New CNN hire Malcolm Jenkins to Wolf Blitzer: ‘Before I became an athlete, I was black'

During his first CNN appearance since being hired by the network this week, former Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said charges against police officers involved in the deaths of unarmed black men is a positive development, but just the “first step” in long-term police reform.

“We still need to make sure these arrests turn into convictions, because if not, then it’s all for nothing,” Jenkins said on CNN’s The Situation Room Wednesday evening. “It’s OK to get justice and accountability after the fact, but we also want to make sure these things don’t continue to happen as we move forward.”

Jenkins also responded to President Donald Trump’s continued call for athletes to stand during the national anthem, framing it as an issue of respect for the flag rather than a protest against racial injustice.

“Before I became an athlete, I was black. When I’m done with being an athlete, I’ll be black,” Jenkins said. “So unless we address these issues, we’re going to continue to use our platform as best we can until we get change.”

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» READ MORE: Malcolm Jenkins becomes first active athlete hired by CNN

Craig Carton, a former WIP weekend host who went on to become a popular morning show host in New York City, is serving a three and a half year prison sentence in Lewisburg, Pa., after bilking investors out of millions of dollars with a fake-ticket Ponzi scheme.

Chris Oliviero, a longtime ally of Carton who was hired on May 6 as Entercom New York’s senior vice president and market manager, said he’s been asked repeatedly about bringing the former radio host back, and left the door open for his return.

“I understand why people would ask that, especially based on our long history,” Oliviero told Newsday. “But the answer is: Who knows? There are so many variables.”

“That said, if a time in the future came where Craig had gotten his life back on track, fulfilled all that was asked of him and was in a position to resume his career, of course we’d talk and discuss,” Oliviero added. “I do think New York believes in second chances in life, so I do think that when that day comes, he will have conversations with people. But I don’t know when that is.”

Carton was convicted in November of 2018 of conspiracy, wire fraud, and securities fraud for stealing more than $5 million from investors by lying about a fraudulent ticket-resale business. Carton was using the money to pay off gambling debts.

Carton worked at WIP in the mid-1990s, where he was known as “The Kid.” According to Merrill Reese’s autobiography, It’s Gooooood!, Carton was the first to report that Jeffrey Lurie had purchased the Eagles in 1994. Carton and WIP were sued by the Flyers after he said Eric Lindros missed a game because of a hangover. That case was eventually settled out of court.

He also worked for years as cohost of The Jersey Guys on 101.5 FM before joining WFAN, hosting the station’s popular morning show alongside former NFL quarterback and NFL on CBS cohost Boomer Esiason.

HBO is working on a documentary about Carton’s fall from grace, Esiason and longtime WFAN producer Al Dukes revealed earlier this year, though no details have been released.

Amid discussion about the possibility of an NFL return, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is joining the board of the blogging platform Medium, the company announced Thursday.

Kaepernick will launch a new interview series with high-profile activists and athletes tentatively called “Conversations with Colin.” The former quarterback will also write for and support two verticals on the platform — Level, Medium’s publication for black and brown men, and Momentum, a new blog on racism and civil rights.

“Colin’s voice and actions have led the discussion on racial justice, and the world is finally catching up to him,” Medium CEO Ev Williams said in a statement. “He’s an incisive, independent thinker, whose integrity as an activist and athlete has inspired so many.”

Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2016, opting out of his contract with the 49ers at the end of the season (general manager John Lynch said the team would have cut Kaepernick had he not opted out). Since then, the former Pro Bowl quarterback has been unable to sign on with another team, reportedly due to his decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

This week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell completed the league’s about-face by encouraging teams to sign Kaepernick. Trump, who continues to call on athletes to “show respect” for the flag and anthem, said Wednesday that Kaepernick should be allowed to return to the league “if he has the playing ability.”