Business

Bob Thomas fills up his pickup truck at the municipal-run gas station in Somerset, Ky. There are no candy bars, 44-ounce soft drinks or lottery tickets sold. The price of gas here is $3.36 a gallon, about 20 cents lower than the statewide average.

City-Run Gas Station Makes Waves In Southeastern Kentucky

7:41pm August 19, 2014

by Emil Moffatt

A gas station in Somerset, Ky., was opened recently by city officials as a way to try to lower gas prices. Critics call it a socialist move and say government competition isn't fair to local firms.

Queue Listen Now

An employee at a money changer in Manila counts $100 bills in 2012. Today, more than a half-trillion dollars' worth of $100 bills are overseas.

Economy

Should We Kill The $100 Bill?

3:02pm August 19, 2014

by Chris Arnold

Nearly 80 percent of all the U.S. currency in the world is in $100 bills. But some people want to get rid of the bill altogether.

Queue Listen Now

Smartphone Users Might Be Reaching App Saturation

8:42am August 18, 2014

A new survey indicates the number of smartphone users who do not download any apps has jumped more than 10 percent in the past year to about a third of all users.

Queue Listen Now

Mom's App Gets Revenge On Kids Who Ignore Messages

8:11am August 18, 2014

A Texas mom developed an app called Ignore No More, which locks a kid's phone until someone calls mom to unlock it.

Queue Listen Now

National

Massive, Pricey Casino Fails After Two Years Of Operation

6:24pm August 17, 2014

In September, the $2.4 billion Revel Casino will shut down for good in Atlantic City. The casino has gone bankrupt twice, but what will become of its 3,200 employees when its doors finally close?

Queue Listen Now

Denver's Union Station, which was remodeled to include restaurants, stores and a hotel, reopened last month.

National

Once-Dilapidated City Train Stations Enjoying A Renaissance

11:49am August 15, 2014

by Nathan Heffel

Cities like St. Paul, Minn., and Denver are revitalizing old union stations with brewpubs and cafes. It's part of an effort to spur downtown development and attract young adults and baby boomers.

Queue Listen Now

World's Largest Beverage Company Keeps Diversifying

7:36am August 15, 2014

In a $2.5 billion cash deal, Coca-Cola will buy a 16.7 percent stake in Monster Beverage — maker of the popular Monster energy drink. Energy drinks are a nearly $7 billion business in the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

Copenhagen's First Free Supermarket Set To Open

7:36am August 15, 2014

Customers pay about $3 a month for operational costs. They also have to write a review of the products within a deadline or pay the consequences.

Queue Listen Now

World News

China's Wanda Group Branches Out Into Entertainment

7:36am August 15, 2014

A Chinese company this week made a play to become what could be likened to The Walt Disney Company of China. Steve Inskeep talks to Clifford Coonan, Asia bureau chief for The Hollywood Reporter.

Queue Listen Now

Panama Canal Symbolizes U.S. Geopolitical, Technological Power

7:36am August 15, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks to Harvard professor Noel Maurer about the Panama Canal which opened 100 years ago. One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, it connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Queue Listen Now