* In Iowa, Bank Iowa in West Des Moines is set to acquire First State Bank of Colfax in a deal expected to close before the end of 2019. Financial terms of the deal were not publicly disclosed.
* In Maine, Country FCU and Penobscot County FCU have agreed to merge in a deal expected to close on April 1, 2020. County FCU President and CEO Ryan Ellsworth will be the president and CEO of the combined organization.
* Goldman Sachs is looking to invest in more German financial technology startups after acquiring stakes in two Berlin-based fintech firms, Elinvar and Raisin, in 2019, Bloomberg News reports, citing the investment bank’s managing director for Principal Strategic Investments group, Rana Yared.
* Massachusetts-based Needham Bank plans to convert to a mutual holding company from a mutual cooperative bank, American Banker reports, citing an interview with CEO Joseph Campanelli. The bank would remain depositor-owned but expects to gain more flexibility to buy smaller mutuals across the state with the new structure, according to the news outlet.
* Certain tribes and banks serving Native American communities are calling on bank regulators to reform the Community Reinvestment Act to establish designated CRA zones within tribal lands, American Banker reports. The reform would reportedly mean that banks located anywhere in the U.S. would get CRA credit for investing in projects benefiting Native American areas.
* Yves Mersch, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank, called Facebook's digital currency, Libra, as "beguiling but treacherous," arguing that private currencies are unlikely to become viable alternatives to centrally issued legal tender, Bloomberg News reports.
* Dorian has weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 2 a.m. ET bulletin. The NHC reiterated that Dorian will likely remain a powerful hurricane over the next couple of days.
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