Posts

Punxsutawney Phil

Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow, Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

/in /by

For the 20th time since 2000, Punxsutawney Phil has delivered a familiar forecast: winter isn’t ready to loosen its grip. The world’s most famous groundhog emerged early Sunday morning at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where he saw his shadow — a sign, according to tradition, that six more weeks of winter lie ahead.

Temperatures hovered just above zero as tens of thousands of spectators gathered for the annual Groundhog Day ritual. Despite the bitter cold, longtime attendees said the celebration offered a welcome break from winter monotony.

Rick Siger, Pennsylvania’s secretary of community and economic development, said the thermometer in his vehicle read 4 degrees Fahrenheit as he drove to Gobbler’s Knob. Still, he returned for his fourth consecutive Groundhog Day.

“I think it’s just fun — folks having a good time. It brings people together at a challenging time. It is a unifying force that showcases the best of Pennsylvania, the best of Punxsutawney, this area.”

Nearby, Lisa Gibson marked her 10th Groundhog Day bundled up in a lighted hat designed to resemble the tree stump from which Phil appears each year at dawn. She attended with her husband, who was dressed as Elvis Presley, and their teenage daughter.

“Oh man, it just breaks up the doldrums of winter,” Gibson said. “It’s like Halloween and New Year’s Eve all wrapped up into one holiday.”

The Pittsburgh resident said she had been hoping Phil wouldn’t see his shadow. The forecast was met with loud boos from the crowd. Phil’s handlers cut short the customary post-prediction photo opportunities, citing the extreme cold and concerns about keeping the animal exposed for too long.

Embed from Getty Images

Despite his celebrity status, Phil is far from the most reliable weather forecaster. In 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration evaluated 19 animal-based prognosticators, including live animals, taxidermized figures, and even statues, and ranked their accuracy.

Staten Island Chuck claimed the top spot with an 85% accuracy rate. Phil ranked 17th, with a success rate of just 35%.

This year’s predictions from other animal forecasters were split:

  • Staten Island Chuck (New York): six more weeks of winter
  • Woodstock Willie (Illinois): early spring
  • Dunkirk Dave (New York): early spring
  • Buffalo Bert (New York): six more weeks of winter
  • General Beauregard “Beau” Lee (Georgia): six more weeks of winter
  • Woody the Woodchuck (Michigan): six more weeks of winter

On Sunday, Phil reportedly selected one of two scrolls confirming the extended winter prediction.

Phil’s forecast hinges on a simple rule. If the sun is shining and he sees his shadow, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says it signals “an omen of six more weeks of bad weather,” prompting him to return to his burrow. If clouds obscure the sun and no shadow appears, Phil stays above ground, signaling an early spring.

The shadow-based ritual traces back centuries to Candlemas, a Christian holiday observed on Feb. 2 that marks the midpoint between winter and spring. Candlemas commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem and traditionally involves blessing candles for use throughout the year.

Historically, the weather on Candlemas was believed to predict the coming season. An old English rhyme reflects that belief. “If Candlemas be fair and bright, winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, winter will not come again,” it reads.

Before groundhogs entered the picture, Europeans observed other hibernating animals, such as bears and badgers, to predict seasonal change, according to the National Weather Service.

When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s, they brought their Candlemas customs with them. Lacking native badgers, they turned to groundhogs instead, cementing the animal’s role in American folklore.

Embed from Getty Images

The modern celebration began in the late 19th century. Clymer Freas, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit and a member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, originally a groundhog hunting group, published an article in 1886 claiming a local groundhog could predict the weather.

The first official trip to Gobbler’s Knob followed on Feb. 2, 1887, when Phil saw his shadow. The tradition gained global fame decades later with the release of the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray. Today, Phil is promoted as the “Seer of Seers,” drawing visitors from around the world each February.

As the crowd gathered this year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) renewed its push to replace Phil with a hologram.

In a Jan. 20 letter to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club President Tom Dunkel, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk argued that groundhogs are timid animals that prefer not to be around noisy crowds.

“As we’ve pointed out before, it’s time to chuck this tired tradition. Groundhogs are timid prey animals who, if they’re able to, actively avoid humans. They dislike human smells, fear loud noises, abhor gatherings, and prefer to stay in their burrows. Yet every year, this terrified little animal is subjected to loud announcers and noisy crowds and held up and waved around without any regard for his feelings, welfare, or instincts.”

PETA proposed retiring Phil and his family to a sanctuary in exchange for “a massive, state-of-the-art, 3-D projection of a groundhog complete with vocal weather predictions to light up the stage at Gobbler’s Knob each year.” The animal rights organization argued the town could “still make a quick buck out of Chuck.”

“A giant 3-D hologram would thrill crowds and illuminate the fact that compassion and innovation go hand in hand. Punxsutawney could at last show that genuinely caring for Phil means letting him hibernate, dig, burrow, smell fresh air, and simply live like the wild animal he is in a reputable sanctuary.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro dismissed the idea in a post on X, sharing a photo of Phil alongside the caption “Don’t tread on me,” a reference to the Revolutionary War–era Gadsden Flag.

