CNN anchor Rahel Solomon shocked both viewers and coworkers on Monday morning, March 23, 2026, with her live, on-air announcement that she would be departing the network, representing an unforeseen exit for one of the cable news channel’s emerging talents.
“I have decided that this will be my last week at CNN,” Solomon informed viewers at the conclusion of her program, noting that her final broadcast would air next Friday, March 27. “More to come on what’s next for me, but I’m really excited about this next chapter.”
Solomon anchors “Early Start” during the 5 to 6 a.m. hour and presents CNN Newsroom on CNN International and CNN Max. The network acknowledged her exit, with a CNN spokesperson stating to The Daily Beast, “We are grateful to Rahel for all her contributions to CNN over the past four years and are supportive of her decision.”
The exit occurs slightly more than a year following Solomon’s assumption of the “Early Start” hosting role when CNN announced significant schedule adjustments in January 2025. The program, originally revealed under the name “5 Things with Rahel Solomon,” premiered on March 10, 2025. The network brought back the “Early Start” branding as part of a wider morning lineup restructuring that also placed Audie Cornish as host of “CNN This Morning” from 6 to 7 a.m.
Solomon had just come back from a six-month maternity leave in December 2025, after welcoming a baby girl with her husband, Philadelphia attorney Marcel S. Pratt. Her departure happens roughly three months following her return to the anchor desk.
Her announcement arrives at a chaotic time for CNN. The network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, agreed in February 2026 to be purchased by Paramount Skydance for roughly $111 billion, concluding a dramatic bidding war that saw Netflix withdraw from its own $83 billion offer. The merger, headed by Trump-friendly executive David Ellison, who has publicly vowed that CNN will operate independently, saying he wants to be “in the truth business,” has generated considerable unease among CNN staffers about the network’s future direction, particularly given the editorial shift Paramount imposed at CBS News following the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief.
Solomon’s professional path at CNN had been advancing consistently since she became a full-time member of the network in April 2022 as a CNN International correspondent focusing on global business news. In that position, she reported on significant stories including the 2023 U.S. banking crisis, the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and the emergency acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS. Prior to CNN, she was employed as a general news reporter at CNBC, making appearances on shows including “Halftime Report” and “Power Lunch.” She also worked as a morning news anchor at KYW-TV (CBS-3) in Philadelphia from 2017 to 2019.
Her route to journalism wasn’t a direct one. Solomon completed her studies at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, then obtained a master’s from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She originally intended to pursue banking before changing course to broadcast news.
The Philadelphia native, who was born in Sudan to Ethiopian parents, relocated to the United States at age three, where her family initially settled in West Philadelphia. She grew up in Delaware County and attended Archbishop Prendergast High School. Though she has resided around the world — including West Virginia, Colorado, France, Spain, and Italy during a study-abroad program — she kept strong connections to her hometown, where she became a recognized presence to viewers during her tenure at CBS3 Philadelphia.
During her Philadelphia days, Solomon experienced a viral moment in 2017 when she and co-anchor Jim Donovan participated in the “hot chip challenge” on air. The clip continues to resurface online years later, a testament to her willingness to show personality on camera.
Solomon’s departure contributes to the upheaval at CNN, which has faced declining viewership under parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. The network’s primetime audience fell substantially after the 2024 presidential election, though ratings have demonstrated year-over-year gains in early 2026 compared to weak 2025 figures. CNN placed in fifth position in total viewers during primetime for February 2026.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson revealed in January 2025 intentions to reduce six percent of the current staff — roughly 200 people — while reallocating resources toward digital initiatives, including a new subscription-based streaming option. The network obtained a $70 million investment from Warner Bros. Discovery to fund its digital transformation. The reorganization also featured multiple programming changes: Jake Tapper relocated to a two-hour slot from 5 to 7 p.m., Kasie Hunt transitioned from mornings to a 4 p.m. program called “The Arena with Kasie Hunt,” and Wolf Blitzer teamed with Pamela Brown at 10 a.m. Some TV production jobs also moved from New York to Atlanta and Washington to lower costs.
Solomon’s personal life has thrived even as her career progressed. She wed Pratt on July 13, 2024, in a two-day celebration at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that celebrated both her Ethiopian heritage and her husband’s membership in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. The couple selected the iconic venue because it held sentimental meaning — it was where they had their second date. Pratt, a West Philadelphia native, formerly served as the city’s solicitor before becoming a managing partner at Ballard Spahr.
CNN has not revealed who will take over for Solomon on “Early Start.” The show, which is simulcast on CNN International, has been presenting coverage of the war in Iran, with Abu Dhabi-based anchor Becky Anderson frequently joining the broadcast.