TV Reporter Found Shot To Death In Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — The body of a television reporter was found in Honduras on Monday a day after he went missing. He had been shot twice.



National Police chief Ramon Sabillon said the body of TV reporter Herlyn Espinal was left half naked on the side of a highway. Sabillon said Espinal's family had identified the body.



Police reported one suspect had been detained.



Espinal, 32, worked for a news program on Channel 3 television in San Pedro Sula, long considered the most violent city in Honduras, which in turn is the country with the highest homicide rate in the world: 90.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.



The governmental human rights commission says 37 media workers have been slain in the Central American country over the last 10 years. A killer has been convicted in only one of those cases, a 2010 homicide.



Security Minister Arturo Corrales said it was unlikely that Espinal was killed because of his work as a journalist, calling that "the least likely" theory.



Honduran authorities have frequently argued that journalists have been killed for personal reasons. Some journalists in Honduras also hold other jobs, to make ends meet.



Espinal disappeared Sunday morning after a meal at a restaurant with friends. He parked his car in front of his mother's house and then was see getting into another vehicle with three other people inside.



"This a heavy blow for journalism, and we demand that authorities arrest and punish the killers," said Juan Mairena, the head of the Honduran journalists association.



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Here's Why Everyone Should See Sara Bareilles Live In Concert

On Sunday, July 20, Sara Bareilles took on Madison Square Garden in a big way. Her Little Black Dress tour had kicked off in Chicago 10 days earlier, and from the looks of it, Bareilles was having the time of her life belting out songs from her Grammy-nominated album, "The Blessed Unrest."



So, to all those guys who have broken Bareilles' heart since she burst on the scene with "Little Voice" in 2007 ... sorry, but the joke's on you.



Here are eight reasons why everyone should see Bareilles live:



She's hilarious.





In between songs, Bareilles kept the audience entertained with wisecracks about everything from getting dumped to how much money she was making that night.



"You sound like a million bucks," Bareilles told the audience after her opening number. "No, literally I'm making like a million bucks tonight, it's incredible."



She actually wears a little black dress.





Really! (See above.)



She drops the f-bomb a lot.





With power ballads like "King Of Anything" and "Brave," we probably should have expected this, but it was still great.



"Any lovebirds out there tonight? Well, fuck you," Bareilles said before performing "I Choose You," and it was the best.



She mixes the old and the new.





Unfamiliar with her newer stuff? Trust us, you'll still get to hear "Love Song" and "Gravity."



Her energy is contagious.





We're pretty sure we could have shown up in the worst mood ever and left feeling great. When she wasn't banging on the piano, throwing her head back in laughter and sipping on beer, Bareilles was getting the audience on their feet to dance.



You'll probably cry.





Hey, everyone needs to let it all out sometimes. When Bareilles takes on a sad song, she goes all in. Just try get to the end of her performance of "Manhattan" with dry eyes. So many feelings!



Her covers rock.





Perfect cover of Sia's "Chandelier"? Check.



Her voice is mind-blowingly great.





Those notes she hits are real. Even that one in "Gravity"!

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Giorgio Moroder Is Back, Thanks To Daft Punk

If two French robots hadn't coaxed him out of semi-retirement, Giorgio Moroder would still be practicing his swing somewhere on a Los Angeles golf course. Instead, the 74-year-old Italian composer and record producer, credited with pioneering electronic dance music and crafting space disco hits like Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff," is back on the scene as a DJ.



A few hours before his hugely anticipated headlining appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago on July 18, the Oscar and Grammy winner told The Huffington Post that it's the audience who inspires his energy.



"I just did a gig in France two days ago and it was incredible: 25,000 people doing whatever I wanted to do," Moroder said. "It's an experience. There are not too many people who can have that experience. Maybe the top 20 of the DJs -- and I'm by far not the top 20 -- but the feeling is incredible."



Despite the fact that he composed and produced some of the most popular songs of the past 40 years -- including Donna Summer's "Carry On," Blondie's "Call Me," Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling" -- Moroder is genuinely surprised that younger fans recognize his older work.



"Amazingly, the young kids -- 20, 30 -- they know some of the songs. Some even know some of the lyrics. I don't know how, I guess it's the Internet," Moroder said. "It's quite amazing that people recognize the songs."



In the '70s and '80s, Moroder was well known behind the scenes as a producer and composer to artists like Summer, Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page, who came through his Musicland Studios in Munich.



