INSIDER
Houston business owner faces USPS delivery delay for 2nd time in less than 30 days
Read full article: Houston business owner faces USPS delivery delay for 2nd time in less than 30 daysJust weeks after finally receiving a $10,000 check that took over two months to arrive, Bell is now waiting on another crucial payment, this time from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
Postal Service insists it's ready for a flood of mail-in ballots
Read full article: Postal Service insists it's ready for a flood of mail-in ballotsPostmaster General Louis DeJoy says he’ll work with state election officials to address concerns about mail-in ballots after they warned of persistent problems during the primary season.
Election officials warn that widespread problems with the US mail system could disrupt voting
Read full article: Election officials warn that widespread problems with the US mail system could disrupt votingElection officials across the U.S. are warning that problems with the nation’s mail delivery system threaten to disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election.
‘Not surprised but greatly disappointed’: Congressmen address ongoing USPS issues in Missouri City
Read full article: ‘Not surprised but greatly disappointed’: Congressmen address ongoing USPS issues in Missouri CitySince January of this year, we have been reporting on issues at the USPS sorting facility in Missouri City.
Houston couple says they never received mail in-ballot; blames Postal Service for the problem
Read full article: Houston couple says they never received mail in-ballot; blames Postal Service for the problemA Houston couple says they never received their mail-in ballots and blames the Postal Service for the problem.
Sources say package delays affecting Missouri City sorting facility now affecting North Houston Distribution Center
Read full article: Sources say package delays affecting Missouri City sorting facility now affecting North Houston Distribution CenterOver the past few weeks, USPS told KPRC 2 the reason for package delays at the Missouri City sorting facility is because the postal service is in the process of modernizing its mail system.
Ask Amy: Can I opt out of using my neighborhood’s cluster mailbox?
Read full article: Ask Amy: Can I opt out of using my neighborhood’s cluster mailbox?You asked - who is responsible for cluster mailboxes in my neighborhood? Can I opt out of cluster mailboxes and just get my own mailbox? Amy Davis is getting answers.
Michigan US Rep. Brenda Lawrence won't seek 2022 reelection
Read full article: Michigan US Rep. Brenda Lawrence won't seek 2022 reelectionU.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence says she plans to retire from Congress at the end of her term, becoming the 25th House Democrat to decide against seeking reelection in 2022.
Audit report on USPS claims delayed mail was due to management oversight
Read full article: Audit report on USPS claims delayed mail was due to management oversightBack in June 2021, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher asked for an investigation into post offices in her district after residents who live on the west and southwest side of Houston filed more than 300 complaints.
Restoring service central to Biden's postal board nominees
Read full article: Restoring service central to Biden's postal board nomineesPresident Joe Biden’s nominees to the governing board of the U.S. Postal Service are pledging to rebuild trust with the American public and ensure prompt deliveries.
Video: Mail thieves target gated townhomes near Galleria area
Read full article: Video: Mail thieves target gated townhomes near Galleria areaVideo shared by the Homeowners Association shows one thief getting out of a Chevy Impala with a bag attached to his shoulder. This was just over a week ago -- just before 2:30 a.m. on Saturday near the Galleria area near Richmond and Hillcroft. Video shows him calmly walking up to the mailboxes and use some sort of device to easily open them. Homeowners told us this is not the first time someone has stolen their mail. “Lately we’ve gotten two or three emails of videos from our homeowners association telling us about,” Jeff Broome said.
Postal service ordered again to search for mail-in ballots
Read full article: Postal service ordered again to search for mail-in ballotsHOUSTON – As the counting continues in several states a judge has issued another order to the United States Postal Service to locate any other mail-in ballots that have yet to be delivered. The order is focusing on states that have extended vote delivery deadlines including North Carolina and Pennsylvania. “That means he can find the postal service in contempt. It means he can call them out.”The postal service says in order to expedite the process ballots were scanned when they arrived but not when they were sent out of facilities making it appear as if they hadn’t been delivered. “But beyond that, I think the integrity and the reputation of the United States Postal Service is at stake.”Wice says he can’t guarantee the judge’s orders will make a difference but he believes they can make a difference, which is why the orders were issued.
Postal Service agrees to reverse service changes that slowed down the mail
Read full article: Postal Service agrees to reverse service changes that slowed down the mailPostal Service agreed Wednesday to reverse changes that slowed mail service nationwide, settling a lawsuit filed by Montana Gov. The agreement also requires the Postal Service to prioritize election mail. Postal Service did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The agreement comes after a federal judge temporarily blocked the controversial Postal Service changes on Sept. 17, calling the changes “a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service” before the November election. Postal Service.
Will mailed-in ballots be delivered on time?
Read full article: Will mailed-in ballots be delivered on time?Postal officials have repeatedly said the agency has more than enough capacity to handle the surge of ballots this fall, and its leaders have committed to prioritizing election mail. On top of that, each state has different rules on whether it accepts mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. Then, not too long after DeJoy took over, Trump openly admitted he was starving the Postal Service of coronavirus relief money to make it harder for the agency to process ballots. The Postal Service agreed Wednesday to reverse changes that had slowed mail service nationwide, settling a lawsuit filed by Montana Gov. AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020.
Records: Mail delivery lags behind targets as election nears
Read full article: Records: Mail delivery lags behind targets as election nearsHe said it was "to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail." Federal judges have since ordered the Postal Service to halt all changes, although the agency said it is exploring its legal options. On-time delivery in northern Ohio, which includes Cleveland, dipped to as low as 63% in July before rising to 88% by the end of August. On-time delivery declined to as low as 79% for the Philadelphia area and to 67% for the central part of the state. Earlier this year, the Philadelphia district averaged 84.5% on-time delivery, according to the quarterly data.
