News and Information from Bond Buyer

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced settlement of an investigation of anticompetitive activities involving underwriting fees paid by municipal utility districts in the Houston area.

The transfer of the Detroit Water and Sewer Department into a new regional authority advanced last week when the Wayne County board of commissioners approved the deal.

Fitch plans to investigate how the comptroller for Florida State University's Boosters allegedly stole as much as $700,000.

The deadline for The Bond Buyer's 13th Annual Deal of the Year Awards has been extended.

A Chamber-led advocacy group is buying billboards and ads in 33 congressional districts urging Congress to fix the Highway Trust Fund.

Muni managers and analysts say the absence of retail participation in the muni market has been palpable and that the net negative supply, historical low municipal to Treasury ratios, narrow spreads, and headline risk are contributing to the pull back.

The bankruptcy of the private operator who runs the Indiana Toll Road is not expected to affect the triple-A rated state’s credit, Moody's Investors Service said Friday.

S&P raised its ratings to A from A-minus on Southwest Florida International Airport bonds based on improving passenger loads and financials.

Arkansas' budget shortfall grew in September as revenues fell nearly $10 million below the official fiscal year forecast.

San Bernardino experienced another setback in its bankruptcy when the police union's president announced that a breakdown has occurred in a tentative agreement with the city.

Kansas revenues are running 1.7% below projections in the first three months of the fiscal year after falling 4% below budget in September, officials said.

Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's say the recent ruling in Stockton, Calif.'s bankruptcy case does not have significant credit implications for Stockton and other distressed municipalities.

Against declining inflows, primary volume will increase slightly for the week of October 6th, according to data provided by The Bond Buyer.

The Internal Revenue Service is calling for applications and nominations to fill two upcoming vacancies on the tax-exempt bonds subcommittee of the Advisory Committee on Tax-Exempt and Government Entities.

An eventful week will draw to a close on Friday, with light primary and secondary activity expected.

Housing policies have reached turning points in New York City and Philadelphia, but for different reasons — New York has an affordability problem, while Philadelphia has a quality problem, some experts say.

The U.S. services sector expanded at a slower pace in September as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 58.6 in the month, compared to 59.6 in August, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Friday.

U.S. inflationary pressures were lower in August, as the U.S. future inflation gauge fell to 105.0 from a downwardly revised August 105.9 reading, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual Initial Jobless Claims 9/13: 295,000 9/20: 298,000 9/20: 287,000 Continuing Claims 9/6: 2.443M 9/13: n/a 9/13: 2.398M Factory Orders July: +10.5% Aug.: -9.3% Aug.: -10.1%

Oct. 3, 2014 Far West: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Alaska Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.13 1.16 2.13 3.04 California A1/A/A+ 0.17 1.24 2.37 3.4 Hawaii Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.14 1.24 2.29 3.24 Idaho Aa1/AA+/NR 0.13 1.26 2.32 3.26 Montana Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.13 1.24 2.32 3.26 Nevada Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.16 1.26 2.32 3.29 Oregon Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.13 1.17 2.21 3.13 Washington Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.14 1.24 2.28 3.24 Wyoming NR/AAA/NR 0.13 1.24 2.22 3.14