Grammy-winning jazz legend Al Jarreau dies

Jazz Legend Al Jarreau Dead at 76 Following Hospitalization for Exhaustion

Al Jarreau, a seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer, died Sunday at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 76.

According to a statement from his manager Joe Gordon published by Ebony magazine, the singer was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his passing.

His loved ones asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, an organization that supports music opportunities, teachers, and scholarships for students in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.

Last week, updates on Jarreau’s Twitter account announced he had entered a hospital for exhaustion and was forced to retire from touring “with complete sorrow.”

“The medical team has instructed that he cannot perform any of his remianing 2017 concert dates,” his team said in the statement.

They continued, “He is thankful for his 50 years of traveling the world in ministry through music, and for everyone who shared this with him – his faithful audience, the dedicated musicians, and so many others who supported his effort.”

On Thursday, an update seemed to show improvement in the singer’s health.

“I know you will all be happy to know Al Jarreau is recovering slowly and steadily,” his team said.

Many celebrities took to social media to mourn the legendary jazz and R&B singer.

“Rest in power, @AlJarreau,” wrote Chaka Khan. “U were EVERYTHING Jazz & beyond with an unrivaled improvisational genius. Love & prayers 2 his family & fans.”

Musician Steve Lukather of Toto and Ringo’s All-Starr Band shared his condolences as well.

“It was an honor working with him and there was no one like him!” he tweeted. “Unreal..”

Source: Grammy-winning jazz legend Al Jarreau dies The 76-year-old music icon had recently been hospitalized for exhaustion and was forced to retire from touring. Leaves one final request »

BE CAREFUL ABOUT DAILY FALSE NEWS ON THE NET!

UNNERVING RISE OF FALSE NEWS

The upshot is that false news is a growing trend and is likely here to stay. Just as the social media, it will only evolve in more diverse ways. – The author

Our intertwined world is encountering a vastly changed narrative of news flow, reportage and cause-advocacy via media.

The change is linked to growing universal rage — the so-called “age of anger”, and a sense of audacity, which drives anti-establishment sentiments and protestations.

Yet two realities are incontrovertible: fake or false news, hate speech and post truth via social media are spiraling globally, as the mainstream media is battling a crisis of legitimacy.

But just as the social media accentuates mass communication, it has thrown up an unnerving flip side –false news and post truth- which makes social media an adverse game changer.

Those who contend that social media offer a level playing field, overlook the pitfalls.

The scariest part of false news is the absence of an undo button. Evidence exist that false news has for some nations, become a tool of statecraft.

Russia meddling with recent U.S. elections is a case in point. Globally, the social order is being changed.

Alternative or rogue governments are being elected, due to the impact of false news.

Also, false news is now abetting recrudescence of rightwing extremism in Europe. The global tsunami of disinformation is replete with hybrid threats fostered by hoaxes.

Yet, the most insidious generators of false news, is the lone perpetrator, sequestered by choice in a room or café with an iPhone or tablet and access to Wi-Fi, who feels the awesome power afforded by anonymity and driven by indignation or righteousness to redress perceived societal ills.

The desire to shape opinion by legerdemain and revenge are also compelling factors.

Indubitably, false news is now the electrified third rail in global politics, Nigerian politics included.

With its vast reach, false news retains huge capacity for destructive consequences. Worryingly, there is no agreed antidote.

Recently, the Czech Republic set up a specialized anti-fake news unit to combat Russian fake news inundation.

In Africa, the response has been slow, notwithstanding that within one month, the news of the demise of Gambia’s president-elect Adama Barrow and of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari were published and gained currency, until refuted.

Less perturbing but equally fabricated news included, Eritrea polygamy report; Tanzania’s president ban on miniskirts; and Nigerian lawmakers making 11 years the age of sexual consent?

All these are examples of the dreadful phenomena we confront daily. There is real and false news.

Until recently, false news was rare and benign, except for some non-injurious clichés; “bad news is good news” and “no news is good news”.

