Axios Fires Activist-Reporter Who Whined about DeSantis ‘Propaganda’

Jacob Bruns
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Axios Fires Activist-Reporter Who Whined about DeSantis ‘Propaganda’

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) The online news source Axios recently fired a reporter for calling one of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s recent press releases “propaganda,” the National Review reported.

The press release in question summarized the discussions at a round table held by DeSantis and his administration regarding the status of diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with Critical Race Theory in Florida’s state colleges.

Ben Montgomery, the recently fired Tampa Bay reporter for Axios, suggested that DeSantis and his administration are engaged in the creation of fake news: “This is propaganda, not a press release,” he wrote in an email to the Florida Department of Education.

In response, Alex Lanfranconi, the department’s director of communications, posted Montgomery’s email on Twitter:

Axios editor-in-chief Sara Kehaulani Goo confirmed the subsequent rumor of Montgomery’s firing in a recent interview.

“This reporter is no longer with Axios,” she wrote. “Out of respect for our employees, we do not discuss conditions of departure.”

Montgomery tweeted his response to his firing: “I made crepes this morning for the first time in years,” he wrote.

In the alleged piece of “propaganda,” DeSantis and company noted that they plan to continue dismantling DEI and CRT programs at state colleges, much like they have sought to do at Sarasota’s New College of Florida with the help of investigative journalist and NCF board member Christopher Rufo.

“In Florida, we are not going to back down to the woke mob, and we will expose the scams they are trying to push onto students across the country,” DeSantis reportedly said at the roundtable meeting.

The state also will consider prohibiting “state colleges and universities from funding DEI programs,” while eliminating “general education courses that distort historical events or that use instruction from CRT and establish new standards and adoption procedures for these courses,” the roundtable report noted.

“Florida students will receive an education, not a political indoctrination,” DeSantis declared.

UC Davis Chancellor Under Fire for Pre-Riot Smear of Charlie Kirk

Jacob Bruns
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UC Davis Chancellor Under Fire for Pre-Riot Smear of Charlie Kirk

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) University of California-Davis Chancellor, Gary May, has come under fire for slandering conservative pundit Charlie Kirk leading up to an on-campus Antifa riot.

May released the statement in a video post, wherein he called Kirk a spreader of “misinformation and hate” who has demanded “violence” against transgenders, Jonathan Turley reported.

“Thank you for sharing your distress at a student group hosting a speaker who is a well-documented proponent of misinformation and hate, and who has advocated for violence against transgender individuals,” May wrote, continuing to note that UC Davis prizes itself for its openness and toleration of all lifestyles.

“As a campus that is committed to our principles of community, UC Davis stands with our transgender and non-binary Aggies in opposition to this hateful and divisive messaging. UC Davis did not invite this individual and is not sponsoring this event.”

May has come under fire at the hands of numerous publications, including The College Fix, which claimed that May is the one guilty of spreading “misinformation” in claiming that Kirk spends his time calling for violence against transgenders.

Jumping on board with May’s anti-Kirk messaging, The Sacramento Bee falsely claimed that Kirk has called for the “lynching of trans people” according to a Fox News report.

One of the Bee‘s op-ed fabulists, Hannah Holzer, penned an article titled: “Another fascist is coming to UC Davis. How should the community respond?”

In the article, she described Kirk as “vocal transphobe and Donald Trump fanatic” who spends his time making money off of political controversy.

“Among his most atrocious comments, Kirk suggested transgender people, who he has referred to as ‘garbage,’ ought to be lynched,” Holzer lied. The newspaper has since changed the story.
“An earlier version of this column included a statement that Charlie Kirk had ‘called for the lynching of trans people,’” the Bee wrote, explaining its decision to alter the story. The newspaper also altered the subtitle, changing it from labeling Kirk a “fascist” speaker to a “far-right” speaker.

Utah Middle School Feeds Bugs to Students for Climate-Change ‘Assignment’

Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji Bello
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Utah Middle School Feeds Bugs to Students for Climate-Change ‘Assignment’

(Abdul–Rahman Oladimeji Bello, Headline USA) A woke middle school in Utah’s Nebo School District fed insects to sixth graders last week as part of an assignment on climate change. According to reports from Fox News Digital, a parent mentioned that the school fed these bugs to the children on claims that it would save the environment from cows that were destroying the world. 

