Katie Howard

New chat tool answers surface visibility, logistics questions

7/14/25 at 10:38 am | Updated 7/14/25 at 1:25 pm

Postal Service employees who have questions about surface visibility and logistics processes and instructions can now use a chatbot to get answers, including links to reference documents. Called AskSV, the generative AI tool provides responses by searching service talks, policy updates, instructional guides and other documents in the SVWeb application’s library. Employees with manager-level access […]

They feel the need for speed

7/11/25 at 5:06 am | Updated 7/10/25 at 10:12 am

A recent USPS career conference in Minneapolis took a page from the matchmaking practice known as speed dating. In “speed networking,” attendees and Postal Service leaders from across several departments asked each other questions and found out more about their respective roles in three-minute round-robin exchanges. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I walked […]

Boston blues

7/11/25 at 5:01 am | Updated 7/10/25 at 12:40 pm

“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. When and where will the Boston 2026 World Stamp Show stamps be released this year? a) Aug. 14 in Schaumberg, IL b) Sept. 19 in Danville, IN c) Oct. 4 in […]

American Postal Workers Union approves new contract with USPS

7/10/25 at 4:00 pm | Updated 7/10/25 at 3:51 pm

The American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, membership has ratified a new three-year labor contract with USPS that will run through Sept. 20, 2027. Highlights of the agreement include annual general wage increases, semi-annual cost-of-living adjustments, measures designed to assist with postal support employee recruitment and retention, and continued operational flexibility through the use of postal […]

Postal Bulletin reports on heat illness prevention

7/10/25 at 9:47 am | Updated 7/10/25 at 9:47 am

Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published July 10, provides information about the USPS Heat Illness Prevention Program. Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included. Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues. […]

Bombaugh retires as chief technology officer

7/8/25 at 5:08 am | Updated 7/7/25 at 11:04 am

Scott Bombaugh retired as the Postal Service’s chief technology officer on June 30, concluding a 38-year career that focused on modernizing the organization’s mail and package processing and delivery infrastructure. As chief technology officer, a role he assumed in 2020, Bombaugh helped create a network of integrated mail and package processing facilities. His team provided […]

An ‘amazing’ story

7/8/25 at 5:03 am | Updated 7/7/25 at 10:58 am

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‘The Key to Keeping Resolutions’

7/8/25 at 4:49 am | Updated 7/7/25 at 10:49 am

Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar that will offer tools to learn how to make healthy habits stick and improve your overall health. The session, “The Key to Keeping Resolutions,” will be held Tuesday, July 15, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern. Representatives from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a provider of health plans […]

Printer cartridges should be recycled

7/7/25 at 10:42 am | Updated 7/7/25 at 10:42 am

The Postal Service is reminding employees to recycle their used inkjet and toner cartridges. If cartridges were purchased from eBuyPlus, they can be recycled in their original packaging using the prepaid return labels they came with. Cartridges can also be recycled using Click-N-Ship or through eDispose. Most states prohibit the disposal of used electronics in […]

Protecting the mail is job No. 1

7/1/25 at 5:07 am | Updated 6/30/25 at 11:04 am

The Postal Service is reminding employees that they have a duty to protect the sanctity of the mail. USPS delivers important items such as medications, bills, payments, gifts for loved ones and other items of value to customers who put their trust in the organization. Each letter and package should be treated with care and […]

Do you know what to do if attacked by ransomware?

7/1/25 at 5:06 am | Updated 6/30/25 at 10:54 am

The Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors to beware of ransomware — software that locks access to computers or other devices until a ransom is paid. This malware can also disable screens, lock files and delete backups. Opening email attachments, clicking on ads or following malicious links can lead to a ransomware attack. If […]

Memories from the great green room

7/1/25 at 5:01 am | Updated 6/30/25 at 10:46 am

Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column. […]

‘Commuter Benefits’

7/1/25 at 4:58 am | Updated 6/30/25 at 10:37 am

Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar to learn about the organization’s commuter benefits program, including how to set aside as much as $325 each month on a pretax basis for commuting costs. The session, “Commuter Benefits,” will be held Tuesday, July 8, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern. Representatives from Edenred, which […]

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This video previews an upcoming USPS booklet

6/30/25 at 5:05 am | Updated 6/30/25 at 9:26 am

The Postal Service has released a video preview of its upcoming booklet celebrating the cultural importance of U.S. stamps. The 32-page booklet, “Putting a Stamp on the American Experience,” will come with two sheets of a new stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first postmaster general. The stamp is based on a reproduction of a […]

Bringing postal history to life

6/27/25 at 5:04 am | Updated 6/26/25 at 10:38 am

As USPS gears up for its 250th anniversary next month, a Chicago letter carrier is doing his part to promote local postal history. Kalani Han, who works in the Ravenswood neighborhood on the city’s north side, recently created a permanent exhibit for the community Post Office’s retail lobby displaying rare objects from the 1870s onward. […]

Binding relationships

6/27/25 at 4:49 am | Updated 6/26/25 at 10:31 am

“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: Postal Service employees cannot hold or bid on a highway contract route or delivery service contract. a) True b) False 2. When does the newly ratified labor contract […]

Postal Bulletin offers tips about passwords, PINs

6/26/25 at 10:21 am | Updated 6/26/25 at 10:21 am

Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published June 27, shares best practices on creating passwords and PINs for USPS accounts. Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included. Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues. […]

