Ruairí Keating

# Ruairí Keating

## Abstract

Ruairí Thomas Keating (born 16 July 1995) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for League of Ireland Premier Division club Cork City. His previous clubs are Sligo Rovers, Finn Harps, Galway United, Torquay United, Gateshead and St Patrick's Athletic.

## Career

### Early life

Born in Dublin, Keating grew up in Westport, County Mayo and played with local side Westport United. He joined Sligo Rovers U19 side in 2013, before signing his first professional contract with the club in 2014.

### Sligo Rovers

Upon signing his first contract with Sligo Rovers in January 2014, Keating was sent out on loan to League of Ireland First Division side Finn Harps until the end of June 2014, in order to gain first team experience. Upon returning from his loan spell, he made his senior debut for the club on 7 July 2014, in a 0–0 draw with Cork City. On 17 July 2014, he made his first appearance in European football, coming off the bench in a 2–1 win away to Rosenborg BK in the UEFA Europa League. After spending the first half of the 2015 season back on loan at Finn Harps, Keating scored his first goal at senior level for Sligo on 30 October 2015, scoring a 91st minute consolation goal in a 3–2 defeat at home to Limerick.

### Finn Harps loans

Keating signed for Finn Harps on a 6 month loan deal in February 2014. He made his debut in senior football in a 0–0 draw with Waterford United on the opening night of the season. His first goal at senior level came on 10 March 2014 in a 3–2 win over Cockhill Celtic in the League of Ireland Cup. He impressed during his loan spell, scoring 6 goals in 13 appearances in all competitions before returning to Sligo Rovers for the remainder of the season. Ahead of the 2015 League of Ireland First Division, Keating was again loaned to Finn Harps for the first half of the season. He scored 5 goals in 10 games in his second loan spell before again returning to his parent club for the second half of the season.

### Galway United

On 18 January 2016, Keating signed a season long contract with Galway United. He scored his first goal for the club on 11 March 2016, scoring his sides 4th goal in a 4–0 win over Bray Wanderers. He departed the club midway through the season following 2 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions.

### Finn Harps (third spell)

On 6 July 2016, Keating signed for fellow League of Ireland Premier Division side Finn Harps, where he had previously spent 2 loan spells in the past, on a permanent basis until the end of the season.

### Torquay United

Keating made the move to English football on 9 February 2017, signing for National League side Torquay United. He featured 41 times in his first full season with the club, scoring 4 goals but it wasn’t enough to secure their league status, as the club were relegated to the National League South in April 2018. On 9 June 2018, Keating signed a new 1 year contract with the club. On 11 January 2019, he signed a contract extension with the club. He scored 5 goals during the 2018–19 season as his side won the National League South title. Keating departed the club in January 2020, after he saw his game time reduced following promotion back to the National League.

### Gateshead

On 24 January 2020, Keating signed for National League North side Gateshead on a permanent basis, in search of regular first team football. He scored 2 goals in 11 appearances during his short time with the club, before departing by mutual consent in November 2020.

### Galway United (second spell)

Keating returned to Ireland, signing for Galway United for the second time in his career, ahead of their 2021 League of Ireland First Division campaign. Keating scored 9 goals in 28 games in all competitions over the season, as Galway were knocked out of the playoffs by Bray Wanderers.

### Cork City

Keating signed for Cork City for the 2022 season. His first season with the club was a success, as the club won the 2022 League of Ireland First Division title to gain promotion, with Keating finishing up as his side's top goalscorer with 13 league goals. On 9 December 2022, Keating signed a new contract with the club for their 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division campaign. On 12 July 2023, it was announced that Keating signed a new long term contract with the club. On 1 September 2023, Keating scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Sligo Rovers, dedicating his goals to his late father, who had recently died. His performances in September 2023 saw him named League of Ireland Player of the Month. On 10 November 2023, Keating was forced off at half time with an arm injury in the 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division Play-off as his side lost 2–1 to Waterford at Tallaght Stadium, resulting in relegation back to the League of Ireland First Division. On 15 November 2023, it was announced that Keating had been included in the PFAI Team of the Year and was also one of the 3 nominees for the PFAI Player of the Year award, alongside Chris Forrester and Jonathan Afolabi.

### St Patrick's Athletic

On 23 November 2023, it was announced that Keating had signed for recent FAI Cup winners St Patrick's Athletic on a long term contract. He made his debut for the club on 3 February 2024, scoring two of his sides goals in a 3–1 win away to UCD in the Leinster Senior Cup. Keating scored his first goal for the club on 1 March 2024, opening the scoring away to Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. He scored his first home goal for the club on 8 March 2024, in a 1–0 win over Dundalk at Richmond Park. On 3 May 2024, he scored the only goal of the game to secure the win for his side at home to Drogheda United. On 24 May 2024, Keating suffered a nasty head injury in the very first action of the game in a 2–2 draw away to Bohemians when contesting a header with Aboubacar Keita, he was discharged from hospital the following day and missed a number of games through concussion. On 13 June 2024, he came off the bench in the 61st minute before scoring the equaliser 15 minutes later in an eventual 2–1 win at home to rivals Shamrock Rovers. On 28 July 2024, it was announced that Keating had left the club by mutual consent.

### Return to Cork City

On 28 July 2024, Keating returned to Cork City to help their League of Ireland First Division charge for the title and promotion. His first goal since his return came on 23 August 2024, when he scored a 91st minute header in a 1–0 victory away to Cobh Ramblers in the Cork derby. On 6 September 2024, he was part of the side that defeated UCD 1–0 at the UCD Bowl to win promotion by winning the 2024 League of Ireland First Division.

## Personal life

He is the nephew of Boyzone singer Ronan Keating. As well as the Republic of Ireland, Keating is also eligible to represent the United States at international level, through his Queens, New York City born Grandmother. On 15 July 2023, Keating's father Ciaran was killed in a car crash on the N5, near Swinford, County Mayo, while travelling to Sligo to watch his son play for Cork City against Sligo Rovers. Keating's mother Ann Marie was also in the vehicle but survived the crash and was admitted to hospital for her injuries.

## Honours

Torquay United

- National League South: 2018–19

Cork City

- League of Ireland First Division (2): 2022, 2024

Individual

- League of Ireland Premier Division Player of the Month: September 2023

- PFAI Team of the Year: 2023


Video game content rating system

# Video game content rating system

## Abstract

A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games based on suitability for target audiences. Most of these systems are associated with and/or sponsored by a government, and are sometimes part of the local motion picture rating system. The utility of such ratings has been called into question by studies that publish findings such as 90% of teenagers claim that their parents "never" check the ratings before allowing them to rent or buy video games, and as such, calls have been made to "fix" the existing rating systems. Video game content rating systems can be used as the basis for laws that cover the sales of video games to minors, such as in Australia. Rating checking and approval is part of the game localization when they are being prepared for their distribution in other countries or locales. These rating systems have also been used to voluntarily restrict sales of certain video games by stores, such as the German retailer Galeria Kaufhof's removal of all video games rated 18+ by the USK following the Winnenden school shooting.

## Comparison table

A comparison of current video game rating systems, showing age on the horizontal axis. Note however that the specific criteria used in assigning a classification can vary widely from one country to another. Thus a color code or age range cannot be directly compared from one country to another.

Key:

- White – No restrictions: Suitable for all ages / Aimed at young audiences / Exempt / Not rated / No applicable rating.

- Yellow – Advisory: Parental guidance is suggested for designated age range.

- Purple – Strong advisory: Not recommended for a younger audience but not restricted.

- Red – Restricted: Parental accompaniment required for younger audiences.

- Black – Prohibitive: Exclusively for older audience / Purchase age-restricted / Banned.

In the above table, Italics indicate a multinational/transnational organization.

## Initial controversy

Similar to other forms of media, video games have been the subject of argument between leading professionals and restriction and prohibition. Often these bouts of criticism come from use of debated topics such as video game graphic violence, virtual sex, violent and gory scenes, partial or full nudity, drug use, portrayal of criminal behavior or other provocative and objectionable material.Video games have also been studied for links to addiction and aggression. A meta analysis of studies from both eastern and western countries yielded evidence that "strongly suggests that exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect and for decreased empathy and prosocial behavior."

There are also groups that have argued to the contrary, that few if any scientifically proven studies exist to back up these claims, and that the video game industry has become an easy target for the media to blame for many contemporary issues. Researchers have also proposed potential positive effects of video games on aspects of social and cognitive development and psychological well-being. It has been shown that action video game players have better hand-eye coordination and visuo-motor skills, such as their resistance to distraction, their sensitivity to information in the peripheral vision and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than non-players.

## Rating systems

### Argentina

The law 26.043 (passed in 2005) states that the National Council of Children, Youth and Family (' Consejo Nacional de la Niñez, Adolescencia y la Familia') in coordination with the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts will be the government agencies that assigns age ratings. The Argentine Game Developer Association (Asociación de Desarrolladores de Videojuegos Argentina) was critical of the law. There are three ratings: "Suitable for all public", "Suitable for those over 13 years of age" and "Suitable for those over 18 years of age".

