Latest news with #KXAN
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Lab-grown barbecue sales banned in Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) — If someone wants to eat a meatball made of wooly mammoth and grown in a lab, they're going to have to do it outside of Texas. A new law passed this legislative session has made it illegal to sell 'cell culture protein for human consumption within' Texas. Senate Bill 261 will go into effect Sept. 1, 2025, and will expire in 2027. The law makes Texas the seventh state to ban the sale of lab-grown or cultured meat. Indiana passed a similar law in May. Nebraska, Montana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida also have bans in effect. 'As ranchers, we produce 19% of the world's beef with only 6% of the world's cattle,' said Carl Ray Polk, with the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, at a committee hearing on March 31, 'but some have decided a lab is better than a pasture.' 'The lab-grown meat sector will continue to face headwinds as consumers and lawmakers learn more about the lack of long-term health studies and use of 'immortalized cells,'' said Jack Hubbard, executive director of the Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW), in a press release. CEW, a think tank, is one of the leading critics of lab-grown meat. The bill was authored by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, and sponsored by Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Texas, in the House. 'Texas prides itself on being open for business, and yet here we have a law that's shutting down a business,' said Katie Kam, CEO and founder of Bio B-Q. Her Austin-based company aims to make lab-grown brisket. 'Cultivated meat, in our view, is safer than the conventional meat that is produced in a large scale that's on the market right now,' said Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and Founder of Upside Foods. Lab-grown meat is part of a larger trend in the meat industry towards sustainable meat products that don't contribute to climate change. According to the United Nations, 14.5% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are created by livestock farming. Multiple companies have sprung up in recent years focused on lab-grown meat, including Upside Foods, Vow Foods and Eat Just. The companies make a variety of meat products ranging from egg to quail. 'It's really important for our national security to be able to put meat on the table from an animal-based source,' Dr. Valeti said. Lab-grown meat is made by placing protein cells in a vat where they reproduce. 'They're floating around, they're growing, we harvest them, and we have the cell mass that we can then turn into a range of different products,' George Peppou, CEO and co-founder of Vow Food, said to Nexstar's KXAN in 2023. Questions about safety of lab-grown meat were brought up at the committee hearings in March. 'Because these products are so new, there has been no long-term research,' Polk said. 'There is no slaughterhouse, there is no poop, there is no skin, guts, there's no antibiotics used. We don't have pesticides or herbicides that are on the grass that an animal is eating. We do not have plastics or microplastics. So in all of these things, cultivated meat is a step above in terms of production quality, cleanliness and safety,' Dr. Valeti said. Right now, cultured or lab-grown meat is only legal in Singapore and parts of the United States. Israel and the Netherlands have relaxed some restrictions on the product.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Liver King' freed after threatening Joe Rogan — and immediately starts ranting online again
Troubled influencer Brian 'Liver King' Johnson has been freed after his arrest for allegedly making terroristic threats against Joe Rogan — and immediately began posting bizarre videos again. The 47-year-old steroid-popping influencer was arrested in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night after he suddenly showed up in Rogan's hometown after ranting for days about 'picking a fight' with the podcaster — at one point seemingly brandishing guns. The testicle-munching muscleman has since posted a $20,000 bond, according to court records reviewed by KXAN. He has been banned from contacting Rogan or his family, and ordered to stay at least 600 feet from any of their homes and businesses. He was also ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation within a week of his release, the records showed. 3 Johnson posted a $20,000 bond after his arrest on Tuesday night. @liverking/Instagram Once out, Johnson quickly resumed posting bizarre videos on social media — which he has been doing for the last eight months after appearing to abandon his once-popular Youtube channel. 'I'm gonna make a bunch of videos this week, and then I'm not gonna make 'em for a long while — then I'll make some more again,' he said in one clip, without explanation. 3 Johnson immediately started posting more bizarre content after his release from prison. @liverking/Instagram 'Thank you for all the prayers — all the people praying for me,' he said in one of more than a dozen videos posted to Instagram since his release. In another, he said a prayer — with an F-bomb — while holding candles and dancing to classical music. The influencer — whose philosphy supposedly revolves around living like cavemen — then later complained about the poor facilities in his room at the Four Seasons. 3 Johnson was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation within the next week. @liverking/Instagram Johnson was charged with making terroristic threats after traveling to Rogan's home and challenging him to a fight in a bizarre Instagram video. 'Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out, my name's Liver King. Man to man, I'm picking a fight with you,' he said, while shirtless and sporting a wolf pelt. Rogan told police he didn't know Johnson and thought he appeared Rogan, 57, told police he was unaware that the influencer, who he'd never met, was 'targeting him' and had been told by other people that Johnson 'has a significant drug issue,' according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. Johnson has never been featured on Rogan's popular podcast 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' but the influencer has come up multiple times on the show in discussions about performance-enhancing drugs. The macho meat-lover infamously denied ever using steroids to achieve his freakish frame — instead crediting his diet of raw meat, animal testicles, liver and fertilized chicken eggs. However, he was exposed for being on steroids and human growth hormone in late 2022 after leaked emails revealed he had been spending $11,000 a month on muscle-building drugs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas to create response team to combat New World screwworms
