US News Roundup: Questionable Medicare payments; Harvey Weinstein's settlement and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. watchdog finds $6.7 billion in questionable Medicare payments to insurers

A U.S. government watchdog is raising fresh concerns that health insurers are exaggerating how sick Medicare patients are, receiving billions of dollars in improper payments as a result. Health insurers selling Medicare Advantage plans to seniors and the disabled received an estimated $6.7 billion in 2017 after adding diagnoses to patients' files that were not supported by their medical records, according to a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General's Office.

Democrats pass U.S. bill to lower drug prices that Trump threatens to veto

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation aimed at driving down the prices that seniors pay for prescription drugs, but the bill's future is clouded by President Donald Trump's threat of a veto and lack of support in the Senate. The Democrat-led chamber voted 230 to 192, largely along party lines, to approve the measure that would allow the Medicare insurance program for seniors to negotiate prices for dozens of prescription drugs, including insulin. The lower drug prices would also be available to private insurance companies.

Democratic presidential candidate Bloomberg in 'outstanding health': doctor

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg's doctor has proclaimed him "a 77-year-old man in outstanding health," according to a letter released by his campaign on Thursday. Bloomberg is one of several septuagenarian candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election, including former Vice President Joe Biden, 77; U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, 78; and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, 70.

FBI investigating New Jersey kosher grocery rampage as domestic terrorism

A fatal gun rampage at a kosher grocery store in northern New Jersey this week is now being treated as an act of domestic terrorism and the FBI will oversee the investigation, federal and state law enforcement officials said on Thursday. Six people, including the man and woman who carried out the attack, three civilians and a police officer died in a series of events that ended in a police shootout on Tuesday in Jersey City, New Jersey, located across the Hudson River from New York City.

Environmental group seeks California ban on 'super-toxic' rat poisons

An environmental group launched legal action on Thursday seeking to ban commercial use of "super-toxic" rat poisons in California, citing data showing the products pose a grave threat to a dozen endangered species and other wildlife. The Center for Biological Diversity notified state pesticide regulators of its intent to file suit for what the group calls a failure to adequately safeguard the San Joaquin kit fox and 11 other animals protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 52, hospitalizations to 2,409

U.S. health officials said on Thursday four more deaths occurred since last week from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, taking the total toll to 52. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reported 118 more hospitalized cases from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories, as of Dec. 10. The number of people hospitalized now stands at 2,409.

Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines

The state of Washington on Thursday proposed bans on the sale of "assault weapons" and high capacity magazines, part of a package of gun laws meant to address a rising wave of U.S. mass shootings. If successful, Washington would become the seventh U.S. state to ban assault weapons, which it defines as semi-automatic rifles with at least one military feature, and the ninth to limit the capacity of ammunition magazines.

Weinstein accuser pushes back on proposed $25 million settlement

A lawyer for one of the women who brought lawsuits accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct said Thursday that a proposed $25 million settlement for most of the Hollywood producer's alleged victims was unfair and designed to pressure her into accepting it. Thomas Giuffra, who represents actress Alexandra Canosa, said after a hearing in Manhattan federal court that the accord set aside just $500,000 for his client, and that the money could be used to pay for Weinstein's legal defense if she did not accept it.

Boston Marathon bomber death penalty jury not properly questioned, lawyer argues

Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyer on Thursday asked a federal appeals court to overturn his death sentence, saying prospective jurors were not thoroughly questioned, violating a 51-year-old standard for weeding out bias. Important questions about what prospective jurors saw and heard from newspapers, television and social media were not posed, defense lawyer Daniel Habib argued before a three-judge appellate panel in Boston's federal courthouse.

U.S. Congress negotiators, White House set tentative deal on fiscal 2020 funding

Senior negotiators in the U.S. Congress on Thursday reached a tentative deal with the White House on a series of bills to fund federal agencies through Sept. 30, 2020, which would avert partial government shutdowns next week. A person familiar with the negotiations said that votes by the full House of Representatives on a series of bills costing around $1.3 trillion could come as soon as Tuesday as Congress races to complete this work before a Dec. 20 deadline when existing money expires.

(With inputs from agencies.)