From USPS NewsLink:

Due to recent events involving packages shipped from Yemen by private courier companies, the Postal Service has temporarily suspended acceptance of inbound international mail originating from that country.

This service suspension has been issued in response to the potential threat posed by suspicious packages originating in Yemen.‬

‪To ensure the safety and security of postal employees and the American public, the Postal Inspection Service is requesting assistance from all USPS employees — in particular those in mail processing and delivery operations.

Postal employees are asked to identify and hold any mail that appears to have originated in Yemen. This mail could have a Yemeni return address, postmark or postage. If any mail originating from Yemen is discovered, employees are asked to notify their supervisor and immediately contact the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 (Option 2). A Postal Inspector will respond to the facility and conduct a risk assessment of the mailpiece.‬

‪It is important to note the Postal Service has not received any information indicating this mail is dangerous. These precautionary measures are being taken to protect USPS employees, customers and the mail.

The Postal Inspection Service is monitoring the situation and working with other federal law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of everyone associated with the U.S. Mail.

Here is the Oct. 29 “Stand-Up Talk” regarding identification and handling of suspicious mail.

Mandatory Stand-Up Talk
Recognizing and handling suspicious mail

October 29, 2010

Due to recent events involving suspicious packages, it is important for us to review our procedures concerning suspicious mail.

It is very important that you know how to recognize suspicious mail. Characteristics to pay special attention to include shape, look, address and packaging.

• Shape — Is it lopsided or uneven? Is it rigid or bulky?
• Look — Are there oily stains, discolorations, or crystals on the wrapper? Does it have a strange odor?
• Address — Is there a return address? Are there restrictive markings? Are there misspelled words? Is it addressed to a title rather than to an individual? Is it an incorrect title? Is it poorly typed or written?
• Packaging — Is it sealed with tape? Is there excessive tape? Is there excessive postage?

Once a suspicious letter or package has been identified, it is important to respond appropriately. There are three main steps: Package, People and Plan.

Package — Package means that you DO NOT handle the package or letter. Leave it where it is! Isolate the area. Do not try to clean it up, move it, or place it in a plastic bag. Make a mental note of any information that might be useful (size, shape, look, address).

People — Clear the area. Inform employees in the immediate area so they won’t disturb the suspicious package, letter, or substance. Notify a supervisor immediately. All employees in the area near the package should wash their hands and any other exposed skin with soap and water immediately, even if they didn’t touch the package or letter. The area should be cordoned off. Air conditioner, fans and equipment should be turned off.

Plan — Contact your supervisor, who will contact the Inspection Service. Follow your emergency plan. Know who to contact if your supervisor isn’t available. In an emergency – such as smoke, fumes, vapors, or employees exhibiting medical symptoms – evacuate the area and call local emergency responders.

Remember

This discussion has focused on identifying suspicious packages and letters. Remember, if you find a suspicious package or letter think of the three “P’s”: Package, People, Plan.

• PACKAGE: Don’t handle. Isolate it.

• PEOPLE: Clear the area of people. Notify your supervisor.
• PLAN: Contact the Inspection Service.

Follow your emergency plan. In an emergency situation — such as smoke, fumes, vapors, or employees exhibiting medical symptoms — evacuate the area and call local emergency responders. Follow the instructions of emergency responders.

USPS News Link – Nov 2, 2010.

From last week’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee:

SEN. SPECTER: As you know, this committee was hard at work with legislation which I had proposed and others had co-sponsored and four hearings. And I think we could have been of assistance to you if we had been consulted.

The issue of the signing statements, Mr. Attorney General, continues to be a matter of major concern. Read the rest of this entry »

The first victim of the 2001 anthrax mailings was Robert Stevens, 63, a photo editor with the tabloid The Sun. Five years later, his widow is still fighting to get the government to find out why he and the other victims died.

Answers elude anthrax inquiry: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Here’s a piece I wish I had seen yesterday from the Stamp Collecting Round-Up blog. The  National Postal Museum’s online exhibit, mentioned in the story, is a surprisingly moving experience- especially seeing the bullseye canceller with the date “SEP 11 2001″, followed by the “UNKNOWN: RETURN TO SENDER” stamp from “NEW YORK, NY 10048″.

The Stamp Collecting Round-Up: Church Street station

With all the hysteria that followed the alleged terrorist plot to blow up airliners a few weeks ago, it was probably inevitable that someone would suggest doing away with luggage altogether. A piece in Ground Support magazine does just that. So how would you get your stuff to your destination?

Allow the United States Postal Service along with 4,000 parcel carriers to handle baggage that is currently carried by the airline industry and directed by a leader of the luggage movement industry.

Fractured syntax aside, who do you suppose the “leader of the luggage movement industry” might be who would direct this? Well, the author of the piece, Richard Altomare, is CEO of Universal Express, which says its business is to “facilitate and manage the movement of baggage door to door for leisure and business travelers”. And if the phrase “luggage movement industry” is new to you- don’t feel bad. A google search produced only three hits, all of them to pieces written by Mr. Altomare.

I guess turnabout is fair play- if George Bush and the Republicans can demagogue the so-called war on terror every chance they get, why can’t a labor leader use it every now and then? That must have been Bill Young’s reasoning when he decided to tell NALC delegates at the union’s convention that “In the midst of a global war on terror, now is not the time to open a hole in the nation’s defenses by giving unscreened, contingent workers access to the mail stream.”

Come on, Bill- you’re about as worried about terrorism as Bill Burrus is about service standards. Contracting out delivery is bad for your members because it will cost them their jobs, and it’s bad for the country because it furthers the right wing agenda that seeks to deprive American workers of their rights and benefits. It’s got nothing to do with terrorism.

Young Warns That Contracting Out Mail Delivery Could Weaken Nation’s Defense Against Terrorism