Part 1: Minor League Moves & Economic Development Pipelines with Katie Tabeling
Host Dace Blaskovitz catches up with Katie Tabeling, Editor of the Delaware Business Times, to break down major acquisitions, shifting media landscapes, and regional real estate moves across the First State.
The Wilmington Blue Rocks Sale: Tabeling unpacks the surprising late-July acquisition of the Wilmington Blue Rocks by On Deck Partners, led by billionaire investor Mark Lasky and CEO Mike Carney. With attendance dropping to 162,000 in 2025 (nearly half of its peak), the new ownership aims to revamp food, drink, and entertainment options at Frawley Stadium while seeking community input.
Innovate Delaware Launch: Governor Matt Meyer gathered at The Mill in Wilmington to unveil "Innovate Delaware," an economic framework focusing on tech startups, entrepreneurs, and science-based ventures. Backed by a $1.3 million two-year pilot program through the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, the initiative seeks to establish a central digital and physical pipeline for founders and international investors.
Draper Media Expansion: Draper Media has entered a $2.5 million deal to acquire five Southern Delaware radio stations (including Eagle 97.7 and 105.9 Cool), marking Forever Media's exit from the state and continuing Draper's aggressive Delmarva expansion.
Real Estate & Tech Footprints: Fintech company Upgrade opens a satellite office in North Wilmington; Dick’s Sporting Goods acquires the former Nordstrom building at Christiana Mall for $8.7 million; and Harvey & Hannah Associates acquires 103 acres in Middletown for $25 million to build a 1.3 million-square-foot industrial warehouse complex.
Part 2: Dark Money, Law Firm PACs, and the War for SB 21 with Charles Elson
Corporate governance authority Charles Elson returns to dissect a explosive investigative report from Spotlight Delaware regarding PAC spending in state primary elections.
The $1 Million Legal Blitz: Elson reacts to revelations that five major Wilmington corporate law firms poured nearly $1 million into a PAC ("First State Future PAC") and an anonymous non-profit ("Alliance to Protect Delaware’s Future"). The funding fuels an ad blitz defending incumbent Democratic legislators who sponsored or supported SB 21 against primary challenges from rising progressive candidates.
The Loss of Law Firm Neutrality: Elson sharply criticizes law firms taking formal political stances, arguing that using dark money entities with Albany, New York mailing addresses to attack primary candidates destroys the non-partisan, transparent reputation of the Delaware corporate bar. He notes the irony of firms spending "gubernatorial-level money" in tiny, localized legislative races.
The "DFAC Massacre" Aftermath: Readdressing the mid-term firing of Michael Houghton from DFAC for simply asking to review real-time corporate receipts, Elson warns that attempts to silence watchdogs and control political messaging completely undermine public and rating agency confidence in the state's revenue forecasts.
Texas Business Courts in Practice: Sharing his experience from a recent, highly litigated proxy fight involving a large Texas corporation, Elson details the severe flaws of Texas's business courts—including a judge who recused himself at the 19th hour due to political conflicts. While arguing Delaware's Chancery Court remains vastly superior, Elson maintains that SB 21's destruction of judicial neutrality has set off an irreversible "race to the bottom" that will ultimately lead to federalization.