Thanks to the track "Giorgio by Moroder" on Daft Punk's 2013 album, "Random Access Memories," in which Morodor speaks about his life over a swank instrumental, fans nowadays recognize Moroder's voice as much as they do his famously mustachioed face: Moroder said just moments earlier, en route to the Pitchfork festival site, that his driver hadn't seen his face. But when he spoke, the driver immediately asked him, "Are you Giorgio Moroder?"



"Random Access Memories" not only relaunched Moroder's career -- it catapulted Pharrell Williams to a whole new level of stardom and resuscitated the career of producer and musician Nile Rodgers, a veteran of the 1970s disco outfit Chic.



"If the Daft Punk [record] would not have come out, and without DJing, I probably would not do music. First of all, to start a new career, that's not easy," Moroder said. "That album was good for several people, me included."



Moroder was a fan of Daft Punk's 2001 song, "One More Time," but said he hadn't listened to much new music over the past decade. Now, he favors acts like David Guetta, Avicii and other radio-friendly artists -- "like what they play on KISS-FM."



"I love the EDM kind of music, the uptempo songs. The sounds are beautiful," he said, adding, "I just don't know how long it's going to last. It starts to become a little bit repetitive. But other than that, I love it."



Since he became a DJ himself a little more than a year ago, Moroder has fully embraced the digital revolution.



"I love analogue, but digital has so many good sounds and they're getting better and better," he said.



Pitchfork fest fans would tend to agree: Moroder's set went on to be the highlight of the event's opening day, no doubt earning him a few more fans who will snap up his new record, currently in the works.



"I'm preparing an album with all different kinds of artists," Moroder said. "Nothing is ready, but a lot of ideas. It's going to be a nice album."

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MasterChef Recap: OMG Faces All Around

Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 5, Episode 9 of FOXs "MasterChef," titled "Top 13 Compete."



Cue your movie trailer voice : the biggest, and most intimidating mystery box challenge. Ever.



Knives. Fancy Alaskan King Salmon. Gordon and Graham are cooking with them (Joe is just a restaurateur, so he'll be the judge of fanciness). I would have cheated and step by stepped the filleting with Gordon, but everyone was too busy getting cauliflower instead.







And then Elise has a panic attack. It really is the most intense mystery box challenge, ever, perhaps. She rallies and comes back to put something on the plate.



Courtney's called up and Elizabeth is a little salty: "They always call Courtney."

But Elizabeth, the "wow girl," according to Leslie, gets up there, too.

Christian was the only guy "with the balls to blacken a salmon," according to Gordon. And he's anointed King of the Kitchen for the night.



With a little tongue in cheek, the judges fill up grocery baskets and Christian has to decide what the chefs will have to cook with. They have to cook with Joe's pretentious wine-filled basket. Wine. Grana padano. Prosciutto. Aged balsamic. Chanterelle mushrooms. And then Christian gets to pick one person who has to cook in just thirty minutes. Of course, it's Courtney. She's a front runner who understands strategy. It doesn't seem so intense, because Italian the way Joe likes it can be done quickly.



Meanwhile, poor, poor Elise is giving up. Competition isn't for everyone and Gordon helps her even it out. We have other weird combos in the kitchen: Willie's tomato soup with an egg. Ahran's savory tiramisu. Cutter's nasty pizzas. Cutter: balsamic is not "black salad dressing." Courtney comes up with a pasta that Christian calls safe, but the judges are impressed with.



Gordon asks the chefs to sacrifice themselves: Elise offered herself up, as did Willie, but he was being polite. Cutter is up on the block, too. He is so stubborn and has such little technique, but Elise is the one to go. It's better for her health in the long run. I wanted to hug her, too.



My name's Gordon Ramsey, not Stevie Wonder. What were your favorite moments this week? Let me know @karenfratti or in the comments.



"MasterChef" airs Mondays at X8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Beyonce And Jay Z Divorce Rumor Has Everyone Freaking Out

Sometimes the Internet can be a place of pure joy, filled with cuddly kittens and laughing babies. Other times, it's a place where Beyonce and Jay Z breakup rumors fester.



On Saturday, July 19, the New York Post's Page Six published a report that Beyonce and Jay Z may be on the verge of a split. The couple, who has allegedly been seeing marriage counselors, could reportedly call it quits after wrapping their On The Run tour.



“They are trying to figure out a way to split without divorcing ... This is a huge concert tour and they’ve already gotten most of the money from the promoters up front,” a supposed source told Page Six. Adding: “For just a split moment, things got real for them and she was even talking about adding to the family. But, after a while, Jay was out doing Jay and Bey was out doing Bey. They made the classic mistake of thinking a child would change everything and help to rekindle the initial fire, and it didn’t.”



