POSTAL NEWS

...from various sources.

2.08.2022

Mailbox and Postal Blue Box Users: Check Washing Crime Reduction

"
... Many postal blueboxes and residential mailboxes are being robbed of handwritten checks. Thieves steal these checks and wash them. Check washing is the erasing of the written amount and altering that amount..."   
Source: npmhu317.blogspot.com

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2.03.2022

Amazon settles with Washington state AG over price-fixing allegations

"... Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) has agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with Washington state over price-fixing ..."   
Source: www.bizjournals.com

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1.19.2022

Today You Can Order Your Free At-⁠Home COVID-⁠19 Tests

  Today You Can Order Your Free At-⁠Home COVID-⁠19 Tests

Every home in the U.S. can soon order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests The tests will be completely free—there are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number.

Ordering begins today, January 19.


Reference: www.covidtests.gov

1.18.2022

U.S. Postal Service Reveals New Stamps for 2022

"...This is a partial list of the 2022 stamp program, with more to be announced in the weeks and months ahead. All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to change. ..."   
Source: www.prnewswire.com

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1.14.2022

No More Surprise Medical Bills: 5 Things To Know about the No Surprises Act Taking Effect

  No More Surprise Medical Bills: 5 Things To Know about the No Surprises Act Taking Effect in 2022

New Year. New Law. Beginning January 1, 2022, new federal protections will shield millions of consumers from surprise medical bills. Surprise medical bills – unexpected bills from an out-of-network provider, out-of-network facility or out-of-network air ambulance provider – is common among those with private insurance. Nearly one in five patients who go to the emergency room, have an elective surgery, or give birth in a hospital receive surprise bills, with average costs ranging from $750 to $2,600 per episode. Learn about how the No Surprises Act can protect you from surprise medical billing. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Reference: https://www.hhs.gov/

1.08.2022

Most Popular Commemorative 'Saved' Stamp

1993 Elvis Stamp
"...Elvis: The most popular (in terms of number saved, not sold) commemorative stamp issued by the USPS is the 1993 Elvis stamp. Over 124 million of this colorful 29-cent stamp featuring the famous singer have been saved, nearly half again the number of the next most popular, Wonders of America, issued in 2006. ..."   
Source: www.saltlakemailing.com

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1.02.2022

Santa Claus computer-vended stamp is Scott official

"... Included in this month’s listing is the Scott number for the nondenominated (58¢) Santa Claus, Sleigh and Reindeer in Flight computer-vended postage stamp. What do these Scott numbers signify? In short, each stamp’s listing in an upcoming edition of the 2023 Scott catalogs. ..."   
Source: www.linns.com

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12.27.2021

Top stamp stories of 2021

"... Reports of new U.S. errors were covered by Linn’s throughout the year and even included a new find on a 1967 stamp. This tagging-omitted 20¢ George C. Marshall stamp (Scott 1289b) was discovered by Henry Gitner and was one of two new errors he found this year. Late in the year, the mainstream media began reporting endlessly on supply chain issues with products coming into the United States. This unfortunately has affected the importing of stamp hobby supplies..."   
Source: www.linns.com

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...and more from the WTF

Judges in the United Kingdom advised to say 'postal operatives' instead of 'postmen'

"... Judges in the United Kingdom have been advised to refer to postal workers as "postal operatives" instead of postmen in a bid for the court system to move towards inclusive, gender-neutral language. ..."   
Source: nine.com.au

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A Year After A Postal Worker Crashed Into Their Car, West Garfield Park Couple Still Waiting For USPS To Pay For Their Damages

"... It was caught on camera: a postal worker damaged a car on the West Side, and simply drove away. One year later, the owners of the car still haven’t been reimbursed, so they turned to the Morning Insiders for help. CBS 2’s Jim Williams reports it was bad enough that a postal worker..."   
Source: cbslocal.com

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US postal workers’ union proposes tentative agreement with cuts to real wages, keeps two-tier system

"... Postal workers have seen their real wages, benefits, job security and work conditions deteriorate over the past two decades, with major concessions included in each successive contract. A two-tier system was established in 2011, creating a section of Postal Support Employees (PSE) who are paid significantly less and do not receive a number of benefits. Thousands of post offices and warehouses have shuttered, while workers have been forced to take on greater volumes of work at risk to their health and safety. ..."   
Source: www.wsws.org

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Postal worker admits in court to delaying mail in New Orleans

"... several customers on his route complained to the Bywater post office station manager that their mail was delayed or missing. Court records indicate the offenses took place from July 2019 to Jan. 21, 2020. ..."   
Source: www.msn.com

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Postal Service’s backdoor bailout

"... What we do know is revenues on packages climbed $3.9 billion this year over last thanks to the pandemic-induced online shopping. But the Postal Service still lost $6.9 billion and expects to lose $160 billion over the next decade. It faces still more spending, for new trucks, mail-handling centers and equipment, and new employees, to accommodate its emphasis on packages. Volume on first-class mail, the Postal Service’s most profitable product, has declined by about half since 2006. But rather than downsize to reflect this, the Postal Service has decided to..."   
Source: www.washingtonexaminer.com

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12.02.2021

USPS issue alert about scam that could impact your personal information

"... A warning tonight from the U.S Postal Service and area law enforcement to stay alert for a new scam that’s sweeping the nation. It’s a scam aimed at stealing your identity and your money. It’s called the “change of address scam”..."   
Source: www.pahomepage.com

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11.27.2021

Retired mail carrier shares his postal stories

"... Bill Crabtree, 93, has many stories to tell from his service as a mail carrier for almost 39 years. ..."   
Source: www.fultonsun.com

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11.17.2021

Where is the oldest operating post office in the United States of America?

