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☆ What’s open and closed on July 4
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Here’s what will be open and closed. Postal servicesThe US Postal Service will be closed on Tuesday and won’t be delivering mail. Normal FedEx services will be closed. However, FedEx Office will be open with modified hours and FedEx Custom Critical will be open. All United Postal Service operations will be closed except for UPS Express Critical.

Persons: won’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, Kroger, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange, US Postal Service, Normal FedEx, FedEx Office, FedEx, United Postal Service, UPS Locations: New York, Independence

☆ A new Texas law will override mandated rest and water breaks for construction crews as extreme heat rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some construction crews in Texas are no longer guaranteed water breaks under a new law. Critics say the law will override the few protections that construction workers in Austin and Houston are guaranteed, including 10-minute breaks every four hours to drink water and rest in the shade. The agency in 2021 started collecting information to help inform a national heat standard for indoor and outdoor workers, but a final rule could be years away. Mahaleris said the law wouldn't prohibit people from taking water breaks. "Access to drinking water and bathrooms, taking breaks in the shade — and there's also an education component that's important."

Persons: Greg Abbott, Daniela Hernandez, Abbott, Andrew Mahaleris, Mahaleris, Hernandez, Lulu Flores, there's Organizations: Service, Central America, Workers Defense Project, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Texans, Big, National Park Service, US Postal Service, Democrat, Austin, GOP Locations: Texas, Texas , Louisiana, Mexico, Central, Austin, Houston, Texas . Texas, California , Minnesota, Washington, North Texas, West Virginia, East Texas

☆ With month before strike deadline, Teamsters walk away from talks with UPS
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —The Teamsters union says it has walked away from negotiations with United Parcel Service with just over a month to go before its contract expires. In fact, most union labor negotiations include a strike authorization vote by rank and file, and most negotiations conclude with an agreement rather than a strike. Even if they vote no, it does not mean a strike is inevitable, especially this far from a strike deadline. UPS CEO Carol Tome has insisted there can be a deal reached that is a win for the union members, the company and its customers. Teamsters point to record UPS profitsThe Teamsters haven’t publicly disclosed the wage increase union negotiators are seeking.

Persons: Sean O’Brien, “, ”, Carol Tome, Teamsters haven’t, O’Brien Organizations: New, New York CNN, Teamsters, United Parcel Service, UPS, ” Unions, Disney, FedEx, US Postal Service Locations: New York

Our experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here's how). Fraudulent activity by scammers trying to get your personal information has increased significantly. Check washing, robo calls, and even student loan forgiveness scams can walk scammers right into your bank account. Student loan forgiveness scamHow it works: Under the Biden Administration, student loan forgiveness applications opened in 2022. Be skepticalRight now, money scams are at an all-time high.

Persons: —, scammers, they're, It's Organizations: Service, Biden Administration, Social, Department of Education, US Postal Service

The guarantors were listed as Elma Santos Preven and Gercino Dos Santos, according to signatures on the court documents that were unsealed. But Santos’ father and aunt “agreed to be personally responsible” for the congressman’s compliance with the terms of his release, the order noted. The family members’ names were revealed Thursday after Santos and his lawyer lost an appeal to keep the identities of the bond co-signers under seal. Santos had argued that he needed to shield his bond co-signers to protect their privacy and risked having them with withdraw their support once their names became public. Santos Preven, who also has donated to her nephew’s congressional campaign, was described as a mail handler for the US Postal Service, in an FEC donation record from October 2021.

Persons: George Santos ’, Elma Santos Preven, Gercino Dos, Santos ’, “, ”, Santos, Santos Preven Organizations: CNN, New York Republican, Representatives, Commission, US Postal Service, Congressional, New York Republicans Locations: New York, York, Long

☆ What the potential UPS strike could mean for your packages
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —A UPS strike by 185,000 workers 25 years ago brought the logistics giant’s operations to a standstill. Striking employees of UPS in Chicago in 1997, the last major UPS work stoppage. In a worst case scenario, a longer-term UPS strike could cause major disruptions to the US supply chain network. UPS and the Teamsters' union contract expires August 1. Small and medium-sized businesses lower in the pecking order than big-box chains would see the most delays from a lengthy strike, logistics experts say.

