* For 13 years running, Americans have been drinking less Coke. Now Diet Coke sales are falling off a cliff. Globally, sales growth of soda is slowing amid concerns about sugar intake and obesity. The trends are industry wide, but it is especially bad news for Coca-Cola Co, a company that derives almost 75 percent of its global sales volume from carbonated soft drinks. (http://r.reuters.com/vaj48v)

* AT&T said on Thursday it is in advanced talks to bring speeds of up to one gigabit per second to six North Carolina cities, or about 10 times the current fastest options. (http://r.reuters.com/mej48v)

* J.P. Morgan Chase & Co Chairman and Chief Executive James Dimon acknowledged that a series of legal headaches in 2013 evolved into "the most painful, difficult and nerve-wracking experience I have ever dealt with professionally." (http://r.reuters.com/pej48v)