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Daily printout: Nov. 15


Friday, November 15, 2024

A collage of 2025 USPS stamps.
The Postal Service’s planned stamp releases include, clockwise from left, Year of the Snake, Baby Wild Animals, 1794 Compass Rose, Betty White, Allen Toussaint, U.S. Flag, Luna Moth and Love (2025).

Here’s a sneak peek at next year’s stamps

The lineup includes releases honoring Betty White, Allen Toussaint and others

The Postal Service has announced many of the stamps it will release in 2025:

Allen Toussaint, the 48th entry in the Black Heritage series will honor the virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer;

American Vistas, two presorted standard stamps depicting stylized, minimalist scenes of mountains and a beach for use on business mail;

The Appalachian Trail, a pane of 15 stamps that will include photographic views from each of the 14 states along the Maine-to-Georgia hiking route;

Baby Wild Animals, 10 stamps offering whimsical, eye-catching designs;

Betty White, honoring an icon of American television;

Dahlias, a booklet of 20 stamps that will include 10 close-up photographs of dahlia blossoms;

Love (2025), a new entry in the popular series that will feature a drawing by Keith Haring (1958-1990);

Luna Moth, a new stamp for irregularly sized envelopes;

Schooner, a stamped postcard that will feature an illustration of a two-masted sea vessel;

1794 Compass Rose, a Global stamp that will be useful for mailing a 1-ounce letter to any country where First-Class Mail International service is available;

U.S. Flag, a new stamp that will be available in multiple formats;

Vibrant Leaves, five new postcard stamps depicting leaves on trees found in the United States;

Winter Landscapes, five stamps featuring photographs from around the nation; and

Year of the Snake, the sixth stamp in the current Lunar New Year Series.

“This early glimpse into our 2025 stamp program demonstrates our commitment to providing a diverse range of subjects and designs for both philatelists and stamp enthusiasts,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, stamp services director.

“This year, we are continuing several of our popular series and commemorative anniversaries, while introducing some exciting new stamps. Additionally, several of our mail-use stamps, which are printed based on demand, will be updated this year. Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months.”

The Postal Service announced the stamps on Nov. 15. The designs are preliminary and may change.

All of the releases will be Forever stamps, unless otherwise noted.

Additional 2025 stamps will be announced later.

A closer look at the new USPS ad campaign

The video shows how the TV commercial was made

The Postal Service has released a new video that takes viewers behind the scenes of the organization’s holiday advertising campaign.

The centerpiece of the campaign is “The Holiday Ride,” a 30-second TV commercial that highlights USPS Ground Advantage and new delivery vehicles.

The three-minute video features the Postal Service employees who helped create the campaign, as well as those who appear in the ads.

A close-up image of a vintage thermometer
Are items that contain metallic mercury, such as this vintage thermometer, allowed in the mailstream?
News Quiz

Test your metal

Do you know what is — and what isn’t — allowed in the mailstream?

“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: Metallic mercury and items containing metallic mercury are prohibited in the mailstream.

a) True

b) False

2. To mark Veterans Day this year, what did the Postal Service provide to employees who are active or former members of the military?

a) A certificate of appreciation

b) A challenge coin

c) An ID badge holder and lanyard

d) All of the above

3. What is the title of this year’s USPS TV holiday ad?

a) “Built for the Holidays”

b) “Holiday Ready”

c) “The Helpers”

d) “The Holiday Ride”

4. Where is the Postal Service displaying one of its new zero-emission electric next-generation delivery vehicles?

a) Bolger Center, Potomac, MD

b) National Center for Employee Development, Norman, OK

c) South Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center

d) USPS headquarters, Washington, DC

5. Which USPS employee recently stopped a runaway SUV?

a) Adam Benincosa, Roy, UT, letter carrier

b) Chris Broyles, Benton, MS, postmaster

c) Candace Rogge, Rupert, ID, rural carrier

d) Skyler Wilburg, Albertson, NY, city carrier assistant

Answers: 1) a. 2) a. 3) d. 4) d. 5) d.

November 22, 2024
Datebook

PSHB CareFirst webinar

Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar to learn more about health, dental and vision plan options within the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program.

PSHB — which takes effect in 2025 — is a new, separate program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and will be administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

USPS employees, annuitants, and eligible family members are required to enroll in this new program.

The “Blue Product Overview” webinar will be led by representatives from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The session will be held Friday, Nov. 22, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.

To participate, employees must register on the webinar website.

Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.

Employees who have questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.

Brief

Postal Bulletin focuses on hazardous materials

Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published Nov. 14, offers information about USPS Hazmat Awareness Month.

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.

Brief

Want to make benefits changes? Use PostalEASE

USPS employees will have to use PostalEASE to participate in the Annual Leave Exchange program or to enroll in or make changes to the USPS Health Benefits Plan for eligible precareer employees.

Employees can access PostalEASE from the MyHR website’s open season page or by calling the USPS employee service line at 877-477-3273 (select option 1). The Federal Relay Service number is 800-877-8339.

Employees who need help figuring out which health care, dental or vision plan is best for them can use Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees on MyHR’s open season page to compare available options.

Open season, the annual period when employees can make changes to their health coverage, ends Monday, Dec. 9.

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