All articles tagged with #south america
The second episode of Season 29, titled 'Billionaire Weenietown,' aired on September 30, 2026. It features Butters Stotch protesting the construction of data centers by literal penises representing tech billionaires. The episode satirizes AI infrastructure, anti-vaccine beliefs, and public figures like Joe Rogan and Mark Ruffalo, concluding with a post-credits scene involving a talking penis and Donald Trump.
Archaeologists in central Chile have uncovered stone tools and butchered bones of extinct gomphotheres dating to 12,000–13,000 years ago. Found in the basin of ancient Lake Tagua Tagua, these remains provide new evidence of early human occupation in southern South America, predating many known sites but following the oldest confirmed site, Monte Verde.
The Season 29 premiere of 'South America' drew 4.2 million viewers across U.S. platforms, matching last year's total but significantly boosting ratings among adults 18-49.
The US military is shifting MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to South America to support anticipated counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations. This move follows a classified legal opinion authorizing lethal force against cartels and aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s priority to secure the Western Hemisphere. While the Pentagon declined to comment, sources indicate the transfer aims to bolster joint operations with nations like Ecuador and Colombia, despite concerns that reducing assets in Africa could hinder the fight against ISIS and al-Shabaab.
South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker teased renaming the show to South America as a satirical dig at Donald Trump, citing his real-world attempts to rename lakes and the Gulf; the move came after the show won an Emmy, and it’s unclear whether the change will be permanent.
Sen. Marco Rubio defends a Venezuela oil deal on a South American tour, saying the arrangement could bring royalties to Venezuelans and signaling expanded U.S. security and economic ties with Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; critics warn it could threaten sovereignty and hand energy wealth to foreign interests as Washington deepens regional cooperation against drug-trafficking and other security challenges.
Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say South Park will temporarily rename itself to South America for Season 29 to lampoon Trump’s map-name antics; it’s unclear if the gag lasts beyond a single season, and it follows the show’s Emmy win for outstanding animated program.
South Park kicks off its 29th season with a spoof name change to South America, a jab at Donald Trump and Paramount. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone praise Apple and Google and hint at the season’s premiere on September 16 (10 PM ET) on Comedy Central, with streaming on Paramount+ the following day.
Ahead of its 29th season premiere, South Park reveals a tongue-in-cheek rename to 'South America' to mock Trump’s renaming campaigns and tech-company compliance, with the premiere set for Sept. 16 on Comedy Central and streaming on Paramount+ the next day.
In the Middle Miocene Pebas megawetland of northwestern South America, enormous crocodylians such as Purussaurus neivensis dominated the ecosystem, preying on abundant megafauna like giant sloths and rhinoceros relatives. Fossil bite marks indicate ambush predation by these crocs, while scavengers such as sebecids fed on their leftovers, underscoring Purussaurus' key ecological role in shaping tropical wetlands of the era.
In the Middle Miocene Pebas wetlands of northwestern South America, gigantic crocodylians like Purussaurus neivensis—about two tons and as long as a school bus—ruled as apex predators, ambushing prey from waterways and helping shape megafauna dynamics from giant ground sloths to rhinoceros relatives. Fossil bite marks indicate crocodile predation, while other crocodylians—such as sebecids—likely scavenged leftovers, illustrating a brutal, predator-dense ecosystem at the top of the food chain.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia near San José del Palmar, killing at least 111 and causing many buildings to collapse; the tremor was felt in Bogotá and in Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela, marking the strongest Colombian quake in a decade as authorities coordinate a large-scale emergency response.
At the Santa Elina rock shelter in Brazil, researchers report three giant sloth osteoderms that were modified into artifacts, probably pendants, in a layer dated to about 25,000–27,000 years ago—potentially signaling earlier human presence in South America. The finding bolsters discussions of early dispersals and challenges Monte Verde II’s dates, but the claim is contested and some experts warn that natural processes can mimic such modifications; ancient DNA studies still point to a complex, multi-route peopling of the Americas with first entry roughly 16,000–23,000 years ago.
France's Pasteur Institute fully sequenced the Andes virus from a passenger on the MV Hondius and found it matches known South American strains, with no evidence of features that would make it more transmissible or dangerous. The virus detected in ship patients was identical to each other and about 97% similar to South American samples, and Pasteur will share the data with the international scientific community to aid monitoring. The cruise outbreak now involves 11 cases, with three deaths, and health officials say exposure likely occurred during the South America visit.
Uruguay has detected Sporothrix brasiliensis, a fungus that causes skin infections, in cats, other pets, and people, signaling cat-to-human transmission and a potential regional spread across South America. The fungus thrives in warm-blooded hosts and spreads through scratches or bites; diagnosis is by microscopy or culture, and treatment is antifungal but lengthy. Public health efforts emphasize fast diagnosis, treating both humans and pets, and controlling stray cats to prevent wider outbreaks, amid reports of thousands of human cases across the region over the past decade.