What the heck is “lab-grown meat?” And it is actually a threat to Nebraska farmers and ranchers and, therefore, Nebraska itself? I wondered that when Gov. Jim Pillen announced he was trying to ban lab-grown meat with the support of a few state senators. So did Sara Gentzler, our state government watchdog reporter.
I’m happy to report that Gentzler’s story today explains what the heck we are talking about here. It explains what this meat is, and the debate about whether or not you can even call it meat. It demystifies some of the short-term threat to Nebraska’s ag industry.
And she also found out something that surprised me: A bunch of really influential ag groups don’t actually support a ban on what is also sometimes called “cell-based” meat.
Eclectic and long-lasting: In 1949, a group of 28 women attended the first meeting of a new book club at a long-gone downtown Omaha hotel. They read a memoir from a now long-dead Kentucky teacher and played some bridge.
Which would all be rather forgettable, if that club, the Eclectic Review Book Club, didn’t still exist today. The club, now with more than 100 dues-paying members, just celebrated its 75th anniversary, reports correspondent Jonathan Orozco. And now, in 2025, it’s fighting back against some worrying trends: People are reading fewer books, and many are struggling with loneliness and social isolation.
You probably need some merch: Hats, totes, sweatshirts, T-shirts, coffee mugs, stickers, a goshdarn dog bandanna. Get ‘em all right here! Buy any of these items and all the profit goes to supporting FFP and nonprofit news in Nebraska.
A lil’ help, please: FFP reporter Destiny Herbers is working on a story about Hank Kunneman’s Lord of Hosts Church, which is quickly growing in Millard and has impressive national reach. Have you attended attended a service there or been involved in some way? If so, please email Destiny at [email protected].
A lil’ help, part two: Last week Herbers and Jeremy Turley published their investigation on problems with Nebraska’s autopsy system. Included at the bottom of the story is a little form to fill out if you, or someone you know, has had an issue with finding out why a loved one died.
Coming soon: Unsafe drinking water, sex trafficking, the local impact of government funding cuts, the immigration crackdown, tariffs and that quickly growing church in Millard. In short: We have a lot of important stories coming.
Questions wanted: Some of our best story ideas come from readers, and they typically start with a burning question that just cries out for an answer. Have a question that our reporters need to look into? Complete this form or reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
—Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- Henry Cordes of the OWH had two important stories this week that speak to the impact that the current goings on in Washington, D.C. are having close to home. A century-old and well-known Omaha nonprofit that helps people with mental health and substance abuse, Lutheran Family Services, got labeled — without a shred of evidence — a money launderer by two top Trump surrogates this week, including Elon Musk. As you may imagine, the local leaders of Lutheran Family Services had a)no idea what these guys were talking about, and b) pushed back against the unfounded claims. (May need OWH subscriber access to view this story and the next.)
- Sen. Pete Ricketts defended Lutheran Family Services but also defended Musk’s so-called DOGE in a call with reporters this week, Cordes reports.
- A $19 million grant to the University of Nebraska, meant to have NU researchers help with water management in Africa, was also put on hold as a part of the new DOGE effort this week. Chris Dunker of the Journal Star has that story. (May need LJS subscriber access to view.)
- This one is happening way further from home, but I can’t stop reading and thinking about it. One of the signature accomplishments of President George W. Bush’s presidency was a program that has helped administer medicine to some 25 million people with HIV/AIDS across the globe. That program is now frozen, meaning that the treatment of millions of people who currently have HIV or AIDS, including a half-million children, has been abruptly ended. The program was still frozen as of Wednesday, despite some contradictory directives about dispensing treatments. Story from the New York Times.
- Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is still in the news for all the wrong reasons in Florida. A new state audit found Sasse spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private flights, and also questioned whether the former college president should still be drawing his $1 million annual salary.
- How about this: Ruth Ann Pigott Janssen, former chair of the sociology department, left the University of Nebraska at Kearney some $2.25 million when she died. It’s the largest gift ever given by a UNK professor emeritus, News Channel Nebraska reports.
- Chokeberries are grown by some small Nebraska producers. But the farmers are having a hard time finding demand, reports Harvest Public Media, in a story appearing in Nebraska Public Media.
- A Papillion veteran who has helped many other veterans find homes is in danger of losing his own house as he battles late-stage cancer. The story, by Channel 7’s Aaron Hegarty, includes some ways you can help.
