Public finance

While Jacques Jiha cited improved outlooks to stable from Moody's and S&P, skeptics warned of inadequate use of federal aid and lingering outyear budget gaps.

Eli Dvorkin of the Center for an Urban Future suggests how New York City can save millions by improving its capital construction process. He also examines the city's tech growth. Paul Burton hosts. (23 minutes)

Municipals saw little activity on Monday as the market prepped for the bulk of the week's $7B primary calendar arriving Tuesday and Wednesday.

Low interest rates, looming CalPERS amortization changes and pandemic-related budget hits were cited as factors in the record year for California POB deals.

The Senate highway bill proposes a national pilot program for a motor vehicle per-mile user fee.

Oklahoma can cut taxes and boost school funding while expanding Medicaid coverage thanks to healthy revenues.

Strong technicals have been the theme, and with federal aid and better-than-expected tax receipts coming in, issuers are not tapping the market as much as investors would hope.

Illinois won't wait for the Treasury Department to consider its request to add COVID-19-related debt repayment as an eligible use of ARP funds.

In what one critic called a "riverboat gamble," Mayor Jorge Elorza in Rhode Island's capital city seeks $704 million to pump into a severely unfunded system.

Alex Elegudin revealed confidential information to a paratransit vendor during a competitive bidding process, according to Carolyn Pokorny's office.

Analysts are taking the view that muni investors expect higher taxes and are brushing off inflation concerns. U.S. Treasuries are another story.

While its budget does not include debt service, the executive director said she anticipated amending it in the coming fiscal year once the plan of adjustment is finalized.

Reinstatement of tax-exempt advance refunding bonds appears to have the broadest support because of its nearly universal impact on state and local issuers as well as nonprofits.

Bondholders tend to insist projects be well maintained, a potential advantage.

With the heavily traveled Interstate 40 bridge over the Mississippi River closed for repairs, Arkansas and Tennessee are seeking federal aid to cover the cost.

The bulk of $743 billion in improvements needed to alleviate climate risk and aging infrastructure would be borne by the utilities, a rating agency says.

The Investment Company Institute reported another week of inflows, but at a lower clip than recent weeks with $541 million coming into municipal bond mutual funds.

Long-term economic stability is not sustainable, economists say, after federal aid dries up.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., the committee chairman, also called for reviving direct-pay Build America Bonds.

The new-issue market came alive with two high-grade competitive loans and the speculative-grade Pacific territory pricing bonds to strong demand.