The nonprofit has made similar appeals before. In 2025, it suggested replacing Phil with a vegan “Weather Reveal” cake, sliced open to reveal blue for six more weeks of winter or pink for an early spring. For now, though, the forecast and the forecaster remain unchanged.

horse

PETA Condemns Producers Of TV Show ‘Rings Of Power’ After Horse Dies On Set

/in , /by

Animal rights group PETA has condemned the use of live animals on TV and movie sets for quite some time now. Recently, the group called out the production of Amazon’s television series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ after a horse was reported to have died on set. 

On March 21st, the horse went into cardiac arrest and died while on set for season two of The Lord of the Rings spin-off show. 

Embed from Getty Images

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died. The incident took place in the morning whilst the horse was being exercised prior to rehearsals,”  said a spokesperson for Amazon Studios on Sunday morning. 

“The trainer was not in costume, and filming had yet to commence. Both a veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were present at the time. The independent necropsy has confirmed that the horse died of cardiac failure.”

Sources close to the show told Deadline that the horse was standing near 20 other horses when it went into cardiac arrest; more than 30 horses were said to be on set that day. 

After the news broke, PETA called out the show for “exploiting animals,” in a call to action for film and TV shows to stop using real animals and opt for CGI technology in their place. 

“It seems that living underground with the orcs is par for the course for the producers of The Rings of Power, because they have the option to use CGI, mechanical rigs and other humane methods,” said Peta’s senior vice-president Lisa Lange.

Embed from Getty Images

“Peta is calling on the show’s creators – and all other producers – to take on a new quest without using any real horses.”

This is not the first time The Lord of the Rings franchise specifically has been called out by animal rights activists for their use of real animals in their productions. 

Back in 2012, director Peter Jackson was under fire for the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey after animal wranglers on set reported that three horses and other farm animals had died during the film’s production. 

At the time, PETA launched a petition and urged all fans and movie goers to “refuse to see the movies” where animals had been knowingly harmed. 

Jackson replied to this petition by stating that the claims that any animals were mistreated were unsubstantiated. 

“The production regrets that Peta has chosen to make such a serious allegation, which has distressed many of the dedicated Kiwis who worked with the animals on the film.”

Foie Gras

New York City Bans Foie Gras From All Restaurants And Grocery Stores

/in , /by

New York City will be banning restaurants and grocery stores from selling foie gras beginning in 2022 after a bill was passed this Wednesday, CNN reports. If you don’t know, foie gras is made from the liver of a duck or goose that has been fattened through force-feeding the animal corn with a feeding tube. The force feeding process is known as gavage, and is said to be an inhumane practice, hence the ban. Mayor De Blasio confirmed he would be signing off on the passed bill in response to the massive scrutiny the dish has endured throughout the past few years.

“The bill calls the luxury good a force-fed product, and force-feeding an inhumane practice. As a lifelong advocate for animal rights, I am excited that the Council has voted to pass this historic legislation to ban the sale of these specific force-fed animal products,” Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, the prime sponsor of the bill, said in a statement to CNN.

If an individual is caught still distributing or purchasing the dish, they face a civic penalty charge upwards of $2,000. New York City is not the first American city to ban the dish either. Back in 2012 California passed a bill banning the dish, but that decision was later overturned in 2015. The overturn was in response to complaints from farmers and restaurant workers who profited greatly from the distribution of foie gras, however, their victory was short lived as California reinstated the ban in 2018 after a massive backlash from PETA and other animal rights activists during the overturn. 

 

Embed from Getty Images

Chicago had a similar experience when the city banned foie gras in 2006 and later overturned that decision in 2008, which still remains today. The debate has been decades in the making across the country. In France, where the dish originated, foie gras is officially recognized as French Culture, therefore it will never be banned in the country, the United States however is a different story. 

Foie gras supporters and producers defend the decision to keep the dish for similar reasons. It’s been around for decades, it’s classic french cuisine, and holds a high level of cultural value. Additionally, chefs argue that there’s many more inhumane practices occurring in the meat industry that doesn’t have as much focus as this dish. According to CNN, supporters defend the process of force feeding by claiming that it isn’t abusive like people assume. When ducks migrate, they stuff themselves with food in a similar way as to when they are force fed. They also swallow their food whole due to the fact that their esophagi is very stretchable, so being fed via feeding tube supposedly doesn’t harm the animal; depending on forceful it is. 

 

Embed from Getty Images

Critics typically respond with intensely graphic videos of the process that occurs in slaughter house type settings to make this dish happen, to which chefs reply that those videos represent an extreme minority of the production of foie gras as a whole. Typically, chefs will get their fattened duck or goose livers from local farmers to ensure that the meat is of the best quality. Local farms also normally don’t practice inhumane and abusive processes to acquire meat and dairy products, at least compared to factory grade slaughter houses. 

Critics tend to ignore all the defenses of this dish and that’s their prerogative. Force-feeding can lead to liver damage and puncturing of essential digestive organs for the animal, so the argument will always stand. If anything, this debate is just a small piece of the greater puzzle of sustainable farming and animal cruelty. The reality is, there are plenty of locally produced and humane ways of acquiring meat and any other animal-food by products. These more organic options, however, are typically much more expensive and harder to find, compared to just picking up some meat at the grocery store which came from who knows where. The debate is one that’s been going on for years and years, and will most likely continue to go on. One thing is for sure, however, once 2022 hits, you won’t be getting any genuine french cuisine made from a duck liver in New York City.