News and Information from Bond Buyer

Democrats still want to move President Biden’s five Federal Reserve picks together through the full Senate. But the chamber’s rules will make that tough to accomplish unless Sarah Bloom Raskin can come to terms with GOP lawmakers opposed to her nomination.

Rates could go up faster than they did in 2015 if predictions for the economy hold, minutes from the FOMC said, but the release offered no hints as to whether a 50 basis point liftoff would be considered.

A new report from Merritt Research Services looks at potential post-pandemic problems for big cities that rely on taxes from commercial real estate.

Issuer groups have sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service requesting remote hearings be made permanent in connection with the issuance of private activity bonds as many issuers still grapple with remote working and ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

Tax-exempt advance refundings are unlikely to be included in a FY22 budget, but two bills that would restore the popular tool remain alive.

Graceland drew on reserves to cover the Jan. 1 payment on two bond series and three other series were unable to make their interest payments.

Issuance of ESG bonds is projected to grow 23% this year, while the entire market only expands by 2%, S&P Global Ratings analysts said.

The measure authorizes spending $10.9 billion from past years’ revenues for paying various Plan of Adjustment entities, including nearly $8 billion to pay bondholders and bond insurers.

Municipal bonds' relative value has increased dramatically as rates have risen and credit fundamentals have improved, with municipal-to-Treasury ratios now on par with their five-year averages.

Arent Fox and Schiff Hardin are poised to expand their public finance operations, creating a firm with more than 600 attorneys and public finance practices in four major U.S. cities.

Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson, the grandson and nephew of Chicago mayors, was found guilty of federal charges of making false statement and tax fraud.

Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee skipped its scheduled vote on five Federal Reserve appointees, preventing a quorum. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed concerns raised about nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin, saying she wants the Fed to become an “ideological left-wing activist body” that interferes with private-sector credit decisions.

“It’s important for the economy and the entirety of the American Rescue Plan that we see each county doing what it can for workers," Biden Senior Advisor Gene Sperling told the National Association of Counties.

Stability at the state government level and the prospects of more aid in fiscal 2023 eased balance sheet pressures on Illinois' public universities.

The proposed issuance would refinance some of the New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority’s outstanding bonds.

From fund flows to Fed policy, investing in munis requires a more thoughtful strategy.

A crucial centrist vote among Democrats, the Montana lawmaker and Senate Banking Committee member predicts the full chamber will support Raskin's nomination for vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve Board if she advances out of committee on Tuesday.

Inflation remains under market scrutiny, with Monday’s data suggesting consumers expect price pressures to cool later this year.

Fitch affirmed its BB-minus rating of the Del Mar Race Track Authority. The rating dropped below investment grade after the March 2020 stay-at-home orders.

Their filings in court follow similar arguments they made against teachers' associations last week.