Dec 20, 2017

Treasury designates five individuals under Magnitsky Act

The grave of Sergei Magnitsky. Photo: Misha Japaridze / AP

The Treasury Department has designated five individuals under the Magnitsky Act, including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. With these first designations under the Trump administration, that brings the total number of people targeted under the act to 49.

What it does: The Magnitsky Act targets those who abetted or benefitted from the detention and death of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky and those who commit human rights offenses against other would-be Russian whistleblowers, preventing them from doing business with any American financial institution and prohibiting them from traveling to the United States.

Background: The law is vehemently opposed by the Russian government — and it gained renewed prominence earlier this year after Donald Trump Jr. reportedly suggested to a Russian lawyer that his father might review it as president during the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting.

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  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3:00 a.m. ET: 5,594,175 — Total deaths: 350,531 — Total recoveries — 2,288,579 — Map.
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Updated 6 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Hong Kong police fire pepper pellets at demonstrators

Hong Kong riot policeissue a warning as they aim to clear away people gathered downtownon Wednesday. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Hong Kong riot police have fired pepper pellets at activists and surrounded the Legislative Council during demonstrations against a bill proposing to criminalize "disrespect of the Chinese anthem" on Wednesday, per Reuters.

Why it matters: The bill is the latest concern pro-democracy protesters have that Chinese authorities are encroaching on the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has retained since it was returned to China in 1997.

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Tear gas is fired as police clash with protesters demonstrating against the death of George Floyd outside the 3rd Precinct Police Precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Minneapolis police used tear gas during clashes with protesters demanding justice Tuesday night for George Floyd, an African American who died in police custody, according to multiple news reports.

Driving the news: The FBI is investigating Floyd's death after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck for several minutes, ignoring protests that he couldn't breathe. Hundreds of protesters attended the demonstration at the intersection where Floyd died, per the Guardian.

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