The instructions were to write an argumentative essay that required them only to see things from one point of view. The only correct answer was that people should use insects rather than cows as protein sources, as they were destroying the ozone layer with methane gas.

The school found nothing wrong with this disturbing assignment, saying it was a fun and engaging lesson that all students loved. Interestingly, the district revealed that the school purchased the insects from an online store that noted they were safe for consumption.

Parents were immediately outraged upon discovering this English assignment, especially as some students found it uncomfortable. 

Amanda Wright, a parent to one of the students, told Fox News that she believed the school was subjecting the students to a “dark climate change religion.”

The school’s principal also supported the assignment in a meeting. He mentioned that the assignment was about “finding facts to support,” which was why the students could not argue.

“All the evidence has suggested that we probably should be eating bugs. It’s good for the environment, etc. But I didn’t know that it was an offensive topic to indicate,” the English teacher, Kim Cutler, said in the meeting.

Further reports noted that Wright’s daughter also took a video recording in class. The student had challenged the English teacher for having only one correct answer in the supposed argument.

“You don’t have any evidence to support it. There’s only one right answer to this essay. And it’s that Americans should be eating bugs,” Cutler demanded. “Everyone in the world is eating them, it’s healthy for the environment, and there’s just, there’s only one right answer,” he concluded.

The district further noted that the teacher offered the students another topic of choice when she realized there was a concern.

“Our district, schools, and teachers do encourage parents and students to come to us with their concerns. We want to continue to be partners in the education of children,” the district said in a statement.

Football Coach Gets Job Back 7 Years after Being Fired for Praying

Ezekiel Loseke
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Football Coach Gets Job Back 7 Years after Being Fired for Praying

(Ezekiel Loseke, Headline USA) Joe Kennedy, a devout Christian who was fired from his job coaching football in Washington State in 2015, has been given his old position back, according to The Blaze.

Kennedy, in addition to being rehired, also agreed to a cash settlement with the school district. The district will pay him $1,775,000 for his legal fees. The school board has not yet approved that amount, but is expected to vote on approving the settlement Thursday.

His reinstatement has been in the works for a long time. Kennedy was fired in 2015. A Federal judge ruled against him in 2020. In 2021 the 9th Circuit court of appeals ruled against him. In April of 2022 The Supreme Court of The United States heard oral arguments in the case. In June of 2022 SCOTUS ruled on behalf of Kennedy.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion of the court.

“Here, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment,” he wrote.

Despite the clear endorsement of the court, Kennedy reported that the school district drug its feet in reinstating him. Indeed, from start to finish, it took seven years for Kennedy to be reinstated.

Kennedy expressed relief and gratitude that his “long battle” was finally over, according to The Christian Post.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to be back on the field with my guys,” he said. “I am incredibly grateful to the Supreme Court, my fantastic legal team, and everyone who has supported us. I thank God for answering our prayers and sustaining my family through this long battle.”

Kelly Shackelford, the head of Kennedy’s legal team spoke on the case.

“[this decision is a] tremendous victory for Coach Kennedy and religious liberty for all Americans,” she said.  “Our Constitution protects the right of every American to engage in private religious expression, including praying in public, without fear of getting fired.”

“We are grateful that the Supreme Court recognized what the Constitution and law have always said — Americans are free to live out their faith in public.”

Ranking Weaponization Committee Democrat Closely Tied to Jeffrey Epstein

Ken Silva
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Ranking Weaponization Committee Democrat Closely Tied to Jeffrey Epstein

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, the ranking member of a committee formed to investigate the weaponization of government agencies, has made headlines in recent weeks for her full-throated defense of the FBI—including her attacks against journalists and bureau whistleblowers.

Nearly four years ago, Plaskett was making headlines for an even more nefarious reason. According to reports from the time, Plaskett was under scrutiny for declining to return donations made from deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who was once a resident of Plaskett’s U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Epstein contributed directly to Democratic Rep. Stacey Plaskett’s last two campaigns for Congress. The U.S. Virgin Islands lawmaker has decided she will be keeping the cash, even after Epstein’s arrest in New York, at least for now,” CNBC reported on July 8, 2019, which was after Epstein’s arrest but before his death.

