Latest news with #MMIP
Business Wire
05-08-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
KBRA Assigns Ratings to Public Finance Authority (Georgia SR 400 Express Lanes Project) $3.4 Billion PABs and SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC's $3.9 Billion TIFIA Loan
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA assigns its BBB+ ratings to the Public Finance Authority's $3.4 billion senior lien toll revenue bonds, series 2025 (Georgia SR 400 Express Lanes Project) (the private activity bonds (PAB)), which support the Georgia SR 400 Express Lanes Project. KBRA also assigns its BBB rating to SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC's $3.9 billion TIFIA loan. The Outlook is Stable. In August 2024, the consortium formed by Meridiam SR-400, LLC, Acciona Concesiones S.L., and ACS Infrastructure Development Inc. (collectively the sponsors) was selected as the preferred bidder to develop the SR 400 express lanes in Atlanta (the project) through SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC (the borrower), a single-purpose vehicle to be wholly owned by the sponsors. The project is part of GDOT's major mobility investment program (MMIP). The dynamically priced express lanes will extend through 16 miles along Georgia state route 400, between the MARTA North Spring Station in Fulton County, and McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County. The project is a key north-south corridor serving the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta metropolitan area, connecting the city to its northern suburbs. The Public Finance Authority is placing $3.4 billion in private activity bonds (PAB) as a conduit issuer and lending the proceeds to the borrower. Concurrently, the borrower is entering into a separate loan agreement with TIFIA for an additional $3.9 billion that will be generally subordinated to the PABs. To access ratings and relevant documents, click here. Click here to view the report. Methodologies Disclosures Further information on key credit considerations, sensitivity analyses that consider what factors can affect these credit ratings and how they could lead to an upgrade or a downgrade, and ESG factors (where they are a key driver behind the change to the credit rating or rating outlook) can be found in the full rating report referenced above. A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA), one of the major credit rating agencies (CRA), is a full-service CRA registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, KBRA is designated as a Designated Rating Organization (DRO) by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized as a Qualified Rating Agency by Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission and is recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider (CRP) in the U.S. Doc ID: 1010680
Business Wire
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Public Finance Authority (Georgia SR 400 Express Lanes Project) $3.6 Billion PABs and SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC's $4 Billion TIFIA Loan
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA assigns its BBB+ preliminary rating to the Public Finance Authority's $3.6 billion senior lien toll revenue bonds, series 2025 (Georgia SR 400 Express Lanes Project) (the private activity bonds (PAB)), which support the Georgia SR 400 Express Lanes Project. KBRA also assigns its BBB preliminary rating to SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC's $4 billion TIFIA loan. The Outlook is Stable. In August 2024, the consortium formed by Meridiam SR-400, LLC, Acciona Concesiones S.L., and ACS Infrastructure Development Inc. (collectively the sponsors) was selected as the preferred bidder to develop the SR 400 express lanes in Atlanta (the project) through SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC (the borrower), a single-purpose vehicle to be wholly owned by the sponsors. The project is part of GDOT's major mobility investment program (MMIP). The dynamically-priced express lanes will extend through 16 miles along Georgia state route 400, between the MARTA North Spring Station in Fulton County, and McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County. The project is a key north-south corridor serving the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta metropolitan area, connecting the city to its northern suburbs. The Public Finance Authority will place approximately $3.6 billion in private activity bonds (PAB) as a conduit issuer and will lend the proceeds to the borrower. Concurrently, the borrower will enter into a separate loan agreement with TIFIA for an additional $4 billion that will be generally subordinated to the PABs. To access ratings and relevant documents, click here. Click here to view the report. Methodologies Disclosures Further information on key credit considerations, sensitivity analyses that consider what factors can affect these credit ratings and how they could lead to an upgrade or a downgrade, and ESG factors (where they are a key driver behind the change to the credit rating or rating outlook) can be found in the full rating report referenced above. A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA), one of the major credit rating agencies (CRA), is a full-service CRA registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, KBRA is designated as a Designated Rating Organization (DRO) by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized as a Qualified Rating Agency by Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission and is recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider (CRP) in the U.S. Doc ID: 1010377
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Native American group leader traveling to AZ to spread awareness on missing indigenous people