"... The clapboard post office in Hinsdale, N.H., celebrated its 200 th birthday in 2016. It’s the oldest continuously operating post office in the United States. Nathan Babbitt appointed himself Hinsdale’s first postmaster in 1815 and had the building constructed the next year. ..."   
Source: www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com

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9.23.2021

New Postal Service mailbox rules anger homeowners

USPS-Package-Approved-Mailboxes
"... we checked with the US Postal Service, which apologized for any confusion, and explained that it is suggesting -- not demanding -- that rural customers purchase new extra-large boxes, known as T-4 boxes. A USPS spokeswoman said "the letter suggested customers may wish to install the larger mailboxes but did not state there was a requirement to change mail receptacles." (Full statement below) The USPS says it does not want to leave boxes sitting at the end of a long driveway..."   
Source: www.wcpo.com

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9.11.2021

4 ways to manage retirement health care costs

"... Health care in retirement is a big-ticket item. Experts estimate that an average 65-year-old retired couple in 2021 would need about $300,000 in after-tax savings earmarked for health care costs in their post-work life, even with Medicare, according to Fidelity. The totals are daunting..."   
Source: www.washingtonpost.com

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8.18.2021

Alabama postal worker shot while on mail delivery route

"... The mail carrier was in Tarrant, a suburb of Birmingham, when the shooting occurred around 2 p.m. The worker had just delivered mail to a resident and was headed back to his truck when a car pulled up and someone inside opened fire..."   
Source: yahoo.com

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3.14.2021

Big changes are coming to the U.S. Postal Service—and advocates remain skeptical

"... And now, finally, big changes are hurtling toward the Postal Service. And they’re coming from multiple directions: the White House, Congress, and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy himself. In the next few months, the institution will likely undergo radical change..."   
Source: fortune.com

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3.10.2021

Maine postman paddles surfboard to work in Bar Harbor

"... Jeremy Averill is from Mount Desert Island but works as a postman in Salsbury Cove. However, his commute on Tuesday (Yes, March 9th!) was a little different then you might expect. Jeremy paddled the more than 2 miles from his home on MDI to Salsbury Cove on his yellow surfboard Read More: Crazy Maine Postman Paddles Surfboard to Work in Bar Harbor | https://92moose.fm/crazy-maine-postman-paddles-surfboard-to-work-in-bar-harbor/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral..."   
Source: 92moose.fm

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3.06.2021

FERS supplement: A Frequently Misunderstood Benefit

"... a special payment for FERS employees who retire before age 62. The supplement is designed to act as a monetary bridge between retirement under FERS and the time a retiree qualifies for Social Security retirement. It is paid in addition to the monthly FERS annuity benefit, but unlike the annuity, it is not a lifetime benefit..."   
Source: www.govexec.com

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1.26.2021

Data show decline in USPS mail service

"... Paul Steidler, a senior fellow at the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va., and a steady postal supporter, said in a Jan. 22 blog post on the institute’s website, “The mail service is worse than it has been in decades.” The numbers he cited back his claim. For the week ending Dec. 26, 2020, the last week available in a court case, Steidler said the USPS “delivered just 64 percent of first-class mail within its target delivery times..."   
Source: www.linns.com

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12.07.2020

FAIL: Truck drivers report waiting more than 15 hours at post office

"... Truck drivers attempted to drop off and pick up shipments to the U.S. Postal Service all weekend. Miz Azamkloe had been waiting in his truck for 15 hours when he spoke to News..."   
Source: www.news5cleveland.com

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11.22.2020

U.S. Postal Service Announces Upcoming Stamps for 2021

"...
The 2021 stamp program commemorates Missouri statehood, Japanese Americans who fought in World War II and Chien-Shiung Wu, one of the most influential American nuclear physicists of the 20th century. Fun issuances include Western Wear, Backyard Games, Espresso Drinks, a stamp showcasing a visual riddle, and four Message Monster stamps with self-adhesive accessories. The program also includes Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses, the last of the popular Lighthouse stamp series..."   
Source: goldrushcam.com

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8.21.2020

USPS drafting ‘ambitious plan’ to cut delivery network costs after Nov. election

"...DeJoy said the Postal Service oversees 40,000 trips a day and that 12% of those trips were late, costing the agency up to $4 billion annually. “FedEx, UPS — everybody runs their trucks on time. That’s what glues the whole network together, our collection process to our delivery process. That was not my schedule,” he said...Postal Service will continue to allow overtime where needed..."   
Source: federalnewsnetwork.com

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8.18.2020

What’s behind Birmingham, Alabama mail delays?