House subpoenas embattled Postal Service leader over delays
Read full article: House subpoenas embattled Postal Service leader over delaysDemocrats have been pushing for increased oversight of the Postal Service following DeJoy's operational changes and Trump's baseless claims that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud. A spokesman for the Postal Service said the agency will comply with its legal obligations. Separately, an audit from the inspector general of the Postal Service found that more than a million mail-in ballots were sent to voters late during the primary elections. Also, an analysis of political and election mail in seven Postal Service processing centers between April and June identified around 1.6 million mailpieces that were not delivered on time. We can, and will, handle the volume of election mail we receive," DeJoy told the House Oversight committee last week.
Pelosi, Meadows talk $2.2T virus aid, but no deal in sight
Read full article: Pelosi, Meadows talk $2.2T virus aid, but no deal in sightSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. Pelosi said she told Meadows the Democrats would be willing to meet halfway at $2.2 trillion a slight reduction from her last proposal before talks collapsed earlier this month. We have said again and again that were willing to meet them in the middle $2.2 trillion. When theyre willing to do that, well be willing to discuss the particulars, Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol. House Democrats' opening bid was the $3 trillion-plus Heroes Act, a sweeping aid package approved in May.
Postal chief urges voters to request, return ballots early
Read full article: Postal chief urges voters to request, return ballots earlyAcknowledging an expected surge in mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic, DeJoy says voters should mail back their ballots at least seven days prior to the election. Trump urged a no vote, railing on Twitter against mail-in ballots expected to surge in the COVID-19 crisis. He has said he wants to block extra funds to the Postal Service. Still, there were signs of bipartisan support for the Postal Service, one of the most popular government agencies with an approval rating above 90%. Twenty-six House Republicans broke with Trump and GOP leaders to back the House bill, which passed 257-150.
TribCast: Texas and the DNC, the fight over police funding and election mailing woes
Read full article: TribCast: Texas and the DNC, the fight over police funding and election mailing woesProtesters march in downtown Austin on July 27, 2020. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune(Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) On this week's Tribcast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Alex and Ross about Texans' role at the Democratic National Convention, a new front in the local control fight and what concerns about the U.S Postal Service mean for Texas.
Postmaster general to appear before Senate over mail delays
Read full article: Postmaster general to appear before Senate over mail delays(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)WASHINGTON Backlash mounting, President Donald Trump's embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will appear Friday before the Senate to testify on mail delivery delays and service changes that lawmakers and others are warning could imperil the November election. The top Democrat on the Homeland Security panel seeking DeJoy's testimony called the Postal Service a lifeline to Americans. The package will also include $25 billion to shore up the Postal Service, which faces continued financial losses. The Postal Service said it has stopped removing mailboxes and mail-sorting machines following complaints from lawmakers and customers. Meanwhile, the Postal Service is seeking a short-term rate increase that would raise prices on commercial domestic competitive parcels, including Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, first-class package service, Parcel Select and Parcel Return Service.
Senate Republicans preparing $500B virus relief proposal
Read full article: Senate Republicans preparing $500B virus relief proposalWASHINGTON Senate Republican leaders are preparing a slimmed-down virus relief package of roughly $500 billion that will include extended payments for unemployed people and smaller businesses, a GOP senator said Tuesday. Negotiations over a far larger coronavirus relief bill are expected to resume after Labor Day between the White House and top congressional Democrats. Democrats want to continue the added $600 in payments, but Trump and congressional Republicans have pushed for less. A second GOP Senate aide said the new proposal includes $105 billion for education. The Democratic-led House approved a $3 trillion relief plan in May, while Senate Republicans offered a $1 trillion package.
Former USPS leader from Texas says Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is destroying the confidence of the postal service
Read full article: Former USPS leader from Texas says Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is destroying the confidence of the postal servicePostal Service trucks at an Austin office. Postal Service said Tuesday that while she applauds Postmaster General Louis DeJoys latest commitment to delay proposed changes to mail services, she is still worried about the impact on mail-in voting this November. In 2009, she guided the postal service through the Great Recession as the board's chair. The USPS board of governors is comparable to a board of directors of a publicly held corporation, according to the USPS website. Presidential-appointed governors serve terms of seven years and only as many as five governors may be members of one political party.
Mail could be delayed as new postal head pushes cost-cutting
Read full article: Mail could be delayed as new postal head pushes cost-cuttingN.C. Mail deliveries could be delayed by a day or more under cost-cutting efforts being imposed by the new postmaster general, DeJoy. (Kim Walker/Elon University via AP, File)WASHINGTON Mail deliveries could be delayed by a day or more under cost-cutting efforts being imposed by the new postmaster general. If postal distribution centers are running late, "they will keep the mail for the next day,'' Postal Service leaders say in a document obtained by The Associated Press. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the Postal Service in a double crisis, said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, which represents more than 200,000 postal workers and retirees. For most Americans, mail deliveries to homes or post boxes are their only routine contact with the federal government.
Houston had the most dog attacks of postal workers in the country in 2019
Read full article: Houston had the most dog attacks of postal workers in the country in 20191 city in the country when it comes to the most dog attacks reported by mail carriers, the U.S. The Bayou City recorded 85 dog attacks in 2019 while Dallas, ranked No. Texas ranks second overall with a total of 491 dog attacks statewide. Nationwide, dog attacks fell to 5,280 in 2019, which is 200 lower than 2018 according to the release. “We are confident we can keep moving the trends of attacks downward, and ramping up overall awareness for everyone is the best way to do that.”USPS will be highlighting postal worker safety next week as part of National Dog Biting Awareness Week, which is June 14-20.