January 1, MSNBC’S Maddow: NRA ‘Implosion’ Is Second Biggest Story of 2019, After Impeachment

This Day in History | 1972

Former President Harry Truman dies at his home in Independence, Missouri. 

Good Morning Middle Americans, 

We hope you had a lovely Christmas and Hanukkah with your friends and family. We are back on the grind today (it’s not really a grind 😉 – bringing you what we think are some of the most important stories of the day to keep you informed.  

One of those stories today includes a take from Rachel Maddow, host of MSNBC’s highest rated program. Maddow says the ‘implosion’ at the National Riffle Association would have been the biggest story of the year if it weren’t for this whole impeachment saga.  We at Middle American News aren’t sure if we agree, but she does make a compelling argument. And what has happened at the NRA in 2019, raises a lot of questions about the future of the gun lobbying group. 

And WOW – is all we can say about Rudy Giuliani’s most recent interview with New York Magazine.  Several people have speculated about Rudy’s drinking during his controversial interviews. In this interview, he and writer Oliva Nuzzi have bloody Mary’s and what comes next is really something.  

– Fraser Dixon 

Rachel Maddow: If Not for Impeachment, NRA Implosion Would’ve Been the Story of 2019 

(Mediaite) – If not for impeachment, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow argued on Tuesday that the “slow-motion car crash” and internal implosion occurring at the National Rifle Association would be the top political story of the year.

Beginning in the spring of this year, headlines have cropped up over the past months detailing massive unrest and structural issues at the NRA, including a civil war between the organization’s advocacy side and their revenue side, the advertising firm Ackerman McQueen, as the NRA filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma City-based agency after they attempted to depart from the largest pro-gun group in the nation. Things became so bad at the NRA that the organization warned its members in August that they may be forced to file for bankruptcy.

Read more about Maddow’s take on impeachment from Mediaite here

Rudy Giuliani: I’m More of a Jew than (George) Soros

(New York Magazine) – As the black SUV came to a stop on 33rd Street in Manhattan, its lights flashing, a pale hand stretched through the open window of the passenger door and gave a little wave. It was attached to Rudy Giuliani, who smiled from behind his tortoiseshell sunglasses. He apologized for being late. “Couldn’t go on sidewalks like I used to,” he said, mourning a perk of his past life as mayor.

It was early in the afternoon on Sunday, December 8, and Giuliani had just returned from Ukraine, where he said he was looking for information to undermine the case to impeach his client, President Donald Trump.

“We snuck out of Kiev to escape having to answer a lot of questions,” he said, though it wasn’t clear if he meant from the press or government officials. “They all thought we were going to leave on Friday morning, and I organized a private plane to go to Vienna on Thursday night.”

Read more of Giuliani’s wild interview from New York Magazine here

GOP Senator ‘Disturbed’ by McConnell Impeachment Remark

(AP) – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, said she was disturbed to hear Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say there would be “total coordination” between the White House and the Senate over the upcoming presidential impeachment trial.

“And in fairness, when I heard that I was disturbed,” Murkowski told KTUU Tuesday before saying there should be distance between the White House and the Senate in how the trial is conducted.

To me it means that we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense, and so I heard what leader McConnell had said, I happened to think that that has further confused the process.”

In a recent interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, described his planning with the White House.

Carolina Couple Calls 911 on Vacuum Thought to be Intruder

(WKTR) – A Forsyth North Carolina County couple called 911 thinking an intruder was in their home — but it turned out to be something far less threatening.

Just after midnight, a couple heard loud noises coming from the downstairs of their home on Lewisville-Clemson Road. Thinking it was an intruder, they hid in their closet and called 911.

When deputies searched the home, all they found was a robotic vacuum. It had somehow turned itself on, got stuck and began banging on a wall.

The Seven Biggest Stories of the Year Countdown

#7) The US Women’s National Soccer Team and Equal Pay Push 

#6) Internet Censorship 

(CNN) – At the start of this year, as Zimbabwe cut off internet access across the country following anti-government protests, the internet pressure group Keep It On warned that such “shutdowns must never be allowed to become the new normal.”

Twelve months later, however, that’s exactly where we are.

Read more about the rise of internet censorship here