Not anymore. False news is bad news and therefore trouble.

While rhetoric remains the bedrock of political obfuscation, false news stretches rhetoric beyond the acceptable.

Moreover, false news is primarily fueled by politics and peaks during electoral periods. Hence, the 2016 U.S. elections added credence and impetus to false news.

Why the sudden groundswell of false news?

The social media is false news breeding ground. All that’s required is just a click of the “share” icon.

Besides the anonymity provided by social media, the convenience of instantly tweeting or retweeting a news item, without confirming the veracity, underpins the spread of false news, but not the reasons for fabricating untruth.

Interestingly, the attentive public has unwittingly become part of the problem.

The natural instinct to question the authenticity of a news report, has been dulled by the euphoria of being among the first to share a scoop, be it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or WhatsApp.

What is overlooked is false news potentials as a tripwire for mob action or restiveness and possible national security implications.

False news traits include sensational and captivating headlines; oftentimes without a direct quote from the subject of the story.

False news goes beyond stretching the truth, often in malicious and troubling ways.

Hence, false news is not just capable of upturning nations’ social balance, but capable of fostering and foisting violent extremism.

False news abets political exigencies, more so where State controlled broadcast media outlets and on air personalities resort to spewing of verbiage during unmodulated call-in programmes.

There exist an inextricable nexus between false news and hate speech. Both aim to hurt.

This explains why ahead of the 2019 elections, the Abuja-based Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD) constituted the Democracy Stability and Media Accountability Project (DESMAP) Council.

The Council is “to address the administrative and legal gaps that exist in the extant body of laws and code of ethics on journalism and media practice, especially as they relate to the propagation of dangerous, false news and hate speeches.”

Nigeria is facing its share of false news, but despite the broad awareness of the negative impact of false news, the Federal Government is yet to contextualize fully the alarming challenges posed by false news and hate speech, and thus has not risen fully to the task.

By Oseloka Obaze & Chiagozie Udeh

EXPELLED STUDENT MASTERMINDED KILLING OF IBADAN COMMANDANT

The 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, yesterday, said the killing, last December, of Colonel Anthony Okeyim, Commandant, Command Secondary School, Apata, Ibadan, was masterminded by a student, who was expelled over theft.

The revelation was made, yesterday, when the Division paraded six suspects arrested in connection with the Commandant’s death.

The lifeless body of Okeyim was found at the premises of the school on December 12, 2016.

The command had earlier informed the public that the late Okeyim died as a result of rise in intracranial pressure from intracranial haemorrhage caused by fracture of the skull.

The six suspected student who allegedly killed Ibadan Commandant paraded before newsmen in Ibadan, yesterday.

Presenting the suspects to newsmen, Colonel Timothy Antigha, Deputy Director, Public Relations, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, said that investigation conducted showed that the suspects played varying roles in the killing of Okeyim.

Antigha said that the alleged killer of the senior officer stole his Samsung X4 phone and this helped in arresting the suspects.

He said that the suspects went to the Command Secondary School, Apata, with their Toyota Camry car to kill the officer in his house.

Antigha said that one of the suspects was a student of the school, who was expelled earlier by the school authorities over alleged theft, who gave the other suspects the logistics, leading to the death of the senior officer.

Antigha said that the Army was able to arrest the suspects with active collaboration of the Oyo State Police Command and Department of State Services, DSS.

According to him, “on behalf of the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Maj.-Gen. Chukwunedum Abraham, I thank the Nigeria Police and DSS, Oyo State Command, for their support.

“Without the support, very little progress would have been made in unearthing the circumstances surrounding the death of the late senior officer.”

Also speaking, Colonel Abdullahi Ibrahim, Commander, 2 Division, Provost Group, assured the public that despite the incident, the Command Secondary School, Apata, Ibadan, was a secure.

Source: Expelled student masterminded killing of Ibadan Commandant – Vanguard News