Midwest

BRADENTON, Fla. — A plan to cut $500 million of costs from the $4.1 billion Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project has triggered the need for additional federal environmental studies.

CHICAGO — Michigan would give emergency financial managers who are appointed to take over local governments the authority to terminate labor contracts under a proposed overhaul of the state’s main law for dealing with fiscally stressed credits.

CHICAGO — Detroit Public Schools’ emergency financial manager Robert Bobb is pushing Michigan lawmakers to enact a bill that would insulate a chunk of the district’s debt from bankruptcy to address concerns by the debt’s bond insurer.

CHICAGO — Michigan would issue nearly $4 billion of tax-exempt bonds to pay off a $3.7 billion obligation to the federal government for unemployment insurance under a proposal being considered by state Treasurer Andy Dillon.

CHICAGO — The Michigan treasurer this week will launch a new training program for would-be municipal emergency financial managers as the state braces for a rise in the number of fiscally stressed local governments.

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on Thursday questioned the sincerity of American Airlines and United Airlines' willingness to meet with him in an attempt to resolve differences over the timing and financing of $3.36 billion worth of expansion projects at O'Hare International Airport.

CHICAGO — In his inaugural state of the state address, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker vowed to eliminate a budget deficit of more than $3 billion in the next biennium without “short-term fixes” like borrowing. He also called on state employees to shoulder a greater share of their pension and health care costs.

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will meet with executives at American Airlines and United Airlines Thursday as a legal standoff over $3.36 billion worth of expansion projects at O’Hare International Airport drags on.

CHICAGO — New Cook County, Ill., Commission President Toni Preckwinkle unveiled her first budget Tuesday, a $3 billion spending plan for fiscal 2011 that she said would restore fiscal stability to the nation’s second-largest county.

CHICAGO — The University of Minnesota enters the market Tuesday with $388 million of general obligation bonds to raise funds for various projects and reduce its floating-rate exposure by refunding debt.