Online mobile sports betting is just months away from debuting in the First State following the Delaware Lottery’s deal with its new online gaming provider Rush Street Interactive.Delaware was the first state to allow full sports betting after the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that all states could legalize the practice. But until now, it has done little to change or expand its operation.This week, Delaware Public Media’s Tom Byrne talks with Delaware Lottery Director Helene Keeley about the new online gaming deal and what it means for sports betting and other online gambling in the First State.

Since February 2022, millions of children have fled their homes in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.To help dispersed Ukrainian families and their children’s development, the University of Delaware’s Roberta Golinkoff – chaired professor in UD's College of Education and Human Development – has partnered with Sesame Workshop and others to develop “Stories with Clever Hedgehog,” a website with free, interactive e-books, games, and various resources.Delaware Public Media’s Karl Lengel caught up this week with Golinkoff for more on the website and methods to improve childhood literacy.

A group of 10 students from historically black colleges and universities recently completed a summer art conservation course at the University of Delaware designed to increase diversity in the field.The program included two weeks of training on conservation at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, followed by an internship in conservation labs working to preserve cultural artifacts and works of art.In this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media’s Kyle McKinnon is joined by the program’s coordinator Nina Owczarek and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff junior Dorian Henry to discuss the importance of increasing diversity in art conservation.

Creative endeavors can cause anxiety and fear of criticism, rejection, or failure, but does great artistry and creativity happen in spite of anxiety and mental anguish, or because of it?In his new book "Afraid: Understanding the Purpose of Fear and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety,” Wayne State University Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Arash Javanbakht explores the connection between fear, anxiety, and creative work.For this edition of Enlighten Me, Delaware Public Media’s Kyle McKinnon sits down with Dr. Javanbakht to learn more about how anxiety is a barrier and a benefit in creative work.

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As the new school year begins, school districts across the state are struggling to fill teaching positions.Delaware took one step toward addressing the issue in this year’s state budget with a nine percent pay raise for teachers, but higher salaries are only part of the solution.Delaware Public Media’s Rachel Sawicki reports this week on why hiring teachers is so difficult and what’s being done to fill in the gaps.

A recent jump in coronavirus infections has touched schools, workplaces, and local governments, and public health experts warn there may be more to come as the weather turns colder and people are indoors more.To help combat that, two new COVID vaccines have received the green light from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.This week, Delaware Public Media’s Quinn Kirkpatrick talks with University of Delaware professor Jennifer Horney – Founding Director of the Epidemiology Program and Core Faculty at the Disaster Research Center – about the uptick in COVID infections and the new vaccines.

Generation Z is poised to significantly influence the 2024 election cycle. Along with millennials, Gen Z is heading to polls at higher rates than previous generations did in their early voting years despite being viewed as detached and disinterested in politics.But their impact and who they’re voting for is more nuanced than previously thought.Delaware Public Media’s Kyle McKinnon sits down this week with Alberto Medina – communications lead at Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement – to learn more about Gen Z’s political influence.

Born in 1895 to a middle-class family, African-American artist Allan Freelon worked his entire life in Philadelphia and promoted the idea that Black artists should follow an independent and self-realized path.The Brandywine Museum of Art aims to honor Freelon’s legacy and work with its upcoming exhibit “Allan Freelon: Painter, Printmaker, Teacher.”In this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media’s Karl Lengel is joined by Brandywine senior curator Amanda Burdan for more on the exhibit.

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