### Australia

- Advisory categories General (G) – General. The content is very mild in impact. The G classification is suitable for everyone. Parental Guidance (PG) – Parental guidance recommended. The content is mild in impact. It is not recommended for viewing or playing by persons under 8 without guidance from parents or guardians. Mature (M) – Recommended for mature audiences. The content is moderate in impact. Children under 15 may legally access this material because it is an advisory category. However, M classified films and computer games may include classifiable elements such as violence and nudity of moderate impact that are not recommended for children under 12 years.

- General (G) – General. The content is very mild in impact. The G classification is suitable for everyone.

- Parental Guidance (PG) – Parental guidance recommended. The content is mild in impact. It is not recommended for viewing or playing by persons under 8 without guidance from parents or guardians.

- Mature (M) – Recommended for mature audiences. The content is moderate in impact. Children under 15 may legally access this material because it is an advisory category. However, M classified films and computer games may include classifiable elements such as violence and nudity of moderate impact that are not recommended for children under 12 years.

- Restricted categories Mature Accompanied (MA 15+) – Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. The content is strong in impact. Restricted (R 18+) – Restricted to 18 years and over. The content is high in impact. Despite this category being legally restricted, in Queensland the restriction is not applicable to persons under 2.

- Mature Accompanied (MA 15+) – Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. The content is strong in impact.

- Restricted (R 18+) – Restricted to 18 years and over. The content is high in impact. Despite this category being legally restricted, in Queensland the restriction is not applicable to persons under 2.

The Australian Classification Board (ACB) is a statutory classification body formed by the Australian Government which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia since its establishment in 1970. The Classification Board was originally incorporated in the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) which was dissolved in 2006. Originally a part of the Attorney-General's Department and overseen by the Minister for Justice, the ACB is now a branch of the Department of Communications and the Arts which provides administrative support to the Board and is overseen by the Minister for Communications & the Arts. Decisions made by the Board may be reviewed by the Australian Classification Review Board.

### Austria

There is uniform ratings system in Austria, and the nine states regulate content in different ways. The two main systems are PEGI (applied in Vienna) and Germany's USK system (applied in Salzburg).

0+: Suitable for all age groups

9+ Suitable for children 9 and over.

13+: Suitable for persons 13 and over.

17+: Only Suitable for mature audiences

18+: Parental Guidance recommended

These video games are classified as All Ages, Ages 9+, Ages 13, Ages 17 or Ages 18+.

### Brazil

The advisory rating (ClassInd) (Classificação Indicativa in Portuguese) rates films, games and television shows in Brazil. It is controlled by the Ministry of Justice (Ministério da Justiça).

### Chile

Games are classified by the Council of Cinematographic Classification (Consejo de Calificación Cinematográfica) which is a central agency under the Ministry of Education.

The current age ratings are:

- ER (Especilmente Recomendado) – Recommended for children.

- TE (Todo Edad) – All ages.

- 8+ – Not recommended for children under 8 years of age.

- 14+ – Not recommended for children under 14 years of age.

- 18+ – Not recommended for children under 18 years of age.

The manufacturers, importers, suppliers and merchants are only permitted to sell and rent video games that are classified as 8, 14 or 18, to those who prove they meet those ages respectively. In the case of each sale or lease by physical means, the respective identity card is required.

### China

China introduced a pilot content rating system in December 2020 called the Online Game Age-Appropriateness Warning, which is overseen by the governmental agency China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association (CADPA). Games with online components are required to show one of the three classifications on websites and registration pages: green for "8+" (appropriate for players 8 years and older), blue for "12+", and yellow for "16+".

### Europe

The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games boxes. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and came into use in April 2003; it replaced many national age rating systems with a single European system. The PEGI system is now used in more than thirty-one countries and is based on a code of conduct, a set of rules to which every publisher using the PEGI system is contractually committed. PEGI self-regulation is composed by five age categories and seven content descriptors that advise the suitability and content of a game for a certain age range based on the games content. The ratings are:

- 3: Suitable for all age groups.

- 7: Suitable for children 7 and over.

- 12: Suitable for persons 12 and over.

- 16: Suitable for mature audiences.

- 18: Only for adults.

The ratings do not indicate the difficulty of the game or the skill required to play it.

### Germany

Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) (Entertainment Software Self-control), is Germany 's software rating organization founded in 1994.

- USK 0 - Playable for all ages

- USK 6 - Ages 6 and over

- USK 12 - Ages 12 and over

- USK 16 - Ages 16 and over

- USK 18 - Ages 18 and over

### Hong Kong and Macau

There is no game grading system in Hong Kong and Macau, but a unified publication classification is adopted, which is divided into three categories: I, II and III. Class I publications can be purchased at all ages without any restrictions. Class II publications need to be marked with warnings and cannot be provided to people under the age of 18, which is equivalent to a restricted level. Class III publications are not allowed to be sold publicly, but there is no restriction on private or friend-to-friend communication. This classification system is equivalent to a hidden classification, The Obscene Articles Tribunal is responsible for the classification and evaluation.

警告:本物品内容可能令人反感；不可将本物品派发、传阅、出售、出租、交给或出借予年龄未满18岁的人士或将本物品向该等人士出示、播放或放映。 WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH MAY OFFEND AND MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED, CIRCULATED, SOLD, HIRED, GIVEN, LENT, SHOWN, PLAYED OR PROJECTED TO A PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS.

The Regulation on the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles requires that Class II publications must use this statutory warning slogan, and must be marked in both Chinese and English, and the font size must account for 20% of the total area.

### Indonesia

The Indonesian Game Rating System (IGRS) is an official video game content rating system founded and set by the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Informatics in 2016. IGRS rates games that are developed and published in Indonesia. There are 5 classifications of ratings based on the game content, which includes the use of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, violence, blood, language, sexual content, etc.

These are the following classifications:

- SU (" Semua Umur ", All Ages in English) – Playable for all ages.

- 3+ – Age 3 and over. No restricted content is shown including adult content, use of drugs, gambling simulation, and online interactions.

- 7+ – Age 7 and over. No restricted content is shown including adult content, use of drugs, gambling simulation, and online interactions.

- 13+ – Age 13 and over. Restricted contents are partially shown, including light use of drugs and alcohol by figures/background characters, cartoon violence, mild language, gambling simulation, horror theme, and online interactions.

- 18+ – Age 18 and over. Restricted contents are mostly shown, if not all, including use of drugs and alcohol by main characters, realistic violence (blood, gore, mutilation, etc.), crude humor, gambling simulation, horror theme, and online interactions.

As of November 2019, various imported PlayStation titles released since then have been rated by the IGRS after SIE Asia opened their Indonesian office. Those titles are also marked as "Official Indonesia Products" (Indonesian: Produk Resmi Indonesia).

### International Age Rating Coalition

Some app stores that support the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) use this rating in countries and regions where there is no rating system. The classification standard adopted by IARC is the same as that of PEGI. This rating is not recognized in some countries.

### Iran

The Entertainment Software Rating Association (Persian: اسرا) (ESRA) is a governmental video game content rating system that is used in Iran. Games that have been exempt from the rating are de facto banned from sale in Iran.

- +3 – Ages 3 and over

- +7 – Ages 7 and over

- +12 – Ages 12 and over

- +15 – Ages 15 and over

- +18 – Ages 18 and over

In practice, the rating applies largely to PC and mobile games, as none of the console games are officially released for the Iranian market.

### Japan

In Japan, the content rating is not required by law, but most commercial video game publishers take the industry self-regulations. Console manufacturers force for video game publishers that games must be rated by CERO. Distributors of PC games (mostly dating sims, visual novels, and eroge) require games having the approval of EOCS or Japan contents Review Center. These ratings are referred to by local governments, and the Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths (青少年健全育成条例) prohibits retailers from supplying 18+ rating games to persons under 18. Dōjin softs do not have such restrictions, but distribution of obscene materials can be punished under the Article 175 of the Penal Code of Japan.

#### Computer Entertainment Rating Organization

The Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (特定非営利活動法人コンピュータエンターテインメントレーティング機構, Tokutei Hieiri Katsudō Hōjin Konpyūta Entāteinmento Rētingu Kikō) (CERO) is an organization that rates video games in Japan, with different levels of rating that inform the customer of the nature of the product and what age group it suits. It was established in June 2002 as a branch of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, and became an officially recognized non-profit organization in December 2003. It currently consists of five age categories and nine content descriptors.

- A – All ages. Formerly "All."

- B – Ages 12 and over. Formerly "12."

- C – Ages 15 and over. Formerly "15."

- D – Ages 17 and over.

- Z – Ages 18 and over only. Formerly "18." This is the only rating that is legally enforced.

- CERO – Assigned to free demos and trial versions of games

- 審査予定 – Assigned to games which are currently awaiting classification

#### Ethics Organization of Computer Software

The Ethics Organization of Computer Software (一般社団法人コンピュータソフトウェア倫理機構, Ippan Shadan Hōjin Konpyūta Sofutowea Rinri Kikō) (EOCS, or Sofurin) is an incorporated association that rates PC games in Japan. It was established on November 20, 1992, and was incorporated in 2009. The association also works to crack down on copyright infringement of PC games for the companies it represents, and sponsors the Moe Game Award (萌えゲーアワード) to help PC game sales.

