Southeast

Two ports in Florida and one each in Georgia and South Carolina will see expansion projects expedited thanks to the Obama administration's "We Can't Wait Initiative."

The Bank of New York Mellon says a suit seeking class-action status in Jefferson County's bankruptcy case is "a procedurally improper attempt to pursue frivolous claims."

A panel of 14 Louisiana state legislators is reviewing more than 400 tax exemptions that cost the state between $4 billion and $7 billion a year.

The SEC will be asked to allow federal civil charges to be filed against Miami for failing to disclose serious budget problems in its bond offerings.

Sussex County board member Eric Fly voiced his concern over the process and the plan itself, "The whole process is backwards. VDOT isn't going to give the public any time to voice their opinion prior to submitting their final application to the Federal Highway Administration. They clearly know that the public is against the idea and are therefore trying to jam it through before any public comment.

Five consortiums have said they are interested in bidding on Georgia's nearly $1 billion Northwest Corridor project, the Atlanta-region congestion reliever that once was the state's first public-private partnership.

Louisiana's chain of 10 state hospitals that serve 1.2 million low income and disabled Louisianians are imperiled by a sudden and severe cut in federal funds for the program.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission gave approval Thursday to New Orleans' request for taxable refunding issue of up to $200 million in late August.

On Wednesday South Carolina became the last state to adopt a fiscal year 2013 budget.

The Federal Highway Administration put the brakes on North Carolina's second toll road this week and rescinded its approval of the Monroe Connector/Bypass project for which three tranches of bonds have been sold.