Daily printout: July 1

This Independence Day — Saturday, July 4 — is the 250th anniversary of the nation’s birth. It will be observed as a federal holiday on Friday, July 3.

The founding of the United States and its postal system were closely linked. It was the need for secure communications during the Revolutionary War that prompted the Second Continental Congress to establish a postal network, which it did in 1775.

Benjamin Franklin was chosen as the system’s first postmaster general. He had served as joint postmaster general of British North America for decades but was dismissed by the Crown the previous year for being deemed too sympathetic to the Colonies.

The Crown’s loss was the Colonies’ gain, as Franklin’s deep understanding of the nascent country’s geography and transportation networks was crucial to the Revolutionary effort. That knowledge — and his innovative approach to business — laid the foundation for today’s organization.

The Postal Service has celebrated its own 250th anniversary since last July and now turns its attention to the U.S. semiquincentennial, releasing several new stamps — Figures of the American Revolution, Treasures of the Revolutionary Era and two stamps highlighting Boston’s role in the war — to mark the occasion.

And on July 4 itself, USPS will hold a first-day-of-issue ceremony for its Declaration of Independence stamp in Philadelphia.

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The Postal Service has announced more stamp issues — along with some release dates and locations — for 2026:

• Diagonal U.S. Flag Stamped Envelope, available in different sizes, will be released Friday, Aug. 7, in Linthicum Heights, MD;

• U.S. Coast Guard Academy, commemorating the institution’s 150th anniversary, will be released Saturday, Sept. 12, in New London, CT;

• Know the Facts About Fentanyl, a semipostal stamp raising money to combat this drug abuse epidemic;

• Christmas Cookies, four contemporary Christmas stamps featuring decorated sugar cookies, will be released Saturday, Sept. 19, in Washington, DC;

• Christmas: Madonna and Child, this year’s traditional Christmas stamp, features an image of a Netherlandish painting of the pair dating from around the year 1500;

• Diwali, the second stamp issued for this holiday, displays an image of a vibrant floor pattern called a rangoli, which is believed to bring good luck;

• Hanukkah, the ninth stamp issued for this holiday, features an illustration of a dreidel and will be released Tuesday, Sept. 29, in New Orleans;

• Kwanzaa, the 11th stamp issued for this holiday, shows an illustration of a father holding his young daughter and incorporates two of the holiday’s seven symbols, will be released Wednesday, Sept. 23, in Norfolk, VA; and

• Winter Wreath, a Global stamp featuring a photo of a snowy, decorated wreath, will be released Friday, Sept. 18, in Humble, TX.

The organization also announced release dates and locations for two previously announced stamps:

• Sarah Orne Jewett, the 35th stamp in the Literary Arts series, will be released Friday, Aug. 21, in South Berwick, ME; and

• Squirrels and Chipmunks in Snow, playful photographs of the critters in winter, will be released Friday, Sept. 25, in Brookfield, WI.

USPS announced the stamps June 29. The designs are preliminary and may change.

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Postmaster General David Steiner testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on June 24.

The title of the hearing was “Reforming the U.S. Postal Service’s Broken Business Model.”

Steiner’s written testimony is posted on the USPS Newsroom website.

Thirteen companies received the Postal Service’s Supplier Performance Awards during the National Postal Forum in May.

The annual awards, presented in three categories, recognize suppliers that delivered performance excellence through innovation, reliability, and a commitment to USPS, helping move the organization forward during a time of transformation.

The recipients were:

• Supplier Excellence Awards: Designed Conveyor Systems LLC, Latitude Corp., SentinelOne Inc., Toyota Material Handling Inc. and Western Industrial Contractors.

• Supplier Performance Awards: Coupa Software Inc., Eaton Corp., ECS Federal LLC, Intralox LLC, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and Packaging Corp. of America.

• Supplier Sustainability Excellence Awards: McKinley Packaging Co. and Rand-Whitney Recycling LLC.

To learn more about the USPS Supplier Performance Awards or to view previous years’ winners visit usps.com.

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