The current ratings are:

- General Software - All ages.

- General Software (recommended to ages 12 and over)

- General Software (recommended to ages 15 and over)

- Software that is banned from selling to persons under 18

#### Japan contents Review Center

The Japan contents Review Center (日本コンテンツ審査センター, Nihon Kontentsu Shinsa Sentā) is a cooperative that reviews adult videos and adult PC games in Japan. The organization was founded on December 1, 2010 as Ethics Organization of Video (映像倫理機構, Eizō Rinri Kikō) after the dissolution of the Content Soft Association (CSA).

### Mexico

On November 27, 2020, the Secretariat of the Interior (SEGOB) published a new set of guidelines on the Official Journal of the Federation called Lineamentos Generales del Sistema Mexicano de Equivalencias de Clasificación de Contenidos de Videojuegos (General Guidelines of the Mexican System of Classification Equivalencies for Video Game Content). This states that all games distributed in Mexico will have their own set of ratings effective May 27, 2021, replacing the ESRB ratings system that was being used, while still being in accordance with them.

The ratings are as follows:

- A (Todo Público): For all ages.

- B (+12 Años): Content for teens 12 and over.

- B15 (+15 Años): Content for ages 15 and over.

- C (Adultos +18 Años): Content not suitable for those under 18.

- D (Exclusivo Adultos): Extreme and adult content.

- P (Etiquetado Pendiente): Content pending for its classification.

### New Zealand

The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand. It was created by the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (FVPC Act), replacing various film classification acts, and is an independent Crown entity in terms of the Crown Entities Act 2004. The head of the OFLC is called the Chief Censor, maintaining a title that has described the government officer in charge of censorship in New Zealand since 1916.

The current ratings are:

- G: This can be shown and sold to anyone.

- PG: Films and games with a PG label can be sold, hired, or shown to anyone. The PG label means guidance from a parent or guardian is recommended for younger viewers.

- M: Films and games with an M label can be sold, hired, or shown to anyone. Films with an M label are more suitable for mature audiences 16 years and over.

- R13: Restricted to persons 13 years and over.

- R15: Restricted to persons 15 years and over.

- R16: Restricted to persons 16 years and over.

- R18: Restricted to persons 18 years and over.

- R: Restricted to a particular class of people.

### North America

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in countries of North America. PEGI ratings are used on some French-language games sold in Canada. Despite being self-regulatory, in Canada, games rated by the ESRB are required by law to be rated and/or restricted, though this only varies at a province and territory level. ESRB ratings can be found on games for Nintendo systems in the countries of Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. This system was used in Mexico as well until it was replaced by a local rating system on May 27, 2021.

A similar system also exists for arcade video games, which is enforced by the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA). It is called the Parental Advisory System, and uses three colors for ratings - green (Suitable for All Ages), yellow (Mild Content), and red (Strong Content). Stickers displaying the ratings are placed on the game marquees, and the rating can also be displayed during the attract mode if the game's developer or publisher chooses to do so.

### Russia

The Age classification of information products is a new statutory classification set of rules formed by the Russian Government after enacting in September 2012 a Federal Law of Russian Federation no. 436-FZ of 2010-12-23 “On Protecting of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development” (Russian: Федеральный закон Российской Федерации от 29 декабря 2010 г. N 436-ФЗ «О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию»), which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Russia since 1 September 2012. The Ministry of Culture provides administrative support to the classification.

In December 2022, the federal government has announced plans to establish a dedicated regulation procedure and age rating specifically for digital products, which include video games. There are concerns this may encompass excessive regulation and costs, as the new regulation will focus on interactive and online elements rather than just audiovisual content.

### Saudi Arabia

The General Commission for Audiovisual Media (Arabic: الهيئة العامة للإعلام المرئي والمسموع, romanized: Alhy'eh Al'amah lel-E'elam Almar'ey wal-Masmoo') (GCAM) is responsible for the age-ratings of films, television programs and interactive games.

### Singapore

The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) is a statutory board of the Singapore Government which regulates films, television programs and video games in Singapore.

### Slovakia

Jednotný systém označovania (English: Unified System of Age Rating/Labeling) (JSO) is a statutory board of Ministry of Culture of Slovakia under act 589/2007, which regulates age restriction of films, television programs and video games in Slovakia.

The current age ratings are:

- "Teddy bear's head" – Content targeted towards children younger than 12 years.

- U – General audience

- 7 – Not recommended for children younger than 7 years.

- 12 – Not recommended for children younger than 12 years.

- 15 – Not recommended for children younger than 15 years.

- 18 – Prohibited for minors under 18 years of age.

In addition, educational game ratings are:

- -7 – Targeted towards children younger than 7 years.

- 7+ – Appropriate for persons 7 years and over.

- 12+ – Appropriate for persons 12 years and over.

- 15+ – Appropriate for persons 15 years and over.

The labeling is mandatory for all physical releases (Games redeemable from gift cards including), but there is no legislative basis for labeling electronic releases (instead, PEGI rating is shown).

### South Africa

The South African Film and Publication Board (FPB) is a statutory classification body formed by the South African Government under the Films and Publications Act of 1996 which classifies films, publications, and video games for exhibition, sale or hire in South Africa. Distributors and exhibitors are legally compelled to comply with the age ratings.

The ratings, as of August 1, 2022 are;

- PG: Not recommended for young children without Parental Guidance.

- 7-9 PG: Not permitted for children under 7 years of age. Children 7 to 9 should be accompanied before purchasing the game.

- 10-12 PG: Not permitted for children under 10 years of age. Children 10 to 12 should be accompanied before purchasing the game.

- 13: Not permitted for children under 13 years of age.

- 16: Not permitted for children under 16 years of age.

- 18: Not permitted for children.

- X18: Can only be distrubuted in licensed premises to persons over 18 years of age.

- XX: Not to be distrubuted or exhibited to public.

### South Korea

The Game Rating and Administration Committee (게임물관리위원회 Geimmul Gwanri Wiwonhoe) (GRAC) is the South Korean video game content rating board. A governmental organization, the GRAC rates video and computer games to inform customers of the nature of game contents.

### Taiwan

Game Software Rating Regulations (遊戲軟體分級辦法), also translated as Game Software Rating Management Regulations, is the video game content rating system used in Taiwan.

### United Arab Emirates

The National Media Council (Arabic: المجلس الوطني للإعلام, romanized: al-Majlis al-Watani li'al-Ealam) (NMC) was a body of the federal U.A.E. government which regulated all aspects of media production, publication, and media trade in the United Arab Emirates. The body was established under Federal Law (1) of 2006, and had full authority over the media in the country, both commercial and government related.

In 2018, the NMC introduced local age rating systems for various media, including video games available in retail.

In June 2021, the Ministry of Culture & Youth launched the Media Regulatory Office (Arabic: مكتب تنظيم الإعلام, romanized: Maktab Tanzheem al-Ealam) (MRO) to execute a number of functions and tasks previously under the National Media Council, following a restructure of the federal U.A.E. government that was approved in July 2020. In June 2022, the 2018 NMC rating labels for video games began phasing out in favour of new labels reflecting the corporate image of the MRO. The ratings themselves are unchanged.

### United Kingdom

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom. It has a statutory requirement to classify videos and DVDs. It no longer has responsibility for rating video games in the UK. This role has been passed to the Video Standards Council (formerly known as the VSC Rating Board).

In July 2012, the VSC Rating Board became the sole UK statutory video games regulator for the UK. The VSC Rating Board has been a PEGI Administrator since 2003 and subsequently uses the PEGI criteria to classify video games. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association, a UK industry trade group, works with the VSC to help properly label such games and provide informational material to parents. Games featuring strong pornographic content or ancillary mini-games to be included with a DVD feature will still be rated by the BBFC.

## Usage

The image below presents outdated usage of various video game content rating systems around the world. Countries filled with gradients are using several rating systems.


1984 Puerto Rican general election

# 1984 Puerto Rican general election

## Abstract

General elections were held in Puerto Rico on 6 November 1984. Rafael Hernández Colón of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) was elected Governor, whilst the PPD also won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voter turnout was 89%.

## Results


List of earthquakes in 2024

# List of earthquakes in 2024

## Abstract

This is a list of earthquakes in 2024. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in significant damage and/or casualties. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The maximum intensities are based on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. Earthquake magnitudes are based on data from the USGS.

## By death toll

Listed are earthquakes with at least 10 dead.

## By magnitude

Listed are earthquakes with at least 7.0 magnitude.

## By month

### January

### February

### March

### April

### May

### June

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Matt Lauer

# Matt Lauer

## Abstract

Matthew Todd Lauer (/ l aʊər /; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with WWOR on 9 Broadcast Plaza (the popular New York City/Brooklyn area hybrid entertainment/local news show that would become The Richard Bey Show) and Cinemax in the with Beyond the Screen, which promoted many big name movies coming out, both in late 80s to early 90s, and NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the news anchor for The Today Show from 1994 to 1997. In 1997, Lauer was moved from the news desk to the host's chair, and served as the co-host of NBC 's Today show from 1997 to 2017. He was also a frequent contributor for the evening news magazine Dateline NBC. With NBC, Lauer hosted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and co-hosted the opening ceremonies of several Olympic Games.