The Brief Keely Birdtail, a Cherokee Comanche native, is traveling to Arizona from Indiana. She is spreading awareness on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) PHOENIX - An Indiana woman rode all the way out to eastern Arizona to spread awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. "I left Indiana four weeks ago on a mission to start spreading awareness for MMIW/MMIC/MMIP," said Keely Birdtail. The backstory Birdtail is a Cherokee Comanche native who is originally from Oklahoma. She started a group called Missing One Society, which is a motorcycle group dedicated to helping Indigenous people with missing relatives. Her destination was the San Carlos Apache Reservation, where she met with the family of Emily Pike to discuss her unsolved murder. Birdtail says Emily's murder has reopened the conversation that could help Native tribes across the country. What Birdtail Said "We need to spread the word, and let her be the catalyst of us uniting together as one tribe instead of all these little tribes," said Birdtail. Birdtail says her background as a mentor at Native American juvenile detention centers gave her insight into what teens like Emily are faced with. "I really got to the full aspect of what their lives were like and how they could've quickly went into something like this," Birdtail said. What's next Birdtail says she hopes to start up grief counseling and life coaching for Indigenous youth across the nation, but hopes the bigger message is that solving Emily's murder and other unsolved Indigenous murders will take more than just her. "I'm just a drop in the ocean, like I said before," said Birdtail. "With all of us, we become the ocean. We can do this, we can cause, we can get some justice, we can get some answers, maybe we can get some things done as a group." What you can do The reward in Emily Pike's case has increased to $175,000. If you have any information, you're asked to call the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sacramento Launches Task Force to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous People
( — Sacramento officials have announced the formation of the Sacramento Regional Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Task Force, marking a historic collaboration between local law enforcement and tribal leadership in California. 'Our communities have been calling for attention, awareness, and action for over 20 years, but today is where awareness meets action,' said Wilton Rancheria Chairman Jesus Tarango. The newly established task force will implement protocols for cold case reviews, improve data sharing, and conduct culturally informed investigations. 'Over 84% of American Indian and Alaska native women experience violence in their lifetimes, and they are murdered at 10 times the national average,' the Chairman adds. 'There are more than 4,200 unresolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous people in the U.S., with California ranking fifth in the nation for the most unresolved MMIP cases.' Triple A predicts record-breaking Memorial Day travel Only 9% of cases involving murdered indigenous women in California have been solved, compared to 60% of the non-native population. Local, state, and federal officials emphasized that these are not just statistics—they represent mothers, daughters, sisters, and sons. 'It's an obligation to our ancestors, who have endured unthinkable loss,' the Chairman says. Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho, a key organizer of the task force, underscored its significance: 'It is a promise to every Indigenous child growing up today that their lives will be valued.' Christina Kazhe, Attorney General of Wilton Rancheria, notes how widespread the crisis is. 'You could talk to any person here today, and they know somebody who has gone missing or been murdered.' That's especially true for Wilton Rancheria Tribal Councilwoman Annette Williams, whose niece, Angel Baby, was murdered in 2001. The case remains unsolved more than 20 years later. 'It's been like it was yesterday,' Williams told Fox40. 'We tried everything. We went to the police department, we put out flyers.' Two weeks ago, the family released a documentary highlighting Angel Baby's case. Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said the task force will hit the ground running. 'We're reviewing some old cold cases right now, looking at things and figuring out where we can go — and really work with the tribe to address these issues.' At this time, officials have not disclosed the number of cases under active review. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican legislators call for more solutions to the missing and murdered indigenous people crisis
Rep. Teresa Martinez speaks during a press conference at the Arizona State Capitol Rose Garden on May 20, 2025, to urge action and raise awareness about the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis. Photo by Shondiin Silversmith | Arizona Mirror Two of Arizona's Republican legislators are urging state and federal lawmakers to unite and work on solutions to address the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. Following the recent signing of a bill that will create a Turquoise Alert System for missing Native people, a significant state legislative action, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum. Missing and murdered Indigenous peoples, also known as MMIP, is an ongoing issue within Indigenous communities across the country, with Indigenous peoples at the forefront of efforts to raise awareness about the crisis and to push for action. Rep. Walt Blackman, R-Snowflake, emphasized that their efforts are not just about policy, but about the people, lives, and families who have been deeply affected by the crisis. In some tribal communities, Indigenous women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average, according to the Department of Justice. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In 2017, homicide was reported as the fourth-leading cause of death among Indigenous women and girls between the ages of one and 19 years old and the sixth-leading cause of death for ages 20 to 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a report from the National Institute of Justice, 84% of Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime, compared to 71% of white women. Blackman, who represents a district that borders the Navajo Nation, said he has heard firsthand stories of how communities have been impacted. 