Economy

Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings have downgraded a health care system with hospitals in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, ahead of its $108 million refunding deal.

MBTA Retirement Fund officials defended the secretive practices of the $1.6 billion fund, which manages the retirement accounts of Boston-area transit employees.

President Obama proposed a four-year, $302 billion surface transportation infrastructure construction and repair program.

At the request of a healthcare workers union, California Treasurer Bill Lockyer has asked the state's debt commission to study the disclosures non-profit hospitals make to the bond market.

New York's MTA, rejecting a plea from former chairman Richard Ravitch not to do so, approved $7 million to cover Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll discounts.

A new toll agreement provides $300 million of state financing for a North Texas Tollway Authority project.

An upgrade by S&P to the primary credit of New York's MTA — transportation revenue bonds — was welcome news to authority finance officials.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority in Florida will restart its search for a financial advisor as it embarks on a multi-billion capital program at Orlando International Airport.

Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation is exploring a P3 project to redevelop 11 Amtrak stations along the Harrisburg-to-Philadelphia corridor.

The first segment of a new $5.7 billion rail line extension of the Washington Metrorail system to Dulles International Airport needs more work before it can handle passengers, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said Monday.

The Kansas City, Mo. City council has approved a measure that requires any plan that calls for the demolition and reconstruction of terminals at city-owned airports to go to voters.

A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Missouri received a first time rating of A3 from Moody's Investors Service.

The top two members of the Kenton County Airport Board have resigned amid a special examination into spending practices by Kentucky Auditor Adam Edelen.

The MTA board's finance committee approved a discount for frequent users of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The full board will consider it Wednesday.

Federal Railroad Administration gave California's bullet train authority another 90 days to come up with $180 million of state match for federal spending.

With refunding opportunities fading, municipal bond volume in the Southwest region fell 13% from 2012 to $56 billion in 2013.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved 2014 capital and operating budgets.

Local and national transportation officials gathered in Los Angeles Thursday to sign a grant agreement directing $670 million in federal funds to a $1.4 billion project to connect light rail lines now 1.9 miles apart on the opposite ends of downtown Los Angeles.

A Boulder environmental group has vowed to sue the Colorado Department of Transportation to stop a $490 million public-private project on the main highway to Denver.

Without taxpayer support, the ubersecretive $1.6 billion MBTA retirement fund would go broke between 2024 and 2036, said a report by Boston's Pioneer Institute.