Far West

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the ratings on debt issued for the Sky Lakes Medical Center in Oregon to A-minus from BBB-plus.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the rating on Antioch Unified School District based on its weakened financial position.

A new train station in downtown Dallas may be the northern terminal of a 240-mile privately financed high-speed rail line to Houston.

Corporate tax reform is likely to be a priority for Congress and the Obama administration no matter which party has control of the Senate after the midterm elections, said tax experts and congressional observers who, nevertheless, differ on how this might impact municipal bonds.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board announced on Wednesday that it will be offering a free six-week video series to educate municipal securities investors about fundamental disclosure documents.

John Cross will leave as director of the SEC's Office of Municipal Securities next month to succeed Vicky Tsilas as the Treasury Department's associate tax legislative counsel, according to the SEC and sources. Tsilas is rejoining Ballard Spahr in January.

Market participants are concerned that language in the Securities and Exchange Commission's proposal to remove references to credit ratings from its Rule 2a-7 governing money market funds could be too restrictive on what securities MMFs could purchase.

Sanjeev "Sonny" Bhagowalia, the Hawaii governor's chief advisor on Technology and Cyber Security, was named deputy assistant secretary and chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Treasury.

California's state-owned earthquake insurance provider is planning to sell $350 million of taxable bonds next week to help boost its ability to pay claims.

Work will get under way next year on D.C.'s $54 billion, 25-year transportation plan, including a new bridge over the Anacostia River.