Persons: Jeff Haynes, ”, Cathy Roberson, Richard Drew, ” Roberson, Pitney Bowes, John Haber, “, Carol Tome, Sean O’Brien, ” O’Brien, Alan Amling Organizations: New, New York CNN, UPS, US Postal Service, FedEx, Teamsters, Getty, Logistics, Walmart, Target, ”, Transportation Insight Holding Company, CNN, University of Tennessee’s, Chain Institute, “ Locations: New York, United States, Chicago, AFP

☆ Former Harvard morgue manager is accused of stealing, selling and shipping human body parts, indictment says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Laura Ly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing, selling and shipping human body parts, according to an indictment. “The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human. Cedric Lodge was fired by Harvard Medical School on May 6, according to a letter from the university. Human remains are voluntarily donated to Harvard’s medical school for educational purposes. Maclean allegedly paid Cedric Lodge $600 for two dissected faces in October 2020, the indictment said.

Persons: CNN —, Cedric Lodge, “, Lodge, Denise, Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, Maclean, Taylor, Christopher Opiel, Pennsylvania Gerard M, Karam, ”, Cedric, Denise Lodge, ” Both Maclean, ’, ” “, altruistically, George Daley, Edward Hundert Organizations: CNN, Harvard Medical, Court, Middle, Middle District of, Harvard Medical School, University, Harvard, US Postal, Lodges, US Locations: Boston, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Middle District, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Peabody , Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Tewksbury , Massachusetts

☆ Don't send checks through the mail, the post office is warning. Criminals are stealing more than ever.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Reports of check fraud have steadily risen since 2020, with stimulus checks becoming a target. There were 680,000 reports of check fraud in the US in 2022, compared to 350,000 in 2021. Don't put checks in the mail, the US Postal Service is warning. The Postal Service investigated and Fischgrund has recovered about 70% of the revenue, but some of the cases haven't yet been resolved. Fischgrund said he'd never previously had an issue with check fraud in the nearly 10 years he has run his own business.

Persons: Banks, Eric Fischgrund, Fischgrund, he'd, Leonardo DiCaprio Organizations: Morning, US Postal Service, US Postal Inspection Service, Federal Reserve, US Mail, Network, PR, Postal Service Locations: United States, New York

☆ A massive UPS strike could devastate the economy. It could be just eight weeks away
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The Teamsters union is holding a vote right now among more than 330,000 members to authorize a strike against UPS. If UPS workers strike, it would be the largest single-employer strike in US history. UPS (UPS) is simply too big – delivering an average of 17 million domestic packages a day – to have all the packages it handles moved by competitors. The strike vote being conducted through July 16 is likely to pass overwhelmingly, as virtually all such votes do. If a deal is reached, but a majority vote against it, there will still be a strike this time.

Persons: couldn’t, Sean O’Brien, ”, Carol Tome, it’s, O’Brien, “, James Hoffa, Hoffa, ” O’Brien Organizations: New, New York CNN, Teamsters, UPS, United, FedEx, US Postal Service, CNN, ” Union, Teamster, Deutsche Bank Locations: New York, United States

☆ Over 5,300 USPS mail carriers were attacked by dogs last year. These are the cities where the attacks happen most often.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Postal Service said over 5,300 mail carriers were bit by dogs in the last year. National Dog Bite Awareness Week is this week, and the USPS is hoping the data helps reduce attacks. Dogs and mail carriers, a feud as old as time that has been the butt of jokes in the real world and on TV for decades. The agency's annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week kicks off Sunday, and the post office released its annual report to draw attention to the issue. The postal service said over 5,300 mail carriers were attacked in the last year, just under the 5,400 it reported last year.

Persons: Louis, Leeann Theriault, Swain Lowe, satchel Organizations: US Postal Service, USPS, Postal Service, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Los Angeles, Dallas, Cleveland, San Diego, Chicago, Kansas City, Phoenix, San Antonio Locations: California, Houston, Virginia

Some popular big cities are losing residents, US Postal Service change-of-address requests indicate. Requests made in 2023 also show that smaller spots outside big cities have tended to gain residents. Smaller spots outside larger urban hubs, meanwhile, are attracting more residents than they're losing. Many people move over the summer to avoid pulling kids out of school midyear, so end-of-year change-of-address data may shed light on other patterns. Also, bigger cities are more likely to both lose and gain people because of their larger populations; the USPS doesn't adjust its numbers according to population.