In November 2017, Lauer's contract was terminated by NBC after NBC reported receiving "a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace" and added that NBC had "reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."

## Early life

Lauer was born in New York City, the son of Marilyn Lauer, a boutique owner, and Jay Robert Lauer, a bicycle-company executive.

Lauer's father was of Romanian Jewish ancestry, as seen on the Today Show ' s Finding Our Roots. Lauer said, "My dad was Jewish. My mom is not. So I was not raised anything. I do feel a desire now to find something spiritual. Getting married and wanting to have kids has something to do with that."

## Education and early career

Lauer earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio University at age 39 in 1997; he had studied at the school's Scripps College of Communication, School of Media Arts and Studies. Lauer had dropped out of the same institution in the spring of 1979 to begin his television career, after he was hired as a producer of the noon newscast for WOWK-TV in Huntington, West Virginia. By 1980, Lauer had become an on-air reporter for the station's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.

Lauer then started to move around the East Coast, hosting a number of daily information and talk programs. He was a co-host of PM Magazine in several cities, beginning in Richmond (1980–1981), then Providence (1981–1984), and then New York City (1984–1986). After the New York edition of PM Magazine was canceled by WNYW in 1986, Lauer and co-host Jill Rappaport worked on a new show for the station, Made in New York, which ran for fifteen weeks. This was followed by Lauer gaining his first national television exposure, as he joined Robin Leach in co-hosting ABC 's short-lived daytime series Fame, Fortune and Romance, a spin-off of the syndicated Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Lauer then returned to local television, hosting programs in Philadelphia and Boston for a two-year period between 1987 and 1989, during which time he reported for ESPN and anchored entertainment news segments for HBO.

In September 1989, Lauer returned to New York City, this time to WWOR, and built his career and fame, where he hosted 9 Broadcast Plaza, a three-hour live interview program. Lauer departed that series as it took a turn in booking "tabloid" guests and topics, and for what he relayed as a refusal to live-read ads on the show for Dial-a-Mattress. WWOR-TV replaced Lauer with various guest hosts Buzz Luttrell Robb Weller, Robin Leach, Steve Edwards (talk show host), Weird Al Yankovic, Howard Stern, Richard Bey, and 9 Broadcast Plaza eventually morphed into The Richard Bey Show.

At this time, Lauer was also the original primary host of a popular Cinemax interstitial show, called Beyond the Screen (1988 - 1997; it was interstitial because the show aired on interstitial breaks between programs), which was very popular on Cinemax, causing them to topple HBO in the ratings. In this show, Matt, and many other hosts, would interview many celebrities such as Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Nicole Kidman, Talia Shire, Selma Blair, Jerry Seinfeld, Annabella Sciorra, Kirsten Dunst, EPMD, Tupac, John Singleton, Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Nelson, and many others, for their upcoming movies. The Godfather Part III, GoodFellas, Juice, and Fresh, were among the movies that had their behind-the-scenes featurette premieres on Cinemax, via this show.

In 1990, Lauer was hired by the Kushner-Locke Company to host a pilot called Day in Court, executive-produced by veteran producer David Sams, who helped to launch The Oprah Winfrey Show into national syndication. The program was retitled Trial Watch when it went to series, and ran on the NBC network for two seasons. NBC hired Robb Weller as host over Lauer when the program was picked up as a daily series. That same year, Lauer filmed a pilot for the World Wrestling Federation 's bodybuilding spinoff, the World Bodybuilding Federation for USA Network known as WBF BodyStars, though WWF owner/chairman Vince McMahon later decided to host the program himself. In 1991, Lauer appeared as the co-host (along with Willow Bay) of Etc., Etc., a show on the Travel Channel.

## Career at NBC News

Lauer joined NBC in 1992, when he became co-anchor of the early weekday news show Today in New York on the network's New York flagship station WNBC. The following year, Lauer filled the role of Live at Five co-anchor with Sue Simmons, eventually taking the role permanently and giving up the morning shift by 1994; he was replaced on Today in New York by Maurice DuBois. Lauer remained on Live at Five until 1996.

Lauer's on-camera presence would soon provide him many opportunities with NBC News. Lauer filled in as the newsreader on The Today Show for Margaret Larson when needed from 1992 to 1993. This "audition" period allowed him to join The Today Show full-time in January 1994 as news anchor, while still co-anchoring Today in New York and Live at Five.

Lauer stepped in for Scott Simon, Mike Schneider, Jack Ford and David Bloom as the co-host of Weekend Today, and for Ann Curry as anchor of the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1992 to 1997. He had also filled in for Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News. As the Today Show news anchor, Lauer also substituted for Bryant Gumbel on the Today Show before being named the official co-anchor on January 6, 1997, after Gumbel stepped down. On top of Lauer's duties on The Today Show, Lauer also hosted programming on Discovery Channel and MSNBC.

From 1998 until 2011, Lauer embarked on what was generally an annual five-day, globe-spanning adventure called Where in the World is Matt Lauer? on the Today Show during TV sweeps. The segment was named after the PBS game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? from which it borrowed the theme song. This segment sent Lauer to various locations around the world, from where he reported on the importance of each location. Lauer broadcast from locations including Bhutan, Easter Island, the Panama Canal, Iran, Hong Kong, Croatia, and the Great Wall of China. In 2011, NBC News postponed the segment in consideration of the stagnant, unstable U.S. economy.

On some occasions, Lauer conducted interviews that escalated into tense exchanges. During a June 2005 interview with Tom Cruise, Lauer argued with Cruise about psychiatry and postpartum depression, and Cruise called Lauer "glib." In December 2008, Cruise said he regretted the exchange.

On June 19, 2007, Lauer interviewed Prince William and Prince Harry on the tenth anniversary of the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Between 1998 and 2017, Lauer co-hosted NBC's live coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lauer co-hosted the opening ceremonies of several Olympic Games, carrying on what his former co-host Katie Couric had done since the 2000 Summer Olympics. Lauer co-hosted the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 2016 Summer Olympics. His commentary on the 2012 opening ceremonies, along with that of co-hosts Meredith Vieira and Bob Costas, came under fierce criticism, being described as "ignorant" and "banal".

On April 5, 2012, Lauer announced that he had signed a new contract with NBC News through 2017. Forbes estimated that the contract paid Lauer $25 million a year.

It has been widely reported that Lauer had influenced co-anchor Ann Curry 's departure from The Today Show, executed by its executive producer Jim Bell under the name called "Operation Bambi."

During the 2014 Winter Olympics, Lauer replaced prime-time host Bob Costas from February 11–14, after Costas suffered a major eye infection.

In November 2015, Lauer hosted an interview with Charlie Sheen, during which Sheen revealed that he was HIV-positive.

On September 8, 2016, Lauer conducted separate 30-minute interviews with presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, both of which were met with much criticism. Lauer devoted much of the Clinton interview to questions about her e-mail server, and according to critics, appeared to rush through audience-led topics such as domestic terror attacks and veterans' affairs, implying that there was not enough time to cover these in detail. Many also felt that Lauer failed to challenge Trump on alleged inaccuracies, such as his statement that he was "totally against the war in Iraq," which other sources called "lies." CNN reported that the short amount of time for the interviews, the short notice with which they were conducted, and the small amount of audience questions were a major reason for the poor reviews.

On November 30, 2016, it was revealed that Lauer had signed a new contract up to 2018. Variety reported that his salary was $20 million per year. On January 6, 2017, Lauer celebrated his 20th anniversary on The Today Show with a look back at some of his most memorable moments on the show.

## Sexual misconduct allegations

On November 29, 2017, NBC News announced that Lauer's employment had been terminated after an unidentified female NBC employee reported that Lauer had sexually harassed her during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and that the harassment continued after they returned to New York. Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News, sent a memorandum to his staff that said, in part, "On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.... While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident." A network executive said Lauer would not receive any form of monetary settlement because he was fired " for cause ". Lauer's last day on air was November 28, 2017. His contract had been scheduled to run through the end of 2018.

NBC News management said it had been aware that The New York Times and Variety had been conducting independent investigations of Lauer's behavior, but that management had been unaware of previous allegations against Lauer. Later reporting disputed this; Linda Vester, a former NBC News correspondent, said that management had to have known and that "everybody knew" that Lauer was dangerous. In the 2019 book Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, Ronan Farrow cited multiple sources who stated that NBC News was not only aware of Lauer's misconduct beforehand, but that Harvey Weinstein used this knowledge to pressure the program into killing a story that would have outed his own sexual assaults. Variety reported allegations by at least ten of Lauer's current and former colleagues. Additional accusations went public in the ensuing days. NBC acknowledged three additional cases from 2000 to 2007.