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday directed two state agencies to assemble a response team to combat the New World screwworm, which poses a serious threat to Texas livestock and wildlife. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New World screwworms are a species of fly larvae that infest and feed off the flesh of warm-blooded animals. RELATED | Texas officials warn of infectious, parasitic screwworms found in Mexico In a news release, Abbott said, 'The mission for the Response Team is clear: to lead Texas' prevention and response efforts and ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite.' The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) are responsible for establishing the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. 'As a border state, Texas represents the first line of defense against the potential re-entry of this harmful pest into the United States,' Abbott wrote in a letter to TPWD and TAHC. 'Texas played a critical role in eradicating this pest from the United States in the 1960s and will do so again if the need arises.' RELATED | US plans to open a fly factory in Texas as part of its fight against a flesh-eating parasite Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced a multi-national program to stop the spread of screwworms. The U.S. planned to invest $8.5 million in a dispersal site from Moore Air Base and $20 million in a facility in Mexico that produces sterilized screwworms. The insects will then be released by planes over Mexico to stop them from coming to the U.S. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Texas to create response team to combat New World screwworms
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday directed two state agencies to assemble a response team to combat the New World screwworm, which poses a serious threat to Texas livestock and wildlife. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New World screwworms are a species of fly larvae that infest and feed off the flesh of warm-blooded animals. In a news release, Abbott said, 'The mission for the Response Team is clear: to lead Texas' prevention and response efforts and ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite.' The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) are responsible for establishing the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. 'As a border state, Texas represents the first line of defense against the potential re-entry of this harmful pest into the United States,' Abbott wrote in a letter to TPWD and TAHC. 'Texas played a critical role in eradicating this pest from the United States in the 1960s and will do so again if the need arises.' Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced a multi-national program to stop the spread of screwworms. The U.S. planned to invest $8.5 million in a dispersal site from Moore Air Base and $20 million in a facility in Mexico that produces sterilized screwworms. The insects will then be released by planes over Mexico to stop them from coming to the U.S.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Economic Times
Why Brian Johnson is called Liver King, what fuels his extreme lifestyle and what's his net worth?
Brian Johnson, known as Liver King, was arrested in Austin, Texas, after challenging podcaster Joe Rogan to a fight in an Instagram video. Charged with making a terroristic threat, Johnson now faces legal consequences. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why was Liver King Arrested? Legal Charges Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mental Health Concerns Liver King's Popularity Liver King's Net Worth Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs Brian Johnson, who is widely known as Liver King, has been arrested following a video where he publicly challenged Joe Rogan. The social media personality was charged with making a terroristic threat. The incident has raised legal and mental health concerns, with the influencer currently held by authorities in Johnson released a video on Instagram where he called out Joe Rogan. In the post, he said, 'Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out, my name's Liver King.' He added that he wanted a man-to-man fight. Johnson also said he had no martial arts training, while Rogan holds a black belt. He went on to say that Rogan should be able to defeat him post was soon deleted. However, it had already gone viral. In the clip, Johnson added, 'I'm not going to train, but I hope you've been training.' He said he would make Rogan 'pay.' A short time later, Johnson was seen being arrested. His wife posted a video stating that he had not yet seen a judge and may spend the night in in Austin, Texas, confirmed that Johnson was arrested on a charge of making a terroristic threat. This is considered a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law. The law states that a person can be charged if they make verbal or physical threats that make others feel in danger or charge can result in a fine of up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail. Local media outlet KXAN reported that the threat may be related to Johnson's video messages directed at Rogan. However, officials have not released a specific name or victim related to the of Johnson's fans expressed concern about his behavior. Comments online suggested that he may be facing mental health issues. One user stated that Texas law allows authorities to detain someone temporarily if they are seen as a danger to themselves or is speculation that Johnson could be held for a psychiatric evaluation. No official statement on his mental health has been given by authorities or Johnson is known for promoting an 'ancestral lifestyle.' He built a large following on social media platforms. His Instagram has nearly 3 million followers. He also has over 6 million on TikTok and more than 1 million on gained attention after a Netflix documentary titled Untold: The Liver King was released. The film focuses on his rise as a brand rather than a fitness influencer. It explores his family life and public 2023, Johnson claimed his net worth was $310 million. Financial site MoneyMade estimated a lower figure, closer to $12 million in liquid assets. Johnson owns several supplement businesses, including Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil. Each brand is said to make over $1 million in revenue reports that Johnson could earn between $3 million and $4 million annually through his website sales. Sales through Amazon may generate $24 million. His company profit could be about $3 million, with Johnson's share around $1 million. Johnson also owns property in Austin, including a mansion worth about $4 million and another site called Liver Ranch worth $1 was arrested for making a terroristic threat after challenging Joe Rogan in a video that authorities viewed as potentially dangerous or alarming under Texas The Liver King shows how Brian Johnson built a brand and persona. It explores how his family handles his public image and what it takes to maintain a social identity.