Atlantic Area VP to retire

6/24/25 at 5:06 am | Updated 6/24/25 at 10:00 am

Scott Raymond, vice president of the Postal Service’s Atlantic Area, is retiring on Friday, June 27. He has held the role since 2023 and has been responsible for 12 districts, 128,000 employees, 8,600 Post Offices and 35.6 million delivery points. Prior to serving as vice president, Raymond was Atlantic Region’s senior director. He previously held […]

Sweet dreams are made of this

6/24/25 at 5:02 am | Updated 6/23/25 at 10:29 am

The Postal Service has released an animated video to promote its new Goodnight Moon stamps. The stamps, released last month, feature images from the classic children’s picture book “Goodnight Moon,” written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. Thacher Hurd, son of Clement Hurd, narrates the 45-second video. Email us your feedback. Your […]

Running this up the flagpole

6/24/25 at 4:59 am | Updated 6/23/25 at 10:52 am

Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column. […]

Leading by example

6/20/25 at 5:05 am | Updated 6/20/25 at 11:34 am

Hicksville, NY, Letter Carrier Diane Villatoro knows firsthand how dangerous dogs can be, so she trains newly hired co-workers on how to protect themselves from dog bites. Villatoro has been delivering mail for 23 years, and she shares her knowledge as an on-the-job instructor. She especially wants new carriers to benefit from her own dog […]

Old Glory, new designs

6/20/25 at 5:02 am | Updated 6/17/25 at 1:15 pm

“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. When was the 50th star added to the U.S. flag? a) Aug. 12, 1933 b) Jan. 1, 1945 c) July 4, 1960 d) Sept. 6, 1971 2. Who designed the newest […]

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Winning on and off the field

6/19/25 at 5:01 am | Updated 6/18/25 at 11:43 am

My name is Dennis Ford Jr., and I’m a complaints and inquiry clerk at the Los Angeles Customer Care Center. I’ve been with the Postal Service for 13 years. Sports have been instrumental in my life. I played football as a kid and continued through high school. I played basketball and golf at Central State […]

‘When we leave here, we are customers’

6/17/25 at 5:04 am | Updated 6/16/25 at 11:35 am

My name is Catrina Wright and I’m a USPS customer relations coordinator in Washington, DC. One of my daily duties is to go into the Customer 360 platform, which tracks customer satisfaction scores, and share the information with my colleagues in the Postal Service’s Maryland District. I check for improvement, do gemba visits at delivery […]

Juneteenth is this week

6/17/25 at 5:00 am | Updated 6/16/25 at 11:28 am

The Postal Service will observe Juneteenth National Independence Day on Thursday, June 19. Juneteenth is the oldest known nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday gets its name from the date in 1865 when 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX, and declared enslaved persons there free by […]

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It’s the fabric of America

6/13/25 at 5:07 am | Updated 6/12/25 at 1:48 pm

The Postal Service’s latest U.S. Flag stamp continues a tradition that began more than a century ago. Stamps featuring the American flag have evolved to reflect changes to the nation itself. Here are six facts about the U.S. Flag and its depiction on postage stamps: • Flag Day was first proclaimed in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. Observed every […]

This safety slogan just clicked

6/13/25 at 5:04 am | Updated 6/12/25 at 1:50 pm

“Seatbelts: Saving Lives Since 1985” was the winning catchphrase in Michigan 1 District’s first seatbelt safety slogan contest. Keitha Gomez, a letter carrier in Redford, MI, came up with it after researching Michigan’s mandatory seatbelt law, which took effect July 1, 1985. “I tell my kids and share with others: If you pause for only […]

It’s a deal

6/13/25 at 5:01 am | Updated 6/12/25 at 1:53 pm

“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. The tentative agreement between USPS and American Postal Workers Union covers how many clerks, mechanics, vehicle drivers, custodians and administrative employees? a) 150,000 b) 175,000 c) 190,000 d) 215,000 2. […]

Postal Bulletin shines a light on PMG Heroes’ Program

6/12/25 at 10:14 am | Updated 6/12/25 at 10:14 am

Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published June 12, includes information about how the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program recognizes employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included. Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past […]

Barbara Bush’s stamp is here

6/10/25 at 5:07 am | Updated 6/6/25 at 3:27 pm

The Postal Service will release the Barbara Bush stamp on Tuesday, June 10. Bush (1925-2018) was the wife of President George H. W. Bush and the mother of President George W. Bush. She was one of only two women to ever be second lady, first lady and the mother of a president. The stamp is […]

Posts by Katie Howard

New chat tool answers surface visibility, logistics questions

They feel the need for speed

Boston blues

American Postal Workers Union approves new contract with USPS

Postal Bulletin reports on heat illness prevention

Bombaugh retires as chief technology officer

An ‘amazing’ story

‘The Key to Keeping Resolutions’

Printer cartridges should be recycled

Protecting the mail is job No. 1

Do you know what to do if attacked by ransomware?

Memories from the great green room

‘Commuter Benefits’

This video previews an upcoming USPS booklet

Bringing postal history to life

Binding relationships

Postal Bulletin offers tips about passwords, PINs

Atlantic Area VP to retire

Sweet dreams are made of this

Running this up the flagpole

Leading by example

Old Glory, new designs

Winning on and off the field

‘When we leave here, we are customers’

Juneteenth is this week

It’s the fabric of America

This safety slogan just clicked

It’s a deal

Postal Bulletin shines a light on PMG Heroes’ Program

Barbara Bush’s stamp is here

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