Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. U.S. auto safety agency to investigate fatal Tesla crash in California

The fatal Dec. 29 crash of a Tesla Inc vehicle in Southern California will be investigated by the U.S. government's auto safety regulator, the agency said on Tuesday. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said earlier this month it had opened an investigation into a 12th Tesla crash that may be tied to the vehicle’s advanced Autopilot driver assistance system after a Tesla Model 3 rear-ended a parked police car in Connecticut. Exclusive: Drugmakers from Pfizer to GSK to hike U.S. prices on over 200 drugs

Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc, GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Sanofi SA are planning to hike U.S. list prices on more than 200 drugs in the United States on Wednesday, according to drugmakers and data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Nearly all of the price increases will be below 10%, and around half of them are in the range of 4 to 6%, said 3 Axis co-founder Eric Pachman. The median price increase is around 5%, he said. Trump event in Miami church may violate IRS rules, non-profit says

El Rey Jesus, an evangelical Florida mega-church due to host a re-election event for President Donald Trump this week, may be violating tax rules barring religious groups from participating in political campaigns, a non-profit said on Tuesday. Trump will launch an "Evangelicals for Trump" coalition of supporters at the church, also known as King Jesus International Ministry, on Friday, the Trump re-election campaign and the church announced this week. El Rey Jesus attracts thousands of people to services delivered in English and Spanish every week, church leaders claim. Warren warns 'democracy hangs in the balance' in New Year's Eve speech

Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren sought to re-energize her White House campaign in a New Year's Eve speech on Tuesday, warning that "democracy hangs in the balance" five weeks before nominating contests begin in early February. In her home state of Massachusetts on the first anniversary of her campaign launch, Warren said President Donald Trump would "try to cheat his way through yet another election" if he is not removed from office after his impeachment by the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. Explainer: The case for Trump's impeachment - and the case against it

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Dec. 19 to formally charge President Donald Trump, a Republican, with "high crimes and misdemeanors," making him only the third U.S. president in history to be impeached. That sets up a trial in January in the Republican-run Senate, where he is expected to be acquitted. Trump says vaping decision coming shortly, hopes flavors can return to market fast

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration would be unveiling a decision shortly on vaping, and said certain flavors would still come off the market but hopefully then return soon. "We have to protect our families. At the same time it's a big industry, we want to protect the industry," Trump told reporters. U.S. appeals court upholds risk payments to health insurers

A U.S. appeals court upheld the validity of a federal program governing the payment of billions of dollars to insurers under the Affordable Care Act, reversing a lower court ruling that had prompted the White House to temporarily suspend payments. Tuesday's 3-0 decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is a victory for insurers that feared the Feb. 2018 lower court ruling and payments suspension could drive up premium costs and cause market turmoil. Infowars founder who claimed Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax ordered to pay $100,000

Conspiracy promoter and right-wing media personality Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $100,000 in court costs and legal fees stemming from a lawsuit over his claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre of school children was a hoax, court records show. Jones, founder of the Infowars radio show and webcast, has claimed the mainstream media and gun-control proponents conspired to fabricate the tragedy in which 20 school children and six school staff were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. U.S. chief justice warns of internet disinformation, urges civics education

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts expressed concern on Tuesday about disinformation amplified by the internet and social media as he focused his year-end report on the weakening state of civics education in the United States. "In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the public's need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital," Roberts said in his annual report on behalf of the federal judiciary. FAA probes clusters of mysterious drones flying over Colorado

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into nighttime sightings of unidentified drones flying in formation over rural northeastern Colorado and southwest Nebraska over the last two weeks, the agency said on Tuesday. The cluster of drones, technically known as unmanned aircraft systems, have been spotted in at least four counties in Colorado, garnering national media attention.