"...Over the last month, Birmingham postal workers have had a hard time keeping up with demand. “We had like 4 or 5 machines taken out...Samuel added that thousands of pieces of mail are being held up, and he said that won't change until people start speaking up..."   
Source: www.wbrc.com

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8.09.2020

Mississippi trooper fatally shot working part-time job driving USPS mail truck

"... A man found fatally shot in a USPS delivery truck has been identified as a Mississippi Highway Patrol lieutenant. Local media reported Saturday that three individuals were taken into custody in connection with the shooting death the day after Lt. Troy Morris, 58, who worked part-time for the U.S. Postal Service, was found..."   
Source: www.foxnews.com

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8.08.2020

Why Stamps.com Stock Skyrocketed 120% in the First Half of 2020

"... In 2020, Stamps.com stock is up 145% through July 8, compared with the broader market's negative 1% return so far this year. That makes it the year's second best-performing mid-cap tech stock..."   
Source: www.fool.com

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7.14.2020

Postal worker pleads guilty to election fraud after changing voters' party affiliations

"... Thomas Cooper, a mail carrier in Pendleton County, W.V., pled guilty to one count of "Attempt to Defraud the Residents of West Virginia of a Fair Election" and one count of "Injury to the Mail" after he was found to have altered absentee ballot requests using a black pen..."   
Source: www.msn.com

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6.13.2020

Man indicted for shooting Memphis postal worker last year

"... The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. September 4, 2019 in the employee parking lot at the Memphis Priority Mail Annex in the 3300 block of Jet Cove. Investigators say Jones shot the worker several times, then took off with a woman..."   
Source: www.localmemphis.com

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4.30.2020

Indianapolis mail carrier fatally shot over stimulus check, union says; suspect arrested

"... He said the union believes this is over the person inside the home not receiving their stimulus check from her deliveries. Their mail had been stopped for about two weeks, requiring residents to pick it up instead. The measure was instituted after several notes left by Summers, urging the owners of a small dog to keep it away from her while she delivered mail..."   
Source: www.hawaiinewsnow.com

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4.25.2020

Postal Workers Were Already Worried About Getting Sick — Now Their Jobs Could Be on the Line, Too

Postal Workers Were Already Worried About Getting Sick — Now Their Jobs Could Be on the Line, Too

"... roughly 600,000 other U.S. Postal Service employees find themselves in the unique position of facing a two-pronged crisis: trying to stay healthy on the frontlines of an unprecedented health crisis while their organization inches toward a fiscal cliff..."   
Source: time.com

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3.24.2020

House panel warns coronavirus could destroy Postal Service by June

"... Maloney, who was joined in the statement by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), indicated that the Postal service has seen a "drastic" reduction in mail volume and could shutter by the summer..."   
Source: www.politico.com

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2.11.2020

Cutting employee pay didn’t help USPS...

USPS’s cost savings estimates are likely overstated...

"... “USPS estimates a savings of about $9.7 billion from fiscal years 2016 through 2018 as a result of paying new employees less, among other efforts. GAO substantiated about $8 billion in savings, and found that USPS’s cost savings estimates are likely overstated..."   
Source: www.federaltimes.com

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9.02.2019

Postal worker killed in Texas shooting, was on phone with twin sister when attack occurred

"... postal worker was on the phone talking to her twin sister when her mail van was hijacked by the West Texas gunman, who shot and killed her. Mary Granados, 29, was identified by the United States Postal Service..."   
Source: www.nydailynews.com

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8.24.2019

This couple fought $25,000 in fraudulent credit-card charges after falling prey to identity theft — then things got even worse

"... Thanks to a forwarding address printed on bank correspondence and some help from the local post office, she later discovered their mail was traveling to a low-income housing complex about five miles away from their home, though she was unable to narrow the address down to one of the dozens of units. Amy would describe at a 2017 FTC conference how “quick and easy” it was to change a person’s address without much personal information..."   
Source: www.marketwatch.com

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7.15.2019

Madison man’s moon photo on USPS stamp

Madison, Alabama -

"... the U.S. Postal Service first noticed the shot. “A couple of years ago, they called me and asked if I wouldn't mind if they used my photograph,” he said with a laugh, “Absolutely, be glad to.” That put Revera over the moon. “It’s pretty exciting for an amateur photographer to have a photograph put on a U.S. postal stamp..."   
Source: whnt.com

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7.11.2019

Actor Danny Glover: My parents proudly worked for the US Postal Service. Don't destroy it.

Black employees make up 28.6% of the postal workforce — more than double their share of the U.S. population

"... Today, the U.S. Postal Service is under pressure to slash costs in ways that would be devastating for customers and employees of all races — but especially African Americans. For black families like mine, the Postal Service has long been one of the few reliable paths to the middle class..."   
Source: yahoo.com

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5.21.2019

Man Charged With Puposely Ramming Mail Truck, Injuring Postal Worker

"... complaint states that, while in the hospital, Birt admitted to investigators that he had intentionally run into the mail truck, admitting, “Yeah, I killed that f****** useless mail carrier.”

When told that he did not actually kill her, he replied, “Well, someone should...."   
Source: minnesota.cbslocal.com

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