ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Business Writer, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE- This April 21, 2018, file photo shows the Fannie Mae headquarters building in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)

Trump’s voice in a new Fannie Mae ad is generated by artificial intelligence, with his permission

January 18, 2026

What sounds like President Donald Trump narrating a new Fannie Mae ad actually is an AI-cloned voice reading text, according to a disclaimer at the end of the video. The ad comes as the Trump administration is making a big push to make housing affordable and the president plans to talk about housing at his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week. First Lady Melania Trump recently employed AI technology firm Eleven Labs to help voice the audio version of her memoir. It’s not known who cloned President Trump’s voice for the Fannie Mae ad.

Abril Renteria, an Apple certified advisor, helps a customer check out after their purchase at a Best Buy store, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Black Friday arrives with solid momentum despite tariffs and economic uncertainty

November 26, 2025

Black Friday may no longer be the retail bacchanalia of years past, but the event still has enough enthusiasts to make it the biggest single shopping day in the U.S.. This year’s traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season comes as companies navigate an uncertain economic environment. Many have absorbed some of the costs from the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported goods and pulled back on hiring instead of raising prices for customers. Consumer confidence in the economy fell this month. Shoppers nonetheless have remained willing to spend, at least judging by the solid quarterly sales reports from major retailers. But many retail executives also say customers are focusing on deals and being selective.

FILE - Walmart CEO Doug McMillon speaks at the Opportunity Summit Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon announces his surprise retirement at age 59

November 14, 2025

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is planning to retire early next year and his successor has been named. The company made the surprise announcement on Friday about McMillion stepping down on Jan. 31. John Furner, the head of Walmart’s U.S. operations, will take over the next day. Walmart shares fell 3% immediately in premarket trading after the news of the unexpected leadership change. Unlike Amazon’s Jeff Bezos or Tesla’s Elon Musk, McMillon isn’t a household name. But he played a key role in the U.S. economy. Walmart’s performance is a barometer of consumer spending given its size. The company maintains that more than 150 million customers shop on its website or in its stores every week.

Pfizer clinches deal for obesity drug developer Metsea after a bidding war with Novo Nordisk

November 8, 2025

Pfizer has signed a deal to purchase Metsera Inc., an obesity drugmaker in the development stage, after winning a bidding war against Novo Nordisk. Metsera, based in New York, is developing oral and injectable treatments for obesity and diabetes. On Friday, Metsera announced that Pfizer will acquire the company for up to $86.25 per share, including cash and contingent value rights. Metsera’s board said it believes this deal offers the best value and certainty for shareholders. Novo Nordisk, which had increased its offer to $10 billion, announced on Saturday that it would not continue pursuing the acquisition.

Amazon reports higher sales and earnings for 3Q, helped by its fast-growing web services business

October 30, 2025

Amazon posted higher fiscal third quarter profit and sales compared with a year ago, fueled by accelerating growth in its cloud computing business and strong spending by its customers looking for low prices at a time when inflation is resurging. The results, announced Thursday, beat Wall Street expectations. The company’s prominent cloud computing arm also surpassed analysts’ expectations, rising 20%. But Amazon issued a cautious sales outlook for the fiscal fourth quarter. Shares, however, soared 13% in after-hours trading.

FILE - In this April 27, 2011 file photo, bottles of Procter & Gamble's Tide detergent are on display at a Target store in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

P&G to increase prices in part due to tariffs as shoppers remain cautious and delay purchases

July 29, 2025

Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble offered an annual earnings outlook that was below analysts’ projections and said it would raise prices on about a quarter of its products in the U.S. in part due to costs of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The assessment comes a day after the Cincinnati-based maker of such products as Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent and Charmin toilet paper, named Shailesh Jejurikar, currently chief operating officer, to succeed Jon Moeller as the company president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Moeller, who has been at the company’s helm since November 2021, will become P&G’s executive chairman.

Tomatoes are displayed as customers shop at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

US retail sales bounce around in a whipsaw trade environment

July 17, 2025

After an earlier pullback, consumers picked up their spending in June showing resilience despite anxiety high over tariffs and the U.S. economy. Retail sales rose 0.6% in June after declining a 0.9% in May, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Sales in April were down 0.1%, pulled down by a steep drop in auto sales, after Americans ramped up their car-buying in March to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and car parts.Excluding autos andautomotive parts, sales rose 0.5%.

ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Business Writer.