On the Ropes: NRA President Oliver North to Step Down as NY Attorney General Letitia James Opens Investigation into Tax-Exempt Status (New York Times)

Newtown Wasn’t an End for Gun Control. It Was a Beginning. (New York Times)
Early setbacks on gun control led to new activism and organizations and fresh approaches to the debate, and they helped motivate gun safety advocates like Michael R. Bloomberg, who brought more money and visibility to the cause. Those groups, in turn, provided critical resources for the survivors, family members and activists galvanized by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018.

Now, as the National Rifle Association struggles with internal battles, gun issues figure prominently in presidential politics, and mass shootings like Saturday’s assault at a California synagogue continue on a regular basis, the influence of the Sandy Hook activism is a sharp reminder that federal inaction or setbacks on issues like guns are seldom a final word.

Spain Today: Nationalist Ferver Loses Spain’s Election as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists Win Vote (Bloomberg)
The results kept the right-wing Vox, which clinched seats for the first time, from upsetting the political order – a good sign for mainstream politicians before next month’s European Parliament elections.

UK Economy: Mark Carney’s Not Sorry About Brexit Forecasts as Next Round to be Unveiled Thursday (Bloomberg)
The Bank of England Governor has defended pre-referendum predictions that a vote to leave would lead to slower growth, a drop in the pound and faster inflation — all of which transpired. The Bank of England is set to publish its new economic outlook on Thursday in London.

Washington This Week: William Barr Hearings Start Wednesday as Democrats Pick Up Where Mueller Report Left Off (Bloomberg)

As Trump Stands By Charlottesville Remarks, White Nationalist Violence Moves to Forefront of 2020 Presidential Race (Washington Post)

Synagogue Shooting Keeps Religious Leaders on Edge: ‘No One Should Be Gunned Down in Worship’ (New York Times)

Bart Chilton, CFTC’s Colorful Swaps-Rules Backer, Dies at 58 (Bloomberg)

Top Activists Launch ‘Supermajority’ to Harness Women’s Political Power (Axios)
‘Supermajority’ is the creation of Cecile Richards, former head of Planned Parenthood; Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter; and Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. The group has a goal of training and mobilizing 2 million women over the next year to become organizers and political leaders in their communities.

The Male Leaders Committed to Sponsoring Women (Fast Company)
Women ascending the career ladder often need sponsorship, and that can sometimes mean sponsorship from an influential male leader. Bloomberg Chairman Peter Grauer tells Fast Company why it’s important at Bloomberg, and how a diverse and inclusive population is crucial for the quality in decision making, execution, and ultimately performance.

Aviation News: Boeing Told Southwest After Lion Crash That 737 Max Lacked Key Alert (Bloomberg)

Health News: Putting Down Your Phone May Help You Live Longer (New York Times)
By chronically raising levels of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, our phones may be threatening our health and shortening our lives.

London Marathon: Big Ben Runner Gets Stuck at Finish Line (BBC News)
Runner Lucas Bates was raising money for Alzheimer’s research and aimed to break the record for fastest marathon time dressed as a landmark.

Movie Weekend: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Obliterates Records with $1.2B Opening (Bloomberg)

Best of late night.

“There’s so much going on this weekend; Avengers is in theaters, there’s an all new episode of Game of Thrones, the NFL draft is underway — all right now! At some point Netflix is going to be like: ‘where the hell did everybody go? Come on! Binge me, binge me please!’”
— Jimmy Fallon

“It was reported today that Joe Biden is leading Bernie Sanders by 8 points. No, no, not on the polls, in their weekly game of shuffle board.”
— Conan O’Brien

“I saw that a 25 year-old woman that graduated from Princeton just got engaged to her 71 year-old professor. It was pretty romantic, he got down on one knee, and then spent the next 10 minutes trying to get back up.”
— Jimmy Fallon

And finally, watch Hillary Clinton read the Mueller report for an ‘audio book’ with comedian Jordan Klepper.