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LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Thames Water has become the poster child for a British water industry under fire for its poor environmental record and financial mismanagement. After a period as a listed company, Thames Water was acquired by German utility RWE (RWEG.DE) in 2001. Thames Water said on Monday they would provide 750 million pounds, and added it had strong liquidity of 4.4 billion pounds. FINANCESNearly 60% of Thames Water's debt is index-linked, according to ratings agency Standard & Poor's, saddling it with higher repayments as inflation soars. Thames Water was fined 3.3 million pounds last week, while Southern Water was fined 90 million pounds in 2021.

Persons: Margaret Thatcher's, Australia's Macquarie, Abu, Hermes, Ofwat, Sarah Young, Chiara Elisei, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Margaret Thatcher's Conservative, Water, Thames, Ontario, BT, China Investment Corp, Thames Water, Macquarie, Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent, United Utilities, The Times, Environment Agency, Southern Water, Thomson Locations: Britain, Here's, Abu Dhabi, Thames, Southern Water, United, England

☆ UK's Hunt to detail plans to steer pensions into growth investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt will spell out on Monday long-awaited plans to encourage pension funds and other asset managers to invest in high-growth sectors, the Treasury said on Sunday. But the pensions industry has said it opposes mandatory investment quotas. Financial services lobby group TheCityUK said government policy should aim for pension funds to invest in growth and in turn deliver higher returns. "On average, Australian and Canadian pension funds currently provide better performance. Hunt was also expected to reiterate that bringing down high inflation remained his priority, saying there could be "no sustainable growth without first eliminating the inflation that deters investment and erodes consumer confidence".

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, TheCityUK, Muvija, William Schomberg, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Treasury, Reuters, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: British, London's

☆ Thames Water: Why Britain's water industry is struggling with sewage spills, huge leaks and crushing debts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The UK water sector is “clearly in a state of multiple crises,” said Dieter Helm, a professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford. Thames Water in troubleThe industry’s long-running problems have been thrust into the spotlight by a looming cash crunch at Thames Water, which serves 15 million people in London and the southeast of England. An aerial view of a Thames Water sewage treatment works in west London. A screen displays real-time notifications of sewage leaks into waterways in the region controlled by Thames Water in January 2023. Will Thames Water be nationalized?

Persons: ”, Dieter Helm, “, ” Helm, Ofwat, Abu Dhabi, David Black, Ben Stansall, Iain Coucher, they’ve, ” Black, Margaret Thatcher’s, David Hall, Leon Neal, ” Hall, Sarah Bentley “, Maureen McLean, Helm Organizations: London CNN —, University of Oxford, CNN, Thames, Getty, Yorkshire Water, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative, Public Services International Research Unit, University of Greenwich, Thames Water, Ontario, BBC Locations: England, Wales, London, China, Abu, AFP, Yorkshire, Windsor, UK

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Unsure which way the cookie crumbles from here - investors are being tempted to drop the bond. The broadest measures of government and corporate bonds have just stuck in mud. Two-year government bond yields are soaring. With June U.S. jobs growth going up yet another gear, U.S. Treasury yields hit 16-year highs above 5%, German equivalents hit their highest in 15 years and British gilt yields scaled 2008 peaks. For all but longer-term pension and insurance funds or banks, bonds may be neither fish nor fowl for a while to come.

Persons: hasn't, Stocks, midyear underperformance, Mike Dolan, Josie Kao Organizations: Global, Bloomberg U.S, Treasury, Bank of, JPMorgan, Europe, Reuters, Twitter, Thomson

☆ BP in talks over insurance deal for pension scheme, Financial Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Bp Plc FollowJuly 7 (Reuters) - Energy giant BP (BP.L) is in talks with insurers over a so-called buy-in deal for its 30 billion pound ($38.30 billion) pension scheme, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Such options include long-term insurance policies," BP Pension Fund Trustee said in an emailed statement. Companies have been trying to offload pension schemes from their balance sheets in recent years as they are expensive to run, while bulk annuity deals have provided a growing source of income for insurers. In February, Pension Insurance Corporation agreed to a pensions buy-in deal totalling around 6.5 billion pounds with insurer RSA Group, covering the pensions of 40,000 members, in the largest ever bulk annuity deal of the kind. That buy-in involved the insurer taking on the risk of the pension scheme's liabilities.