Mike McQueery, then the spokesman for Plaskett’s office, reportedly told CNBC she has no immediate plans to refund the donation.

“I’m pretty sure she’s not,” McQueery said at the time, according to CNBC.

McQueery reportedly later confirmed that his boss was unlikely to return the contribution, declining to comment further about the investigation and how Plaskett knew Epstein.

A day later, Plaskett reportedly reversed course and decided to send the Epstein donations to non-profit organizations.

“In light of new information and allegations that have been made against Jeffrey Epstein I have decided to make contributions to Virgin Islands organizations that work with women and children in the amount of his previous contributions,” Plaskett said in a statement to CNBC.

Plaskett’s ties to Epstein were later investigated more extensively by the USVI’s local newspaper, the Virgin Islands Daily News.

The Daily News reported in February 2020 that Plaskett is a former attorney for the territory’s Economic Development Authority, which granted Epstein tax exemptions while he lived in the USVI.

In 2013 and 2014, Plaskett also worked for a law firm whose founding partner later helped Epstein purchase Great St. James in 2016, according to the Daily News.

The private island near St. Thomas is adjacent to Little St. James, which Epstein also owned—and which became known, colloquially, as “Pedophile Island” for the ribaldry that he allegedly conducted with prominent clients who flew there on Epstein’s plane, the “Lolita Express.”

The local newspaper attempted to interview Plaskett about her connections to Epstein, but was rebuffed by her communications director at the time.

“We were under the impression we had put this story behind us,” the communications director reportedly said.

“I must inform you though that I think the Congresswoman has said the last she has publicly and privately about Jeffrey Epstein and his dealings with her and his past campaign contributions,” the spokesperson continued. “Also, with lawsuits still pending regarding the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, we have refrained from commenting further on this situation.”

Headline USA emailed Plaskett’s staff questions about whether her ties to Epstein prevented her from effectively serving on a committee designed to investigate the FBI, given that the FBI covered up Epstein’s crimes for decades. Her staffers did not respond.

After the publication of this article, Plaskett’s new comms director, Tionee Scotland, provided Headline USA with the following statement: “Rep. Plaskett was not with the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (EDA) at the time that Jeffrey Epstein was granted his EDA benefits. In 2016, Rep. Plaskett was not with the firm listed in your article. She was already a Member of Congress and did not engage in outside employment.”

Headline USA has also updated its article to reflect that Plaskett did not return the Epstein donations, but instead sent them to non-profit organizations.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Med. School Opens Scholarship to White Students after Federal Investigation

Molly Bruns
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Med. School Opens Scholarship to White Students after Federal Investigation

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) The Medical University of South Carolina is now allowing white students to enter the running for “diversity” scholarships after an investigation performed by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

The DOE opened the investigation into MUSC after watchdog groups complained about the exclusion white people and males from diversity scholarships, Breitbart reported.

Shortly after the investigation was opened, the school informed the DOE that it will allow white students to apply.

“The University informed OCR that the program is now called the Achieving Health Equity by Advancing Diversity (AHEAD) Visiting Student Program and that eligibility for the program is open to students regardless of race,” the DOE said a statement. “OCR verified that the University’s website now calls the program AHEAD, and that it no longer mentions race, color, or national origin.”

The AHEAD program used to be open only to students from “disadvantaged or marginalized backgrounds,” or “other students interested in diversifying the physician workforce.”

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, who runs a medical watchdog group called Do No Harm, accused the scholarship board of attempting to embed Critical Race Theory into medical practices.

“Those who argue for the importance of diversity in the medical workforce and in admission to medical school place the interests of students and practitioners, particularly minorities, above the interest of patients,” he argued.

Mark Perry, a Do No Harm fellow and former professor at University of Michigan Flint, launched the initial complaint and subsequent investigation into possible violations for the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

As a school that receives federal funding, MUSC cannot prohibit discrimination based on race.

“Do No Harm is pleased that The University of South Carolina School of Medicine chose to eliminate its discriminatory and unlawful scholarships,” said Do No Harm spokesperson Laura Morgan. “This decision shows that they are well aware that adopting racially discriminatory admissions practices under the guise of inclusivity is not only lowering standards in the name of diversity, but is in violation of federal law.”

