The Morning Brief: Britain’s Brexit Notice, Devin Nunes and Maxine Waters

Good morning. These are today’s top stories:

Britain makes Brexit official

British Prime Minister Theresa May has formally notified the European Union today of Britain’s intention to leave the bloc. The official notice comes nine months after Britain voted to withdraw from the E.U. “Today, the government acts on the democratic will of the British people,” May said. “I want the U.K. to emerge stronger, fairer, more united and more outward looking.” Here are 42 questions about Brexit that need answering.

Devin Nunes dismisses calls for his recusal

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes rejected requests from top Democratic lawmakers to recuse himself from an investigation into Russia. “Why would I?” he asked reporters yesterday, according to the Associated Press. Nunes also belittled the calls for his recusal as “a lot of politics.”

Hillary Clinton announces she is back

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to the public arena yesterday while speaking at a conference for professional businesswomen in San Francisco. “I am thrilled to be out of the woods, in the company of so many inspiring women,” she told attendees. Clinton later added: “Obviously, the outcome of the election wasn’t the one I hoped for, worked for, but I will never stop speaking out.”

Maxine Waters responds to Bill O’Reilly’s dig

California Rep. Maxine Waters said in a new interview that she is a “strong black woman” who “cannot be intimidated” after Fox News host Bill O’Reilly insulted her hair on television by saying it looked like a “James Brown wig.” O’Reilly has apologized for his comment and said it was “dumb.”

Also:

Exposure to high levels of lead during childhood can lead to a lower IQ later on, a new study has found.

Samsung is expected to reveal its latest smartphone today following the debacle of its Galaxy Note 7’s overheating batteries.

Florida lawmakers want Trump to reimburse Palm Beach for his Mar-a-Lago visits or curtail his trips there.

A Los Angeles-based choreographer is using dance to portray the impact incarceration has on black families.

Online shopping could get more expensive. Here’s why.

A new picture book called Santa’s Husband will depict Santa as a gay man in an interracial relationship.

Crayola is retiring a color from its 24-crayon box for the first time in 100 years.

The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at melissa.chan@time.com.