The video: As the violence escalates between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, Anderson Cooper went live in the midst of the hostilities to report for CNN. While he spoke on camera, a bomb exploded alarmingly close to him, interrupting his broadcast and leaving him visibly shaken. "Whoa," he exclaimed, grimacing slightly. "That was a rather large explosion." After the blast, Cooper was surprisingly calm as he continued his report, calling the explosion the largest one he'd heard in the past hour. Take a look at Cooper's close call:
The reaction: "Talk about courage under fire," says Hillary Busis at Entertainment Weekly. This is no laughing matter, and Cooper handled it like a pro. The report made for "extremely compelling — and real — television," said Alex Weprin at TV Newser, reminding us how tangible the violence is. As one blog put it: "Be safe out there, Silver Fox!"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
