News and Information from Bond Buyer

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority adopted a $885.7 million budget for fiscal 2015 and approved the sale of $287 million of bonds June 5.

Moody's Investor Services on June 5 upgraded the California Educational Facilities Authority Pooled College and University Projects 1999B pool rating to Baa1 with a positive outlook.

Health-care cost savings in contracts between New York City and its municipal labor unions should be recurring and "bend the cost curve" by making the system operate more efficiently, said Carol Kellermann, president of the Citizens Budget Commission watchdog organization.

Consumer credit increased by $26.9 billion, or 10.2%, in April to $3.175 trillion, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

Chicago is awaiting word by a Monday deadline for Gov. Pat Quinn to act on legislation approved this spring overhauling two of the city's struggling pension funds.

Cuyahoga County, Ohio Executive Ed FitzGerald, who is running for governor, wants Cleveland's three professional sports teams to earn some of the tax revenue earmarked for the stadiums by winning more games.

Trading on bonds from Puerto Rico's $3.5 billion general obligation deal in March picked-up on Friday as analysts see its economy slowly stabilizing.

New Jersey police unions have sued state government to force it to make planned payments to the pension systems.

A Los Angeles charter school received a junk rating of BB-plus with a stable outlook from Standard & Poor's ahead of a $35 million new money/refunding expected to price in June.

This year's higher taxes played a secondary role as demand for municipal bonds surged after April 15 tax deadline passed, according to analysts.

Macomb County, which is adjacent to Detroit, is considering issue $270 million of long term bonds to cover its retiree health care benefit liability.

Michigan legislation that raises money for Detroit's pensions marks a "lost opportunity" for bondholders and reflects ongoing tensions between bond and pension recoveries in the bankrupt city, Moody's Investors Service said.

New study links increased public corruption to high levels of state expenditures on highways and other construction projects.

City attorneys should be aware of possible conflicts between the issuer they represent and its employees, financial advisors and counsel about whether to self-report that bond documents failed to disclose violations of a continuing disclosure agreement, regulators and lawyers warned Thursday.

Long-term municipal bond yields fell slightly after the May unemployment report showed the unemployment rate held at 6.3%.

Infrastructure in New York City and around the Northeast is crumbling. How to pay to fix it is a question without easy answers.

U.S. inflationary pressures were higher in May, as the U.S. future inflation gauge climbed to 105.2 from the revised March 104.9 reading, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

It's yes to 38 Studios debt and no to Sakonnet River Bridge tolls as Rhode Island House Finance Committee approved a revised $8.7 billion budget.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual Initial Jobless Claims 5/24: 300,000 5/31: 310,000 5/31: 312,000 Continuing Claims 5/17: 2.631M 5/24: 2.630M 5/24: 2.603M