In Catch and Kill, Farrow reveals one of the alleged victims as Brooke Nevils, who says Lauer anally raped her in his hotel room while the two were in Sochi covering the 2014 Winter Olympics for NBC. Farrow also writes in his book that Nevils had additional sexual encounters with Lauer after the initial incident, but she characterized those encounters as "transactional", and consented only out of fear that Lauer had control over her career.

In a statement made after his firing, Lauer apologized for his actions, saying, "Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed." Following Nevils' allegation of sexual assault that was published in Farrow's book, Lauer issued an open letter confirming that he had a consensual sexual relationship with Nevils and that the relationship started in 2014 in Sochi, but denying that the initial encounter was non-consensual.

Two weeks after Lauer's firing, Addie Zinone, a former Today production assistant, made an additional accusation, saying that she had a consensual sexual relationship with Lauer in June 2000. Zinone claimed that the relationship was an "abuse of power" on Lauer's part because Zinone said that she felt that turning down Lauer's advances would have hurt her career.

According to Farrow, Today show booker Melissa Lonner claims that Lauer exposed himself to her in 2010 at an NBC cocktail party. He denies this claim and through his lawyer said, "he will not take part in the marketing circus of this book."

In 2008, Lauer was the subject of a roast by the New York Friars Club where several of his colleagues made jokes about his reputation for having relationships with his staff.

## Other work

Lauer made a guest appearance as himself on a live episode of Will & Grace in early 2006.

In November 2006, Lauer and his daughter, Romy, hosted the Sesame Street direct-to-DVD show Sesame Beginnings: Exploring Together. Lauer hosted The Greatest American on the Discovery Channel, which used internet and telephone voting by viewers to select the winner. Lauer was critical of his own program, since it tended to favor well-known figures over others who had less influence in pop culture.

Lauer served as the 2009 Class Day speaker at Harvard University 's undergraduate commencement ceremonies on June 3, 2009.

Lauer has appeared as himself in the 2009 film Land of the Lost, the 2011 film The Beaver and voiced reporter Hark Hanson in the direct–to–DVD animated sequel Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! Lauer also made appearances in the 2011 films Drew Peterson: Untouchable and Tower Heist; archival footage of Lauer is shown in the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton and the 2017 films Lady Bird and I, Tonya. He also appeared as himself in the TV movies Sharknado 2: The Second One and Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!

## Career timeline

- 1979–1980: News producer and reporter, WOWK-TV, Huntington, West Virginia

- 1980–1981: Co-host, PM Magazine, WXEX-TV, Richmond, Virginia

- 1981–1984: Co-host, PM Magazine, WJAR -TV, Providence, Rhode Island

- 1984–1986: Co-host, PM Magazine, WNEW-TV, New York City

- 1986: Co-host, Made in New York, WNYW, New York City

- 1986–1987: Co-host, Fame, Fortune and Romance, ABC

- 1987–1988: Host, Live on City Line, WCAU -TV, Philadelphia

- 1988–1989: Host, Talk of the Town, WNEV-TV, Boston

- 1989–1991: Co-host, 9 Broadcast Plaza, WWOR-TV, Secaucus, New Jersey

- 1992–1996: Various positions at WNBC-TV, New York City September 1992 – September 1994: Today in New York co-anchor August 1993 – September 1996: early evening newscast Live at Five co-anchor

- September 1992 – September 1994: Today in New York co-anchor

- August 1993 – September 1996: early evening newscast Live at Five co-anchor

- 1992–2017: Various positions at NBC News, New York City 1992–1997: fill-in anchor on Weekend Today and NBC News at Sunrise 1993–1994: Today fill-in news anchor June 13, 1994 – January 3, 1997: Today news anchor January 6, 1997 – November 28, 2017: Today co-anchor 1997–2017: Dateline NBC contributing anchor 1998–2016: Christmas in Rockefeller Center host 1998–2017: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade host 2011–2013: Rock Center with Brian Williams correspondent

- 1992–1997: fill-in anchor on Weekend Today and NBC News at Sunrise

- 1993–1994: Today fill-in news anchor

- June 13, 1994 – January 3, 1997: Today news anchor

- January 6, 1997 – November 28, 2017: Today co-anchor

- 1997–2017: Dateline NBC contributing anchor

- 1998–2016: Christmas in Rockefeller Center host

- 1998–2017: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade host

- 2011–2013: Rock Center with Brian Williams correspondent

## Personal life

Lauer is a grandson of singer Art Gentry. Lauer was married to television producer Nancy Alspaugh from 1982 to 1989. They had no children. He later married Dutch model Annette Roque, whom he met on a blind date in July 1997. Lauer proposed to Roque after five months of dating, and the two wed in Bridgehampton, New York on October 3, 1998. They have three children together.

In 2006, while pregnant, Roque filed for divorce due to "mental abuse, extreme mental and emotional distress, humiliation, torment, and anxiety" by Lauer. They reconciled weeks later. On September 7, 2019, Lauer and Roque officially divorced, following nearly two years of separation in the wake of his 2017 sexual harassment allegations.

Since his firing, Lauer has been living on his farm in New Zealand.


Washington County Courthouse (Florida)

# Washington County Courthouse (Florida)

## Abstract

The Washington County Courthouse was an historic brick courthouse building located in Chipley, Florida. It was built in 1932 in the Classical Revival style after Chipley won a 1927 referendum to move the county seat from Vernon.

In 1989, the Washington County Courthouse was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.

The 1932 courthouse has since been demolished, due to damage at the base of the building and black mold. A new courthouse was constructed over a two-year period atop the site of the former building. The new courthouse was completed in 2016, and was open to the public in December 2016.


Political positions of Joe Lieberman

# Political positions of Joe Lieberman

## Abstract

Joe Lieberman (February 24, 1942 – March 27, 2024) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. He was an Independent prior to his death.

## Party identification

In spring 2000, Lieberman among other centrist Democrats founded the Senate New Democrat Coalition. In January 2007, Lieberman described himself as being "genuinely an Independent," saying "I agree more often than not with Democrats on domestic policy. I agree more often than not with Republicans on foreign and defense policy."

## Domestic policy

### Abortion

Overall Lieberman had a pro-choice voting record, and in 2007 he received a grade of 100 from the abortion rights organization NARAL Pro-Choice America. While running in the Democratic primaries in the 2004 presidential election, Lieberman said that as president he would "follow a policy that makes abortion safe, rare and legal." He voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

### Affirmative action

In a 1995 speech before the National Press Club, Lieberman said, "this business of deciding by group, the argument that some make that some groups are genetically less able than others. That's an un-American argument." Affirmative action programs "must change because they are inconsistent with the law and basic American values of equal treatment and opportunity." He also stated that he was "against group preferences, but there ought to be some room for the kind of outreach that has been part of affirmative action programs without getting into quotas.

In 1996, he expressed support for California's Proposition 209, which sought to eliminate state and local government affirmative action programs in the areas of public employment, public education, and public contracting to the extent these programs involve "preferential treatment based on race, sex, gender, color, ethnicity, or national origin." "Affirmative action is dividing us in ways its creators could never have intended.", he said.

Since 2000, he rescinded his support for the proposition, saying that he expressed support "without understand the intent of Proposition 209", and renounced any support for Proposition 209. In the 2000 campaign, Lieberman assured the black voters, "I have supported affirmative action, I do support affirmative action, and I will support affirmative action because history and current reality make it necessary."

In 2003, Lieberman criticized Bush's affirmative action policy. In 2004, he reiterated his support, "I support affirmative action programs, including in appropriate instances consideration of race and gender in government contracting decisions, when the affirmative action program is designed to remedy the effects of past discrimination."

During his 2004 campaign, Lieberman stated that he wanted to increase subsidies for women-owned non-profit business, and he voted yes on setting aside 10% of highway funds for companies owned by minorities and women without regard to the demographics of their employees.

### Consumer protection

Lieberman was one of four Senate Democrats to side with Republicans in 1995 in voting to limit punitive damage awards in product liability cases.

In February 2005, breaking ranks with fellow Senate Democrats, Lieberman voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, S. 5, which is a bill to curtail the ability of plaintiffs to file class action lawsuits against corporations in federal courts. The bill was backed by the White House and business groups as an essential tort reform measure that would reduce what they said was a debilitating number of frivolous lawsuits. The bill was opposed by consumer advocacy groups and trial lawyers who argued that many valid claims against corporations would be dismissed, leaving consumers without legal recourse.

### Crime

Lieberman had long been a strong supporter of the death penalty. He ran for the Senate in 1988 as "n unapologetic proponent of capital punishment." During his 2000 run for Vice President, Nat Hentoff of the Village Voice referred to him as a "relentless advocate of capital punishment." In 2002, Peter Beinart of The New Republic listed Lieberman among several potential Democratic presidential candidates who supported the death penalty.

### Enemy Expatriation Act

In January 2012, Lieberman co-sponsored the Enemy Expatriation Act (HR 3166 and S. 1698) a proposed law in the United States also sponsored by Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) and Representatives Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Jason Altmire (D-PA). The bill would allow the United States government to strip US citizens of their citizenship if they participate in terrorism, defined as "providing material support or resources to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, as designated by the secretary of state, or actively engaging in hostilities against the United States or its allies". In early 2012, the proposal was compared to the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act, and some writers have suggested that the two laws could be used together to take away citizens' civil liberties. If passed, the bill would add to the circumstances under which US citizenship can be lost.