Persons: Yadarisa, Shinjini Organizations: Bp, Energy, BP, Financial Times, BP's, Fund, Pension Insurance Corporation, RSA Group, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, Shadia, London

Lawyers for Dimon, the bank's chief executive, and Staley, a former private banking and investment banking chief, urged a dismissal in filings late Thursday in Manhattan federal court. Lawyers for Dimon and the directors said there was no showing that either knowingly ignored red flags about Epstein, or that Dimon was involved in keeping Epstein as a client. The so-called derivative lawsuit seeks to have the defendants or their insurers pay damages to JPMorgan, benefiting shareholders. It is also defending against a lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring private islands. Staley has expressed regret for his friendship with Epstein and denied knowing about his sex trafficking.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, Jes Staley, Jeffrey Epstein, Staley, Epstein, Dimon, Jonathan Stempel, David Holmes Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan Chase's, Dimon, JPMorgan, Lawyers, U.S ., Barclays, Miami General Employees & Sanitation Employees, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Miami, Pittsburgh, U.S . Virgin Islands, New York, U.S, Southern District, Southern District of New York

☆ Lazard, facing a dealmaking drought, is on a mission to boost its money management business. It won't be easy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The group extends guidance on geopolitical matters to clients as well as colleagues, like the asset management arm's sprawling salesforce. The firm is making a series of changes to ramp up its asset management business. Lazard has had an asset management business for decades, but it's a business that's finding new relevance on Wall Street. Incoming Lazard CEO Peter Orszag, pictured here in May, has made improving the asset management business a priority. "When it comes to the asset management business, the picture is probably more blurry," said Richard Bruyère, managing partner of the Paris-based asset management advisory firm Indefi.

Persons: Lazard, Evan Russo, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Peter Orszag, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, it's, Russo, Orszag, Ray McGuire, Jennifer Ryan, Goldman Sachs, Brennan Hawken, Richard Bruyère, Bruyère, Ryan, Hartley, Morgan Stanley, Janus Henderson, Ashmore, Devin Ryan, AllianceBernstein, Larry Cohen, " Russo, Peter Organizations: Lazard, BlackRock, Citi, New York, North, Incoming Lazard, REUTERS, UBS, Investors, Firms, Virtus, Liontrust, Bank's JMP Securities Locations: Russia, New York, Washington, North America, Paris, Taft, Asia

☆ European software startup investor Notion Capital has raised $327 million for fifth and largest fund to date
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

London-based Notion Capital has raised its fifth and largest fund to date. The software-as-a-service investor has brought in $327 million from new and existing LPs. Notion has backed companies like fintech unicorn GoCardless and Currencycloud. London-based investor Notion Capital has raised 300 million euros (around $327 million) for its fifth fund. The fund focuses on software-as-a-service and fintech companies in the UK and Europe with its latest fund domiciled in Luxembourg and denominated in euros.

Persons: GoCardless, Stephen Chandler, we're, didn't, Chandler, Itxaso del Palacio, Stephanie Opdam, Kamil Mieczakowski Organizations: BlackRock, Visa, Tiger Global, Patient Capital, Novo Holdings, Cortes Capital, KfW, Itxaso Locations: Currencycloud, London, Europe, Luxembourg, Shelby County Tennessee, Upvest, Germany

☆ The dead IPO market is dragging down VCs' ability to raise new funds with returns tied up in startups overdue an exit, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The lack of liquidity is making it even more difficult for VCs to raise new funds, analysts said. PitchBook's Nalin Patel said LP money could become trapped in companies that were "overdue an exit." Venture capital-backed exits have continued to collapse in 2023, piling pressure on general partners already facing a torrid time trying to raise funds from institutional investors. This represented a 40% decline on the $161.4 billion worth of exits posted during the same period last year. In a performing exit market growth stage companies like fintech giant Stripe, buy now, pay later firm Klarna, and software firm Databricks may all have already gone public.

