From Maine to Oregon, toilet paper producers are ramping up production and shipping operations to resupply stores wiped out by consumers buying toilet paper and paper towels in bulk. But the toilet paper is flying off the shelves as fast as stores can restock them. Even shopping clubs like Costco and big box retailers like Walmart and Target that have enormous stocks were emptied of toilet paper and paper towels. Those stores are still getting shipments, but the shelves are emptied all over again as soon as they're restocked.

In a world suffering a pandemic, cash is no longer king. A growing number of businesses and individuals worldwide have stopped using banknotes in fear that physical currency, handled by tens of thousands of people over their useful life, could be a vector for the spreading coronavirus.

Arizona caterer Pat Christofolo has been orchestrating high-end events for over a quarter-century: A lavish spread for a wedding dinner back-dropped by red rocks in Sedona, a holiday party for 1,000 in an airplane hangar, mezcal cocktails under the desert sky. But all the events she was scheduled to host this spring have been cancelled as fallout from the coronavirus steamrolls the U.S. events planning industry, from a California firm that rents out Ferris wheels to a company that offers big tents in New York. Now, they are being forced to adapt and hope they survive.

Concerns about the spreading coronavirus forced most of North America's auto plants to close, at least temporarily. Ford, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota said they would shut down all factories in the region, citing concerns for employees who work in close quarters building automobiles. Nissan will close U.S. factories. Hyundai shut down its Alabama plant after a worker tested positive for the virus.

The Paycheck Protection Program, which already doled out $350 billion and is now awaiting another cash infusion, is supposed to be a lifeline for businesses teetering on the edge, helping them stay afloat and keep their employees on the payroll during the pandemic. Independent contractors and the self-employed also qualify. But not, it turns out, if they have had certain run-ins with the law.

The American casino industry wants gambling regulators to make it easier to adopt cashless payment transactions on the casino floor, citing a desire to help customers avoid handling money during the coronavirus outbreak. In a report released Tuesday, the American Gaming Association, the gambling industry's national trade group, called on regulators in states where gambling is allowed to update their rules or laws to integrate cashless options for gamblers.

Big meatpacking companies that have struggled to keep plants running during the coronavirus crisis said Wednesday that they welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring them to stay open, but unions, some employees and Democrats questioned whether workers could be kept safe.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed Monday that the company has restarted its California factory, a move that defied local government orders involving measures to contain the coronavirus. In a tweet, Musk practically dared authorities to arrest him, writing that he would be on the assembly line and if anyone is taken into custody, it should be him.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross suggested Thursday that the viral outbreak in China might offer an unexpected benefit for the U.S. economy: It could encourage American manufacturers in China to return to the United States. "I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Some to U.S., probably some to Mexico as well,'' Ross told Fox Business Network.

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. But with the new coronavirus popping up all over the country, a trip to your favorite tap room isn’t in the offing. So breweries are stepping up, offering curbside growlers to stave off the grumbling.