### Education

Lieberman championed experimental voucher programs, which would redirect some education funding directly to parents, who could apply it towards paying for the public or private school of their choice.

Lieberman had called Bush's No Child Left Behind Act plan a "progressive piece of legislation" which has been insufficiently funded. He said, "A month after he signed the law, President Bush under funded it by $6 billion less than was promised in the legislation. This is creating greater pressures on our schools to perform and educate our kids—which is appropriate—but without giving them sufficient resources to make it happen." He had repeatedly criticized the administration to this effect.

With Lynne Cheney, Richard Lamm, Saul Bellow, and others, Lieberman co-founded the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), a controversial educational organization which released the post- 9/11 report titled "Defending Civilization: How Our Universities Are Failing America and What Can Be Done About It" that criticized universities for evidence of anti-Americanism.

### Entertainment

Lieberman was critical of the entertainment media. On November 29, 2005, Lieberman co-sponsored the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which was introduced by Hillary Clinton, S.2126. The act is intended to protect children from what he says is inappropriate content found in video games. He has denounced the violence contained in video games and has attempted to regulate sales of violent video games to minors, arguing that games should have to be labeled based upon age-appropriateness. Regarding Grand Theft Auto, he said "The player is rewarded for attacking a woman, pushing her to the ground, kicking her repeatedly and then ultimately killing her, shooting her over and over again. I call on the entertainment companies—they've got a right to do that, but they have a responsibility not to do it if we want to raise the next generation of our sons to treat women with respect". He voted for the Communications Decency Act.

### Environment

Lieberman co-sponsored the Clean Air Act (1990), introduced legislation in 1991 to give consumers more information about the dangers of pesticides, and has addressed the need to limit global warming.

Lieberman had stated that the US population has to accept responsibility for global warming, and voted "yes" on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Lieberman voted yes on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). Lieberman voted against Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior, and voted for funding for greater risk assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lieberman has even gone as far as saying he wants to raise mileage standard to 40 mpg. Lieberman voted for the administration-backed Energy Policy Act of 2005; facing criticism, Lieberman called the bill imperfect but good for Connecticut, citing a saving of $800 million for Connecticut electricity customers. Lieberman has been a vocal critic of Bush's environmental policy.

#### Lieberman–Warner Climate Security Act of 2008

Also more commonly referred to as the cap and trade bill, proposed to ration (cap) carbon emissions in the U.S., and tax or purchase (trade) carbon credits on the global market for greater U.S. alignment with the Kyoto Protocol standards and goals. The bill (as reported in the Senate) was 550 pages long, and provided for establishment of a federal bureau of Carbon Trading, Regulation, and Enforcement.

### Gang of 14

On May 23, 2005, Lieberman was one of fourteen senators, dubbed the Gang of 14, who forged a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus avoiding the Republican leadership's implementation of the so-called nuclear option. Under the agreement, the Democrats would exercise the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an extraordinary circumstance, and three of the filibustered Bush appellate court nominees – (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor) – would receive a vote by the full Senate, which resulted in their confirmation. Lieberman refused to support a filibuster against Supreme Court Justice nominee Samuel Alito. Alito was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 31, 2006, by a vote of 58–42, becoming the Court's 110th Justice. Lieberman voted against the Alito confirmation in the final Senate vote. On the John Roberts nomination as the Chief Justice of the United States, Lieberman believed that Roberts did not seem to be the kind of right-wing candidate the Gang of 14 feared the president would select. Lieberman said he thought Roberts was a decent guy. But he also said it was too early to draw further conclusions. Roberts was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 29, 2005, by a vote of 78 – 22, becoming the Court's 17th Chief Justice. Lieberman voted for the Roberts confirmation.

### LGBT rights

In 2004, Lieberman scored a rating of 88 out of 100 by the Human Rights Campaign."

Lieberman voted no on a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. In 2003, in response to the Massachusetts ruling that sanctions gay marriage, Lieberman stated "although I am opposed to gay marriage, I have also long believed that states have the right to adopt for themselves laws that allow same-sex unions", and "I will oppose any attempts by the right wing to change the Constitution in response to today's Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling, which would be unnecessary and divisive".

Lieberman cosponsored the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations act of 2009, which will provide the same benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees as spouses currently have. In 1996, Lieberman cosponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Lieberman has adopted a non-discriminatory policy in employment decisions, which include sexual orientation and gender. However, he supported the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and Don't ask, don't tell in 1993. In 2010, he voted to repeal Don't ask, don't tell. In August 1994, Jesse Helms (R- NC) and Bob Smith (R- NH) proposed an amendment, S.AMDT.2434, to Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization (ESEA) – S.1513 – that would prevent federal funding for schools that "implement or carry out a program or activity that has either the purpose or effect of encouraging or supporting homosexuality as a positive lifestyle". Lieberman voted for the amendment. He voted against a measure to grant domestic partner benefits to District of Columbia employees.

### Gun laws

Lieberman received an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association and a 90% from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. He has sought to ban guns in schools and places of worship. He had voted against prohibiting most lawsuits against gun manufacturers, but cast another vote that would immunize gun manufacturers from lawsuits over gun violence. He had voted to require background checks at gun shows and against allowing guns to be sold without trigger locks.

In 2000, he opposed Al Gore 's position to require a gun license to purchase a new handgun. Although they disagreed on this issue, Gore asked Lieberman not to change his position.

### Health care

Lieberman voted in favor of the Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2003, which provided Medicaid treatment for people with HIV. He also voted for prohibiting HIV-positive immigrants from entering the United States.

Lieberman was critical of Bush's Medicare plan, arguing that, in its current state, it does not provide sufficiently for the elderly.

In March 2006, according to The New Haven Register, when asked about the approach of Catholic hospitals on contraceptives for rape victims, Lieberman said he believed that Catholic hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for "principled reasons" shouldn't be forced to do so. "In Connecticut, it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital," he said.

During his 2004 campaign, Lieberman said, "The day I walk into the Oval Office, the first thing I'm going to do is rescind the Bush administration restrictions on embryonic stem cell research." In 2006, he criticized Bush's veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.

In 2005, Lieberman, along with Republicans Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback, introduced S. 975, the Project BioShield II Act of 2005. Its stated purpose was to provide incentives to increase research by private sector entities to develop medical countermeasures to counter bioterrorism threats. The bill would have provided tax credits, patent extensions, and immunity from civil liability.

During a 2006 debate with challenger Ned Lamont, Lieberman claimed to be working towards universal health care.

Lieberman joined a few other Democrats, Republican Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the Republican Congress as a vocal opponent of efforts to remove the feeding tube in the Terri Schiavo case.

Lieberman was a co-sponsor of the Healthy Americans Act.

In 2009, Lieberman opposed to a " public option " and stated he would side with Republicans and filibuster any attempt to pass major health legislation that includes one. Lieberman confirmed on December 13, 2009, he will not vote for the Senate Health care bill in its current form, reportedly informing Majority Leader Harry Reid directly that he would filibuster any attempt to pass health care with a public option or an expansion of Medicare coverage. Lieberman, however, supported the expansion of Medicare as a part of the 2000 Democratic presidential platform and as recently as September 2009. Writing about Lieberman in 2009, Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight said he was "generally not one of the more sold-out Senators," ranking him 75th out of 100 senators for percentage of contributions from corporate PACs, although he received nearly $1 million in campaign contributions from the health sector from 2005 to 2010. He ranks 75th out of 100 senators for percentage of contributions from corporate PACs. Reid later remarked to Senate colleagues, "They don't call him Joe Gun for nothing."

### Internet censorship

In 2008, Lieberman's Senate committee issued a report titled "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat," which "identified the Internet as 'one of the primary drivers' of the terrorist threat to the United States." In conjunction with this report, Lieberman "demanded that YouTube take down hundreds of videos produced by Islamist terrorist organizations or their supporters. YouTube reviewed the videos to determine whether they violated its guidelines, which prohibit hate speech and graphic or gratuitous violence. It took down 80 videos, but left others up. Mr. Lieberman said that was 'not enough,' and demanded that more come down." The New York Times reported that Lieberman was "trying to pressure YouTube to pull down videos he does not like" and wrote that "hile it is fortunate that Mr. Lieberman does not have the power to tell YouTube that it must remove videos, it is profoundly disturbing that an influential senator would even consider telling a media company to shut down constitutionally protected speech."

On June 19, 2010, Lieberman introduced a bill called "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010", which he co-wrote with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE). If signed into law, this controversial bill, which the American media dubbed the " Kill switch bill ", would grant the President emergency powers over the Internet. However, all three co-authors of the bill issued a statement claiming that instead, the bill " existing broad Presidential authority to take over telecommunications networks". American computer security specialist and author Bruce Schneier objected to the "kill switch" proposal on the basis that it rests on several faulty assumptions and that it's "too coarse a hammer". Schneier wrote:

Defending his proposal, Sen. Lieberman pointed out that China has this capability. It's debatable whether or not it actually does, but it's actively pursuing the capability because the country cares less about its citizens. Here in the U.S., it is both wrong and dangerous to give the president the power and ability to commit Internet suicide and terrorize Americans in this way.

