Groundhog Day 2023

Planet Money

NPR

News, Business

4.6 • 30.5K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2023

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's Groundhog Day, and once again, the eyes of the nation have turned to a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Every February 2nd, the only story anyone can talk about is whether or not Punxsutawney Phil will see his own shadow. If he does: six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't: spring is on its way.

This year, in a cruel twist of fate reminiscent of the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, two Planet Money hosts have found themselves facing a curse. They'll be trapped in this never-ending groundhog news cycle until they can find a new February 2nd story to tell...something that has nothing to do with one furry prognosticator... something that changed the economy forever.

So rise and shine campers, and don't forget your booties as we journey through a series of Groundhog Days past to try to find a historical scoop.

This show was produced by Dave Blanchard and edited by Sally Helm. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Planet Money's acting executive producer is Jess Jiang.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Planet Money from NPR.
0:07.0	Then put your little hand in mine.
0:11.0	There ain't no ever mountaineering.
0:14.0	We can fly.
0:16.0	Okay, campers, rise and shine.
0:18.0	And don't forget your booties because it's cold out there today.
0:22.0	It's cold out there every day. What is this, Miami-B?
0:24.0	Well, not hardly, but the big question on everybody's lips.
0:28.0	On their chat lips, that's right. Do you think Phil will come out and see his shadow?
0:33.0	Yup, as people gather for a ritual of studied absurdity.
0:37.0	Our furry forecaster prepares to tell us whether we're in for six more weeks of winter.
0:42.0	Planet Money. Planet Money.
0:45.0	Is the radio talking to us?
0:48.0	It is. Is that also Chang?
0:51.0	Yup.
0:52.0	All things considered host?
0:53.0	Yeah, that's his eye. Listen here, you have to save us because we are stuck in a news loop every February second.
1:01.0	We covered this groundhog and no one remembers anything else from that day.
1:06.0	Oh, that is, um, that is true.
1:09.0	Yeah, I don't think I can tell you a single non-groundhog thing that's ever happened on February second.
1:13.0	Yeah, no. Phil sort of sucks the air out of the whole news cycle, doesn't he?
1:16.0	I know. This is our curse. And you know what?
	...

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