Persons: PitchBook's Nalin Patel, Wise, Klarna, Kyle Stanford, Nalin Patel, Stanford Organizations: Venture, PitchBook's EMEA, Global, Companies Locations: Deliveroo, PitchBook's

The research arm of BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, shifted its view on Japanese equities to neutral from underweight. "We are looking for more evidence of corporate reform to support the enthusiasm for its equity markets that has gripped foreign investors so far this year," wrote analysts at BlackRock Investment Institute, in its mid-year outlook report last week. "It's not the case that we've already seen the completion of offshore investors' quite aggressive investment in Japan equity markets," said Nomura's chief equity strategist for Japan, Yunosuke Ikeda. "Now, a lot of asset owners have decided just not to invest in China any more, and that's made Japan the top dog in Asia." Many analysts and investors, though, consider the declines a healthy and necessary retracement before the next leg higher, with 35,000 often touted as a target for this year as slower-moving foreign investors start to buy in size.

Persons: Nomura, It's, Yunosuke Ikeda, Archie Ciganer, Rowe Price, Ciganer, that's, Warren Buffett, Vikas Pershad, Kevin Buckland, Ankur Banerjee, Junko Fujita, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Nikkei, BlackRock Investment Institute, Nomura Securities, Graphics, G Investments, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, BlackRock, China, Asia, Tokyo, Singapore

SYDNEY, July 4 (Reuters) - Australia's fourth largest pension fund suspended new work with PwC Australia on Tuesday, the latest in a string of funds to pause work with the accounting firm over a scandal which first surfaced in January over the misuse of government tax plans. The decision by UniSuper, which manages A$115 billion ($77 billion), means five of Australia's largest pension funds, managing a total of some A$865 billion, have paused work with PwC, which says it is a "leading adviser" to the sector. UniSuper said it was concerned by recent events at PwC and the fund had suspended new contracts for the "immediate future". PwC, which was UniSuper's internal auditor according to the fund's 2022 annual report, declined to comment. ($1 = 1.4972 Australian dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: UniSuper, Lewis Jackson, Alexander Smith Organizations: SYDNEY, PwC Australia, UniSuper, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: PwC

☆ The pain is just starting for commercial real estate - and plunging prices could reignite the banking crisis and choke the US economy, Columbia professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Columbia professor has issued a bleak outlook for commercial real estate in the US. Office values are plunging and threaten to cause an "urban doom loop," Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh said. If cities become more expensive and less appealing, people are likely to move out, cutting real estate values even more and causing a downward spiral, he said. Pension funds, real estate investment trusts (REITS), and other entities have invested significant sums in CRE, and the office segment specifically. "I do worry that there is potential for a spillover here, that we haven't seen the end of the banking crisis yet," Van Nieuwerburgh said.

Persons: Van Nieuwerburgh, —, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh Organizations: Service, Columbia Business School, Bank, Signature Bank Locations: Columbia, CRE, Silicon

☆ Credit Suisse investor group joins claim seeking better UBS takeover price
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ZURICH, July 4 (Reuters) - A Swiss proxy adviser representing some former Credit Suisse shareholders has backed a class-action lawsuit seeking a better price from UBS (UBSG.S) for its takeover of its cross-town rival, it said on Tuesday. Under the deal, sealed last month, Credit Suisse shareholders were offered one UBS share for 22.48 Credit Suisse shares, valuing the stricken bank at 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.35 billion). Just 48 hours before deal was struck, Credit Suisse was worth 7 billion francs, Ethos said. If successful, all Credit Suisse shareholders would benefit from the new exchange ratio, it said. Ethos has previously raised concerns about how the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS was carried out, particularly that the deal was forced through without consulting shareholders.

