Yvette Shields

American Airlines and the trustee on $237 million of revenue bonds issued for the airline's Tulsa maintenance base will ask the bankruptcy court to approve a settlement.

Moody’s Investors Service said last week it expects Missouri cities will maintain their credit quality amid ongoing economic and budgetary challenges due to slow overall growth, weak consumer confidence and persistently above-average unemployment.

Moody’s Investors Service has revised its outlook on the OSF Healthcare System’s A3 rating to positive from stable in recognition of improved operating performance and market share.

Officials from Illinois’ Regional Transportation Authority praised Gov. Pat Quinn’s signing of legislation that requires public disclosure of sales tax agreements between local governments and companies that the RTA and some other governments complain result in lost revenues.

Lured by attractive Treasury rates and the absence of tax-exempt compliance, the Mayo Clinic is accelerating its new-money borrowing plans and opting to go with taxable paper in a $300 million issue pricing as soon as this week.

The Minnesota Legislature is tentatively planning to meet for a special session on Aug. 24 to approve aid for the flood-ravaged Duluth area.

Minnesota's HealthEast Care System won back its investment grade rating last week from Standard & Poor's in recognition of its improving balance sheet.

Illinos Gov. Pat Quinn last week signed legislation extending special taxing districts known as enterprise zones for 25 years.

Chicago may have chipped away at its structural budget gap this year, but fiscal stress looms in the coming years as debt service and pension costs rise along with health care and other personnel costs.

The Iowa Finance Authority might come close to tapping all of its allowance under the 2008 federal Midwestern Disaster Area Bond Program with big deals for Alcoa, Cargill approved and a tentative one for a $1.2 billion fertilizer plant.

Michigan officials on Wednesday took steps to ensure that emergency financial managers remain in place at three school districts and four cities after the election board formally approved putting a measure asking voters to repeal the management law on the November ballot.

Kansas City, Mo., voters overwhelmingly approved a $500 million sewer bond referendum to help pay for projects under a $2.5 billion federal consent decree.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will take retail orders Wednesday and price on Thursday $225 million of revenue bonds in the first installment of a $945 million bond referendum to fund projects under a $4.7 billion consent decree.

The Chicago Board of Education will sell $500 million of general obligation bonds next week for hoping the strong municipal market will cushion the blow of two rating downgrades on its borrowing costs.

The Missouri Development Finance Board has advanced plans to issue $4.1 million of bonds to support Wells Fargo Advisors' $33 million plan to expand its downtown St. Louis campus.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn released an analysis this week warning that the state's rising pension payments will surpass school aid by fiscal 2016 without pension reforms.

Minnesota takes competitive bids Tuesday on $658 million of high-grade general obligation bonds in its annual sale to fund capital projects.

Chicago plans to enter the market Wednesday with the first piece of $1.2 billion of O'Hare International Airport refunding debt in a deal expected to generate double-digit savings while also streamlining the airport's lien structure. The city will sell $769 million of GARBs Wednesday and follow up later in the month with $443 million of PFCs.

The Chicago Infrastructure Trust formally set up shop Thursday as Mayor Rahm Emanuel's looks to the new not-for-profit to serve as an alternative financing vehicle to leverage private investment for special capital projects.

Kansas City, Missouri voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide a $500 million sewer bond authorization to finance projects required under a $2.5 billion federal consent decree.