Sen. Lieberman was a major opponent of the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks. His staff "made inquiries" of Amazon.com and other internet companies such as PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard which resulted in them suspending service to WikiLeaks. Blogger Glenn Greenwald called Lieberman's actions "one of the most pernicious acts by a U.S. Senator in quite some time," and accused Lieberman of " emulat Chinese dictators " by "abusing his position as Homeland Security Chairman to thuggishly dictate to private companies which websites they should and should not host--and, more important, what you can and cannot read on the Internet." Lieberman has also suggested that "the New York Times and other news organisations publishing the US embassy cables being released by WikiLeaks could be investigated for breaking US espionage laws."

Along with Senators John Ensign and Scott Brown, Lieberman "introduced a bill to amend the Espionage Act in order to facilitate the prosecution of folks like WikiLeaks." Critics have noted that "eaking information in the first place is already a crime, so the measure is aimed squarely at publishers," and that "Lieberman's proposed solution to WikiLeaks could have implications for journalists reporting on some of the more unsavory practices of the intelligence community." Legal analyst Benjamin Wittes has called the proposed legislation "the worst of both worlds," saying:

"It leaves intact the current World War I -era Espionage Act provision, 18 U.S.C. 793(e), a law many problems... and then takes a currently well-drawn law and expands its scope to the point that it covers a lot more than the most reckless of media excesses. A lot of good journalism would be a crime under this provision; after all, knowingly and willfully publishing material 'concerning the human intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government' is no small part of what a good newspaper does."

### Labor

Lieberman was a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. Lieberman had a 100% AFL–CIO rating in 2003, indicating a pro-union voting record.

Lieberman was a supporter of the H1-B Visa Program, which allows employers to import "skilled" workers for employment in the US. In 2007, Lieberman and Senator Chuck Hagel (R- NE) proposed raising the yearly cap for such visas from 65,000 to 115,000, with provisions to allow future yearly quotas as high as 180,000.

### Social Security

Lieberman cosponsored a resolution urging the Congress to reject the Bush Administration Social Security Commission's report.

Regarding the debate over privatizing Social Security, Lieberman said, "this is an ongoing problem, and we'd be wise to deal with it." He told The Hartford Courant in January 2005 when asked about Social Security, "if we can figure out a way to help people through private accounts or something else, great." Although Lieberman praised Lindsey Graham (R- SC) for trying to fashion a bipartisan social security plan, he ultimately voted against the Bush Social Security plan.

### Financial accounting standards, flag desecration, and right to die

Lieberman toyed with the idea of switching his affiliation to Republican, especially if Senate Democrats went what he saw as too far in ending the War in Iraq. In the 110th Congress, such a switch would have left the Senate equally divided, with Vice President Dick Cheney holding the tie-breaking vote.

He helped defeat the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) proposal of requiring the reporting of the costs of stock options as a business expense during the mid-nineties. During an interview with PBS after the Enron scandal, Lieberman defended his position, saying, "it was a good action." Facing the growing stock option scandals, Lieberman acknowledged that "clearly a disproportionate percent of the options went to a small percentage of executives. That was disappointing."

Lieberman had voted against amending the Constitution to make it constitutional to criminalize flag desecration.

In 2005, Lieberman said it was justified to give Terri Schiavo "the opportunity for one more chance before her life was terminated by an act which was sanctioned by a court, by the state... made a best guess based on the evidence before him. That's not enough when you're talking about aggressively removing food and water to end someone's life." He said he would have kept Schiavo's feeding tube in.

## Foreign policy

### Military intervention

According to a 2003 article in the Boston Globe, Lieberman "initially supported the Vietnam War, then changed his mind in late 1967, when he decided it was 'the wrong place to be.' He has firmly backed every military action since then: Grenada, Libya, Panama, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and both Gulf wars." Since that time, he had repeatedly urged new American attacks against Iran, Syria and, most recently, action in Yemen against terrorists.

### Atlanticism

Lieberman was an advisor to the Atlantic Bridge.

### Committee on the Present Danger

At the 20 July launching of the 2004 Committee on the Present Danger, Joe Lieberman and Senator Jon Kyl were identified as the honorary co-chairs. The Committee on the Present Danger (CPD) is a hawkish "advocacy organization" first founded in 1950 and re-formed in 1976 to push for larger defense budgets and arms buildups, to counter the Soviet Union.

### Defense spending

Lieberman, "a hawk on foreign policy, is long considered a friend of defense contractors, both in Connecticut and across the country." He is "a powerful proponent for robust Pentagon spending and weapons programs." Michael E. O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution said of Lieberman: "He is a giant of the Senate, to me just as important on national security as Kennedy was on health or Bradley on finance or Domenici on the deficit." "Lieberman cemented his favorable reputation with defense firms when he advocated for more models of combat systems like the Lockheed Martin -made F-22 fighter and the Boeing-built C-17 air lifter even when Air Force and Pentagon officials argued against them."

### Free trade

Lieberman supported the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and continued to do so. During a 2004 Democratic presidential primary debate in South Carolina, he said, "though it's cost some jobs, has actually netted out 900,000 new jobs that were created by NAFTA". Lieberman also voted for the Central America-United States-Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in 2005.

Lieberman was also the co-author of the US – China Relations Act that would create new incentives in bilateral relations with China. He voted for the U.S./China World Trade Organization (WTO) Accession agreement in 2000.

### Geneva Conventions

Lieberman supported the Alberto Gonzales policy memo on the application of provisions of the Geneva Conventions. He believed "the decision was, in my opinion, a reasonable one, and ultimately a progressive one." He agreed with Gonzales in describing certain provisions of Geneva Conventions, specifically "that a captured enemy be afforded such things as commissary privileges, script advances of monthly pay, athletic uniforms and scientific instruments" as "quaint". He also agreed with the legal decision that al Qaeda 's members "were not entitled to prisoner of war status." In 2006, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that "at least" Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions is applicable to combatants "in the territory of" a signatory of the Conventions.

### Homeland security

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (formerly the Governmental Affairs Committee) in 2001, Lieberman proposed forming the Department of Homeland Security, a proposal that passed into law in 2002. As ranking member of the committee from 2003 to 2007, he played a leading role in the passage of homeland security legislation such as the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, the SAFE Port Act, and the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, and in the investigation of the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. In January 2007 he became chairman again of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he led efforts to pass the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.

### Cuba

Senator Lieberman was a member of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus.

### Iraq

Lieberman sponsored S.J. Res.46, the Senate version of H.J. Res. 114, that is, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, also called the Iraq Resolution.

Lieberman defended his support of the Iraq Resolution; in a November 29, 2005 op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, he praised the efforts of the U.S. military in the occupation of Iraq and criticized both parties:

"I am disappointed by Democrats who are more focused on how President Bush took America into the war in Iraq almost three years ago, and by Republicans who are more worried about whether the war will bring them down in next November's elections, than they are concerned about how we continue the progress in Iraq in the months and years ahead."

Later, on December 7, 2005, Lieberman said, "It is time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be Commander-in-Chief for three more critical years, and that in matters of war we undermine Presidential credibility at our nation's peril. It is time for Republicans in the White House and Congress who distrust Democrats to acknowledge that greater Democratic involvement and support in the war in Iraq is critical to rebuilding the support of the American people that is essential to our success in that war. It is time for Americans and we their leaders to start working together again on the war on terrorism. To encourage that new American partnership, I propose that the President and the leadership of Congress establish a bipartisan Victory in Iraq Working Group, composed of members of both parties in Congress and high ranking national security officials of the Bush Administration."

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid expressed disappointment with Lieberman, saying, "I've talked to Senator Lieberman, and unfortunately he is at a different place on Iraq than the majority of the American people." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi added, "I completely disagree with Lieberman. I believe that we have a responsibility to speak out if we think that the course of action that our country is not making the American people safer, making our military stronger and making the region more stable." Lieberman responded, "I've had this position for a long time – that we need to finish the job."

Lieberman's defense of the administration resulted in speculation that he was attempting to position himself to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld or another high-ranking government official, but Lieberman has denied having any desire for this. In 2005, media reports suggested that Lieberman might replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; Lieberman responded with, "It's a total fantasy, there's just no truth to it."

On June 22, 2006, Lieberman voted against two Democratic amendments to the annual defense appropriations bill, including S. 2766, which called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. S.2766 did not set a withdrawal deadline, but urged President Bush to start pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq in 2006. Both amendments were defeated in the Senate, 60–39. On the January 14, 2007 episode of Meet the Press, he attempted to link Iraq to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, asserting that the U.S. was "attacked on 9/11 by the same enemy that we're fighting in Iraq today."

