Yvette Shields

Holy Cross Hospital and Sinai Health System, both in Illinois, announced the signing of a letter of intent to merge in September.

Chicago has trimmed about $71 million from the projected $369 million gap looming in its 2013 budget that is to be unveiled next month.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education will price $375 million of new-money and refunding adjustable rate student loan program bonds Tuesday.

The Illinois Teachers' Retirement System's adoption of a lower projected rate of return on investments and other assumption changes will hike the state's scheduled payment in the next fiscal year by $470 million.

JPMorgan – the top-ranked senior manager last year -- recently cut four public finance bankers at the executive director level in its New York City and regional offices, market sources said.

A state court ruling overturning portions of Wisconsin's controversial law curtailing collective bargaining rights could negatively impact local governments if it stands, Moody's warned.

An auction is set for next month of the assets of the bond-financed, half-built artificial sweetener plant in Moberly, Missouri that was abandoned by its developer last year.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools' leaders shed little light Wednesday on how the cash-strapped district will afford the estimated $300 million price tag for a new four-year teachers' contract that ended the system's first strike in 25 years.

Lawrence Nines, longtime leader of the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority, is retiring after wrapping up several deals, including bonds for Marquette University and Froedtert Health.

Alleging theft and securities fraud, local and state prosecutors in Missouri and federal regulators took aim Tuesday at the former head of the company that last year abandoned a half-built artificial sweetener plant financed with $39 million of debt backed by the city of Moberly.

A Dane County judge last week struck down portions of Wisconsin's law limiting collective bargaining rights, finding that it violated the rights of union members.

Minnesota last week awarded $25 million in state bond grant funding to help build a new $54 million ballpark in St. Paul's Lowertown for the Saint Paul Saints baseball team.

Voters in Iowa's Johnston School District last week voted down a $51 million bond authorization that would have helped finance a new high school.

Illinois received 94 bids from 18 broker-dealers for $50 million of general obligation paper sold competitively last week.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and local prosecutors announced the filing of criminal charges that includes securities fraud Tuesday against the former chief executive officer of Mamtek US., the company that abandoned a half-built bond-financed plant in Moberly.

Starved for capital funding, the Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois unveiled a $2.5 billion borrowing proposal Friday that relies on projected growth in existing revenue streams and maintenance savings to repay.

Moody's says Chicago Public Schools' already strained balance sheet can ill afford the added burden of its first teachers strike in 25 years with the "magnitude" of the union's demands and disruption negatively pressuring the credit.

Chicago's proposed new use agreement with Midway International Airport's airlines calls for more than $1 billion in capital and maintenance spending over its 15-year term as the city continues to weigh whether to privatize operations.

The Illinois Finance Authority advanced more than $345 million in new-money and refunding issues for healthcare, higher education, and cultural institutions.

The State Iowa Board of Regents will take competitive bids Wednesday on $190 million of bonds that will more than double its healthcare system's debt load as it raises financing for a new children's hospital.