Persons: Vincent Kaufmann, LegalPass, FINMA, Kaufmann, Alexandre Osti, John Revill, Conor Humphries Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, Ethos Foundation, Credit, Suisse, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Swiss, Lausanne, Zurich, LegalPass

☆ Sri Lanka parliament approves domestic debt restructuring plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COLOMBO, July 1 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's parliament approved a domestic debt restructuring plan on Saturday that is crucial to continue a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). To put its debt on a sustainable footing and pass an IMF review, Sri Lanka unveiled a much-anticipated domestic debt restructuring framework last Thursday that seeks to rework part of the island nation's $42 billion domestic debt. "This debt restructuring plan is essential for Sri Lanka to meet the target set by the IMF agreement to reduce debt from the current 128% of GDP to 95% of GDP by 2023," State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe told parliament. Implementing the domestic debt plan is also crucial to push forward negotiations with bondholders and key bilateral creditors China, Japan and India. Sri Lanka aims to finalise debt restructuring talks by September.

Persons: Finance Shehan Semasinghe, Sajith Premadasa, Shivangi Acharya, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Sri, Finance, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, India, New Delhi

☆ The next revolution in monetary policy is underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Monetary policy, Milton Friedman said, acts on the economy with long and variable lags. Monetary policy regimes evolve in response to the changing nature of prevailing economic challenges – though this also takes time. The next revolution in monetary policy may be brewing. One question Gopinath did not address is how the financial system came to dominate monetary policy. When contractions hit, however, central banks eased monetary policy and governments loosened their purse strings, just as before.

Persons: Milton Friedman, Gita Gopinath, Gopinath, ’, “, Peter Thal Larsen, Pranav Kiran, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Bank for International, IMF, Central, SVB, Signature Bank, Credit Suisse, Fed Funds, BIS, Thomson Locations: Portuguese, Sintra, Korean, United States, Europe, Central, England, London, U.S, China, Ukraine, “

☆ Analysis: Dutch pension fund reform spells investment rethink
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The idea is that pension funds will allocate more risk to younger cohorts and less to those nearer retirement. The new rules also mean pension funds can be less strict in protecting against swings in interest rates and exchange rates using derivatives like swaps. Commerzbank expects a "seismic" change to the market, where Dutch pension funds are key players. Pension funds are surveying their members to understand how much risk different age groups are willing to take. Ultimately, interest rates determine how much risk pension funds need to take to generate future payments.

Persons: Eva Plevier, Wim Barentsen, Frank Vinke, Vinke, Jaap Teerhuis, Commerzbank, Onno Steenbeek, PGGM's Vinke, Achmea's, Gerard Moerman, Yoruk Bahceli, Dhara Ranasinghe, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, ABN AMRO, European, Achmea Investment Management, European Central Bank, Asset Management, Reuters Graphics, Aegon Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM

The deal would provide holders of AMC common stock with shares worth an estimated $129 million to resolve allegations the company rigged a shareholder vote against them. More than 2,800 people objected to the settlement, which requires approval by Delaware Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn to move forward. Rose Izzo, a Delaware resident who first invested in AMC in 2021, objected to the deal. The company's answer was to create preferred stock, which has traded at a steep discount to AMC's common stock. In February, AMC proposed a vote that would allow it to convert preferred stock to common stock and issue hundreds of millions of new shares.