Organizing Your Pantry is Racist and Sexist, College Professor Says

Molly Bruns
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Organizing Your Pantry is Racist and Sexist, College Professor Says

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A recent TikTok trend shows people sharing the results of their spring cleaning by making videos organizing their pantries, closets and refrigerators.

When responding to the trend, Jenna Drenten, a Loyola University Chicago marketing professor, declared the desire to be clean and organized as racist and sexist.

According to the Daily Wire, Drenten authored an opinion piece featured in The Conversation, in which she derides the trend as capitalistic and claims the “desire for niceness,” is racist and sexist.

She offers a brief history of pantries, and recounts their move from hidden rooms to open status symbols over the centuries. She dubs the showing off of sleek, organized pantries as “pantry porn,” arguing that it stems from the early 2010s trend of “food porn.”

Drenten continues, positing that tidiness equals status and people who want the places where there food is stored to be clean are hopeless bigots.

“Storing spices in coordinated glass jars and color coordinating dozens of sprinkles containers may seem trivial,” she says.

“But tidiness is tangled up with status, and messiness is loaded with assumptions about personal responsibility and respectability,” she adds. “Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of ‘niceness’: nice people, with nice yards, in nice houses, make for nice neighborhoods.”

Simmering underneath what she calls the “anti-messiness, pro-niceness stance,” lies classist, racist and sexist tendencies.

“In my research, influencers who produce pantry porn are predominantly white women who demonstrate what it looks like to maintain a ‘nice’ home by creating a new status symbol: the perfectly organized, fully stocked pantry,” Drenten explains.

In Drenten’s mind, a clean, well-stocked pantry is a sexist trope and reinforces the housewife as an “aspirational standard for becoming an ideal mom, ideal wife and ideal woman.”

Drenten was relentlessly mocked on Twitter for her ridiculous take.

Agencies Nationwide Issue Warnings about Animal Tranquilizer-Laced Drugs

Wire Editor
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Agencies Nationwide Issue Warnings about Animal Tranquilizer-Laced Drugs

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Several federal and state agencies have issued warnings about illicit drugs such as fentanyl being laced with Xyzaline, an animal tranquilizer used by veterinarians, referred to as “tranq” and a zombie drug.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency warns that Xyzaline has been detected in an increasing number of illicit drug mixtures and a growing number of overdose deaths nationwide.

“Xylazine is most frequently reported in combinations with two or more substances present,” the DEA explains. It’s not an opioid, isn’t a controlled substance and is only authorized for veterinarian use. It’s purchased by criminal actors to mix with illicit drugs to “increase the profit for illicit drug traffickers.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also issued a warning to health-care professionals about fentanyl, heroin, and other illicit drugs being laced with Xylazine. Tranq-linked overdoses aren’t reversible solely through the use of Naloxone/Narcan, it warns. The generic and brand drug has proven to successfully reverse opioid overdoses if administered quickly enough. Health care professionals are still encouraged to administer Naloxone/Narcan but are encouraged to consider Xylazine exposure when administering it, the FDA warns. Xylazine exposure also presents symptoms of severe, necrotic skin ulcerations, described as “skin rot,” it says, which are difficult to heal.

While Xylazine has been detected in drugs in the northeast for over a decade, increasing reports of it being detected in the west prompted agencies in California and Arizona to issue recent warnings.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the greatest number of overdoses linked to Xylazine have been reported in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Connecticut’s chief medical examiner has been screening for Xylazine in toxicology panels since 2013 when investigating all suspected drug overdose deaths, the CDC reports. In 2019, nearly 6% of unintentional drug overdoses reported in Connecticut tested positive for Xylazine. By July 2020, this number doubled to nearly 12%.

Philadelphia and New York City officials also have increasingly detected Xylazine in drug screenings, prompting Philadelphia’s health department to publish an advisory and New York City overdose prevention centers to also test for it.

State agencies in North Carolina and Rhode Island are also working to develop a way to efficiently and quickly test for tranq. Maryland officials are testing for it, as are medical examiners in Vermont, after tranq-linked overdose deaths in Vermont increased from 29 cases in 2021 to 54 in the first 10 months of 2022, according to a Pew Trust analysis.

Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, sounded the alarm after dozens of tranq-linked overdoses were reported in New York, including 40 in one week in Onondaga County.

Schumer also announced a three-pronged plan to combat the zombie drug plaguing New Yorkers, including requiring the FDA “to track down illicit sources of Xylazine,” increasing funding to local law enforcement through the federal COPS Hiring Program of nearly $537 million, and supporting President Joe Biden’s plan to allocate $10 billion in grants to fund behavioral health workforce development programs and the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program among others through the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration.

His plan excludes targeting Mexican cartels identified by the DEA and others as the source of illicit drugs pouring into the U.S. through the southern border. It also excludes prioritizing and funding stronger southern border security measures. According to an Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center warning issued earlier this month, an emerging trend it identified is Mexican cartels lacing fentanyl with Xylazine, which is being smuggled in through the southern border.

Schumer’s plan also excludes prioritizing northern border security measures after a record number of people have been apprehended illegally entering upstate New York through Canada.

Schumer has acknowledged that tranq is coming from “overseas.” When announcing his plan, he said, “The feds need to accelerate their efforts to crack down on this drug illegally being shipped from overseas and unlawfully making its way” onto American streets. He also said, “We need an all-of-the-above approach: cutting off the flow of drugs, aid to our law enforcement, more interdiction, prevention, treatment and recovery for those suffering with addiction.”

Economists, Business Groups Cast Shade on Inflation Trends

Wire Editor
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Economists, Business Groups Cast Shade on Inflation Trends

(Tom Gantert, The Center Square) Not everyone was optimistic about the trend when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Consumer Price Index data this week showing inflation had dropped for the eighth consecutive month.

The Consumer Price Index showed inflation at 6% for the last 12 months ending in February, which was the smallest 12-month increase going back to September 2021, according to the BLS media release.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses said on the same day that fewer of its members polled in February were expecting better business conditions over the next six months.

And one national market expert said the Federal Reserve’s rash of interest rate hikes is done with, so the CPI “most likely direction” is up.

Fewer small business owners polled by NFIB in February were expecting better business conditions over the next six months compared to January.

And 28% of small business owners polled by NFIB reported inflation as their single most important business problem.

“Small business owners remain doubtful that business conditions will get better in the coming months,” National Federation of Independent Business Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a media release. “They continue to struggle with historic inflation and labor shortages that are holding back growth.”

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates eight times from March 17, 2022 to Feb. 1, 2023.

“When inflation is too high, the Federal Reserve typically raises interest rates to slow the economy and bring inflation down.” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

“Since the Fed is basically done hiking, the most likely direction for CPI from here is up,” tweeted Peter Schiff, a stockbroker and CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital, on May 14.

In January, Pew released a report on the stress the high inflation rates have imposed on state governments. That report found that annual state expenditures increased by about 18.3% in fiscal year 2022 compared to the previous year. That was the highest annual increase in at least 44 years, which the report based in part on inflation, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.

Rodgers Plans to Play for Jets in 2023, Awaits Packers’ Move

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Rodgers Plans to Play for Jets in 2023, Awaits Packers’ Move

(Headline USA) Outspoken vax realist Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday he intends to play for the New York Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons in Green Bay and the four-time NFL MVP quarterback is waiting for the Packers to trade him.

The 39-year-old Rodgers, speaking during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on YouTube and Sirius XM, said he believes the Packers want to move on and make 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love their starting quarterback.

“At this point, as I sit here, I think since Friday I’ve made it clear that my intention was to play and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said. “I haven’t been holding anything up at this point. It’s been compensation the Packers are trying to get for me, kind of digging their heels in.”

Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy has acknowledged the team granted the Jets permission to talk to Rodgers, the face of the franchise since Hall of Famer Brett Favre was traded to the Jets in 2008. The Jets sent a contingent that reportedly included owner Woody Johnson, coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas to Rodgers’ home in Southern California last week.

Rodgers expressed his appreciation for his 18 seasons in Green Bay but added that it’s time for the Packers “to do the right thing.”

“I have nothing but love in my heart for every Packer fan and everybody who works in the organization,” Rodgers said. “My life is better because of my time in Green Bay. But we’ve just got to look at the reality. They want to move on. They don’t want me to come back and that’s fine. They’re ready to move on with Jordan. That’s awesome. Jordan’s going to be a great player.”

