The Green

Plans to build one of the largest data centers in the country near Delaware City in New Castle County remains a front burner issue – with state and county governments responding with efforts to pump the brakes on the project and put some guardrails in place to address concerns over the facilities' potential impact.At the same time, the developer behind the plan is ramping up its effort making its case the center will be a benefit to Delaware.This week, Delaware Public Media contributor Jon Hurdle revisits the battle over the project – known as Project Washington – to offer a snapshot of where things stand.

In the third grade, students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. But there's a problem in Delaware.Gov. Matt Meyer declared a literacy emergency earlier this year after eighth grade reading scores showed Delaware students saw their lowest scores in almost three decades.Statewide assessments in earlier grades tell a similar story, with proficiency rates at a standstill.Delaware's Secretary of Education Cindy Marten says literacy makes a world of a difference for students' life outcomes, and that's why she and Gov. Meyer put together their Early Literacy Plan.Delaware Public Media's Abigail Lee sat down with Marten to talk about the plan.

The historic Milton Theatre has been around for generations. And or the last decade, it has been a source for live theatre in the riverfront town.Now, it's getting a facelift, with a focus on the theatre's education programs.In this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny is joined by Milton Theatre director Fred Munzert to discuss their expansion plans.

A Nemours neurologist receives a prestigious grant from the National Institutes of Health.The funding will be used to study brain patterns that could lead to shared therapies for autism, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease patients.On this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry sits down with Nemours Children's Health Chief of Neurology Dr. Rodney Scott to discuss how his work can help patients.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

Wilmington City Council is seeing a change in its make-up – but this one is a bit unusual.The change isn't because of a resignation or election. It's the result of a change in party affiliation.Councilman James Spadola recently announced he is switching from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. Spadola was the lone Republican on Council, serving in the at-large seat reserved for the minority party. Now, there are officially no GOP voice on Wilmington City Council.Earlier this week, Delware Public Media's Tom Byrne sat down with Spadola to discuss his decision and Wilmington city politics.

Statewide student assessment performance has remained stagnant in the last two school years, showing a 41% reading proficiency across grades 3-8.Brandywine School District reading specialist Jenna DiEleuterio helps Talley Middle School students become confident readers who find connection through storytelling.She is also Delaware's 2026 Teacher of the Year – an honored announced earlier this week. Delaware Public Media's Abigail Lee sat down with DiEleuterio to talk about being named Teacher of the Year and why it's important to get students away from instant gratification and back to books.

Food prices remain a major concern for consumers across the country – including here in the First State.The typical trip to the grocery store can produce an eye-popping total at the register once everything in your cart is scanned and bagged up.This week, we asked contributor Eileen Dallabrida to take a closer look at those receipts to see where consumers are getting hit hardest – and examine some of the ways people are coping with skyrocketing prices.

Just in time for Halloween, First State Ballet Theatre returns to the stage at the Grand in Wilmington with a new performance of Dracula.In this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny is joined by First State Ballet marketing director Claire McGregor to discuss the show.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

Rehoboth Beach's Clear Space Theatre is looking to expand, moving from its current 170-seat theatre in a former church to a much larger new space with two theaters, a fully developed backstage area, and dedicated workspaces for props, costumes, and scenery.Clear Space has two options to choose from, including one in downtown Rehoboth. To find out more about their plans and the process, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny talked to Clear Space Theatre's managing director Joe Gfaller

The historically Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta celebrates 50 years on the University of Delaware's campus in 2025.The Mu Pi chapter welcomed its 11-member charter line in 1975 and has since seen 43 more lines cross through UD's campus.The Deltas are a part of the Divine Nine, historically Black Greek-letter organizations that formed more than a century ago. They're all involved in community service and social justice at their core.For this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media's Abigail Lee sat down with charter line member Terry Bayard Joyner and Delta advisor and alumnus Phyllis Joyner to talk about the Mu Pi chapter's history and future on UD's campus and beyond.

With the seasons changing, Wilmington's Market Street Music is back in action with a series of fall performances.On this week's Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny speaks to Market Street Music's executive director, Jordan Barrett, along with musicians from two of the ensembles performing this month - The Pyxis Piano Trio's Jennifer Jie Jin and Hiroko Ya-ma-za- kiand Emily Ballantine Erb, conductor of the Center City Chorale.

