States Seek Congress's Aid as Subprime Boosts Costs

'Interest on insured bonds, including debt with rates set at periodic auctions, rose to as high as 20 percent because investors shunned the securities or demanded higher yields on waning confidence in the companies guaranteeing repayment. The jump in borrowing costs is another consequence of a credit pinch tied to the subprime collapse that led to $163 billion in Wall Street writedowns.'