With cases on the rise, the Biden administration said it would restart a program that provided hundreds of millions of tests through the Postal Service.
Tag Archives: Postal Service (US)
UPS Drivers Say ‘Brutal’ Heat Is Endangering Their Lives
As summers have grown hotter, high temperatures inside trucks without air conditioning have also sickened postal carriers and others who deliver America’s packages. A few have died.
Prosecutors Struggle to Catch Up to a Tidal Wave of Pandemic Fraud
Investigators say there was so much fraud in federal covid-relief programs that — even after two years of work and hundreds of prosecutions — they’re still just getting started.
White House Offers Another Round of Free Virus Tests Through U.S.P.S.
The move doubled to 16 the total number of tests available to each U.S. household through a program that debuted over the winter.
U.S.P.S. Stops Mail to Santa Monica Block After ‘Assaults’
The United States Postal Service briefly stopped delivering mail to a block in Santa Monica, Calif., after multiple “assaults and threats of assault” against its workers.
Democrats Want Investigation Into Postal Service’s Gas Guzzlers Contract
A plan to purchase up to 165,000 gasoline-powered mail trucks instead of electric models has angered Democrats and the Biden administration.
Congress Approves Legislation to Return the Postal Service to Solvency
The bill, the most sweeping overhaul of the agency in nearly two decades, now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
Shredded, Flushed or Removed: The Trump Papers
Readers urge legal action against the former president. Also: Moving toward a “Republican autocracy”; the Postal Service and profitability.
House Passes Bill to Shore Up Postal Service, Working to Avert Insolvency
Supporters say the legislation, which has bipartisan support, would address the agency’s financial woes while requiring it maintain a delivery standard of at least six days a week.
The Post Office Is Buying Gas-Powered Trucks, Despite Biden Climate Order
The president wants an electric federal fleet, but Postmaster Louis DeJoy is spending billions on gas-powered vehicles. That’s prompted scrutiny and calls for his resignation.
Biden Promised 500 Million Free Covid Tests. Then He Had to Find Them.
Millions of Americans are now receiving tests through the new mail program, which health experts said came too late to meet demand during the brunt of Omicron wave.
New Government Website for Ordering Covid Tests Is Active
Visitors can go to covidtests.gov and click through to a Postal Service web page where they can order four tests per household, free of charge.
U.S. Government Launches Website to Distribute Free Covid Tests
The tests will take up to 12 days to arrive, which may be after the peak of the current surge of cases in some parts of the country.
A Soldier Sent a Letter to His Mom in 1945. It Was Just Delivered.
A letter from a 22-year-old U.S. Army sergeant serving in Germany was finally delivered last month to his widow in Woburn, Mass.
Why Christmas Gifts Are Arriving on Time This Year
Fears that a disrupted supply chain could wreak havoc on the logistics industry over the holiday turned out to be wrong as many Americans ordered early and shopped in stores.
Amtrak Worker Sold Railroad Equipment for Years to Line His Pockets, U.S. Says
Jose Rodriquez, 49, of Brick, N.J., pleaded guilty to mail fraud on Monday. Prosecutors said he obtained 114 chain saws for the railroad service, but sold them for profit.
Biden Nominates Two New U.S.P.S. Board Members
The president moved to replace two members who have been supporters of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a step that could portend a shift in leadership at the agency.
Louis DeJoy Is Doing Something Progressives Like
The Postal Service needs big reforms. It’s getting small ones instead.
‘Frankenstein’ Coupons Worth $31 Million Result in 12-Year Sentence
Prosecutors said that a Virginia couple, with fake coupons “virtually indistinguishable” from real ones, ran one of the largest coupon fraud schemes ever discovered in the United States.
Louis DeJoy Investigated Over Possible Campaign Finance Violations
The Justice Department is examining Louis DeJoy’s role in political donations made by employees of a company that he ran.
Postmaster DeJoy Under Investigation by Justice Dept.
Investigators are examining whether donations from employees at his former company violated campaign finance laws.
Postal Service, Facing Steep Losses, Seeks to Increase Prices
Under the proposal, the price of a first-class stamp would increase for the first time since January 2019, to 58 cents from 55 cents.
Democrat or Republican, You Probably Love the Post Office
A new bipartisan bill could help fix the U.S. Postal Service.
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Overhaul Postal Service
With enough Republican support to pass the Senate, the announcement of the Postal Service Reform Act is an unexpected indication of bipartisan compromise in a divided Congress.
Postal Service Plans Price Increases and Service Cuts to Shore Up Finances
The 10-year plan, which would lengthen promised delivery times and reduce post office hours, among other provisions, drew immediate condemnation from Democrats in Congress.