The current economy has plenty of people concerned – and complaining - about the cost of groceries, gas and other necessitiesBut what about ticket prices to attend a professional sporting event in the Philadelphia area? The price of attending sporting events never seems to get the same scrutiny despite increases year over year.As a matter of fact, the demand for Phillies playoff tickets or to see the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles is higher than ever while people pay more to fuel up to get to the game or stock up for the tailgate prior to it.In this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry speaks with Matt Robinson - professor of Sports Management at the University of Delaware - to discuss how prices for sports seem to be immune from what is going on outside of the stadium or arena.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

It's been almost two years since the Biden Administration announced the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub or MACH2 was among a series of “hydrogen hubs” selected to receive substantial federal grants to jump-start the hydrogen fuel industry – and that Delaware would be a part of MACH2.Since then, little visible progress has been made with MACH2. That is until last week when Aternium – a Delaware based company - received $1 million from the federally-funded Delaware Accelerator and Seed Capital Program to develop engineering for producing clean hydrogen.But is that a sign MACH2 is ready to get rolling? Or will changes to federal support for hydrogen fuel under the Trump Administration – including funding cuts to some hydrogen hubs just this week - stymie any progress and threaten the hub's future,This week, contributor Jon Hurdle takes a closer look at where MACH2 stands.

Fort Miles has long been a former military installation turned museum, seeking to explore the history of the defense of Delaware's coast and the role of Fort Miles during the Cold War that followed.The Fort Miles Historical Association continues that work with the 2025-2026 season of its lecture series.The five-part series will primarily focus on the Cold War era and ways Fort Miles played a role.In this edition of History Matters, Isreal Hale is joined by Fort Miles Historical Association Historian Ed Paterline – who's managing the lecture series – to learn more about the series and what it will cover.

Piffaro, a professional musical ensemble specializing in the music of the Renaissance performed on historically-accurate instruments, returns to Wilmington next weekend for a concert called "Tools of the Trade."The performance highlights historical musical instruments and how they evolved into their modern counterparts.And on this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny is joined Piffaro's artistic director, Priscilla Herreid to delve int the music and instruments.

The University of Delaware's women's ice hockey team recently made its debut.Almost two years after the announcement of UD would add women's hockey as a varsity sport, the Blue Hen women's ice hockey team recently hit the ice for the first time at Fred Rust Ice Arena in Newark with two losses to Long Island University.In this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry speaks with UD's first ever women's ice hockey coach Allison Coomey about the road to that first weekend of games, and where the program goes from here.

Federal funding cuts are impacting states to varying degrees across the nation, particularly with unprecedented changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP.These changes were outlined within President Donald Trump's tax and spending package known as the ‘One Big Beautiful Act,' which for the first time ever will require states to pick up some of the tab for SNAP administrative costs.Additionally, beginning in 2028, states with high payment error rates will be required to pay for a portion of benefit costs, and Delaware had one of the highest error rates in the country in 2024.Delaware Public Media's Sarah Petrowich spoke with state officials to understand what these changes mean for Delaware and how the state plans to cover these unprecedented costs.

The U.S. is one of only seven countries to see a significant increase in maternal mortality rates in 2023, according to the World Health Organization.The U.S. sees steeper rates than any other high-income country, and maternal and infant mortality risks spike further in Black community.Delaware was among seven states with the lowest maternal mortality rates in the nation in 2024. But Black pregnant people here are still significantly more at risk during pregnancy and postpartum, representing 45% of the maternal deaths despite making up only 21% of the state's population.Delaware-based organization Black Mothers in Power wants to see those numbers drop in the First State. That's why they're opening a Maternal Care Center in Wilmington, according to BMIP Founder and Wilmington City Councilwoman Shané Darby.She and project director Kristin Bainger sit down with Delaware Public Media's Abigail Lee to talk about the ins and outs of the new facility.

The Division of the Arts' Mezzanine Gallery in Wilmington continues to spotlight the work of Delaware artists with an exhibition this month by Paula Brown.Brown is a relatively recent arrival to the First State, spending much of her life on the West Coast. Her work - much of it impressionistic landscapes and seascapes - shows off her adeptness with pastels and oils.And on this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny sits down with Brown to talk about her art, her background, and the importance of Bach, Brahms and... Dr. Seuss.

Work is underway on the Thompson Island living shoreline project in Rehoboth Beach.The project on a part of Delaware Seashore State Park offers a large scale, nature-based engineering solution to protect the island's shoreline while enhancing the aquatic environment around the island.For this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry speaks with project manager, Bob Collins of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays about this living shoreline and expected impact – including the history and cultural significance of Thompson Island it can help preserve.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

The US saw 22,000 new jobs in July, far lower than the average 186,000 jobs added monthly on average in 2024.And some of the jobs posted aren't even real — they're put up by AI or are ghost positions, which companies put up in case they need to hire for a role that's currently filled.Gen Z is having a particularly difficult time finding work out of college. They're ghosted, put through five-interview long processes and made to wait weeks for responses.On this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's Abigail Lee sits down with the University of Delaware's Lerner Career Services director Jill Pante to discuss how Gen Z job seekers and their potential employers can better get through the hiring process.

