High electricity bills remain a front-burner issue for many Delawareans, who face rising bills with no end in sight.Just last week, the state’s Public Service Commission approved an interim rate increase for Delmarva Power that goes into effect this month, adding another $2.50 dollar per month to the average bill while the PSC considered Delmarva’s full rate increase request.This came on the heels of lawmakers passing a bill that sought to cap what Delmarva Power could recover for nonessential infrastructure spending, limit interim rate increases and require regular audits of Delmarva, and other utilities.Gov. Meyer hasn’t signed that bill yet, but signaled he would. And Meyer has called out Delmarva throughout 2026 for being concerned more about profits than its customers.This week, Tom Byrne sat down with Delmarva Power Delaware Region President Marcus Beal to discuss these issues and the utility’s response.

In the 1930s, with the US in the throes of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt offered a sweeping job creation agenda. That included jobs for artists, and New Deal programs produced some of the most memorable American art in history.40 years later, another president, Richard Nixon, signed the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. And like in the New Deal, artists were included and were successful in ushering a new era for public art.An exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum — "Citizen Artist" — celebrates those two eras. In this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny spoke with the museum’s Head Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art Margaret Winslow, and Lynn Herrick Sharp Curatorial Fellow Dorothy Fisher to learn more about it.

In this week’s Enlighten Me, we take another opportunity to highlight work from a student journalist at the University of Delaware.This time — as the nation celebrated its 250th birthday here in 2026 — recent UD grad Delaney Lowe took a deep dive into the political climate in the U.S., a climate that felt tremendously polarized.And during a semester-long look at this political divide, Lowe reported the divide seemed to be widening, even impacting even our closest relationships.

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This weekend marks the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. While many fire up their grills and set off fireworks this weekend to mark the occasion, many others have been hosting or attending events across the state throughout May and June.Delaware Public Media reporters attended several of these events to give you a flavor for these events - and find out what this anniversary means to different people and groups.

Ross Mansion in Seaford is home to Delaware’s lone remaining dwelling that was once inhabited by enslaved people.The number of these dwellings nationwide is dwindling in part because they were made with shoddy materials and in part because there has been little effort to preserve them until recent years.But historians say these spaces are incredibly valuable as they provide a window into enslaved people’s inner lives, which is often neglected or difficult to learn about.In this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media’s Abigail Lee traveled to Ross Mansion and the John Dickinson Plantation in Dover to see these spaces and speak with experts on the lasting significance of them.

This week's Arts Playlist is just that - a playlist. To mark America's 250th birthday, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny reached out to some of the musicians he talks to for Arts Playlist throughout the year and asked them to choose one piece of American classical music for this - our America 250 playlist.Here's what Martin and some of the First State's top musicians assembled.

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All the 2026 World Cup’s games are in North America, with the United States – including Philadelphia - getting their share of matches featuring teams from all over the world. On top of that, The US men’s national team is playing well in the event, adding even more excitement.This week, Delaware Public Media’s Isreal Hale sat down with John Allgood, a Sports Management instructor in the University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business & Economics to discuss how the US hosting of the World Cup might affect youth interest in soccer here.

Fireworks... you either love them or hate them. And the approaching July 4th holiday is centered around them. Add to that 2026 being the nation’s 250th anniversary, and the upcoming Independence Day will likely see massive displays including some “unofficial” displays.But there are laws in Delaware to ensure safety and lessen fireworks’ health and environmental impact. As a matter of fact, just this week the General Assembly passed a bill that clarifies and bolsters existing fireworks regulations. It awaits Gov. Meyer’s signature.In preparation for the upcoming holiday weekend, Assistant State Fire Marshall and Chief of Investigations B. Scott Bullock joined Delaware Public Media’s Jay Shah to walk us through fireworks dos and don’ts.