VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Obamacare premiums for the benchmark silver insurance plan will increase by an average of 7.5 percent next year. CNN Money writes that the Department of Health and Human Service reported Monday that the increase will be imposed in 37 states through the federal Obamacare exchange.

As Washington has tightened its belt in recent years, the budget cuts have sliced most deeply in states where President Obama is unpopular, according to an analysis of federal spending by Reuters.

Kansas, US-based broadband infrastructure investor Rural Broadband Investments LLC snapped up the cable system catering to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, for an undisclosed amount to provide people with better cable and internet services.

Austin, Texas-based legal reserve life insurance firm Citizens Inc, through its subsidiary, added Ridgeland, Mississippi-based firm Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Co in a deal valued at $5.23 million.

Alabama, US-based banking firm Bay Bank has been bought by Hattiesburg-based firm The First Bancshares Inc in a merger deal worth $6.6 million in combined cash and stock.

Mississippi-based firm Britton & Koontz Capital Corp gained approval from its shareholders for a previously announced merger into Lafayette's Home Bancorp Inc that is valued at $34.5 million.

Newport News, Virginia-based nuclear services provider Huntington Ingalls Industries has picked up Broomfield, Colorado-based environmental engineering company SM Stoller Corp in a deal, of which financial terms were undisclosed.

Bunge North America Inc., a unit of food processing company Bunge Ltd, has put up for sale its remaining stake in Ergon BioFuels LLC for an undisclosed sum. The said stake will be bought by its joint venture partner Ergon Inc.

Louisiana-based big utility Entergy Corp ended its plans to transfer its high-voltage power lines to independent electricity transmission firm ITC Holdings Corp after Mississippi regulators rejected the deal.

According to a new report by the Associated General Contractors of America, Mississippi has led the US in construction job growth third quarter of this year. Former leader Tennessee has dropped to rank number 44.