Representatives for both stars were not immediately available for comment, but it doesn't take a publicist to see that these latest rumors are probably bogus.



Last year, E! News reported Beyonce was pregnant with her second child. The pregnancy rumor resurfaced in OK! Magazine in April. After Beyonce apparently removed her IV engagement tattoo, Life & Style magazine claimed Bey and Jay were heading for a "$1 billion divorce" on a May cover. In June, the gossip mill went into overdrive with cheating rumors after Beyonce changed the lyrics to "Resentment."



Déjà vu much?



Photos of the Carters tell a different story. On Monday, July 22, Beyonce shared an adorable snapshot of her and Jay with Blue Ivy on Instagram. The couple also looked nothing but happy in a backstage pic from their Houston show posted to Beyonce.com.



Hov and B forever.

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'American Horror Story' Season 4 Is Going Darker

Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" series is known for pushing boundaries and scaring the hell out of viewers, and it looks like his latest installment is preparing to pack on the weird.



FX CEO John Landgraf attended the TCAs this week and said fans of the show can expect a darker Season 4 than what they saw with "American Horror Story: Coven." “Some years it’s going to be big and bright and brash and campy the way 'Coven' is," Landgraf said. "Other years it’s going to be dark and brooding -- like 'Asylum' was. I guess I would put 'Freak Show' half-way in between the two. It’s got a little bit more humor and a little bit more camp, but its got a brooding period feel to it also."



"Freak Show" is set to premiere in October and Murphy is bringing back stars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates for the fourth go-around of the horror series. Taking place in Florida in the '50s, Landgraf promises the newest season has a very different look from what we've seen so far. "The characters are really distinctive, really original, some are really strange," Landgraf said, "but I think really compelling, I love what I’ve read so far.”



Speaking of strange, if this set photo of Paulson playing conjoined twins Bette and Dot is anything to go by, we think anyone worried Murphy was losing his touch when it comes to terror should just relax. He's still got it.

Dot and Bette's first day http://ift.tt/1jCq15p

— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) July 17, 2014

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Nelsan Ellis Opens Up About Luke Grimes' Alleged 'True Blood' Departure Over Gay Role

Finally someone said what we've all been thinking.



When "True Blood" star Luke Grimes reportedly quit rather than play a gay role opposite Nelsan Ellis in the cult favorite television show, the irony seemed pretty apparent. "True Blood" is without a doubt one of the queerest shows currently on television, and one couldn't help but wonder what Grimes thought he was getting himself into when he initially came on as a cast member.



Now, Ellis is opening up about his own thoughts surrounding Grimes' departure -- and he has a few choice words for the actor. When asked by New York Magazine's Vulture site if he'd had the opportunity to "talk to or bond" with Grimes, Ellis responded in part, "I didn't, but I'm completely ... I mean, I can say I'm not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you're an actor, you're an actor on a show that's "True Blood," we're all sitting there going, "You quit your job because ... really?" I'm just... I'm over him. You quit your job because you don't want to play a gay part?..."



When pushed further, Ellis elaborated on his feelings.

...You make a statement when you do something like that... If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay ...? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects... I can't approach a character with judgment. I certainly can't tell my boss, "I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act," especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is... I didn't like what he did because he made a statement, and sometimes you have to take responsibility.

Grimes made headlines late last month when he left "True Blood" over reported "creative differences." However, it later came to light that he reportedly quit because the season seven script included a queer romance plot line between his character and Ellis'.



(h/t Instinct)

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Everything We Learned From Preserve, Blake Lively's New Lifestyle Website

When Blake Lively is not acting or the exercising her power as a reigning style icon, she's apparently learning lessons all about lifestyle.



On Tuesday, the star launched her highly anticipated website -- or as Lively says, "new avenue" -- called Preserve. The site blends commerce, storytelling and philanthropic efforts that cultivate what Lively described as a virtual "Main Street, USA."







As of right now, the most expensive item is a light-up marquee map of the world, which costs $2,000. And while Lively seems to be channeling her inner Gwyneth Paltrow with her new site, she has not yet offered a $90 white-tee. We're sure it's on the way.



If you think Preserve is just another Goop-in-the-making, think again. Lively wrote an introductory editor's letter to the site which lays out the differences pretty clearly. Here are some of the major things we learned from Lively:



1. Blake Lively likes enchiladas.

I am hungry, though... not just for enchiladas.

