Economy

Standard & Poor's last week revised its outlook to negative from stable on bonds issued by Louisiana's Jefferson Parish Hospital Service District No. 2 issued on behalf of East Jefferson General Hospital.

Standard & Poor's placed the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority's bonds on CreditWatch with negative implications.

For the second time in three months, Standard & Poor's upgraded its long-term rating on the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's bond fund program.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the Bishop International Airport Authority, Mich. to Baa3 from Baa1 citing falling passenger levels and cuts in airline service offerings.

The Indiana Finance Authority finalized its agreement and reached commercial close on a deal with WVB East End Partners to design and build the state's part of the massive bi-state Ohio River Bridges Project.

Chicago has reached a settlement with St. John United Church of Christ that includes a $1.3 million payment for church land that had housed a cemetery moved to make way for a new runway at O'Hare.

The inland Port of San Antonio expects to issue $24 million of bonds after bypassing the debt market in 2012, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Indianapolis will start the new year with a $42 million double-A rated bond deal should put the finishing touch on its massive $754 million public safety net hospital replacement.

A federal ruling will allow the $5.2 billion Honolulu elevated rail transit project to move forward, securing $1.5 billion in federal funding approved on Dec. 20.

Highmark and West Penn Allegheny Health System poached a group of five obstetricians and gynecologists previously affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is considering an anticrash system for its streetcars, but would have to pay around $700 million and take nine years to implement it.

Healthcare bond issuance is expected to continue its increase next year, with an estimated $34 billion, according to a BofA Merrill Lynch report.

The Illinois State Toll Authority board has approved a $1.5 billion budget for the coming year along with $1 billion in toll-backed bonds in the agency's first borrowing to support its 15-year $12 billion capital program.

With expansion of an international toll bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, expected to begin in April, Moody's Investors Service affirmed its Baa1 rating on the system's senior lien revenue bonds.

Aviation in North Carolina contributes about $26 billion to the state's economy, or 6% of the state's gross domestic product, according to a study.

Miami-Dade County commissioners approved a four-year, flexible draw-down bond program up to $675 million, in a private placement with RBC Municipal Products LLC.

Wells Fargo Securities expects not-for-profit hospitals to experience challenging conditions in 2013.

The transportation sector will spend next year looking for opportunities to achieve limited legislative goals, while hoping to stay out of the way of lawmakers who may have to slash funds in ongoing efforts to deal with the debt crisis.

Kansas City, Mo., plans to launch construction of a streetcar system next year using a bond financing plan designed to protect the city's general budget from project shortfalls.

Highmark, Inc. and state lawmakers are pushing the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to step up its review of the West Penn Allegheny Health System affiliation, but the agency wants more details.