'We need our congressional delegation to do a better job of tracking,' he said, adding that the state needs more help coordinating communication among agencies when someone goes missing. Blackman said that will ensure that when an Indigenous person goes missing, it won't take as long to put out an alert. Blackman and Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, held a press conference Tuesday at the Arizona State Capitol Rose Garden to urge action. Martinez sponsored the Turquoise Alert System bill, House Bill 2281, which passed through the House and Senate unanimously. It creates a system that will coordinate alerts for missing Indigenous or endangered persons through the federally authorized Emergency Alert System. The bill passed shortly after the state Senate amended the legislation to include minors who go missing. The change allows the alert system to be activated in cases like Emily Pike's, an Indigenous teen whose disappearance and murder earlier this year was cited by lawmakers as the impetus for the measure. 'We have too much work to do to protect women and children of the state of Arizona,' Martinez said. Martinez represents District 16, which includes the Gila River Indian Community and the Ak-chin Indian Community. She said her granddaughter is part of the Gila River Indian Community, and if she ever went missing, Martinez would turn the world upside down looking for her. ' We have to have that same standard for all our children, regardless of the color of their skin and where they come from,' she said, adding that she is glad that more attention is being paid to the issue so that they can think of ways to find all the missing women. The MMIP crisis has persisted for generations, with many efforts to address this issue in Arizona led by Indigenous women, leaders and their supporters. Legislation has been introduced, rallies held, awareness walks organized, and various efforts have taken place over the years to highlight the ongoing MMIP crisis within Indigenous communities. Arizona is reported to have the third-largest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in the country. That study reported 506 known cases in 71 urban areas across the country, 54 of which were in Arizona, including 31 in Tucson. In 2021, Arizona had the third-largest number of unresolved missing Indigenous people cases in the country, according to NamUs. There are currently 91 missing Indigenous people cases in the NamUs database for Arizona. More than 10,600 Indigenous people were reported missing in the U.S. in 2023, roughly 3,300 of whom were 18 or older, according to the FBI. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reported that more than 23,700 missing persons cases were in the database at the end of 2023, and 255 of those were for Indigenous people. There is still no single database that provides accurate numbers or data related to missing and murdered Indigenous peoples across the country. With no centralized database among the thousands of federal, state and tribal entities, the information available is limited. When looking at the numbers, it's important to note that Indigenous people make up only about 6% of the population in Arizona. There are only three major metropolitan areas in the state that have large Indigenous populations, and each of the 22 tribal nations in Arizona has a large number of people living on the reservation. ' If this happened anywhere else in this state, the alarming numbers that we see, we would be on it,' Blackman said. 'We would have laws written, we'd have green, yellow, blue alerts out, but for whatever reason, this is not being addressed appropriately.' Blackman said that his and Martinez's call for support is not about money or new programs, but rather about strengthening the support of existing programs so they can get involved and help Indigenous communities across the state. Lorena Halwood is the executive director for Amá Dóó Áłchíní Bíghan, a nonprofit based on the Navajo Nation that provides crisis services for victims of violence, including domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault. ADABI is based in Chinle, but Halwood said it serves multiple communities on the Navajo Nation. She has worked with the organization for nearly 30 years, and as one of the few victim services on the Navajo Nation, it gets by with whatever funding it can get. 'Crisis is not going to stop,' she said. The only funding ADABI gets from the start is from the Victims of Crime Act, which was established by the Federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and serves as a major funding source for victim services throughout the country. Halwood said they receive $87,000 through the Victims of Crime Act, covering two staff members, vehicle mileage, and part of their utility payments. She hopes to see more support available for victim services. Halwood advocated for increased state and federal resources for tribal law enforcement and victim services. ' Our presence here is to amplify the call for justice,' she said, and to ensure that the voices of families out there are heard. 'Together we can advocate for real change in our communities,' Halwood added. 'We need everyone's help.' Karen Bedonie from the Navajo Nation said on Tuesday that it's time for Indigenous people to stand up and represent themselves with the help of their state legislators. 'We want to be represented and not misrepresented,' Bedonie said, because often, Indigenous people and their issues are swept under the rug or forgotten. 'We are on the back burner of everything that is happening here,' she said, adding that it took the death of Emily Pike for any action to be taken. Bedonie said her goal is to work with the representatives and push forward so that the Turquoise Alert System makes a difference and does not fade into the wind. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