2. Despite our notions, she isn't perfect.

I don't do any one thing perfectly. I do a lot of things, though. Some well, some poorly.

3. And even though she's really famous, she's talked to regular people and wants you to know that.

I've found that when approached with a curious spirit, people are kind, they're generous, they answer, if asked.

4. Preserve isn't actually a website, in the traditional sense of the word "website."

As for how we operate, we haven't looked at Preserve as a new website, but rather as a new avenue. A sort of greatest hits of "Main Street, USA." While the whole world races to keep up with technology, we may tighten our laces and join the race, but our end goal is to preserve what's already there.

5. And even though it's called Preserve, the site does not only sell jams, jellies and canned goods.

So here at Preserve there are people, stories, essays, videos and goods which hopefully inspire your home, your style and your tongue.

6. She'll probably exaggerate an item's cool factor.

We may romanticize it, calling it treasure. What we're really saying is, we see worth on every level.

7. And most importantly, Blake Lively's new lifestyle website is not only about Blake Lively.

So Preserve.us isn't just the U.S. It's all of us.

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'Sons Of Anarchy' Creator Says Series Ending Not Yet Decided

How will creator Kurt Sutter end his hit FX show? Short answer: He doesn't know yet.



The man behind "Sons of Anarchy" said he still hasn't mapped out where key members of his famous biker gang will be when the final season premieres this Fall. “Considering I’m a week-and-a-half behind writing episode 7, it could all change,” Sutter told reporters at this week's TCAs. The showrunner admitted that while he does have an idea for how his drama series should end, how he gets there is still up in the air, which is exactly how he likes it. "I’ve learned over seven seasons the looser I grip that idea the better the seasons are," Sutter said.

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Beyoncé Fashion Exhibit Displays Her Stunning Outfits From Music Videos and Live Performances

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A$AP Rocky Faces Lawsuit For Allegedly Slapping Fan At Festival

The following article is provided by Rolling Stone.



By KORY GROW



A$AP Mob kingpin A$AP Rocky is facing a lawsuit after he allegedly slapped fan Lisamarie Wade at last September's Made in America Festival so hard that she hit the ground. The incident supposedly occurred as Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, made his way through the crowd. Wade reports that she still suffers from "muscle spasm, migraine headaches, intense pain that radiates from her shoulders and into her arms and fingers and exacerbation of pre-existing conditions," as a result of the alleged altercation, according to the suit as reported by Courthouse News Service. Wade previously filed criminal charges against Rocky, but the case was dismissed after a state witness failed to appear.



A$AP Rocky Captures Youth Gone Wild in 'Riot Rave' Video



Wade is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for civil assault and battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence and premises liability and has also named Live Nation, Jay Z's Roc Nation, event organizers and subcontractors, as well as the employers and employees of John Doe security in her Federal Court suit. TMZ claims she is seeking $75,000.



Rolling Stone’s 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2013: A$AP Rocky, ‘Long.Live.ASAP’



Representatives for Wade, A$AP Rocky, Live Nation and Roc Nation were not immediately available for comment.



Rolling Stone’s 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time



The rapper has faced a number of assault claims over the last couple of years. Video, which appeared to show the rapper slapping an Australian fan after she blew him a kiss, surfaced in June 2013. One year earlier, in December, Rocky pled guilty to attempted grand larceny after he allegedly beat up two men who took pictures of him yelling at another man; they accused him of trying to take their camera during the incident.



The 10 Wildest Rap Beefs of All Time



In October of the same year, he and a group of people allegedly attacked a stagehand at a New York City venue, complaining about the size of the stage and reportedly putting him in the hospital. He was also arrested that July for fighting with a man inside a New York clothing store after the man confronted him for using drugs in the shop; Rocky struck a plea deal, getting probation and three days of community service.



Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time

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Steven Caulker signs for QPR in £8m deal after Cardiff defender is convinced by opportunity to play with Rio Ferdinand

Steven Caulker has completed his move to QPR in an £8million deal from Cardiff City - after being convinced by the prospect of playing alongside Rio Ferdinand.

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George Harrison Memorial Tree Killed By Beetle Infestation

All you need is love -- and maybe some insecticide, if you have it handy.



A tree planted in honor of George Harrison, a former member of The Beatles, was killed by -- wait for it -- a beetle infestation.



The pine tree, planted in Los Angeles' Griffith Park in 2004, three years after Harrison's death, finally succumbed to the onslaught of tree beetles and "other tree unfriendly creatures," the Los Angeles Times reports.



