Historic Jamestown Settlement in danger of disappearing soon – National and International News – July 8, 2022

Historic Jamestown site in danger of disappearing soon due to rising water levels – Two former FBI officials subjected to intense IRS audits – Japan’s former PM shot and killed by lone gunman.

NATIONAL NEWS

Historic Jamestown, Virginia, the first English settlement in America is in danger of disappearing

The actual site of the Jamestown settlement, the first English colony in America, is in danger of disappearing because of rising water levels. Founded 415 years ago in May 1607, it is on the banks of the James River in the eastern part of what is now the state of Virginia.

The James River is said to have risen 18 inches in the last 100 years, but the most immediate threat apparently is the growth of the surrounding swamp.

Local preservationists say it will cost tens of millions of dollars for work that should be done in the next five years to save the historic site.

The work could include raising road levels, improving a seawall originally built in 1904, and installing pumping stations.

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Democrats and Republicans in U.S. Congress hint that Trump used IRS to target enemies

Two former top FBI officials were subjected to extremely intense Internal Revenue Service audits after being forced from their jobs during the Trump Administration.

Both former FBI Director James Comey and Andrew McCabe, the bureau’s former assistant director were subjected to what are known as “National Research Program” audits.

The audits directed at Comey and McCabe are highly detailed, time-consuming, and expensive. They demand minute details of the records of targeted taxpayers. The odds against Comey being audited were said to be 30,000 to one. The odds of McCabe receiving such an intense audit were put at 20,000 to one. Thus, the odds against both men being picked at random are beyond extraordinary.

IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, appointed to his job by Trump in 2018, said the complaints about the two audits have been referred to Internal Revenue’s inspector general.

The twin audits were of no ultimate benefit to the federal treasury. Comey actually got a small refund of $347, and McCabe had to pay an insignificant amount of additional taxes.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Japan’s longest serving prime minister dies of gunshot wounds

The Japanese government announced at 5:03 p.m. Japanese time (3:03 am CDT), Friday, July 8, that Shinzo Abe, the country’s former prime minister had died of gunshot wounds.

Abe was shot in the western Japanese city of Nara about 5-1/2 hours earlier at 11:30 am local time (9:30 pm, Thursday, July 7, Central Daylight Time).

A lone gunman was said to have shot Abe with what appeared to be a homemade shotgun. The gunman was arrested.

Abe, age 67, served as Japan’s prime minister for a year in 2006 and again from 2012 to 2020, making him the country’s longest serving prime minister.

He was shot in a train station while making a campaign speech for Japan’s parliamentary elections.

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