Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania visited the Port of Philadelphia to hear from port leaders, businesses, and workers about how new federal tariffs are injecting chaos and uncertainty into their work and raising costs for consumers across the Commonwealth. Photo by Commonwealth Media Services

Tariffs, floods and a piping plover named Nomad

By Delaware Currents | August 18, 2025

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As agencies, institutions and families across the country brace for the effects from actions arising from Washington, Delaware River ports are holding their collective breath waiting for the impact of Trump’s tariffs.

We asked writer Hugh Morley to check with the Maritime Exchange, a non-profit trade association, which is the main advocate and information source for port and related businesses in the region, to find out more.

And its answer: Nervous but still too soon to tell. Read more here.

Just last month, destructive and deadly flooding happened in the Hill Country region of Texas. There were 135 fatalities. It came from a deadly combination of weather events — all related to climate change — and perhaps the saddest element is the human factor.

Should the state have helped defray the expenses of an expensive alert system? Should humans insist on building on flood plains? Are there lessons from that tragedy we can learn?

We asked writer Kyle Bagenstose to talk to local and academic experts about the complicated situation for flooding on the Upper Delaware River, where those massive New York City reservoirs are parked.

We ran NJ Spotlight’s story about the recent award of about $2 billion to New Jersey from DuPont and other related chemical companies to clean up four industrial sites and aimed specifically at PFAS chemicals.

And of this, a much smaller story about a tiny bird, a piping plover named Nomad.

It’s heartening to read about such collaboration among Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and biologists at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

I’m writing this while enjoying the sight of water lilies in bloom in the Greenleaf Pond at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake in the magnificent Adirondacks in New York. (Well worth a visit if you’re up this way!)

But those blooms tell me we’re nearing the end of summer, and I hope you’re finding ways to enjoy friends, family and nature.

Take care and thanks for reading!!