The Packers declined to comment on Rodgers’ remarks, which follow days of speculation that his time in Green Bay might be done.

Murphy spoke of Rodgers in the past tense while discussing the quarterback’s future with Green Bay TV station WBAY last week.

“Very few players play for only one team,” Murphy told WBAY. “Obviously Brett had a great career. Aaron had a great career here. Regardless of what happens, Aaron will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’ll be in our Hall of Fame. We’ll bring him back, retire his number. This is just one of the things that we go through as a team. We want to try to achieve something that’s good for both Aaron and us.”

In a separate interview that aired Friday during a broadcast of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association girls basketball championships on Green Bay TV station WCWF, Murphy said he would honor a trade request if Rodgers made one.

“It’s trying to find what he wants and what we want, and hopefully we can find a win-win situation,” Murphy said.

Rodgers had said at the end of the 2022 season that he would need time to decide whether to return to the Packers, request a trade or retire. He said Wednesday he had discussions with Packers officials regarding his future shortly after the team wrapped up a 8-9 season that ended a string of three straight NFC North titles.

“Everything that I was told in the week that I was in Green Bay was: ‘Take as long as you want and we want you to retire a Packer. If you want to come back and play, obviously the door is wide open,’” Rodgers said. “That was the information I was going on.”

As he pondered his future, Rodgers spent multiple days last month on a isolation retreat in Oregon, where he said he stayed alone in a room in total darkness.

Rodgers said he was 90% leaning toward retirement at the time of the retreat. When he was done with it, he said, he noticed a difference in the Packers’ approach toward his future with the franchise.

“Now when I came out of the darkness, something changed,” Rodgers said. “I’m not exactly sure what that was, but something changed. … I realized there had been a little bit of a shift. I heard from multiple people that I trust around the league — players mostly –— that there was some shopping going on, that they were interested in actually moving me.”

Rodgers said that made him realize the Packers probably didn’t want him back.

“It was clear to me at that point, that although the Packers were going to say the right thing publicly, that they were ready to move on,” he said. “I don’t know what changed that or what moved that — if they just said, ‘Hey, we need to make a decision here because he hasn’t made a decision here yet.’ Again, there’s no victims here. I’m not sitting here as a victim.”

The Jets’ interest in Rodgers has been apparent as they seek to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought. They lost their final six games while going 7-10 last season and haven’t reached the postseason since 2010.

Their new offensive coordinator is Nathaniel Hackett, who earned raves from Rodgers while coordinating Green Bay’s offense from 2019-21.

“There’s a lot of reasons why the Jets are attractive,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “But there’s one coach that has meant as much to me as any coach I’ve ever had. And he happens to be the coordinator there.”

Saleh and Johnson both expressed their interest in adding a veteran quarterback to a roster that already features one of the league’s best defenses.

If Rodgers ends up with the Jets, it would be a case of history repeating itself.

The Packers sent a soon-to-be 39-year-old Favre to the Jets in 2008, a move that ushered in Rodgers’ arrival as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. Favre won three MVPs with Green Bay during his Hall of Fame career.

Rodgers backed up Favre for three seasons after the Packers selected him out of California with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 draft. Love has backed up Rodgers for three seasons since the Packers traded up to take the former Utah State quarterback with the 26th overall pick.

Rodgers’ future has been the subject of speculation ever since the Packers selected Love. Rodgers acknowledged the selection caught him by surprise. One year later, he skipped the Packers’ mandatory minicamp in a standoff with Packers management.

But the two sides eventually patched things up.

Rodgers signed a contract extension with the Packers last year after producing a second straight MVP season.

When he was asked last June at the Packers’ mandatory minicamp whether he expected to finish his career in Green Bay, Rodgers replied, “Yes. Definitely.”

Those plans apparently changed after a 2022 season in which he had his lowest passer rating as a starter (91.1) and threw 12 interceptions, his highest total since 2008. Now Rodgers believes his time in Green Bay is done.

“Coming to this reality has been really bittersweet,” Rodgers said. “I was drafted by Green Bay. I … love that city, love that organization. Always going to have love for that organization. But the facts are right now they want to move on, and now so do I.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

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