☆ Chief Standing Bear is honored on a USPS Forever stamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The stamp, which features a portrait of Chief Standing Bear by illustrator Thomas Blackshear II, was unveiled last week at a ceremony in Lincoln, Nebraska. “I hope this stamp will serve as a reminder of the lessons we’ve learned from Chief Standing Bear, and the brave Ponca people, especially here in the Cornhusker State.”Chief Standing Bear was a leader of the Ponca people in the late 1800s. An archival photo of Chief Standing Bear, a leader of the Ponca people in the late 1800s. In 1879, a newspaper editor interviewed Chief Standing Bear while in detention, and the story of his plight gained national attention, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. In a speech before the court, Chief Standing Bear said through an interpreter, “That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain.

☆ Get ready to pay up to $10 for making a return, as more companies charge fees for shipping an item back
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

More retailers are charging customers for shipping and related fees for mailing back returns. Roughly 41% of companies charged such fees in 2022, an increase from 33% in 2021, according to a survey. It's becoming more common for customers returning products to shoulder shipping fees. Several major retailers have referenced shipping fees for returns, including H&M, which states that "Shipping and handling costs are not refundable." J.Crew notes on its website that customers shipping gift returns will see a $7.50 charge in their refund, while JCPenney states that shipping returns cost $8.

☆ The Real Reason Rent Costs Are Sky High: People Left Their Roommates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Though rent growth has slowed in recent months, renters in large cities are still feeling the effects of the 2021-22 rent boom. Residents of these places are now asking the question: If so many people left, why is my rent still so expensive? The first was outbound migration, which led to weaker housing demand in city centers. "High house prices, high rents, and rising interest rates are probably pushing back against household formation," Ozimek told me. If more employees keep adopting remote work — which, I'll admit, is a big "if" — that indicates housing demand is bound to increase.

☆ Senators say new US Postal Service pay plan will cut rural worker compensation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - A group of six U.S. senators on Friday urged the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to delay implementation of a new compensation system that it says will reduce pay for tens of thousands of rural postal delivery workers. The senators -- Democrats Ron Wyden Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Ed Markey and John Fetterman and independent Bernie Sanders -- in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the automated Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System should not be used "until the system’s serious flaws are rectified." They also asked how USPS "will reimburse rural carriers for lost earnings when the system makes an inaccurate determination about their routes." Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Comstock Act: The 150-year-old chastity law that may be the next big fight over abortion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

“Comstock is really the backdoor way to remove access to abortion across the whole country,” said Greer Donley, a University of Pittsburgh Law School professor who specializes in abortion law. Severino argued that, at least when it comes to the Comstock Act’s prohibitions on mailing abortion pills, Congress is well within its powers to regulate those shipments. Several towns, some in New Mexico and elsewhere, have passed local ordinances that cite the Comstock Act and prohibit business within those jurisdictions from shipping or receiving items used for abortions in the mail, as covered by the Comstock Act. The lawsuits in New Mexico state court that those ordinances have prompted may provide for another opportunity for courts to elaborate on what the Comstock Act means. The Supreme Court, in the emergency order it issued last week, did not say anything about the Comstock Act.

☆ Everyone was wrong about how the pandemic would change shopping — here's how experts are betting on e-commerce now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The idea that e-commerce will keep growing forever, and betting on it will lead to an almost inevitable rising tide, didn't survive the pandemic. Public flame-outs of entire categories of startups, like ultra-fast deliveries and Amazon seller aggregators, have further demonstrated the boom-and-bust nature of pandemic e-commerce investing. Apple's recent moves to give consumers more online privacy has had ripples through the e-commerce ecosystem, leading investors to take a beat. E-commerce logistics — fulfillment and last-mile delivery — said Sloane is fairly well-saturated at this point, he said. For many retailers, the pandemic offered a harsh lesson in how integrated their stores and their websites weren't, she said.

☆ Inflation hits the mailbox: Postage stamp prices are rising, again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The US Postal Service said Monday that it filed a notice with its regulators to increase prices on first-class mail stamps to 66 cents from 63 cents. The Postal Service said the hike was necessary to offset a rise in operating expenses. Surging prices have dented business across the global economy over the past two years, pushing up workers’ wages and increasing the costs of doing business. “These price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue,” the agency said in a statement. Domestic postcards will also increase from 48 cents to 51 cents, and international postcards from $1.45 to $1.50.

