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A regional poll published on Wednesday by the research agency CB Consultora Opinión Pública found that Argentine President Javier Milei ranks as the most popular head of state in South America. The survey , conducted by the Argentina-based research agency across the region’s countries during the month of December, found that the Argentine libertarian president leads the charts, ending 2024 with an approval rating of 51.8 percent, making him both the highest-rated President in the region and the only one with an approval rating of over 50 percent. Uruguay’s outgoing center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou ranked second with 49.8 percent, and Paraguayan conservative Santiago Peña ranked third with 46.7 percent. Milei’s measured approval ratings during December marked an increase from the 50.2 percent recorded by CB Consultora Opinión Pública in its November poll. At the time, Milei occupied the ranking’s second position against Lacalle Pou’s 51.5 percent approval rating. During September’s monthly poll results, Milei reportedly occupied the sixth position. Throughout his first year in office, Milei, who took office in December 2023, implemented a dramatic overhaul of Argentina’s bloated government institutions and enacted a series of drastic “shock therapy” measures and sweeping reforms to avert the collapse of the country’s economy and avoid a hyperinflation spiral. The policies successfully reduced inflation from 25.5 percent in January to 2.4 percent in November . Most notably, CB Consultora Opinión Pública’s survey found that all of the region’s leftist presidents ranked as the worst-rated alongside Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. Brazil’s radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ranked fifth, with 53.1 percent of respondents expressing an unfavorable opinion of Lula against 44.3 percent who responded favorably. Chile’s far-left President Gabriel Boric ranked sixth, with a 40.2 percent approval rating. In Colombia, Gustavo Petro, a former member of the Marxist M19 guerilla and the nation’s first leftist president ever, ranked seventh, with 39.9 percent of respondents expressing a favorable opinion of Petro against 56.6 percent who expressed a unfavorable opinion. Colombian media reported on Wednesday that the poll’s results denote a downward trend in Petro’s approval rating from November’s 41.2 percent. The region’s three worst-rated Presidents, according to the survey’s results, are Bolivia’s socialist president Luis Arce, Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. Arce, a notoriously pro-Iran President who is presently waging a lengthy power struggle over control of Bolivia against his former mentor and suspected pedophile Evo Morales, obtained an approval rating of 33.6 percent of respondents, against 63.2 percent who responded unfavorably. Maduro, who held a highly fraudulent presidential election in late July and unleashed a brutal persecution campaign against dissidents who protested the fraudulent electoral event and its “results,” closed 2024 with a disapproval rating of 67.4 percent. Maduro is slated to begin a new fraudulently-obtained six-year presidential term on January 10, 2025. Lastly, Peru’s leftist President Dina Boluarte was rated by respondents as the worst in South America, with 76.4 percent expressing their disapproval of the Peruvian President. Boluarte, a former member of the Marxist Free Peru party, took office and succeeded former Marxist President Pedro Castillo, who was impeached and arrested in December 2022 after he unsuccessfully attempted to dissolve Congress and stay in power via a failed autogolpe (“self-coup”). Boluarte served as Castillo’s vice president.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state’s expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the amount of energy it would use — and whether it could lead to higher energy bills in the future. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, is expanding its existing supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, the city’s chamber of commerce said Wednesday. The chamber also said that Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro Computer will be “establishing operations in Memphis,” without offering further details. Louisiana is among a growing number of seeking to lure big tech firms in need of energy-intensive data centers with tax credits and other incentives. The U.S. Commerce Department found that there aren’t enough data centers in the U.S. to meet the rising AI-fueled demand, which is projected to grow by 9% each year through 2030, citing industry reports. Meta anticipates its Louisiana data center will create 500 operational jobs and 5,000 temporary construction jobs, said Kevin Janda, director of data center strategy. At 4 million square feet (370,000 square meters), it will be the company’s largest AI data center to date, he added. “We want to make sure we are having a positive impact on the local level,” Janda said. Congressional leaders and local representatives from across the political spectrum heralded the Meta facility as a boon for Richland parish, a rural part of Louisiana with a population of 20,000 historically reliant on agriculture. About one in four residents are considered to live in poverty and the parish has an employment rate below 50%, according to the U.S. census data. Meta plans to invest $200 million into road and water infrastructure improvements for the parish to offset its water usage. The facility is expected to be completed in 2030. Entergy, one of the nation’s largest utilities providers, is fast-tracking plans to build three natural gas power plants in Louisiana capable of generating 2,262 megawatts for Meta’s data center over a 15 year period — nearly one-tenth of Entergy’s existing energy capacity across four states. The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy’s proposal as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Meta said it plans to help bring 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy onto the grid in the future. Louisiana residents may ultimately end up with rate increases to pay off the cost of operating these natural gas power plants when Meta’s contract with Entergy expires, said Jessica Hendricks, state policy director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit advocating for energy consumers. “There’s no reason why residential customers in Louisiana need to pay for a power plant for energy that they’re not going to use,” Hendricks said. “And we want to make sure that there’s safeguards in place.” Public service commissioner Foster Campbell, who represents northeast Louisiana, said he does not believe the data center will increase rates for Louisianians and views it as vital for his region. “It’s going in one of the most needed places in Louisiana and maybe one of the most needed places in the United States of America,” Foster said. “I’m for it 100%.” Environmental groups have also warned of the pollution generated from Musk’s AI data center in Memphis. The Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer could strain the power grid, prompting attention from the Environmental Protection Agency. Eighteen gas turbines currently running at xAI’s south Memphis facility are significant sources of ground-level ozone, better known as smog, the group said. Patrick Anderson, an attorney at the law center, said xAI has operated with “a stunning lack of transparency” in developing its South Memphis facility, which is located near predominantly Black neighborhoods that have long dealt with pollution and health risks from factories and other industrial sites. “Memphians deserve to know how xAI will affect them,” he said, “and should have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made.” _____ Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report. _____ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: Jack Brook And Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press

