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CNN Live At Daybreak

Many in New York Looking Up at Magician David Blaine

Aired May 22, 2002 - 07:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: While many New Yorkers this morning are looking around for suspicious packages because of the current terror alert, in the center of the city, people are looking up at a stunt by magician, David Blaine.

Among those in the early-morning crowd, CNN's Brian Palmer, who joins us now from midtown Manhattan. Is this guy nuts or what -- good morning, Brian.

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can't answer that question, Paula, but you've got to love New York. David Blaine has been perched atop that 22-foot-wide platform for about 19 hours, and he wasn't chased there by police, and there is no indication of mental illness that we know of.

These are questions that you have to ask here in New York, although he has stated his intention of jumping from that platform after 35 hours, so that should be about 10:00 p.m. tonight. He's got a hard core of fans at the base of that platform. Three or four people earlier this morning were cheering him on, presumable to keep him from falling asleep and falling from that platform.

So he is sort of holding on to some handholds now I think to just maybe get some blood back into his feet and to support himself. And this is going to go on for roughly another 16 hours -- Paula.

ZAHN: So, Brian, I guess the biggest challenge is he is standing up there on a 22-inch platform, and he's having a lot of muscle spasms.

PALMER: Well, we are hoping to ask him about that in a couple of hours. We are going to go up in a cherry picker and talk to David Blaine and talk about some of the challenges one faces when one stands still for 35 hours on top of a pole in New York City -- Paula.

ZAHN: Will you make a promise to us that you won't try to set a 35-hour record for being in a cherry picker standing up?

PALMER: No, no. Because you know, this is a great way to get publicity perhaps, and I just want to say to the kids at home, don't try this at home. Wait until you grow up, get some training and maybe get a good PR person -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right. Thanks, Brian -- good luck on getting up there in the cherry picker.

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