Yvette was a senior reporter, covering the Midwest. She earned a bachelors in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, began her reporting career at the storied City News Bureau of Chicago, and joined the Bond Buyer in 1997 leading Midwest coverage from her hometown Chicago.
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CHICAGO — CIFG Assurance North America Inc. on Monday sued Assured Guaranty Corp., charging it with breach of contract violations for reneging on its obligation to cover the policy on $83.3 million of Xenia Iowa Rural Water District bonds as part of its 19-month-old reinsurance agreement.
July 26 -
CHICAGO — CIFG Assurance North America Inc. Monday sued Assured Guaranty Corp., charging it with breach of contract violations for reneging on its obligation to cover the policy on $83.3 million of Xenia Rural Water District bonds as part of its 19-month-old reinsurance agreement.
July 26 -
CHICAGO — Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich after his defense rested its case last week without calling him to the stand.
July 23 -
CHICAGO — The Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois will receive $442 million in long-awaited state bonding proceeds for capital projects, representing the first installment of $2.7 billion of transit funding in the state’s capital budget, Gov. Pat Quinn announced Thursday.
July 22 -
CHICAGO — The managers of the bondholder-owned St. Louis convention center hotel complex presented a more upbeat revenue forecast for the facilities in a financial update last week, according to a new investor notice.
July 21 -
CHICAGO — A Wisconsin Supreme Court decision overturning the state diversion of $200 million from a medical malpractice fund will force a new round of budget cuts, Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration said Tuesday.
July 20 - Wisconsin
Several dozen representatives of Wisconsin municipal and county governments, business and transportation organizations have joined together to push for passage of a constitutional amendment that would ban the diversion of state transportation fund revenue for other purposes.
July 20 -
Moody’s Investors Service has dropped Juneau County’s rating to A2 from A1 due to a weakened general fund and a negative balance in its health services fund. The downgrade affects $12.4 million of outstanding general obligation debt.
July 20 - Missouri
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday signed reform legislation that will require new state employees to contribute to their retirement fund and to work longer before collecting their pensions.
July 20 -
Moody’s Investors Service last week upgraded HealthPartners Inc.’s rating to A3 from Baa1, citing a track record of profitability with improved performance in fiscal 2008 and 2009.
July 20 -
CHICAGO — Lawyers for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his older brother Robert launched their defense Monday against allegations the ex-governor sought to use his official powers to personally profit and build his campaign coffers.
July 19 -
CHICAGO — Even with a water rate increase expected to boost revenues, the Xenia Rural Water District still faces possible insolvency as its revenues can’t keep up with repayment of its $140 million of debt, according to a new Iowa state auditor’s report.
July 16 -
CHICAGO — A federal court ruling that lets the Lac du Flambeau tribe off the hook for repayment of $46.6 million of tribal gaming revenue bonds could harm the municipal market as a whole because the ruling undercuts investor rights in bond indentures and confidence in disclosure, the National Federation of Municipal Analysts warns.
July 15 -
CHICAGO — Illinois and the Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois were able to overcome a steady stream of bad fiscal news as they entered the market this week with deals that drew strong-enough investor interest to keep the risk premium on interest rates down.
July 15 -
MinnesotaCHICAGO — Top-rated Minnesota plans to enter the market twice this summer, beginning early next month with the competitive sale of $865 million of new-money general obligation bonds and then in September with the negotiated sale of between $500 million and $1 billion of refunding GOs.
July 14 -
CHICAGO — New procurement rules aimed at curbing pay to play in contracts awarded by Illinois, its agencies, and its public universities could dampen the flow of creative financing ideas from the public finance community, some market participants believe.
July 13 - Illinois
CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority has expanded conduit powers to issue debt on behalf of nonprofits for projects outside state borders under legislation signed this week by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.
July 13 -
Standard & Poor’s has raised the ratings on 12 school districts and municipalities in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio.
July 13 -
Moody’s Investors Service last week downgraded to Baa3 from Baa2 its underlying rating on Central College’s $23.5 million of outstanding variable-rate bonds from a 2008 issue.
July 13 - Washington
CHICAGO — Washington Treasurer James McIntire last week chided Standard & Poor’s, charging that the rating agency inaccurately reported the funded status of his state’s pension system in a recent national report on looming pension funding and policy challenges facing states.
July 9
