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The prospect of banning the sale of so-called lab-grown meat might seem like a no-brainer in Nebraska, where beef is king, but some of the proposal’s staunchest opposition has come from ranchers and farming groups who say they can compete without the government’s help.Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen one of the largest pork producers in the country is behind the push to ban cultivated meat, saying he wants to protect ranchers and meat producers. The Republican governor signed an executive order last August to keep state agencies and contractors from procuring lab-created meat, even though it could be years before such products are on store shelves.A number of ranchers and meat industry groups are pushing back on the governor’s plan.Dan Morgan is a fourth-generation cattle rancher from central Nebraska who supplies high-end beef to all 50 states and six countries. He welcomes companies seeking to produce lab-grown meat to “jump into the pool” and try to compete with his Waygu beef. Stifling competition in a free market should be anathema in a Republican-dominated state like Nebraska, he said.“It sounds like a bunch of right-wing Republicans echoing a bunch of left-wing Democrats,” he said, adding that the government should be limited to regulating the new product’s labels and inspecting its facilities to ensure food safety.“After that, it’s up to the consumer to make the decision about what they buy and eat.”Nebraska is among about a dozen states that have introduced measures to ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of lab-grown products. Two states Florida and Alabama have already enacted such bans.The target of the bills is “cell-cultivated” or “cell-cultured” meat, which is grown from the cells of animals in bioreactor steel tanks. The cells are bathed for weeks in nutrients, prompting them to grow and divide, turning them into skeletal muscle, fat and connective tissues.The push to ban cultivated meat comes well before the innovation could be considered an industry. While more than two dozen companies are working to develop such meat products, only two Upside Foods and Good Meat, both based in California have been approved by the federal government to sell cultivated chicken in the U.S. Even then, none of the companies are close to mass producing and selling the products on store shelves.In recent weeks, supporters of the Nebraska bill have shifted their arguments from industry protection to questions of safety surrounding cell-cultured meat. That includes its sponsor, state Sen. Barry DeKay, a Nebraska rancher, and Sherry Vinton, the director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Both testified in support of the bill at a committee hearing earlier this week, calling cultured meat “synthetic food” and voicing concern about possible health implications from eating it.But it’s been no secret that the push for a ban is rooted in shielding Nebraska’s traditional meat industry. Nebraska tops all other states for beef production and beef exports, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.Pillen named the ban among his top priorities during his State of the State address last month.“The backers of these products are cut from the same cloth as the anti-farmer activists who want to put our agriculture producers out of business, and we need to recognize them as such,” he said.The Association for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation, the lobbying group for the emerging cultured meat industry, disputes Pillen’s insistence that it’s a threat to the traditional meat industry, noting studies that show global demand for meat-based protein will double by 2050.“We’re really a complementary component here,” said Suzi Gerber, executive director of the association. “So it’s a little bit mystifying to me why any individual stakeholder would see this as a threat.”Several farm organizations, including Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen and the Nebraska Pork Producers, agree they’re not worried about competition from the emerging industry. Those groups prefer a sister bill that would only require they be clearly labeled as lab-grown products to separate them from traditional meat. More than a dozen states have also issued similar labeling bills, and some like Colorado have seen ban efforts abandoned in favor of labeling measures.Paul Sherman is an attorney with the Institute for Justice, which is representing Upside Foods in its lawsuit challenging the Florida ban. He said it’s no surprise most of the proposed bans are being pushed by those with connections to traditional agriculture.“I think it certainly shows that the purpose of these laws isn’t about protecting public health and safety,” he said. “It’s about protecting traditional agriculture from economic competition. And that is not a legitimate use of government power.” Maregery A. Beck, Associated Press
