Bonds

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin released an audit Wednesday showing the city has failed to keep its legally binding promise to repair its 9,000 miles of sidewalks. A legal settlement finalized in 2016 requires the city to spend $1.37 billion over 30 years to address broken sidewalks, inaccessible curb ramps and other access barriers

COVID-19 stimulus spending caused 2021 state expenditure estimates to sky-rocket to the highest level in 35 years. That was according to the Fiscal 2019-2021 State Expenditure Report released by the National Association of State Budget Officers Friday. Total state spending reached $2.65 trillion in fiscal year 2021, a jump from the $2.28 trillion observed in

A federal request for a 10- to 15-week pause in the Puerto Rico Plan of Adjustment confirmation process as well as the related constitutional challenge to the underlying bankruptcy law may threaten the Puerto Rico debt deal. Five attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justice, led by Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, asked Puerto

The Securities and Exchange Commission Friday censured a McKinsey & Co. affiliate and ordered it to pay $18 million to settle allegations that MIO Partners had access to material nonpublic information about issuers, including Puerto Rico, while it was overseeing investments that included the issuers’ securities. Active partners at McKinsey acting as restructuring consultants for

Municipals were stronger Friday on the back of the U.S. Treasury rally amid concerns of rising COVID-19 outbreaks in Europe. Triple-A benchmarks were bumped by one to three basis points beginning around the five-year mark with the larger moves out longer, but the asset class underperformed the five- to six-basis point moves in UST. Ratios

During a contentious meeting of the Louisiana Bond Commission Thursday, J.P. Morgan Chase was disqualified from underwriting a $700 million bond refinancing due to unanswered questions about its gun policies. State Treasurer John Schroder and his staff announced the decision to recommend that Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking underwrite the deal after he said

In a briefing Thursday on state and local finances, industry and local leaders agreed that climate change presents both possibilities and challenges for the municipal market. “One of the themes that we really try to hammer home with our clients…and stakeholders…is that the municipal market is on the frontlines of climate change,” said Timothy Coffin,

Teachers’ and judges’ unions and organizations argued Wednesday with the Puerto Rico Oversight Board about how the bankruptcy court must interpret a local law on pensions, with the outcome likely to determine the viability of the proposed Plan of Adjustment. The teachers and judges, through their attorneys, said Act 53 bars the board, if it

Chicago launched a tender/exchange offer to holders of $4.3 billion of general obligation and motor fuel tax-backed bonds as part of a long planned $1.25 billion refinancing set for next month to help balance its 2021 and 2022 budgets. The city will refund various GO, motor fuel, and Sales Tax Securitization Corp. debt in the

Municipals faced some pressure Tuesday on another day of a weaker U.S. Treasury market while equities made gains. A large new-issue calendar began pricing, with a few deals bumped off the day-to-day calendar. Triple-A benchmarks saw cuts of one to two basis points. Ratios held in a range Tuesday. Municipal-to-Treasury ratios were at 49% in

S&P Global Ratings Monday upgraded airport revenue bonds issued for Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, to A-plus from A. The outlook is stable on the bonds Palm Beach County issued for the airport, which is in West Palm Beach. S&P said the upgrade reflected the airport’s financial resiliency during periods of lower activity and a

President Joe Biden Monday signed into law a $1.1 trillion infrastructure package that will infuse billions into state and local governments. “We’re taking a monumental step forward to build back better as a nation,” said Biden at a White House ceremony attended by lawmakers, governors, mayors and others. “Things are going to turn around in

As environmental, social and governance factors have become more important to investors in the municipal market, more market participants are jumping into the space to provide ESG data and analytics. Intercontinental Exchange this week expanded its reference data coverage to now include two million fixed-income instruments, including municipals, in an effort to provide greater transparency

Municipal market lobbyists are pushing for the restoration of tax-exempt advance refunding in the Senate version of Build Back Better, arguing that the loss of the financing tool has cost issuers more than $10 billion. “There is definitely support on the Senate Finance Committee for [tax-exempt] advance refunding,” said Emily Brock, director of the federal

A federal judge in Michigan signed off on a $626.25 million settlement that resolves litigation over the state’s role in the Flint water contamination crisis, closing one chapter of the debacle as legal cases proceed on other tracks against former state officials and bond underwriters. The state sold $603 million of taxable bonds in June

A registered general securities representative has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle Financial Industry Regulatory Authority charges that he violated the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s fair dealing rule when he provided incorrect and misleading account reports to a customer. Antoine Nabih Souma agreed to pay the fine and be subject to a two-month suspension from