The paper speculates Harrison would have found humor in the irony, though he would have lamented the loss of life.



According to NBC Los Angeles, the tree had grown to more than 10 feet tall before its beetle battle began. A plaque at the tree's base reads, "In memory of a great humanitarian who touched the world as an artist, a musician and a gardener." It concludes with a quote from Harrison: "For the forests to be green, each tree must be green."



Harrison died at a friend's home in Los Angeles in 2001 after a battle with throat and lung cancer and a brain tumor.



Stewards of the memorial have chosen not to let it be. They will plant a new tree in the near future.

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Actress Looks A Lot Different Today

Natalie Portman talks about growing up juggling her education at Harvard and working on blockbuster films.

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18 Reasons Why Lena Dunham And Jack Antonoff Are The Coolest Couple

"Girls" star Lena Dunham and lead guitarist of fun., Jack Antonoff, were set up on a blind date two years ago and the rest, as they say, is history.

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Jimmy Kimmel Shares First Photos Of Newborn Daughter Jane

Jimmy Kimmel shared the first photos of his adorable daughter Jane Monday night (July 21) on his talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

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Everyday Sexism Isn't So Subtle When It Happens To Men

While it shouldn't take a gender-swapped video to illustrate just how skewed our treatment of women is, this one certainly does the trick.



A new video from Buzzfeed titled "If Men Were Women" shows every day scenarios -- but the genders of those involved are reversed.



One scene shows men patiently waiting for a woman to escort them home safely from a party. In another, a woman is patronizingly impressed by a man's stand up routine, reversing a familiar back-handed compliment: "It's hard to find a dude that's funny!" The video closes with a little boy somberly looking at a picture of past U.S. presidents -- all of whom are women. It's not a very encouraging picture for young boys who strive to be in politics or any leadership role for that matter. (Sound familiar?)



Experiences that are exceptionally common for women look like absurd exaggerations when applied to men, showing just how subtle and pervasive sexism can be.



What if we value people of all genders equally and call it a day? Seems fair.





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Pew's Alan Murray Named Editor Of Fortune

Pew Research Center president Alan Murray is leaving the company to become the new editor of Fortune, Pew announced Tuesday.



Murray has been chief of Pew since 2012 after leaving his post at the Wall Street Journal as deputy managing editor and online executive editor. He will become the 17th editor of Fortune, succeeding Andy Serwer.



In a memo to staffers, Murray said that he was "deeply grateful" for his time at Pew and will miss the company "immensely." He added that the position at Fortune was not a job he was "looking for," but is something he cannot pass up.



"The opportunity to lead this iconic news organization into the new media world does not feel like just another job opportunity," he wrote. "It feels like a calling, and it is one I find impossible to resist."



Murray will remain at Pew until August 1. He added that Jim McMillan, general counsel and corporate secretary at the Pew Charitable Trusts, will then take over as "acting president" while the company searches for a new leader.



“Alan’s diverse background uniquely positions him to lead Fortune,” Time Inc.’s executive vice president Todd Larsen said in a statement.



Read Murray's full memo below:

It is with very mixed emotions that I announce I am leaving at the end of the month to become Editor of Fortune magazine.



This is not a job I was looking for, or sought. But Fortune, created by Henry Luce some 85 years ago, is one of the nation’s great and enduring journalistic brands. It is one of only two places I applied to work after finishing my graduate degree. The opportunity to lead this iconic news organization into the new media world does not feel like just another job opportunity. It feels like a calling, and it is one I find impossible to resist.



I will miss this place immensely. I was an ardent consumer and user of the Pew Research Center before coming here in November of 2012. In the nearly two years since, I have become so much more than that. I am in awe of what you do, your intelligence, your rigor, your overwhelming dedication to your work. This is a very special place and you are a very special group of people. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the organization for the last two years.



I feel like we have done a lot together, mapping out the right path to the future. But I also believe you don’t really need me to achieve that future. This is not my strategy we are executing; it is yours, reflecting the efforts all of you put into forging it last year. It is also a strategy built in careful consultation with the board of the Center, and the leadership and board of The Pew Charitable Trusts, and one that they fully support.



You also have a very strong leadership team in place, overseen by Michael, Elizabeth and now Robyn. That troika, as well as all the managing directors, will serve you well going forward. Jim McMillan, general counsel of the Trusts and a member of our board, will serve as acting president during what all hope will be a brief search for a new president.



I will be in the office until August 1. My door is open and I will welcome the chance to talk.

