Far West

WASHINGTON - The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors did a turnaround on Wednesday and voted 11 to 1 to approve the construction of an above-ground station for the metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport.

WASHINGTON - Transportation advocates told members of Congress on Wednesday that a healthy tax-exempt bond market, an expansion of the use of private-activity bonds, and the reinstatement of Build America Bonds would help finance much-needed infrastructure improvements.

SAN FRANCISCO - A controversial Alaska public-private partnership toll bridge project has moved a step ahead this month despite years of hurdles.

WASHINGTON - A closely watched appeals court case that could determine whether investors may sue firms over allegedly faulty disclosure for auction-rate securities has pitted the Securities and Exchange Commission against a broker-dealer group.

The failure of lawmakers in Washington to come to grips with a fast-approaching deadline to boost the federal debt ceiling is beginning to affect the municipal bond market.

SAN FRANCISCO - California redevelopment agency proponents have filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court to block laws that would kill or drastically curtail the RDAs to fill a gap in the recently adopted budget.

BRADENTON, Fla. - A $1.1 billion transportation project aimed at alleviating congestion around Atlanta has qualified to apply for a low-interest federal loan as part of the financing plan.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is proposing to reduce the cost of the $3.8 billion metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport by having Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Virginia pay for parking garages and a station with federal assistance.

The Vermont Student Loan Assistance Corp., which has been in discussions with the Internal Revenue Service to settle a tax law dispute over $165 million of auction-rate securities it sold in 1998, disclosed that the IRS is expanding its audit to include more of the issuer’s ARS.

Broker-dealers who are primary distributors of 529 college savings plans would have to disclose information about their total assets, the assets of underlying portfolios, contributions, and withdrawals on a quarterly basis, under a proposal the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board released Tuesday.