As late as January 20, 2011, Lieberman "continued to insist that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction even though none were ever found after the invasion of Iraq," and "also said that despite the enormous cost to the U.S. in blood, prestige and treasure he does not regret his vote for war and would do it all over again."

### Iran

Lieberman was a vocal supporter in Congress for U.S. aerial attacks on Iran, justifying such action on the grounds of Iran's alleged support of anti-American forces in Iraq as well as its nuclear program.

### Israel

Lieberman was "among the strongest backers of Israel on Capitol Hill." Mark Vogel, chairman of the pro-Israel National Action Committee Political Action Committee (NACPAC), had stated that "Joe Lieberman, without exception, no conditions... is the No. 1 pro-Israel advocate and leader in Congress. There is nobody who does more on behalf of Israel than Joe Lieberman. That is why he is incredibly important to the pro-Israel community." According to OpenSecrets, Lieberman currently ranks fourth on the list of candidates who received money from pro-Israel Political Action Committees (PACs) in 2006.

In 2002, Lieberman sponsored a pro-Israel U.S. Senate Resolution (S. Res. 247) regarding the Middle East Conflict, "expressing solidarity with Israel in its constant efforts to fight against terror". In an interview with The Associated Press, Lieberman said Israel had a right to launch offensives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon after two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped. He added that if Arab countries urged restraint by Hezbollah and Hamas, it "will allow the Israelis to cool down."

### Nicaragua

In the 1980s, "he sided with the Reagan White House on aid to the Nicaraguan Contras."

### Yemen

On December 27, 2009, Lieberman commented on reports that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who had allegedly tried to set off a suicide bomb on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25, 2009, had subsequently confessed to being trained and equipped in Yemen. Lieberman called for the Obama administration to pre-emptively attack Yemen and to halt plans to repatriate Yemeni captives in Guantanamo.


Eduardo Antonio

# Eduardo Antonio

## Abstract

Eduardo Antonio (born December 10, 1969) is a Cuban singer, actor and producer. His songs have served as a soundtrack, presentation and closing theme for soap operas and films such as Preciosa, Alma rebelde, Yo amo a Juan Querendón, Pecadora, Antes que anochezca, among others, acting as an actor in some of these.

He was co-presenter of Don Francisco Presenta, where he was nicknamed "el Divo de Placetas" by Don Francisco. He has also been a special guest on the television programs Cala, Otro Rollo, Cristina, Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, Sábado Gigante, among others.

## Artistic career

He began as a child in his homeland and earned a space within the Cuban pop scene. His first public appearances were made as a child and later, still very young, at the Tropicana cabaret. In 1996, he participated in the OTI Festival of his country, qualifying for the international OTI 96 event with the theme of his authorship "Me queda la canción", representing Cuba in the XXV edition held in Quito.

He participated in Mexico in some Televisa telenovelas at the end of the 1990s. He portrayed a nightclub singer in the film Before Night Fall, which recounts the life of Reinaldo Arenas.

His recording debut would come with his album Déjame gritar (English: Let Me Scream), released in 2000. Some songs were part of film soundtracks. He starred alongside Celia Cruz in the video " La Negra Tiene Tumbao."

### El divo de Placetas

Since 2002, Eduardo Antonio has been the presenter of the program Don Francisco Presenta on Univision, and the Chilean presenter expressed the following: "... I know two divos: one from Juárez, in Mexico, who is Juan Gabriel, and one in Spain, who is from Linares, and is called Raphael... but Cuba already has its divo, he is from Placetas and his name is Eduardo Antonio".

Desde mi alma (English: From My Soul), was published in 2007 under the labels Univisión and Fonovisa. In this record project were the songs belonging to the soundtrack of the telenovela Yo amo a Juan Querendón and the teleserie Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real.

In 2010, he would venture into Christmas music with his single titled "Profecías de navidad" (English: Christmas Prophecy). In addition, he would collaborate with his partner at the time, Niurka Marcos, on the song "Como nos dé la gana" (English: As We Want).

In 2013, he would be interviewed by Ismael Cala for CNN, where he promoted his single "Chiki Bombo" from the album ¡Y México me hizo me rey! (English: And Mexico Made Me King). This song would reach position 21 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.

"Me Juego La Vida" (English: I Play My Life) was Eduardo's project launched in 2015. "Dónde Está El Pecado" (English: Where Is The Sin) was the single that had a video clip, where Eduardo dressed up as a woman. In addition, the song was the promotional song for the online series Cabaret where Eduardo Antonio acted as the transvestite Veneno, along with Alicia Machado, Lis Vega and Lily Rentería.

In 2016, he was part of the tribute to José José at the Miami International Song Festival at the Manuel Artime Theater.

In 2017, he released "Perlas En Mi Voz" (English: Pearls In My Voice), a material with which he returns to the hits of great Latin music performers such as " Por Qué Te Tengo Que Olvidar ", "En La Cárcel De Tu Piel" and "Brindaremos".

He was honored along with other celebrities in the final farewell of Sábado Gigante: ¡Hasta Siempre! from the Univision network.

On May 19, 2018, Eduardo Antonio was one of three media figures inducted into Union City's Celia Cruz Park Walk of Fame, along with actor Lucio Fernandez, and Latin Grammy winner Amaury Gutierrez.

In 2019, he premiered the reggaeton song "Yo quisiera", in collaboration with the LKM group. He was one of the artists invited to the New Year's Eve concert in Bayfront Park, organized by the Cuban-American singer Pitbull. This same year together with the Cubans Jeikel Acosta and Abel Bosmenier, one of the vocalists of the former group SBS, he presented the collaborative musical theme "La cuenta no da". The video clip features the participation of the Cuban showgirl Haniset Rodríguez and the Cuban comedian Boncó Quiñongo.

The following year, he released the song "Quédate En Casa" (English: Stay at Home) a composition with a lot of feeling and love in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guajiro de Placetas 2020, a compilation of Cuban music hits, also arrived. "Si te pudiera mentir" (English: If I could lie to you) with La Diosa, it was his last single this year.

By the year 2022, he collaborated for the Farandula Records' single "Más Reggaeton", along with various urban exponents such as Sandy el White, Henry Méndez, El Cata, Ariel de Cuba, Fedro and Eri White. In 2022, he received the Mundo Mágico AC award in Mexico, and returned to participate in the New Year's Eve concert at Bayfront Park. He was present at the launch of Myriam Hernández 's Sinergia album. He also got together with Lenier for his song "Mentiras" (English: Lies), in the video clip that Imaray Ulloa starred in. He closed 2022 by sharing a preview of his collaboration with Señorita Dayana on social networks.

Beginning in 2023, he honored Farah María with the song "Tiburón".

## Personal life

He has a son with the same name, Eduardo Antonio Jiménez Barrera. He considers Juan Gabriel his artist to follow, paying tributes on his albums to some popular songs by "el Divo de Juárez".

Eduardo always generating comments based on his sexual orientation. He had a relationship with Niurka Marcos, it is even speculated that there was a wedding, in a relationship that would culminate in 2011.

In 2018, he began a relationship with the Cuban Arahis Retureta. After the breakup, he started a new relationship. 7 months after having proposed to a Colombian woman named Patricia, in June 2020 he resumed the sentimental relationship that he had had with Arahis.

At the end of 2020, he would openly declare himself homosexual, and would make his relationship with Roy García, a Cuban businessman, official, assuming a nuptial commitment in 2021.

They would get married on Valentine's Day 2023. Niurka Marcos would congratulate him through a video.

## Discography

### Studio albums

- 2000: Déjame Gritar

- 2007: Desde mi alma

- 2010: Profecías de navidad

- 2012: Andando Caminos (Éxitos)

- 2013: ¡Y México me hizo un rey!

- 2015: Me juego la vida

- 2015: Chiquibombo (Remixes) EP

- 2017: Perlas en mi voz

- 2020: Guajiro de Placetas 2020

### Songs for telenovelas

- Preciosa (1998) – "Preciosa"

- Mi pequeña traviesa (1998) – "Mi pequeña traviesa"

- Carita de ángel (2000) – "Carita de ángel (Ending song)" (composed by Eduardo Antonio, interpreted by Libertad Lamarque, Lisette Morelos, Miguel de León & Daniela Aedo)

- Pecadora (2001) – "Ódiame pero no me dejes"

- Yo amo a Juan Querendón (2007) – "Palomita Revoloteando", "Cuando llora el corazón", "Tú eres una mentira" and "Baila Cachibombo"

### Songs for movies

- Condones.com (2009) – "Te voy a amar"

### Songs for TV shows

- Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real (2007) – "Mujer"

## Awards and honours

- 1996: OTI Cuba Festival – WINNER

- 2017: Delivery of the keys to the city of Miami

- 2017: King of the Cuban parade in New Jersey

- 2018: Included in the Celia Cruz Park Walk of Fame

- 2020: Delivery of the keys to the city of Puerto Vallarta

- 2021: Recognition of his career as an Illustrious Guest in Puerto Vallarta by the City Hall of that city and the local LGBT association.

- 2022: Footprints on Mexico's Walk of Fame

- 2022: Golden microphone awarded by the National Association of Broadcasters of Mexico