CNN Broadcasts Live From the Street After Evacuation

BY JOE CONCHA
The Hill
10/24/18 12:32 PM EDT  335

CNN anchors Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto used cellphones to broadcast from the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday after they were evacuated from their New York City studio after a suspicious package was sent to the Time Warner Center.

The surreal scene near Central Park came minutes after an alarm went off during "CNN Newsroom" upon the discovery of a suspicious package.

Harlow and Sciutto were forced to abruptly cut an interview short that was focused on a explosive device sent to the home of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton in Chappaqua, N.Y., and a separate device sent to former President Obama's home in Washington, D.C.

The suspicious package sent to CNN is believed to include an explosive device similar to those sent to Obama and the Clintons. The package was reportedly addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, a frequent critic of President Trump, who does not work for CNN but serves as an NBC/MSNBC senior national intelligence analyst.

CNN switched to its D.C. studio and anchor Rene Marsh in resuming the network broadcast as Harlow and Scuitto worked their way down to the street.

As the two New York anchors attempted to continue, New York City police urged them to move further away from the building.

“The police here saying ‘quick, quick, quick, move, move, move,' ” Harlow told viewers. “They want us not even across the street from CNN. They want us across the avenue, as far away from the building.” 

The two were continuing to conduct interviews hours after the evacuation.

CNN President Jeff Zucker said in an internal note to New York-based employees that the the evacuation was ordered "out of an abundance of caution.”

“We are working with authorities to determine the severity of the situation. The NYPD is on scene, and we [are] working closely with them to take every precaution,” Zucker said.