US Domestic News Roundup: Trump, Haley duke it out in New Hampshire ahead of critical primary vote; Harvard urges judge to toss families' lawsuits over morgue scandal and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

US-Mexico immigration coordination producing results, official says

A high-level U.S. State Department meeting with Mexican officials on Friday lauded progress following a crackdown on illegal immigration, a State Department spokesman said on Saturday. A crackdown on migrant smuggling networks, train and bus routes has produced results, Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, said in a statement.

Biden cancels nearly $5 billion more in student debt relief

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday announced student debt cancellation of nearly $5 billion for an additional 74,000 borrowers, including more than half who earned forgiveness after 10 years of public service as teachers, nurses and firefighters.

The White House announcement brings the total loan forgiveness approved by the Biden-Harris administration to $136.6 billion for more than 3.7 million Americans.

Trump, Haley duke it out in New Hampshire ahead of critical primary vote

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump will make their closing arguments in New Hampshire on Sunday in a final stretch of campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination before voters go to the polls on Tuesday. Time is running short for Haley, who served as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, to topple the Republican presidential frontrunner after his victory in the Iowa caucuses underscored his dominance in the primary race.

Deadly winter weather keeps icy grip across much of the US

Winter storms and biting cold that have gripped much of the United States in recent days with deadly consequences are expected to persist through this weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported on Saturday. Even as frigid temperatures were forecast across two-thirds of the country for the days ahead, along with snow, freezing rain and heavy showers, CBS News said it has tallied 83 confirmed weather-related U.S. fatalities over the past week.

Biden challenger Phillips, in New Hampshire, calls Biden weak, unelectable

A U.S. congressman looking to thwart President Joe Biden, a fellow Democrat, from a second term assailed Biden as weak and unelectable on Saturday as he tried to take advantage of Biden's absence from New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary. Biden is skipping the New Hampshire primary after the Republican-run state refused his demand to give up its first in nation primary spot to South Carolina. But Biden's supporters are mounting a write-in campaign to avoid an embarrassing loss in the state on primary election day on Tuesday.

US House panel advances $78 billion tax break bill in strong bipartisan vote

U.S. lawmakers on Friday advanced a bill to enhance tax breaks for businesses and low-income families in a strong show of bipartisan support for the largely revenue-neutral measure, despite their deep divisions over federal spending levels. The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee approved the measure in a 40-3 vote, just three days after its Republican chairman announced the deal with his Democratic Senate counterpart.

US judge condemns FBI while ordering release of man in 'Newburgh Four' case

A man convicted in 2010 of plotting to blow up New York City synagogues and a Jewish community center, and shoot down military planes, was ordered to be released from prison by a judge who said the defendant was part of a group manipulated by the FBI. Four men, who became known as the "Newburgh Four," were caught up in a scheme in 2009 to attack the synagogues and community center, and launch stinger missiles at military aircraft, driven by what the judge describes as overzealous FBI agents and an "unsavory" confidential informant.

Georgia prosecutor on Trump case paid for flights with DA Fani Willis, filing shows

A lawyer hired to help run the Georgia election interference criminal case against Donald Trump paid for airline tickets for the district attorney overseeing the prosecution, bank records attached to a legal filing showed on Friday, potentially bolstering claims the two had an inappropriate relationship. Records show special prosecutor Nathan Wade paid for flights with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to Miami in 2022 and San Francisco in 2023, according to court documents seen by Reuters. The charges brought by Willis against the Republican former U.S. president are in one of two cases in which Trump is accused of crimes for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Haley woos independents in final New Hampshire push against Trump

Tom Mita, a 45-year-old non-profit worker in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is not registered with a political party. That makes him the perfect target for Nikki Haley, who needs independent voters for a chance to prevail in this pivotal primary state. Mita is thinking about voting for Haley, he told a pair of door knockers who were canvassing on behalf of the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations outside his suburban home on Saturday, but he isn't completely sold on her candidacy.

Harvard urges judge to toss families' lawsuits over morgue scandal

Harvard University on Friday urged a judge in Boston to dismiss lawsuits by families accusing it of mishandling the bodies of loved ones that were donated to its medical school and whose organs and parts were then sold on the black market by the former manager of its morgue. Martin Murphy, a lawyer for the school, told a state court judge that Harvard Medical School was "deeply sorry for the uncertainty and pain" families suffered as a result of the alleged conduct of its ex-morgue manager, Cedric Lodge, who has been indicted for selling body parts on the black market.

(With inputs from agencies.)