History Matters: Separation Day and Delaware 250 celebrations

The Green - June 05, 2026

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New bill updates effort to shield Delawareans from high electric rates tied to data centers

State lawmakers are taking a swing at delivering a more comprehensive approach to how large load electricity users – specifically data centers – are regulated going forward. The new legislation was introduced late last month with the hope of getting it through the General Assembly before the current session ends June 30th.Delaware Public Media contributor Jon Hurdle took a closer look at the new bill and reaction to it in his latest piece, and he joined Tom Byrne to discuss his reporting.

How new gene research could affect future colorectal cancer treatment

ChristianaCare researchers identified a developmental genetic pattern that showed how colorectal cancer develops. The findings revealed that certain types of genes drive cancer growth and resistance, and how the precise timing of how they develop is linked to colon cancer formation.The research team’s work also showed the genes can predict survival in colorectal cancer patients, indicating it can be a marker of disease behavior and a target for future therapies.This week, Delaware Public Media’s Joe Irizarry sat down with Bruce Boman, M.D., senior author of the study and senior researcher at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute to discuss this colorectal cancer research.

History Matters: Separation Day and Delaware 250 celebrations

Each June, Delawareans celebrate Separation Day - the day the First State stopped being part of Pennsylvania and became its own entity.This year's Separation Day celebrations have added significance, occurring in the leadup to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.In this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny learned more about how the state is marking Separation Day and the nation's 250th birthday from two people closely involved with planning the events, beginning with Erik Raser-Schramm, director of Delaware 250 and then Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs Historic Sites Team director Daniel Citron.

What if hurricane damage could be predicted before they make landfall?

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1st.NOAA’s National Hurricane Center predicts a below normal season with 8-14 named storms, of which 3-6 are hurricanes, including 1-3 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher). An average season has 14 named storms with seven hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.But predicting and tracking hurricane activity is only one part of the equation. When storms hit, they can do major damage. With that in mind, research at the University of Delaware is trying to improve work to model what damage from a storm could look like.Thomas Florio – who graduated from UD last week with his degree in Meteorology & Climate Science – has been working with assistant professor of meteorology and climate science Shuai Wang to improve hurricane damage simulations. And Florio recently joined host Tom Byrne to discuss his work and its implications.