With Elmo, your preschooler can learn about foods from around the world, dip into deep water and stay healthy and strong with exercise.

At first glance, it might have looked like a run-of-the-mill social media check-in: "How is everybody doing?" But the message came from Elmo — the furry red friend to kids, Muppets and anyone else.

Elmo was not expecting it to open a yawning chasm of despair. By Callie Holtermann On Monday the X account for Elmo, the fuzzy red monster from “Sesame Street,” posed a softball question to its ...