Postal Service Struggles to Speed Up Delivery, Compounding Its Troubles
Months after the election highlighted the agency’s problems, delivery times are still falling short of its standards, and a plan to try to shore up its finances could further slow some mail.
Biden Seeks More Control Over USPS With New Appointments
The president nominated three people to the beleaguered agency’s board on a day when the postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, a major Republican donor, faced questioning on Capitol Hill.
My Packages Keep Getting Stolen. What Can I Do?
A 2019 analysis found that 90,000 packages are lost or stolen every day in New York. And it’s only getting worse during the pandemic.
Postal Service Takes ‘Operation Santa’ Letter Campaign National
The program encourages postal customers to adopt letters and buy gifts for the children who send them. This year, because of the pandemic, customers will review the letters exclusively online.
After Warnings It Could Go Off the Rails, the Election Actually Ran Smoothly
Amid the logistical challenges of voting in a pandemic, and despite threats of foreign interference, violence and disinformation, the machinery of democracy held up quite well.
Let the Votes Be Counted
Please, don’t listen to the president.
Some Regions Still Experience Slow Delivery of Mail Ballots
In the final days of voting, the Postal Service is struggling to ensure timely delivery of ballots in parts of key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Woman Who Mailed Threat to Susan Collins Gets 30 Months in Prison
Suzanne Muscara, 38, sent a threatening letter to the senator’s home in 2018 after becoming upset with her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice, the authorities said.
Why This Professor Is Writing Letters for People Feeling Blue
With a typewriter and a mailbox, a sidewalk project explores the art of consoling those who need good news.
Lingering Mail Problems Worry Voters in Final Week of Election
The Postal Service’s performance has not been as bad as initially feared, but handling of mail ballots has been inconsistent enough that some people are choosing to vote in person.
Vote by Mail Deadline: Time to Vote is Running Out as Election Nears
Persistent delays and limited data have increased concerns that the Postal Service may be unable to reliably get ballots still outstanding delivered by Election Day.
Should You FedEx Your Mail-In Ballot? No.
Experts say that people should use the United States Postal Service or a secure ballot drop box instead to make sure they are complying with vote-by-mail rules that vary by state.
Federal Appeals Courts Emerge as Crucial for Trump in Voting Cases
Federal district courts have tended to rule for Democrats in litigation over how to run the election, but appeals courts, well stocked with the president’s nominees, are blocking them.
For Postal Workers, the Challenges Go Way Beyond Ballots
Ensuring that the nation can vote by mail is just one of many issues facing the Postal Service, most of which will remain after the election is over.
How to Fix the Postal Service
Even as it becomes a focus of debate in a sharply partisan election year, the agency is crippled by economic forces outside its control. But a number of proposals, new and old, could chart a path forward.
Both Parties Fret as More Democrats Request Mail Ballots in Key States
Republicans fear that President Trump’s rhetoric on voting by mail could depress turnout. But Democrats worry an overreliance on the mail could be damaging to their side too.
How a Voter-Fraud Disinformation Campaign Became an Election Threat
A New York Times Magazine investigation finds that misleading and false claims about widespread voter fraud are part of a long disinformation effort that the president has taken to new extremes.
Trump Again Sows Doubt About Election as G.O.P. Scrambles to Assure Voters
President Trump declined for a second day to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the election, while Republicans, including Mitch McConnell, implicitly rebuffed him, promising an “orderly transition.”
Battles Over Voting Rules Fuel Concern About Postelection Fights
Even as early voting has gotten underway, some pivotal states are still litigating how ballots should be cast and counted, creating uncertainty that is being fanned by President Trump.
As Courts Back Broad Mail-In Voting, DeJoy Apologizes for Missteps
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy privately apologized to election officials for failing to consult about a postcard that was sent to educate voters on mail-in ballots.
Postal Service and State Officials Feud Over Mail Voting as Election Looms
The finger-pointing appears to be a pre-emptive effort to assign blame in the event of election chaos as a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail because of the pandemic.
Colorado Official Sues Postal Service Over Election Mailer She Says Misleads Voters
The suit comes as the Postal Service has drawn scrutiny for a mail delivery slowdown that Democrats have charged are part of an effort by President Trump to hobble mail-in voting to bolster his re-election.
When the Audience Is Stuck at Home, the Play Is in the Mail
That package in your hallway may be an exciting new theatrical experience. Or maybe not.
Postal Service to Tap Republican Lobbyist to Quell Mounting Scrutiny
Facing multiple investigations and calls for his ouster, the postmaster general turned to a G.O.P. lobbyist viewed as adept at reaching out to Democrats.
Democrats Fear Partisan Slant at Postal Service as Trump Allies Dominate Most of Board
The five Republicans on the seven-member board have taken a hands-on role in trying to defend the agency against accusations that it is trying to help the president win a second term by sabotaging voting by mail.