In a wide-ranging conversation, Manulife Investment Management Global Chief Economist & Global Head of Macroeconomic Strategy Frances Donald discusses the COVID pandemic, inflation, how the markets may be misreading the Fed, why economic indicators may not be telling economists what they need to know, ESG and green spending, and the economy. Gary Siegel hosts. (35 minutes)

Jonathan Bowles of Center for an Urban Future explores how New York City could benefit from a green public works program. He also calls for unlocking the potential of CUNY and improving the city's capital construction process. Paul Burton hosts (17 minutes).

Leveraging technology for the creation and distribution of both companies’ products while also providing transparency and educational tools for financial advisors, institutions and issuers, is key to the merger.

From ESG to infrastructure, regulation to legislation, SIFMA's President and CEO Ken Bentsen and Managing Director and Associate General Counsel Leslie Norwood discuss what SIFMA members are prioritizing on Wall Street and in Washington when it comes to munis. Lynne Funk and Kyle Glazier host. (34 minutes)

KBRA said the development, weighting, and ranking of the key factors in ESG scores are endeavors best left to investors rather than to rating agency credit analysts.

Michelle Getz was named a partner of the Equitable Facilities Fund.

Climate change should be the focus for investors and issuers in 2021 as the need for addressing the problems it causes is more pressing than ever. Sean Kidney, CEO of Climate Bonds Initiative, lays out the case. Lynne Funk hosts. (35 minutes).

S&P Global Ratings raised Detroit's outlook to stable from negative on a BB-minus rating; Moody's affirmed the city at Ba3 with a positive outlook.

This would be the Government Finance Officers Association's first best practice document on ESG.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez talks with Chip Barnett of The Bond Buyer about what makes the Magic City so appealing to companies and investors alike right now. He discusses the attractiveness of its business climate, the city’s financial strengths, efforts to fight climate change and the diversity and resilience of its residents. (7 minutes)

The Muni New Issue Upload Form was created to expand access to additional deal participants and streamline the submission process for the forward calendar.

S&P said the upgrade reflected the stability and resiliency of pledge revenues while it also looked closely at environmental, social and governance factors.

From the Centennials to the COVID generation, the municipal market's demographics will change dramatically in the next decade as will the way investors view investing in munis.

Paul Herman and Adam Mason of HIP Investor examine environmental, social and governance risks, ratings disconnects, transparency needs and HIP's deep dive into hospital systems. Paul Burton hosts. Recorded Dec. 14. (25 minutes).

The $125 million deal from the Colorado Housing Finance Authority carries a third-party social bond opinion from Kestrel Verifiers.

This was the inaugural issuance under the “No Place Like Home” program, the first large municipal bond program created to invest in homeless housing infrastructure and secured directly by taxes on high-income residents.

California overcame a legal challenge to use bond authority to provide housing for homeless people suffering from mental illness.

The Bond Buyer chose the Ford Foundation’s $1 billion sale of taxable social bonds as the Deal of the Year winner in the Environmental, Social and Governance/Green financing category.

Ma says the group is committed to developing a more inclusive economy and society

It is unclear how or if the merger will affect IHS Markit's current work in the municipal space, but the firm had already been expanding its reach on a global scale.