News & information

TODAY’S TOPICS: Dec. 3, 2014

Congress fiddles: If Postal Board of Governors Chairman Mickey Barnett is not confirmed by the Senate by Monday, USPS’ governing body would lack a quorum to approve decisions. But with the deadline to fund government also looming, have postal issues once again been moved to the back burner? (Government Executive)

30 senators agree: Nearly a third of the U.S. Senate has signed a letter sent to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe that urges USPS to delay its planned closure and consolidation of 82 mail processing facilities. The letter notes how the USPS inspector general found that the Postal Service failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations and failed to inform the public of those impacts. (Dayton Business Journal)

Mind the (banking) gap: The CEO of a company that supports Internet-based financial service firms notes how the Postal Service's proposal to offer financial services is an example of how agencies can help meet consumer demands for innovative credit products. (The Hill)

Won’t be ignored: A man’s unusual use of the mail to send a message to his ex-girlfriend raised a few eyebrows—but it wasn’t illegal. It also helped prompt a discussion of what you can and can’t send through America’s only universal delivery network. (KYW-TV Philadelphia)