"10 Years Later: Bill de Blasio's Groundhog Day Controversy"

Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of then-Mayor Bill de Blasio dropping Staten Island Chuck, leading to the groundhog's death and a subsequent cover-up by the zoo. The scandal deepened when it was revealed that the groundhog was actually a female stand-in named Charlotte, and not the real Chuck. De Blasio later expressed regret over the incident and the Staten Island Zoo revised its Groundhog Day policy to prevent anyone from handling the animals. The zoo's Groundhog Day event will be open to the public for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.