Voice biometrics liveness detection software from has passed a test evaluating compliance to the international standard for presentation attack detection (PAD) testing for level 1 spoofs by . The test of Veridas ECHO’s compliance to the ISO/IEC 30107-3 standard required it to successfully block 100 percent of spoof attacks presented. Veridas says ECHO is the first voice solution on the market to pass the test, in which voices were played through a loudspeaker. The company says ECHO can detect real recorded voices, as tested by iBeta, and also synthetic voices, which are out of scope of the level 1 PAD evaluation. The test was carried out with Veridas Shield v0.1.0 running on an iPhone 12, according to the compliance from iBeta. ECHO combines anti-spoofing software, which launched in August, with real-time voice analysis and privacy-by-design principles, according to the announcement, for seamless, secure and reliable identity verification. Veridas emphasizes in the release that its adherence to the strictest privacy standards gives organizations the confidence to embrace voice biometrics to reduce fraud and detect deepfakes. ECHO itself was in October. At that time, the company called out an emerging opportunity stemming from what it described as major players in the voice market that are not primarily focused on identity exiting the space. “Veridas ECHO is not just a voice solution—it’s a leap forward in security and innovation,” said Javier San Agustín, CTO of Veridas. “Successfully completing the iBeta evaluation highlights Veridas’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of biometric technology to deliver solutions prioritizing trust, safety, and user experience. This accomplishment represents a huge milestone not only for Veridas but for the voice biometrics industry as a whole.” NIST held an assessment of in 2021, with Veridas scoring high marks, and the company published a late last year. Veridas’ passed iBeta’s PAD level 2 compliance test back in 2022. | | | | | | | |

Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate change ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor signed the new law Thursday. It requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state infrastructure fund for repairs or projects that help avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year. It's meant to make big oil and gas companies contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events or for resiliency projects. Such projects may include restoring coastal wetlands or upgrading roads, bridges and water drainage systems. Legal challenges to the new law are expected. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home." He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.

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