U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement on immigration reform accompanied by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) (L) and Senator David Perdue (R-GA) (R), in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 2, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria[/caption] Donald Trump’s administration stayed front and center in news coverage this week as White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci was fired from his role after just ten days in the job. The decision, from new chief of staff John Kelly, came in the wake of Scaramucci’s controversial comments about other Trump staff members. Tensions around Trump’s relationship with Russia also rumbled on. Special Counsel Robert Mueller impaneled a grand jury to investigate the country’s interference in the 2016 election. Trump signed a bill imposing fresh sanctions over Russia’s election involvement, which prompted president Vladimir Putin to order a reduction in the number of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia. In Venezuela, president Nicolás Maduro instated a new constituent assembly despite global condemnation and a planned opposition protest. The Vatican was the latest major name to voice its concerns over the new assembly, saying the decision created further “tension and conflict” in a country that has seen continued battles between government and anti-authority viewpoints over the last four months. Read more about these stories and the other biggest news of the week, as they appeared in The Daily Edition. 1. John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci—The New York Times, Michael D. Shear, Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman Top line: “Mr. Scaramucci was forced out of his post, with the blessing of the president and his family, just days after unloading a crude verbal tirade against other members of the president’s staff, including Reince Priebus, Mr. Kelly’s beleaguered predecessor, and Stephen K. Bannon, the chief White House strategist, in a conversation with a reporter for The New Yorker.” Topic to follow: Anthony Scaramucci 2. Special Counsel Robert Mueller Impanels Washington Grand Jury in Russia Probe—The Wall Street Journal, Del Quentin Wilber and Byron Tau Top line: “Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, a sign that his inquiry is growing in intensity and entering a new phase, according to people familiar with the matter.” Topic to follow: Robert Mueller 3. Trump signs Russia sanctions bill, but makes clear he’s not happy about it—The Washington Post, Abby Phillip and Karoun Demirjian Top line: “President Trump signed into law Wednesday legislation that will impose new sanctions on Russia, but he immediately expressed doubts about its constitutionality and criticized Congress for giving itself greater powers to prevent him from rolling back penalties aimed at Moscow.” Topic to follow: Russia 4. Venezuela crisis: loyalist assembly inaugurated amid Vatican criticism—The Guardian, Sibylla Brodzinsky Top line: “The threat of confrontation mounted in Venezuela as president Nicolás Maduro, installed a controversial new assembly despite overwhelming international condemnation and a planned opposition protest.” Topic to follow: Venezuela 5. Putin says US will have to shed 755 from diplomatic staff—Associated Press, By Nataliya Vasilyeva Top line: “Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday the United States would have to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755, heightening tensions between Washington and Moscow three days after the U.S. Congress approved sanctions against Russia.” Topic to follow: Vladimir Putin 6. Trump, senators unveil bill to slash legal immigration to U.S.—Reuters, Ayesha Rascoe and Mica Rosenberg Top line: “The White House is throwing its support behind a bill developed by Republican senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia that would cut legal immigration by 50 percent over 10 years by reducing the kinds of relatives immigrants can bring into the country.” Topic to follow: Immigration 7. Scientists edit disease-causing gene mutation in human embryos—CNN, Jacqueline Howard Top line: “For the first time, scientists said, they corrected a gene mutation linked to inherited heart conditions in human embryos using the approach. A study demonstrating the technique was published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.” Topic to follow: Genetics 9. Michelle Carter, Convicted in Texting-Suicide Case, Sentenced to 15 Months in Jail—NBC News, Kalhan Rosenblatt Top line: “Bristol County Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz found Michelle Carter, 20, guilty of involuntary manslaughter in June for encouraging Conrad Roy III, 18, to take his own life in July 2014 after prosecutors successfully argued the then 17-year-old was an attention-seeking teen, desperate to play the grieving girlfriend. She had faced up to 20 years in prison.” Topic to follow: Crime 9. DOJ Announces Crackdown On Leaks As Intelligence Agencies’ Calls For Probes Triple—NPR, Carrie Johnson Top line: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions condemned the ‘staggering’ number of leaks and reported that the number of active investigations into the unauthorized disclosure of national security information has tripled in 2017. He said authorities would take strong measures to stop ‘the culture of leaking.’” Topic to follow: Surveillance 10. Employers added robust 209,000 jobs in July—USA Today, Paul Davidson Top line: “U.S. payrolls surged for the second straight month in July as employers added 209,000 jobs, underscoring that hiring remains robust despite a tight labor market making it tougher to find workers.” Topic to follow: Economy Check out The Daily Edition throughout the week for your news updates. ~JessE is reading about the London 2017 World Championships