Persons: Chancellor Morgan Zurn, Rose Izzo, Theodore Kittila, Mark Lebovitch, Lebovitch, Jody Godoy, Matthew Lewis Organizations: AMC Entertainment Holdings, AMC, Delaware, GameStop, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, Thomson Locations: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York

☆ UK water meltdown resurrects bank crisis dilemmas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The government may take over heavily indebted Thames Water, a hapless privately held utility unable to fund capital needs that may stretch to 10 billion pounds. Under Macquarie’s (MQG.AX) ownership, which lasted from 2006 to 2016, Thames’ debt rose to over 80% of RCV. They’re issued through a vehicle called Thames Water Utilities Finance. Thames Water CEO Sarah Bentley resigned abruptly on June 27. Thames shareholders, led by Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, committed in 2022 to provide 1.5 billion pounds of extra funds.

Persons: Ofwat, Rishi Sunak, Gordon Brown, Kemble, They’re, Sarah Bentley, “, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Royal Bank of Scotland, Thames, Ontario, Thames ’, Guardian, UK, RBS, Investors, Water Utilities Finance, Yorkshire Water, SES Water, Sky News, Thames Water, Thomson Locations: –, Thames, Yorkshire, Britain’s

☆ Family offices are backing AI, even as rich Americans are skeptical of the hype
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Billionaires like Google's Eric Schmidt are betting big on AI through their family offices. Insider talked to family office insiders to learn how to find real deals amid the hype cycle. So many startups are claiming to use AI that family offices are wary of "AI washing" when considering direct venture deals, according to Karl Rogers, chief investment officer at Irish family office Elkstone. But they are still circumspect, he said, as family offices typically prioritize long-term wealth preservation over aggressive growth. "Hype cycles tend to imply immediate returns, which is contrary to how family offices usually think," said Hsu, whose fund counts the Pritzker family as investors.

Persons: Eric Schmidt, Stanley Druckenmiller, ChatGPT, Karl Rogers, Rogers, Paul Hsu, Hsu, Pritzker, They've, Jon Dutton, Dutton, Anthony Manna, he's, I've Organizations: Nvidia, Google, Mistral, Fidelity, M7 Holdings, Bloomfield Robotics

☆ Sri Lanka targets 30% haircut for international, domestic dollar bonds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The government also aims to rework its foreign debt with bondholders and bilateral creditors including China, Japan and India. Under the domestic debt revamp, holders of locally issued dollar-denominated bonds, such as Sri Lanka Development Bonds (SLDBs), will be given three options, Weerasinghe said. "We are asking foreign debt holders for a 30% haircut but that is still under discussion," Weerasinghe said. "Sri Lanka is under enormous pressure to restructure as quickly as possible and get its economy back on track, they need funds to import a lot of goods to reinvigorate their key tourism industry," Lutz Roehmeyer, fund manager at Capitulum Asset Management, who holds Sri Lanka international bonds. "A 30% haircut is too little given the shape the country's economy is in."

Persons: Nandalal Weerasinghe, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Weerasinghe, Lutz Roehmeyer, Uditha Jayasinghe, Rosario, Karin Strohecker, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Himani Sarkar, Kim Coghill, Simon Cameron, Moore, Toby Chopra Organizations: Saturday International, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Sri Lanka Development, Capitulum Asset Management, Sri Lanka, World Bank, Sri, Jorgelina, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Britain, China, Japan, India, United States

☆ UK holds crisis talks as top water supplier seeks cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Engineers from a Thames Water leak hunting team unloads equipment from their van during a night shift in London, UK, on Wednesday, May 2, 2023. The chief executive of Britain's biggest water supplier stepped down with immediate effect on Tuesday. The British government has held emergency talks over the fate of the country's biggest water supplier, Thames Water, and said it is ready for any outcome, including temporary state ownership, as the company buckles under huge debts. "We need to make sure that Thames Water as an entity survives," business and trade minister Kemi Badenoch told Sky News. Ofwat said it had been in ongoing talks with Thames Water about the need for a credible plan to turn the business around.

