White House, Dems respond to Cookie Monster tweet complaining of shrinkflation



A post on the X account for the widely-beloved "Sesame Street" character Cookie Monster drew responses from the White House and several Democratic lawmakers. The post lamented shrinkflation, the term used to refer to businesses shrinking the size of their products without decreasing the price.

"Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller," the Cookie Monster post declared. "Guess me going to have to eat double da cookies!" another post added.

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President Joe Biden has previously called for companies to stop engaging in shrinkflation, describing the practice as a "rip off."

The White House X account responded to the Cookie Monster post by tweeting, "C is for consumers getting ripped off. President Biden is calling on companies to put a stop to shrinkflation."

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"Total corporate jagoff move to rip off Cookie Monster," Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania tweeted.

"We hate it too, Cookie Monster. And it's not just cookies! Greedy corporations are making lots of things smaller without cutting prices. We're working to stop them — no one should be getting richer off smaller cookies!" Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland declared.

"Me too, Cookie Monster. Big corporations shrink the size of their products without shrinking their prices, all to pay for CEO bonuses. People in my state of Ohio are fed up — they should get all the cookie they pay for," Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio declared.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts responded, "@SenBobCasey and I have a bill for that."

This is not the only time the Biden administration has responded to a "Sesame Street" character on X this year. In late January, Biden's @POTUS X account retweeted a post from the Elmo account.

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I-95 rebuild after partial collapse may take 'months'; tanker truck driver identified; human remains found in wreckage



Interstate 95 in northeast Philadelphia has been shut down in both directions after a commercial truck burning beneath an overpass caused a portion of the roadway to collapse, officials say.

"With regards to the complete rebuild of the I-95 roadway, we expect that to take some number of months," Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) said in a press conference late Sunday afternoon.

"Interstate 95 is a critical artery that supports our economy and plays an important role in Pennsylvanians' day-to-day lives. My administration is all hands on deck to repair this safely and as efficiently as possible," Gov. Shapiro also said.

Officials are still working to identify "an individual or individuals" who may have been caught in the fire and the collapse.

The tanker truck driver is Nathaniel Moody, family members and other sources confirmed to WPVI. Moody was an experienced driver who worked for a trucking company from Pennsauken.

Human remains were discovered in the wreckage Monday, but the the identity of the remains is unknown, the outlet also reported.

Shapiro, having seen the site both from aerial and ground-level perspectives, described the collapse as "remarkable devastation."

"I found myself thanking the Lord that no motorists who were on I-95 were injured or died."

Shapiro shared overhead photos of the active scene showing cleanup and recovery efforts under way.

\u201cEarly this AM a vehicle fire under I-95 in Philly caused part of the highway to collapse.\n\nWhile this is still an active scene, I completed an aerial view of the site and was briefed by first responders, law enforcement and transportation experts on the ground with @PhillyMayor.\u201d
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@Governor Josh Shapiro) 1686522262

A commercial truck carrying a "petroleum-based product" was the source of the fire that caused the northbound side of the interstate to collapse and the southbound side to buckle and become structurally unsound, Shapiro said.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney urged travelers to plan alternate routes and thanked state and federal partners who offered support.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg tweeted that he was in contact with Gov. Shapiro, Mayor Kenney, and other regional leaders regarding the collapse.

"I've spoken directly to @SecretaryPete, @SenBobCasey, @RepBrendanBoyle and other federal officials. All of our federal partners, including the @WhiteHouse, have pledged complete and total support and assistance as we create alternative routes," Gov. Shapiro tweeted Sunday evening.

Governor Shapiro signed a proclamation of disaster emergency Monday to allow the commonwealth to access federal funds and expedite repair work. The proclamation makes $7 in state funds immediately available to begin the reconstruction, according to a press release from the governor's office.

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Democratic senator announces prostate cancer diagnosis



Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, 62, divulged that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

But the lawmaker noted that he has a good prognosis and is anticipated to fully recover after receiving surgery.

"Last month, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. While this news came as a shock, I can report that I have an excellent prognosis, as well as the benefit of exceptional medical care and the unwavering support of my family. In the coming months I will undergo surgery, after which I am expected to make a full recovery. I am confident that my recommended course of treatment will allow me to continue my service in the 118th Congress with minimal disruption, and I look forward to the work ahead," the senator said in a statement.

Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle expressed their well-wishes in response to Casey's announcement.

"Wishing Senator Casey well after his diagnosis," Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who had a stroke last year, said in a tweet. "He was there for me and I’ll be right there for him during this. You got this, Senator!" While Fetterman just began his first term in office earlier this week, Casey has served in the Senate since 2007.

\u201cWishing Senator Casey well after his diagnosis. He was there for me and I\u2019ll be right there for him during this. \n\nYou got this, Senator! \ud83d\udcaf\u201d
— John Fetterman (@John Fetterman) 1672935564

"Had the chance to speak with @SenBobCasey today," GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina tweeted. "I was glad that he remains upbeat and optimistic. We've gotten to know each other while leading the Aging Committee, and I have no doubt he’s going to beat cancer. Sending my prayers to him & his family— You got this!"

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

"After several days of tests, I have been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, which is a serious but curable form of cancer," Raskin said in a statement. "I am about to embark on a course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis at Med Star Georgetown University Hospital and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prognosis for most people in my situation is excellent after four months of treatment."

Raskin previously battled colon cancer a number of years ago.

While Raskin has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017, politicians who won House races last year are currently still representatives-elect because they cannot be sworn in until after the House selects a speaker, according to reports. So far, there have been 11 votes, but in each vote, Kevin McCarthy of California has failed to secure enough support to clinch the speakership as more than a dozen Republicans repeatedly vote against him.