10 things you need to know today: March 29, 2017

The U.K. formally kicks off the Brexit process, Republicans scrap Obama's internet privacy protections, and more

British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street
(Image credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

1. May signs letter formally launching Brexit process

British Prime Minister Theresa May has signed a letter that was submitted Wednesday to European Union leaders invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally starting the process of pulling the United Kingdom out of the 28-nation trading bloc. In a statement to British lawmakers, May said the kickoff of the process was "the moment for the country to come together." Voters decided in a divisive June referendum to leave the EU. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party would hold the government accountable "every step of the way," and warned Brexit would be "a national failure of historic proportions" if the government doesn't protect worker rights. Brexit supporters praised the prime minister for sticking to her timetable for starting formal negotiations.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.