Slobodan Tesic; DOB December 21, 1958; nationality, Serbia
11. Artem Yuryevich Chayka; DOB September 25, 1975; nationality, Russia
12. Gao Yan; DOB April 1963; nationality, China
13. Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes; DOB July 6, 1954; nationality, Nicaragua

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see17 U.S.C. 105).

1.

GOP lawmakers push through their tax overhaul

Republicans pushed their tax overhaul through the House and then the Senate on Tuesday and early Wednesday, putting the GOP on the cusp of their first major legislative victory since taking control of both houses of Congress and the White House this year. The Senate passed it 51-48, with no GOP defections and no Democratic support. The House will have to hold a quick second vote to sign off on minor changes the Senate had to make to keep the legislation within its rules, then the bill will go to President Trump for his signature. The $1.5 trillion plan includes new breaks for businesses and deep cuts in the corporate tax rate. It is projected to lower income tax bills for most households in 2018, with far larger reductions for the wealthy than for middle- and lower-income families. The bill also scraps the individual insurance mandate, a key pillar of the Affordable Care Act. [The Washington Post]

2.

Nikki Haley warns the U.S. 'taking names' in U.N. Jerusalem vote

Nikki Haley, President Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, warned in a tweet on Tuesday that 'the U.S. will be taking names' of countries that support a resolution calling for Trump to reverse his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and to move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. The vote is scheduled for Thursday, and Haley said Trump had asked her to 'report back' on who votes against the U.S., Haley wrote in a letter to some U.S. allies. The U.S. used its veto at the U.N. Security Council on Monday to block a measure seeking to prevent the U.S. from recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, when the other 14 members voted against the U.S. [CBS News, The Jerusalem Post]

3.

Disgraced former Boston archbishop Bernard Law dies at 86

Cardinal Bernard Law, the former Boston archbishop forced to resign for his handling of the Catholic sexual abuse scandal, has died, the Vatican said early Wednesday. He was 86. Law stepped down in 2002 after a Boston Globe investigation, which would win a Pulitzer Prize, found that he and his predecessors had covered up for pedophile priests by moving them from parish to parish without notifying parishioners or police. He called for healing when he announced his departure, saying, 'To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes, I both apologize to them and beg forgiveness.' Many victims were angered, however, when Pope John Paul II in 2004 appointed Law to a prestigious position at a basilica in Rome. [The Boston Globe, CNN]

4.

Investigators look into why train was speeding before deadly wreck

Investigators are examining whether the engineer of the speeding Amtrak train that derailed in Washington state, killing at least three people, was distracted by an employee in training, a federal safety official said Tuesday. Authorities said that an automatic brake activated before the wreck, as the train barreled through a 30-mile-per-hour zone at 80 mph before jumping off the rails on a curve, sending railcars plunging off an overpass onto an interstate highway below. The train was carrying 85 passengers and crew members on the inaugural run on a fast new bypass route. In the rush to open the line, the train was sent on its maiden voyage before sophisticated GPS-based speed-control technology that could have prevented the crash could be installed. [The Associated Press]

5.

12 die in Mexico tourist bus crash

Twelve people were killed on Tuesday when a bus carrying cruise ship passengers flipped over on the way to Mayan ruins in eastern Mexico. Seven Americans and two Swedish citizens were among the dead. The van was carrying travelers from two Royal Caribbean Cruises ships, the Celebrity Equinox and Serenade of the Seas. The bus came to rest on its side on the two-lane highway. Video images from the accident scene showed some survivors lying on the pavement, and others walking around. The 27 passengers were on their way to see ruins at Chacchoben, 110 miles south of Tulum. Experts said the accident was one of the deadliest ever involving a cruise ship excursion. 'Our hearts go out to all those involved in the bus accident in Costa Maya,' Royal Caribbean said in a statement. 'We are doing all we can to care for our guests, including assisting with medical care and transportation.' [The Miami Herald]

6.

Yemen rebels fire second missile at Riyadh

Rebel forces in Yemen fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, but it reportedly was intercepted and destroyed without doing any damage. It was the second such attempted missile strike in two months, as Houthi rebels try to attack the heart of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in support of the internationally recognized government of Yemen. Witnesses in Riyadh heard an explosion and saw gray smoke in the sky and black smoke rising from what was believed to be the launch site of the defense system that hit the incoming missile. The civil war in Yemen has dragged on for more than two years and contributed to a growing humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia accused Iran of backing the Houthis and providing the missile. [The New York Times]

7.

Renewed winds threaten to fuel Thomas Fire growth

Powerful winds that have fueled the massive Thomas Fire in Southern California are expected to return in coming days, authorities said Tuesday. Firefighters took advantage of relative calm and made progress against the blaze, which was 50 percent contained but close to becoming the second-largest wildfire in modern California history. It has burned more than 270,000 acres, and forecasters predict that Santa Barbara's sundowner winds will give the flames a new blast of air late Wednesday and early Thursday, with gusts expected to exceed 40 miles per hour. 'It is a very large fire, so you're going to have different wind effects over different parts of the fire,' said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. [Los Angeles Times]

8.

GOP loses control of Virginia House when recount gives Democrat one-vote victory

In a recount completed Tuesday, Democrat Shelly Simonds beat incumbent Republican David Yancey by one vote, 11,608 to 11,607, to represent Virginia's 94th District in the state House of Delegates. In the initial count, Yancey led by 10 votes. If the one-vote victory is certified Wednesday, as expected, Republicans will lose their majority in the House of Delegates after controlling it for 17 years, and Democrats and Republicans will each have 50 seats after the GOP lost 16 seats on Election Day in November in a vote widely interpreted as a rebuke to President Trump. 'Fifty-fifty is an unprecedented event in the 400-year history of the House of Delegates,' said David J. Toscano, the House Democratic leader. Republicans still control the Senate, 21-19. [NBC News, The New York Times]

9.

EU court deals major blow to Uber

The European Union's highest court handed Uber a major defeat on Wednesday by declaring that the ride-hailing service must comply with the same tough rules as conventional taxi companies. Uber had argued that it should be exempt because it is really just a digital services provider, helping to connect riders with independent drivers through its ride-hailing smartphone app. The decision threatens to hamper Uber's plans to expand in Europe by forcing it to spend a fortune on licensing fees and employee benefits. It also could signal broader changes in store for the gig economy, in which a growing number of people work as freelancers or under short-term contracts rather than as full-time employees with clear rights and benefits under established labor rules.

10.

Former Silicon Valley star denies former girlfriend's assault allegations

Comedian and former Silicon Valley actor T.J. Miller has been accused of violently sexually assaulting his former girlfriend while the two attended George Washington University. 'We started to fool around, and very early in that, he put his hands around my throat and closed them, and I couldn't breathe,' the woman, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Beast. 'I was genuinely terrified ... I had certainly not entered into any agreement that I would be choked.' The woman said the incident additionally escalated into further sexual violence. Two of her roommates at the time told the Beast they recalled the alleged incident. Miller has denied the allegations, claiming the woman 'is now using the current climate to bandwagon and launch these false accusations again.' [The Daily Beast]