For eight years, Delaware Shakespeare has been leaving the boards and hitting the road for its annual community tour - taking the Bard's plays to neighborhoods around the First State.This year, DelShakes tour presents Two Gentlemen of Verona.And on this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny spend some time with DelShakes' Producing Artistic Director Mariah Gantt to learn more about the tour and the play.

For eight years, Delaware Shakespeare has been leaving the boards and hitting the road for its annual community tour - taking the Bard's plays to neighborhoods around the First State.This year, DelShakes' tour presents Two Gentlemen of Verona.And on this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny spend some time with DelShakes' Producing Artistic Director Mariah Ghant to learn more about the tour and the play.

The Delaware Community Foundation this week announced a five-year, $13.1 million dollar grant to the Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research.The money will help further the center's research by expanding the number of participants in clinical studies, creating new forms of testing to find biomarkers which predict Alzheimer's development, and fund the purchase of an MRI machine - a critical tool for the diagnosis of cognitive aging.Earlier this week, Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research director Dr. Christopher Martens joined Delaware Public Media's Isreal Hale to explore what this financial boost means for their research.

These days it seems everyone is racing to get in on the fast-developing world of artificial intelligence – seeking any way and every way to plant their flag in the AI industry.That includes the state of Delaware which recently announced it is the first state in the nation to join OpenAI's Certification Program, which is expected to deliver programming to schools and workforce training programs to allows student to workers to build AI fluency and earn certifications in AI tools.Delaware Public Media's Tom Byrne recently sat down with Delaware Dept of Labor Secretary LaKresha Moultrie to learn more about the OpenAI Certification Program and the benefits it could provide the state.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

Delaware launched its first wave of recreational marijuana dispensaries on August 1st, giving the majority of existing medical marijuana centers the ability to begin recreational sales.As of Monday, the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner has issued 85 conditional licenses for the rest of the marijuana business community, with three cultivators already actively growing.In part three of our Delaware's High Hopes series, Marijuana Commissioner Josh Sanderlin talks about his optimism for the remaining market launch, as well as the contentious veto of a marijuana zoning bill.Delaware Public Media's Sarah Petrowich also checked back in with license holders to discuss the challenges and successes they've seen in getting their businesses off the ground and what's next for Delaware's recreational marijuana market.

Reading Assist is among 15 organizations from around the world recently recognized by the Library of Congress for their efforts to improve literacy and strengthen the communities they serves.Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry sat down with Reading Assist CEO Caroline O'Neal to learn more about why the organization was honored and its ongoing work in the community- including how it's navigating the ups and downs of federal funding.

After a busy summer season featuring three blockbuster musicals and a cabaret series, performers from the Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach will be back on the boards in one week, launching a series of shows to round out the year, beginning with the apolitical political farce, POTUS.DPM's Martin Matheny sat down with Clear Space's Managing Director, Joe Gfaller to talk about that show and the rest of the 2025 season.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

OperaDelaware is gearing up for a new season. Anchored by two masterworks - Tosca and Andrea Chenier - the upcoming season also features some innovative performances intended to dismantle the stereotype of opera as stuffy and staid, including "Opera Deathmatch" and a chamber work where a cell phone plays a major role.On this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny chats with OperaDelaware's Vice President of Engagement, Kerriann Otano and soprano Emily Margevich, one of the opera's Company Artists.

Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control released its latest survey of Delawareans opinions on Climate Change.This is the fourth time since 2009 DNREC has taken the public's temperature on climate change and related issues. The results continue to show an overwhelming majority of state residents are concerned about climate change and view it as a serious threat – and will be used to help craft Delaware's 2025 Climate Action Plan – due to be delivered in November.DPM's Tom Byrne recently sat down with DNREC's Climate and Sustainability Program administrator Susan Love to discuss the survey results and how they help state officials develop a plan to address climate issues in the years ahead.

