Gov. Matt Meyer issued an executive order in late January seeking to take steps to deliver ‘smart growth’ in the First State – balancing affordability and economic gains with environmental protection - all while avoiding onerous restrictions on where developers can build.How does the Meyer administration plan to do that?Delaware Public Media contributor Jon Hurdle digs into the executive order this week to offer some answers.

Newark's Chapel Street Players' performances of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion open this weekend. This staging takes a new look at the theatrical classic, setting it in 1968.On this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media’s Martin Matheny speaks with the show's director, Gwen Armstrong Barker, about the show, the choice of the swinging sixties as a setting, and the possibility that curmudgeonly character Henry Higgins is actually neurodivergent.

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States is fueling an interest in the history of that time period.And the Delaware Public Archives is trying to tap into that interest in some non-traditional ways. Earlier this month, the Archives held its first game night with games designed in-house by Archives staff and the Delaware Historical Society to help attendees to learn about the Revolutionary era and Delaware’s role in it.In this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media’s Isreal Hale chats with Delaware Public Archives Reference Archivist Maria Myer and Delaware Historical Society Experience and Education Manger Garrett Hastings about these games and how they can generate interest in First State history.

Advocates point to inclusive and comprehensive sex education as one way to counter skewed risks LGBTQ+ people face in the U.S.There isn’t a national standardized sex ed curriculum. Requirements at the state level vary, with some having laws in place that stigmatize and/or exclude material involving LGBTQ+ people, relationships and safety.Delaware schools are required to teach sex ed, but state standards don’t match nationally recognized standards and must stress abstinence.With that in mind, Planned Parenthood of Delaware is set to start offering IN·clued, an inclusive sex ed program, starting in April.And Delaware Public Media’s Abigail Lee sat down with the organization’s Patricia Hartman and J. Green to talk about the program.

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Gov. Matt Meyer’s State of the State address and budget proposal called for huge investments in early childhood education– about $50 million in state and federal monies.Part of the federal money comes from a federal grant, meant to bolster childcare infrastructure in the First State.Gov.Meyer tapped Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay to take the lead managing this grant and the state’s larger effort to improve access to early childhood education and the results it produces.This week, Delaware Public Media State Politics reporter Bente Bouthier sat down with Lt. Gov Gay to discuss the state’s plans.

If the recent frigid temps are getting you down, maybe taking some time to plan your summer vacation will cheer you up.If that plan involves getting away to the Delaware beaches later this year, there’s a few things you may want to know before you get started.Contributor Eileen Dallalbrida takes a closer look at the beach rental market in 2026.

First State Ballet Theatre returns to the stage at the Baby Grand next weekend for a performance featuring a pair of contemporary works. The show is called "Dreams in Motion."On this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media’s Martin Matheny speaks to the ballet's Claire McGregor to learn more.

Literacy rates are falling in the U.S. Reading scores for high school seniors nationwide saw their lowest levels since 1992 last year. And Delaware’s unfortunately on par – students saw another stagnant year for reading proficiency in 2025.But this doesn’t mean reading culture and book clubs are dead. U.S. publishing revenues totaled $32.5 billion in 2024.And Wuthering Heights is about to hit movie theaters, prompting long loan lines in Delaware libraries.On this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media’s Abigail Lee looks into Delaware’s many book clubs and the benefits their members reap.

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