Ruralinfo.net 
On September 11, 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the August 2025 Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which established the Private Transportation Index at 278.712, an increase from the May 2025 Index of 277.131. Therefore, based on the August 2025 CPI-W release, the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for … Read more
President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor Charlie Kirk, the political activist who was fatally shot Sept. 10. Flags should be flown at half-staff until Sunday, Sept. 14, at sunset. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff … Read more
Postmaster General David Steiner visited nine USPS facilities in Colorado and Texas last month, part of his focus on strengthening the organization’s service to the American public. At each stop on his tour, Steiner met with employees and discussed his priorities for the Postal Service, including operating in a financially sustainable manner, investing in the … Read more
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) has scheduled its latest slate of informational webinars and online training courses, which are open to Postal Service employees. The topics will include TSP contributions, death benefits, distributions, investment funds, in-service withdrawals and loans. The webinars will last one hour, while the courses are two hours or more. Participation is … Read more
Federal employees, on average, are waiting longer to see their retirement applications processed. New data from the Office of Personnel Management for August shows it takes an average of 70 days to process a claim from a retiring fed. But if retirement claims are coming to OPM in less than 60 days, those cases take, … Read more
Starting in January 2026, you’ll be able to convert money in your traditional (pre-tax) balance to your Roth (after-tax) balance in your TSP account. This is called a “Roth in-plan conversion”. If you don’t have a Roth balance in your TSP account, your first Roth in-plan conversion will create one. If you’re considering doing a … Read more
Over the past two years, the Postal Service has been quietly eliminating the evening collection of mail at thousands post offices, one by one. Rather than going out the same day to a processing center, mail, packages, and Priority items sit overnight in the back of the post office, waiting to be collected the next … Read more
Blaine postal carrier Dave Hamilton, 55, received national recognition for saving a woman from a dog attack earlier this year. Hamilton’s union, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, awarded him the “National Hero of the Year” honor in front of 1,500 people during the union’s convention on August 20 in Orlando, Florida. Hamilton was the … Read more
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and the USPS Employee Assistance Program is using this time to remind employees and their loved ones about the support it offers. The program, also known as EAP, uses the month to increase awareness of the warning signs and risk factors associated with suicide, promoting early intervention and reducing … Read more
A graphic timeline of important dates in the Postal Service’s history has been added to usps.com. The “Time of Our Life: 1775-2025” charts the organization’s 250 years of innovation and growth, beginning with Benjamin Franklin’s appointment as postmaster general in 1775 and ending with 2025’s Eagle in Flight logo for the anniversary.