Northeast

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joseph Lhota deflected speculation about his viability as a mayoral candidate after leading the MTA through Hurricane Sandy.

New York’s tax collections through October continued to fall below expectations, according to a cash report released by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

Moody’s Investors Service placed the Aa2 long-term bond ratings of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, under review for possible downgrade.

Standard & Poor’s raised its general obligation bond rating of Lynn, Mass. to A from A-minus.

Fitch Ratings affirmed its BBB rating on Peninsula United Methodist Homes Inc., and upgraded the outlook to positive from stable.

New York City Comptroller John Liu called for "green apple" bonds to rid public school light fixtures of PCBs by 2015; he said the city would save $339 million.

West Penn Allegheny Health System revealed that the Securities and Exchange Commission may sue it over accounting discrepancies.

Distressed Scranton, Pa.'s proposed $110 million budget represents a 29% increase, and comes as a county court is set to rule on whether it can impose a commuter tax.

In the week's largest deal, the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund will sell $1.2 billion of bonds to finance various transportation projects in the state.

Connecticut's Office of Policy and Management has announced $170 million in cuts, amounting to half its estimated shortfall for the current fiscal year.