Happening Today: Michelle Carter, Jeff Sessions, Russia Probe, Human Embryos, James Comey

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Woman Being Sentenced in Texting Suicide of Boyfriend

Found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in June, Michelle Carter could now be facing up to 20 years behind bars for the suicide of her boyfriend. Conrad Roy, 18, poisoned himself with carbon monoxide in 2014. Following a bench trial, a judge ruled that Carter should be held responsible for his death, based on hundreds of text messages she sent urging him to commit suicide. Judge Lawrence Moniz will have to decide what sentence to impose on Carter, and it is a question legal analysts say is not easy to answer. Carter was charged as a youthful offender, which gives the judge some latitude in her punishment. According to Coyne, she could face probation, prison or even a combination of sentences. If the latter were to happen, it could mean Carter is sent to juvenile detention until she is 21 years old, followed by probation. Because she is already 20, Coyne does not expect that to happen. The judge could also combine a juvenile detention commitment with an adult sentence, or can give her an adult sentence of anything from probation to the maximum 20-year term.

Kelly Calls Sessions to Assure AG Position is Safe, Source Says

New White House chief of staff John Kelly recently called Attorney General Jeff Sessions to assure him that he is safe in his job, a source familiar with the call confirmed to NBC News. Kelly told Sessions that the White House was supportive of his work and wanted him to remain the attorney general. The Associated Press was the first to report the call. President Trump has publicly criticized Sessions recently over his decision to recuse himself from Russia-related investigation. In an interview on Fox News, Sessions said the criticism was "kind of hurtful" but that he intends to stay in the job as desired by Trump.

Senators Move to Protect Special Counsel in Russia Probe

Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are moving to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's job, putting forth new legislation that aims to ensure the integrity of current and future independent investigations. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware plan to introduce the legislation. The bill would allow any special counsel for the Department of Justice to challenge his or her removal in court, with a review by a three-judge panel within 14 days of the challenge. The bill would be retroactive to May 17, 2017 — the day Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible ties to Donald Trump's campaign. Mueller was appointed as special counsel following Trump's abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey. Mueller, who was Comey's predecessor as FBI director, has assembled a team of prosecutors and lawyers with experience in financial fraud, national security and organized crime to investigate contacts between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

2 Dead After Minnesota School Explosion

Two people, including a school staff member and janitor, were found dead following a natural gas explosion at a college prep school in Minneapolis, authorities said. The bodies were found in the rubble of a building that partially collapsed during the blast at the Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel said during a news conference. The private Christian school serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school says longtime receptionist Ruth Berg died in the blast. Janitor John Carlson, who was reported missing earlier in the day, was later confirmed by the school as the second victim. Fruetel says it's possible a void was created when the building collapsed. He says the building is unstable and noted that making it safe for rescuers will take time. Contractors were doing work on the building at the time of the blast, which investigators determined was caused by a gas explosion, according to Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner.

Scientists Repair Gene in Human Embryos for First Time

Altering human heredity? In a first, researchers safely repaired a disease-causing gene in human embryos, targeting a heart defect best known for killing young athletes — a big step toward one day preventing a list of inherited diseases. In a surprising discovery, a research team reported that embryos can help fix themselves if scientists jump-start the process early enough. It's laboratory research only, nowhere near ready to be tried in a pregnancy. But it suggests that scientists might alter DNA in a way that protects not just one baby from a disease that runs in the family, but his or her offspring as well. Today, couples seeking to avoid passing on a bad gene sometimes have embryos created in fertility clinics so they can discard those that inherit the disease and attempt pregnancy only with healthy ones, if there are any. Gene editing in theory could rescue diseased embryos.

James Comey Has Book Deal, Publication Set for Next Spring

Former FBI Director James Comey has a book deal. Flatiron Books told The Associated Press that Comey is writing a book about leadership and decision making that will draw upon his career in government. Comey will write about experiences that made him the FBI's best-known and most controversial FBI head in recent times, from his handling of the bureau's probe into Hillary Clinton's private email server to allegations of ties between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Trump fired Comey in May and soon after told NBC News that he was angered by the FBI's investigation into "this Russia thing with Trump and Russia," which he called a fake story. Comey has since testified before Congress that Trump asked him to end an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn and kept memos about his meetings with the president. According to Flatiron, Comey will cite "examples from some of the highest-stakes situations in the past two decades of American government" and "share yet-unheard anecdotes from his long and distinguished career."