On The Money – May 4 INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Monday’s business headlines with Jane King, who has the latest on gas prices, the end of self-serve soda fountains at McDonald’s, and a TikTok creator’s effort to salvage Spirit Airlines. Gas prices expected to continue t o rise Gas prices in the U.S. have risen by more than 30 cents per gallon in the last week and are expected to continue rising as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed amid the war in Iran. The average cost of a gallon of unleaded gas is $4.446 — a week ago it was $4.099, according to AAA. Gas prices were an average of $2.98 on Feb. 26 — two days before the war in Iran began. AAA says the average price in Indiana is $4.81. U.S. crude oil exports surge in output U.S. crude oil exports rose to a record 5.2 million barrels per day in April, according to data from commodities data firm Kpler. Exports are surging as buyers in Asia and elsewhere seek U.S. crude oil as an alternative to the Middle East. Corpus Christi, Texas, one of the largest oil export terminals in the world, had the busiest first quarter in its history. McDonald’s phasing out self-serve soda fountains McDonald’s is quietly ending the era of self-serve soda fountains nationwide. The shift, years in the making, is part of a broader effort by McDonald’s to modernize its restaurants, reduce labor and maintenance demands, and adapt to changing consumer habits that increasingly favor takeout, delivery, and drive-thru service over dining in. ‘Stressful’ is America’s word of the year America’s word of the year for 2026? “Stressful,” according to a recent survey. The survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research found the top word people used to describe how 2026 has been so far was “stressful”, followed by “challenging”. Older Americans were actually more likely to describe their 2026 experience as “stressful,” compared to younger generations. TikTok creator looks to salvage spirit Hunter Peterson launched letsbuyspirit.Com, which had $23 million in pledges as of Sunday afternoon. About 36,000 people donated money, and then the site crashed. The average pledge was $623. It’s hard to tell how serious this is or how it would actually work, but it’s clear that Spirit still has fans out there. ...read more read less