Dee-Ann Durbin

AP Auto Writer

This photo provided by The Lumistella Company shows Lumistella Co-CEO Christa Pitts. More than 19 million people worldwide have bought “The Elf on the Shelf.” There are spin-off toys, like Elf Pets, along with app-based games and live experiences. Last year, the family’s privately held company, The Lumistella Co., signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to develop The Elf on the Shelf content.

Insider Q&A: Elf On Shelf Co-CEO Christa Pitts

It all began with an elf named Fisbee.

A food delivery robot crosses a street in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. Robot food delivery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Hundreds of little robots __ knee-high and able to hold around four large pizzas __ are now navigating college campuses and even some city sidewalks in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere.

Robots Hit the Streets as Demand for Food Delivery Grows

The company's fleet grew from 250 robots in 2019 to over 1,000.

This photos provided by North America Public Relations shows a reusable packaging at a Burger King restaurant. Reusable packaging is about to become more common at groceries and restaurants worldwide. Loop, which collects and sanitizes reusable containers, said Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 it’s expanding after successful trials in France and Japan. Kroger and Walgreens in the U.S., and Tesco in the United Kingdom are among the groceries partnering with Loop. McDonald’s, Burger King and Tim Hortons have also signed on.

Loop Hopes to Go Mainstream with Reusable Packaging

Customers pay a deposit in addition to the price of their item.

In this Oct. 12, 2020 photo, a worker heads into the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colo.

Meat Company JBS Paid $11M Ransom In Cyberattack

The news comes after Colonial Pipeline announced it also paid a ransom to a hacker group.

In this Oct. 12, 2020 photo, a worker heads into the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colo.

Largest Meat Producer Getting Back Online After Cyberattack

The cyber breach could contribute to already rising meat prices.

In this Jan. 29, 2006, file photo, a car passes in front of a Tyson Foods Inc., sign at Tyson headquarters in Springdale, Ark.

Tyson Cooperating in Price-Fixing Investigation

The company wants a formal grant of leniency, which would mean that neither the company or its executives would face criminal fines or jail time.

This undated photo provided by Georgia-Pacific shows the production line at the Georgia-Pacific plant in Atlanta. NCSolutions, a data and consulting firm, said online and in-store U.S. toilet paper sales rose 51% between Feb. 24, 2020 and March 10, as buyers started getting uneasy about the growing number of coronavirus cases.

Wiped Out of Toilet Paper?

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Outbreak Hits Tech Darlings

The pandemic has offered a harsh reality check.

In this Sunday, March 22, 2020 photo, Bill Purdue, left, cuts pieces of fabric while Mike Rice sews them into face masks in Rice's autobody and upholstery shop in Washington, Ind.

Volunteers Sew Masks for Workers Facing Shortages

On a normal day, Bill Purdue is waterproofing basements. Today is not a normal day.

This photo provided by Applegate Farms shows Applegate Well Carved Organic Turkey Burgers, a line of meat-and-veggie burgers which the company is introducing at grocery stores next month.

Meat Companies Say Eat Your Veggies

They are blending vegetables into burgers, meatballs and sausages.

In this Jan. 29, 2020, file photo, people line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Coronavirus Fear Touches Off a Global Run on Face Masks

Fear of the spreading coronavirus has led to a global run on sales of face masks despite evidence that most people who aren't sick don't need to wear them.

In this March 1, 2012 file photo, former President Bill Clinton shakes hands with Owen Bieber, left, with United Auto Workers union (UAW), at the 2012 UAW National Community†Action Program Conference, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in Washington. Bieber, who led the United Auto Workers union from the auto industry's dark days of the early 1980s to the prosperity of the mid-1990s, has died. He was 90.

Former UAW President Owen Bieber Dies at 90

He led the union from the auto industry's dark days of the early 1980s to the prosperity of the mid-1990s.