Bonds

The Federal Highway Administration’s long-vacant top spot moved closer to being filled Tuesday after a key Senate panel endorsed former state transportation official Shailen Bhatt for the position. The FHWA administrator position has “been vacant for way too long,” said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, during a committee

Municipals were better to start the week in constructive secondary trading while U.S. Treasuries pared back earlier gains to close the session mixed and equities ended in the red. Triple-A yields fell three to five basis points along the curve while UST were little changed to weaker by a basis point on the short end.

A proposed $2.1 billion development that includes an arena for the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes and municipal bond financing is scheduled for a vote by the Tempe City Council Tuesday evening. If approved, the developer will need to woo residents, who will have the final say on whether it will be built. The mostly

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Monday won final federal approval to launch construction on a global terminal project that is a centerpiece of the airport’s 10-year, $12.1 billion capital plan.   O’Hare is “an absolute powerhouse that in turn makes Chicago and Chicagoland a powerhouse for the American economy,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday when

Hawaii Gov. David Ige released a list of $392 million in capital improvement projects Monday that will be paid for with funding approved by lawmakers earlier this fall. The projects — that will be administered by the appropriate state departments — support priorities Ige said he has advocated for during his eight years as governor.

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders, insurers and the PREPA bond trustee defended their lien on authority revenues in a bankruptcy adversary proceeding. Responding to the Oversight Board’s filing in the lien adversary proceeding, bondholders said their liens extend beyond money in the Sinking Fund and Self-Insurance Fund to revenues generally including future revenues and

Despite a negative return in the latest quarter, New York State’s retirement fund is “built to weather the ups and downs of the markets,” even with an investment environment termed “challenging,” according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The New York State Common Retirement Fund’s estimated value at the end of the second quarter

A non-profit Texas corporation that defaulted on bonds sold to purchase two senior living facilities in Oklahoma aims to sell those assets through its recent bankruptcy filing. Leading Life Senior Living, Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Nov. 18 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, sold $30.275 million of tax-exempt

As revenue projections inch toward pre-pandemic norms, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans on more capital spending heading into new year, according to its recently proposed fiscal 2023 budget. “We are laser-focused on building a future that benefits all users of our facilities and supports the entire region’s economy,” Port Authority

The U.S. higher education sector is pressured by declining enrollment and inflation-adjusted tuition revenue declines, according to Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings. In the current fiscal year median enrollment is expected to decline by 0.4% for private universities and by 1.3% for public ones compared to the preceding fiscal year, said Moody’s Senior Credit

Municipals saw healthy secondary trading on the short-end of the yield curve Wednesday, while U.S. Treasuries saw larger gains out long and equities improved after the Federal Open Market Committee minutes showed an expectation of slowing rate hikes. The improved tone continued Wednesday, with triple-A muni yields falling up to nine basis points on the

Increased activity at Houston airports led S&P Global Ratings to boost certain ratings by a notch as the city eyes debt issuance for the three-airport system in the first quarter of 2023. The rating agency raised the system’s subordinate-lien general airport revenue bond rating to A-plus from A with a stable outlook affecting about $2.2

Municipals were firmer Tuesday on the short end, while U.S. Treasury yields saw larger gains five years and out. Equities closed in the black as the markets digested more Fedspeak. While Federal Reserve members have continued to emphasize the need to continue tightening, comments from San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly indicated a “pause is

S&P Global Ratings raised the rating on Connecticut’s $17.7 billion of general obligation bonds to AA-minus from A-plus. “The upgrade on the state’s GO debt reflects our view of Connecticut’s sustained positive financial results and building of high reserve levels during a recent period of economic and revenue growth,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Thomas Zemetis,

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a teachers’ union appeal of the Puerto Rico plan of adjustment, rejecting the petition for certiorari Monday morning. The plan of adjustment, which went into effect in March, freezes future accruals under the teachers’ defined retirement benefit plan held by those in the plan prior to August 2014

The Bond Buyer announced the recipients of its annual Deal of the Year awards, marking the 21st year it has recognized outstanding achievement in municipal finance. The Bond Buyer has named winners in 10 categories: five awards in our regional areas of coverage, along with five in additional categories. All award winners will be honored

Despite the impact from Hurricane Ian in Florida, the state’s labor force increased by 36,000 in October with Florida’s private sector adding 35,000 of those jobs. This was the 30th straight month that jobs were created in Florida, while private-sector job growth has exceeded the national pace for the past 19 months, the Department of

Evidence shows that the states are collecting and spending more money due to federal action and a tax collection boon, a trend that started two years ago. “Over the past two years total state spending has been heavily impacted by federal COVID-19 aid and rising state tax collections,” said Brian Sigritz, director of State Fiscal

Construction will begin early next year on a public-private partnership to build a $4.2 billion terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport after the team locked in financing and federal environmental approvals this week. “This has been a long and difficult road,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton

Triple Five, owner of the American Dream mall in New Jersey, has struck a deal with a group of creditors led by JP Morgan that grants the developer a four-year extension on overdue construction debt. The agreement has the potential to ease pressure on $1.1 billion of tax-exempt bond debt taken on separately to finance