This week, we bring you the final episode of the Delaware Humanities' podcast – ‘People and Planet.' The podcast explores how Delawareans connect to the environments and cultures around them, and the cultural practices and creative works that bring us closer to the planet we call home.On this episode, we feature a more grounded, personal look at the impact of connecting to nature and culture.The natural world and cultural identity have played a substantial role in writer and nature photographer Leslie Hsu Oh's professional and personal journey.Her work has taken her around the country and the world to experience the vast array of what the planet and its cultures has to offer.And the memoir she is working on, Fireweed, weaves together themes of family, cultural identity, and the natural world to tell her very personal story of self-discovery and healing after experiencing profound loss.

Last week, Delaware broke ground on a new Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill.The $90 million dollar project will deliver a 3-story facility with 120 beds to replace the current hospital building built in 1961.Earlier this week, DPM's Tom Byrne sat down with Dava Newnam, Deputy Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services to learn more about the new hospital and what it's expected to mean for its patients.

A recent study by ChristianaCare's Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute shows some areas of Delaware have higher odds of advanced breast cancer.The research explains some of the reasons for the elevated rates, and how that is shaping ChristianaCare's response.This week Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry sits down with Dr. Scott Siegel, the lead author and director of Cancer Control & Population Sciences at ChristianaCare's Cawley Center to discuss the research, and what comes next.

For more than four decades, the Delaware Theatre Company has been entertaining audiences in and around Wilmington.Recently, the organization underwent a reinvention of sorts, announcing that it was moving to a leadership model with two people at the top - an Artistic Director and a Managing Director.Earlier this year, the company announced Broadway veteran Mimi Warnick as its Producing Artistic Director, and this month, they named her colleague, Managing Director Candice Buchanan.On this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny chats with Buchanan and Warnick about their vision and the future for Delaware Theatre Company.

One of the major events on the Nanticoke Indian Tribe's calendar is its annual Powwow. The 47th edition of the Powwow will be held Sept. 6 and 7 in Milton.But to bring the event to life again this year, the tribe needed some financial help, turning to the community to deliver $30,000 in needed funding - nearly half coming from a GoFundMe effort.In this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's Abigail Lee sits down with Avery Johnson, the chief of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe, to talk about the 47th annual powwow, the cultural significance of powwows and how community fundraising brought this year's event to the finish line.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

Delaware's 2025 statewide assessment results reveal only a 1% increase in math and reading proficiency rates for grades 3-8.Relatively stagnant test scores have become a familiar theme for the First State as school districts continue to work on making up for COVID learning loss and return proficiency rates to pre-pandemic levels.This struggle persists while the state is in the process of overhauling its core education funding formula in the hopes of making more equitable investments and improving student outcomes.Delaware Public Media's Sarah Petrowich spoke with Education Secretary Cindy Marten about her reaction to the latest assessment scores, how the state is moving forward and what countywide reassessments mean for the new funding formula.

Last month's flooding in Texas killed over 130 people with Kerr County receiving the most damage and deaths.In the aftermath of the flood, the response to the disaster came from far and near, and included University of Delaware doctoral student Julie Elliott as she studied the disaster response.This week Delaware Public Media's Joe Irizarry sits down with Julie Elliott to discuss the scene in Texas right after the flooding and the recovery response -- as well as what can be learned about improving flood responses in the future.

This weekend marks the beginning of college football season, and for many, a big part of any college football experience is halftime.That's when college marching bands take center stage - and some of the best in the nation are marching bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, like the Approaching Storm at Delaware State UniversityThis fall, the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover celebrates that HBCU band tradition with a new exhibit called "Battle of the Bands," with art by New Orleans-based artist Keith Duncan.And in this edition of Arts Playlist, Martin Matheny talks to the Biggs Museum Director of Learning & Engagement Kate Huffman, and Chief Curator Laura Fravel about this exhibition.

2025 marks the Univ. of Delaware football program's transition to FBS Football following its invitation to join Conference USA.The change is an important milestone for UD athletics, elevating the Blue Hens to the highest level of competition in the NCAA.However, it also presents UD with some challenges as it navigates unfamiliar terrain.In this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media's University of Delaware Intern Brenden Patterson reports on how the UD Athletic Dept. is meeting those challenges.

Listen to the full show or individual segments:

This week– we bring you an in-depth sit-down with Gov. Matt Meyer.Meyer joined DPM News Director Tom Byrne and DPM's State Politics Reporter Sarah Petrowich earlier this week for a discussion of topics ranging from this week's General Assembly special session on property reassessment to the massive, proposed data center near Delaware City, the roll-out of recreational use marijuana sales, and more.Our conversation started with this week's legislative special session and what it delivered.

Our in-depth interview with Gov. Matt Meyer continues with a discussion of Port of Wilmington expansion, the proposed data center project near Delaware City and the start of legal marijuana sales in the First State.