☆ Inside Nike: Sources share claims of sexism, cheating, abuse at the world's wokest brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Joshua Hunt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +51 min

The conservative blowback came as no surprise to Parker, who told Nike's board of directors to expect some short-term backlash. In late 2014, the BBC sent a film crew to Portland to interview several former Oregon Project employees. "He would be at the side of the track calling out runners' splits but wouldn't call Kara's out," Adam Goucher told me. When people asked why she left the Oregon Project, she said it was a "personal decision." "I don't think it has anything to do with who the CEO is," Goucher told me.

☆ Say goodbye to the iconic mail truck — the postal service is electrifying its fleet, beginning with more than 9,000 new vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The USPS will put more than 9,000 electric mail trucks on the road, electrifying America's oldest vehicle fleet. The postal service plans to spend nearly $10 billion on its electrification plan. The postal service will also install 14,000 charging stations at USPS facilities. "Electrification of our vehicle fleet is now an important component of these initiatives." The postal service has not yet announced where the first electric vehicles will be deployed, noting in a press release that it is still weighing the best routes for the new vehicles.

☆ US Postal Service plans to buy 9,250 EV Ford delivery vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Postal Service (USPS) said Tuesday it plans to buy 9,250 Ford (F.N) E-Transit battery electric vehicles starting later this year and will also purchase an equal number of gasoline-powered models from Chrysler-parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI). Congress in August gave USPS $3 billion as part of a $430 billion climate bill to buy electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. USPS said it will also buy 9,250 2023 and 2024 model year Ram ProMaster vans from Chrysler-parent Stellantis "to fill the urgent need for vehicles." They are part of the 21,000 vehicles included in USPS December vehicle plan. Democratic Senator Gary Peters praised USPS for using funding to "quickly adopt more cost effective and energy efficient electric vehicles."

☆ Dogs are attacking mail carriers at alarming rates, forcing the post office to avoid entire neighborhoods until things get better
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Florida mail carrier died after she was attacked by five dogs when her truck broke down in August. Mail delivery stops and residents have to pick up their mail at the post office. Residents in subsections of Des Moines, Iowa, Cleveland, Ohio, Greenfield, Indiana, Roanoke, Virginia, all temporarily lost mail service in the last year because the neighborhood was deemed unsafe by mail carriers. Mail carriers also receive training on how to assess and approach dogs and they are required to carry dog repellant. California Texas Ohio Pennsylvania Michigan New York Illinois Florida Washington KentuckyAre you a mail carrier or delivery driver with a story?

☆ This package shipped from Mississippi to Michigan — via Puerto Rico. Here's why some shipments go on circuitous journeys.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A small bubble wrap envelope of cosmetics shipped by the US Postal Service from Mississippi headed for Michigan — 750 miles away. When USPS analyzed the tracking for this package a spokesperson told Insider it was simply a mistake. One package's circuitous route from Mississippi to Michigan via Puerto Rico Emma Cosgrove/USPS"Each employee makes a concerted effort to process and deliver each piece of mail and unfortunately, on very rare occasions, instances of mail delivery issues may occur. Across the US package delivery industry, there are more than 59 million packages shipped every day, according to the latest figures from Pitney Bowes, an e-commerce shipping firm. The USPS spokesperson declined to give a misload rate for the postal service.

☆ More beauty brands are ditching plastic packaging — and consumers are buying in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Korie Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some beauty companies are ditching plastics in favor of aluminum, glass, or plant-based materials. "Beauty products come in bottles and pots with pumps and lids, and we're noticing the first question a consumer asks is, 'Is this all recyclable?'" Purpose-driven beauty companies are ditching plastics in favor of aluminum, glass, or plant-based materials. If they use plastic, they're trying to ensure that it's designed to be recyclable (mindful of inks and coatings). As a result, shoppers, namely millennials and Gen Z, are skipping the store and ordering their beauty products online.

☆ How to decode a package shipping label, from the jumbled letters to the sea of barcodes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here's how to break down what's on most e-commerce package labels. What can a package label tell you? A package label can tell you a lot about where the package has been, how far it traveled, and even what's inside. The recipient and the destination address is in the middle, return address at the top left. Next to the return address is usually the weight of the package — a good thing to check on big items before lifting.

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