Special Program Root Tag

The governors of two top Midwest destinations for data centers froze tax breaks for the projects as grassroots opposition groups begin building coalitions.

The AI data center boom will test communities' power, water and infrastructure capacity, requiring public finance professionals to determine who bears the costs and how private investment can produce lasting public benefit.

"It's hard to know whether a decrease in enforcement is a statistical blip or early evidence of [a] meeker, milder FINRA in the current era," said Benjamin Edwards, an associate dean at UNLV law school.

The nearly $18.3 billion fiscal 2027 budget signed by the governor this month provides $1.4 billion in tax cuts over four years.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton explains why constrained state budgets should not be mistaken for broad credit deterioration, pointing to rainy-day funds, revenue diversity, low debt burdens and strong debt-service protections as key stabilizers.

The firm violated MSRB Rules G-47 and G-27, FINRA found

For the first time since 2023, Georgia will bring its general obligation bonds to the municipal bond market, with a $1.57 billion competitive deal.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton breaks down how security selection, sector allocation, curve positioning and carry can generate excess returns in high-yield munis, while warning that weak cash flow, a lack of economic viability, limited liquidity and thin disclosure can quickly undermine value.

Kansas City, Missouri, is weighing $235 million in special obligation bonds to help fund the $1.4 billion expansion of the KC Current's two-year-old stadium.

"I think generally there is an over-emphasis placed on the takedown at the expense of considering the overall cost of the transaction," Nikolai Sklaroff, capital finance director at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, said.

The Texas city's $115 million general obligation bond sale comes as a water supply emergency and potential further negative rating actions loom.