Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

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.

Haley targets Trump's affinity for dictators during final sprint in New Hampshire

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley accused Republican rival Donald Trump of being "obsessed" with dictators and too old to lead on Saturday in a final stretch of campaigning in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's presidential nominating contest. The former U.S. president ramped up his verbal attacks and targeted Haley's Indian heritage as the former ambassador to the United Nations sought to blunt Trump's momentum following his victory last Monday in the Iowa caucuses.

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.

Uvalde DA investigates police over failures in mass shooting - report

A prosecutor in Uvalde, Texas, has convened a grand jury to investigate whether police were criminally liable for failing to promptly storm a classroom in a 2022 mass shooting that killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers, Texas media reported.

District Attorney Christina Mitchell said the grand jury would review evidence and weigh possible criminal charges, the San Antonio Express-News reported on Friday.

Biden's New Hampshire votes matter, even though he's not on the ballot

Democrats are trying to temper expectations for U.S. President Joe Biden in next week's Democratic primary election in New Hampshire, as supporters scramble to gin up write-in support for him since his name is not on the ballot. The primary on Jan. 23 offers the first at-the-polls gauge of Biden's political strength this election cycle, and the unprecedented situation will be closely watched amid polls showing him tied with likely Republican challenger Donald Trump .

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.

Maine official asks state's top court to consider Trump ballot disqualification

Maine's top election official on Friday appealed a lower court ruling delaying a final decision on former President Donald Trump's eligibility for the Republican primary ballot until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules in a related case. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Maine's top court needed to weigh in on the dispute now "before ballots are counted, promoting trust in our free, safe and secure elections."

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.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)