Kyle Glazier

A large majority of the Federal Open Market Committee continues to view 2015 as the appropriate time to tighten monetary policy, and believes GDP growth will be substantially up by then, according to the Fed's latest summary of economic projections released Wednesday.

The National Association of State Treasurers said it is committed to defending existing tax policy on municipal bonds, even though doubts about the status of private activity bonds showed during the group's legislative conference.

Congress will have a chance in coming weeks to consider two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing investment in water infrastructure, including bonds and public-private partnerships.

Bond lawyers should report an issuer's failure to comply with its continuing disclosure agreement, no matter how late, because doing so no longer carries a stigma and "does not hurt the issuer's ability to sell the bonds," panel members said at the National Association of Bond Lawyers Tax and Securities Law Institute here.

Though sequestration prevented two federal regulators from sharing their perspectives, other panelists speaking to bond lawyers in San Francisco predicted more enforcement and whistleblower activity.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is still months away from finalizing its definition of municipal advisor, but is poised to step up muni bond enforcement efforts in general, the head of the SEC's Office of Municipal Securities told bond lawyers meeting here.

Justice Department antitrust prosecutor Rebecca Meiklejohn and Internal Revenue Service agent Michael Okubo gave bond lawyers an indepth look at the investigations and prosecutions of convicted bid riggers, urging them to be more careful about looking for red flags that suggest laws are being violated in bond transactions.

Changes to the tax code capping the tax exemption of municipal bonds would increase borrowing costs for public power providers of all sizes, according to a new report from the American Public Power Association.

Three Standard and Poor's analysts speaking in the wake of federal sequestration cuts said that public power utilities, water and sewer entities, and the transportation sector should all remain fairly stable for the next year despite a number of pressures.

The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act has been touted by many as a crucial funding source for major projects, but most states have never used the program and say it has little value for them.

Two northern Virginian House Democrats have introduced legislation that would authorize the study of an expansion of the Washington Metrorail deeper into the commonwealth.

Sales of merchant wholesalers fell 0.8% to $415.4 billion in January, while inventories rose 1.2% to $504.4 billion, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

Consumer credit climbed $16.1 billion, or 7%, in January to $2.795.3 trillion, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday.

The House approved legislation on Wednesday to fund the government after current authorization expires March 27, over the objections of transportation advocates upset that it would cut millions in highway and transit spending.

The U.S. international trade deficit was $44.4 billion in January, a 16.5% increase from the revised $38.1 billion deficit in December, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Three Senate Democrats wrote to House Speaker John Boehner, urging him to restore transportation funding cut in pending House legislation.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials expressed dismay Monday over a House bill for a continuing resolution to fund the U.S. government.

Moody's Investors Service has given its stamp of approval to Virginia's new transportation funding plan, saying that it is a credit positive for the commonwealth at a time when it is highly exposed to risk from federal cuts.

Construction spending fell 2.1% to a seasonally adjusted estimated annual rate of $883.3 billion in January, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

Personal income fell $505.5 billion or 3.6% in January following an unrevised 2.6% increase in December, the Commerce Department reported Friday.