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In a James Bond shakeup that stirred the film industry, Amazon MGM announced Thursday that the studio has taken the creative reins of the 007 franchise after decades of family control. Longtime Bond custodians Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they would be stepping back.Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli formed a new joint venture in which they will co-own James Bond intellectual property rightsbut Amazon MGM will have creative control.Financial terms weren’t disclosed. The deal is expected to close sometime this year.“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects,” Wilson said in a statement. “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”Amazon bought MGM Studios in 2022 for $6.1 billion, a purchase that was significantly motivated by the acquisition of one of the movies’ most beloved and long-running franchises. Since the Daniel Craig era of 007 concluded with 2021’s No Time to Die, Broccoli and Wilson have reportedly clashed with Amazon MGM over the direction of Bond.The announcement Thursday means that for the first time in the more than half a century of Bond, a Broccoli won’t be greenlighting the next 007 film, or picking who inherits his tux. Amazon MGM also anticipates expanding the franchise beyond movies.“We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theaters around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We are honored to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”Bond had been a family business since Albert “Cubby” Broccoli secured the rights to adaptations of Ian Fleming’s novels and kicked off a run of 25 Bond films produced by Eon Productions, beginning with 1962’s Dr. No. Those movies have accrued $7.6 billion in box office.In 1995, the elder Broccoli handed over control of Eon to his daughter, Broccoli, and stepson, Wilson. In recent years, the 64-year-old Broccoli has largely taken the lead as Wilson, 83, has aged into retirement.“My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli,” Broccoli said in a statement. “I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”Broccoli and Wilson’s previous standoff with Amazon MGM had essentially frozen development on the next Bond movie. No script, director or star has yet been announced for the next installment, an unusually long break for a franchise that has typically spaced films two or three years apart. Broccoli also produced the 2022 film Till and the musical Buena Vista Social Club, opening next month on Broadway.A key point for the producers in the Amazon acquisition of MGM was a commitment to theatrically release James Bond films. That Bond’s future is now in the hands of an e-commerce giant with one of the leading streaming services will immediately prompted doubts from some fans about Bond’s new corporate overloads. Other billion-dollar movie franchises, such as the Disney-owned Star Wars and Marvel brands, have in recent years struggled with over-saturation.Even Joe Russo, codirector of four Marvel Cinematic Universe films including Avengers: Endgame, pleaded to Amazon MGM: “DON’T cinematic universe James Bond.”“It is one of our last, great theatrical events,” Russo said on X. “Don’t dilute that with a plethora of streaming spin-offs.”In an interview last fall ahead of receiving an honorary Oscar alongside her brother, Broccoli told the Associated Press that, in an era of upheaval in the movie industry, boldness was necessary.“People are playing it very safe,” Broccoli said. “I think in times of crisis like this, you’ve got to be brave.” Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer
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T-Mobile is making moves to make sure its first among first responders. The mobile giant announced that as a part of its T-Priority solutiona portion of T-Mobiles 5G network thats set aside specifically for use by first responders, to avoid network congestion and slowdowns during emergenciesit’s signed a contract with the City of New York to be the single carrier for the citys public safety network comprising more than 40,000 personnel, and is allowing free limited-time access to T-Priority through its first responder rate plans. Additionally, the company is partnering with others in the industry to create an advanced 5G ecosystem, which should help numerous tools such as drones and AI-powered deployables perform better in the field. That partnership includes companies like Samsung and Skydio. T-Mobile is also making a $2 million donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports the families of fallen first responders. These are big investments, and its incredibly important work, said Callie Field, president of T-Mobile Business Group, at an event in New York City on Thursday announcing the news. “We launched T-Priority for a reason. It was time to get this community better options . . . Even in 2025, when we expect instant communication, there are times when they cant connect. Field went on to say that almost two-thirds of first responders say they are concerned about network connectivity. As such, Field said T-Mobile saw the announced moves as the companys responsibility. T-Mobiles moves may be significant for emergency services, as first responders can find it difficult to communicate when cell service goes down. While fire and police departments generally do have other ways to get in touch with one anothervia walkie-talkies or pagers, which should work in the event that cell service is downwhen carrier networks are clogged up or otherwise crippled, it can hamper responses and potentially cost lives. T-Mobiles data says that T-Priority can offer up to 40% more 5G capacity to ensure first responders can stay connected, and its designed to emphasize speed for data-intensive communications. T-Priority also meshes with T-Mobiles plan to launch T-Mobile Starlink this year, which will help get signals through to parts of the country that are not reachable by cell towers.
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