Yes, the insurance premiums are paid up for our reporters in the Middle East! Seriously, our first concern is for their safety and they take great precaution but often get caught in the action.
On Thursday, you saw David Lee Miller reporting when all of a sudden bullets started whizzing by him. He thought he was in an abandoned part of the Gaza Strip but apparently it wasn’t. He still doesn’t know who was doing the shooting. Fortunately, they were able to get to the FOX armored car and drive to safety.
The difficulty for many journalists is that terrorists sometimes pose as journalists (complete with camera gear which is in fact a bomb). Today, Mike Tobin was reporting live from Nahariya, Israel. when two rockets landed right near him. You saw it all play out live on TV. Mike showed us where and how the rockets hit. He described how people prepare when they know rockets are incoming. The noise they make gives a small window of notice.
We were joined by two former Israeli prime ministers to share their thoughts on how Israel should handle the escalation. I was somewhat surprised to hear Ehud Barak says he did not think Israel should re-establish a buffer zone in Southern Lebanon.
Of course, it is Friday and that means we do something special for our fans. While the breaking news kept us from going outside during the show to bring the fans on TV, they were able to learn how to salsa dance and were treated to wonderful Ciao Bella Gelato!
Last week while in London covering events I caught up with Neil Sean, who we feature every Friday on "FOX & Friends." I’ve asked him to give us a mid-week update on the gossip from across the pond. He’ll begin blogging with me next Wednesday, but here’s a sneak peek at some of the juicy tidbits from this week:
"Hollywood star Patrick Swayze is the talk of London after pulling out at the last minute of his West End stage debut from the hit musical “Guys & Dolls.“ The show goes on but the news is that Pat is scared stiff of the notorious tuff West End critics — boos greet the start of the show but we're told he has a high flu and won’t be in it for at least two weeks. Will he run off like Richard Dreyfuss did in the 'Producers'?
"As I was dining with E.D. and Mr. Hill, along with Sir Christopher Gilmour and his wife Marnie, we spotted Woody Allen at the China Tang in the Dorchester Hotel last Friday night. Woody was with his wife Soon-Yi but he wakes to find today that his latest epic film, “Scoop,“ starring his latest muse Scarlett Johansson, has not been given a U.K. release deal. Insiders say it’s dull and I sat through bits of it before falling asleep. We're still not so keen on Woody Allen over here I am afraid.
"Spotted Heather Mills McCartney, the soon-to-be ex-wife of a Beatle. She was all over Harrods dying to be spotted, but the truth is no one likes her here. She has really taken the 'nice ' Beatle for a ride. News is also leaking of her phone being tapped and secrets of the divorce coming out. She is set to land a staggering $10 million! This is considered cheap and we can’t wait until she is back to being just plain money-grabbing Heather.
"Teri Hatcher's book, 'Burnt Toast,' is not selling so well. In some major stores she is down to just £4.00, which is basically a giveaway. Still the stick-thin 'Desperate Housewives' star should have done more promotion while here less than a month ago. Maybe she did not have the energy.
"Tonight, dining with Jack Nicholson. He is throwing a party at Nobu and his daughter is going to be there, too."
Hope you enjoyed the scoop from Neil Sean's News. Check back here for more British blogging banter!
Have a wonderful and safe weekend.
See you Monday!
E.D.
Start your weekdays with "FOX & Friends First" at 6 a.m. ET and send your comments to: insider@foxnews.com
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox