(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) By Jenna Greene Jan 16 (Reuters) - High voltage power lines? Arson? Embers from a minor blaze that smoldered and reignited days later? All of the above? Speculation on what caused the Los Angeles-area fires abounds - as does the related question of who'll pay for the...

WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department's loan office on Thursday announced $22.92 billion in conditional financing for several energy utilities across a dozen states. The financing, if finalized, will come through the energy infrastructure reinvestment program at the department's Loan Programs Office (LPO) created under President Joe Biden's signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act. The program...

* Ban targets U.S.-based partners to block TikTok access * App stores barred from distributing TikTok updates * VPNs and geolocation data complicate user workarounds By Stephen Nellis, Max A. Cherney Jan 16 (Reuters) - Social media app TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, will be banned in the United States on Sunday unless a deal comes together to...

* Pharma seeks changes to Medicare drug price negotiation law * Industry targets PBM rebate practices for reform * Pharma says IRA penalizes development of pills vs biologics By Deena Beasley SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The pharmaceutical industry, grappling with new government limits on drug prices, is focusing its requests for president-elect Donald Trump and Congress on fixing...