Persons: Rebecca Pow, Rishi Sunak's, Pow, Kemi Badenoch, Ofwat Organizations: Engineers, Thames, Conservatives, Sky News, Water Locations: London, England, Wales

DIRTY BEACHESClean water campaign groups accuse the water companies of failing to invest in infrastructure. She was replaced by two co-chief executives, Chief Finance Officer Alastair Cochran and former Ofwat boss Cathryn Ross, who has been at Thames Water since 2021. Jefferies analysts said Britain's listed water operators Severn Trent (SVT.L), Pennon Group (PNN.L) and United Utilities (UU.L) were better capitalised than Thames Water, but the issues with the largest company meant a "heightened regulatory environment". Daily headlines about rivers and beaches polluted by sewage released by water companies look set to turn water into a major issue at the next general election, expected next year. Thames Water said in its annual report in October that it had not paid a dividend to its shareholders for the last five years.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Bentley, Alastair Cochran, Cathryn Ross, Alix, Ofwat, Australia's Macquarie, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Radhika Anilkumar, David Evans, Mark Potter Organizations: Company, British, Sky News, Conservatives, Thames, Times, Ontario, China Investment Corp, Water, Alix Partners, Daily Telegraph, Jefferies, Trent, Pennon, United Utilities, Environment Agency, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: England, Wales, Britain, Thames

☆ Thames Water: The company supplying water to millions of Londoners is in deep trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Britain’s biggest water supplier said Wednesday it needed to raise more cash from investors, as UK media reported the government was preparing contingency plans to rescue the company. Thames Water provides drinking water and waste water services to 15 million customers in London and the southeast of England. Thames Water received £500 million ($635 million) from shareholders in March, but said Wednesday it would need more. Ofwat said it was in “ongoing discussions” with Thames Water “on the need for a robust and credible plan to turn the business around.”“We will continue to focus on protecting customers’ interests,” it added. We prepare for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries — including water — as any responsible government would.”The spokesperson added that the UK water sector “as a whole is financially resilient.”Thames Water says about 24% of the water it supplies to customers is lost through leakage.

Persons: London CNN —, Sarah Bentley, “, Ofwat, ” Organizations: London CNN, Thames Water, Thames, Ofwat, UK Treasury, Sky News, CNN, Ontario, Columbia Investment Management Corporation Locations: London, England, Abu Dhabi

☆ Richard Ravitch and the Matzo Summit That Saved New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ginia Bellafante | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Oct. 17, 1975, New Yorkers learned from the morning papers that the city was more or less finished. The big bill — $453 million that City Hall owed its creditors after years of borrowing — was due at 4 o’clock that afternoon. It depended on the teachers’ union tapping its pension funds to buy bonds from the Municipal Assistance Corporation. Mr. Ravitch had a well-earned reputation as a top-drawer fixer, and the governor was essentially asking him to save New York City. Mr. Ravitch and Mr. Shanker talked all night, but they parted without a resolution.

Persons: New Yorkers, —, Richard Ravitch, Ravitch, Hugh L, Carey, Al Shanker, Shanker Organizations: City, Municipal Assistance Corporation, Federation of Jewish, New Locations: New, New York City

At his first town-hall event in New Hampshire, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida talked on Tuesday about illegal immigration in Texas, crime in Chicago, disorder on the streets of San Francisco and the wonders of nearly every aspect of Florida — a state he mentioned about 80 times. Mr. DeSantis’s comments seemed to especially resonate when he connected his actions at home to issues of importance to New Hampshire residents, like the flood of fentanyl and other deadly drugs into their communities. “Every year I’ve been governor, we’ve decreased the assumptions in our pension fund,” he boasted, digging deep into the Florida policy weeds. And we always reduced down to ensure that no matter what happens, our pension system is going to be funded.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ”, Biden, DeSantis’s, “, I’ve, we’ve Organizations: Gov, Republican Party Locations: New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, Chicago, San Francisco, “ New Hampshire, ”

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