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What It Was Like When Al Jazeera's Gaza Office Was Suddenly Struck By Gunfire

Al Jazeera reporter Stefanie Dekker described to her network what it felt like when two shots were suddenly fired into the Gaza office where she was working on Tuesday.



Al Jazeera said it is holding Israel responsible for the incident, which forced the network's journalists to flee the building housing their Gaza operations. The shots came a day after Israel's foreign minister said that he was exploring ways to ban Al Jazeera from operating in the country. In a statement to HuffPost's Michael Calderone, the Israel Defense Forces said that it had not targeted the building, though some journalists tweeted that they had received confirmation that the IDF had in fact fired "warning shots" at Al Jazeera.



After the evacuation, Tamer El-Ghobashy, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, tweeted these photos of the scene:

Al Jazeera Gaza Bureau chief shows high caliber round he says was one of at least two shot into the office by Israel http://ift.tt/1nii6JH

— Tamer El-Ghobashy (@TamerELG) July 22, 2014

Al Jazeera staff in Gaza work outside their office they say was targeted by Israeli military this morning. http://ift.tt/1nii6JU

— Tamer El-Ghobashy (@TamerELG) July 22, 2014

Dekker spoke on the phone to an Al Jazeera English anchor on Tuesday. She said that she and her colleagues had been working in their office on the 11th floor of a large building in Gaza when there was a loud explosion in the room.



"We were all startled and were trying to figure out what it was, maybe someone thought it was an electricity explosion or something like that, and then straight after, another shot came in," she said. "So it was very clear — two very precise shots fired straight into our building, so of course everyone evacuated."



Dekker noted that there are other media outlets, such as the Associated Press, who use the building, along with many ordinary apartments. She speculated that the Israeli army possibly wanted to "move us out of our position" because Al Jazeera's offices have a very good view of the scene on the ground, though she stressed that she had no evidence of this.



Journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous, who has been in Gaza reporting on the violence there for The Nation and "Democracy Now," was in the AP offices when the building was struck. He described the scene to "Democracy Now" on Tuesday:

These were two apparently 50-caliber or heavy-caliber shots that came into the window at 9:00 in the morning, or 9:30 in the morning, pierced the window and hit the wall. These are not, you know, regular bullets. These are kind of very loud bullets that make this huge booming sound. One of the Al Jazeera people that I spoke to said that they thought it was what the Israelis call a knock on the roof, a warning shot with a rocket, that it was going to be destroyed. So we had people here, both in AP and Al Jazeera, in a lot of panic and evacuating the premises.

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Everything We Learned From Preserve, Blake Lively's New Lifestyle Website

When Blake Lively is not acting or the exercising her power as a reigning style icon, she's apparently learning lessons all about lifestyle.



On Tuesday, the star launched her highly anticipated website -- or as Lively says, "new avenue" -- called Preserve. The site blends commerce, storytelling and philanthropic efforts that cultivate what Lively described as a virtual "Main Street, USA."







As of right now, the most expensive item is a light-up marquee map of the world, which costs $2,000. And while Lively seems to be channeling her inner Gwyneth Paltrow with her new site, she has not yet offered a $90 white-tee. We're sure it's on the way.



If you think Preserve is just another Goop-in-the-making, think again. Lively wrote an introductory editor's letter to the site which lays out the differences pretty clearly. Here are some of the major things we learned from Lively:



1. Blake Lively likes enchiladas.

I am hungry, though... not just for enchiladas.

2. Despite our notions, she isn't perfect.

I don't do any one thing perfectly. I do a lot of things, though. Some well, some poorly.

3. And even though she's really famous, she's talked to regular people and wants you to know that.

I've found that when approached with a curious spirit, people are kind, they're generous, they answer, if asked.

4. Preserve isn't actually a website, in the traditional sense of the word "website."

As for how we operate, we haven't looked at Preserve as a new website, but rather as a new avenue. A sort of greatest hits of "Main Street, USA." While the whole world races to keep up with technology, we may tighten our laces and join the race, but our end goal is to preserve what's already there.

5. And even though it's called Preserve, the site does not only sell jams, jellies and canned goods.

So here at Preserve there are people, stories, essays, videos and goods which hopefully inspire your home, your style and your tongue.

6. She'll probably exaggerate an item's cool factor.

We may romanticize it, calling it treasure. What we're really saying is, we see worth on every level.

7. And most importantly, Blake Lively's new lifestyle website is not only about Blake Lively.

So Preserve.us isn't just the U.S. It's all of us.

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