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Tag: mail

  • Winter storm halts some Triangle mail delivery. Where are the USPS updates?

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    People navigate an icy Lake Wheeler Road by S. Saunders Street in Raleigh in this 2025 file photo.

    People navigate an icy Lake Wheeler Road by S. Saunders Street in Raleigh in this 2025 file photo.


    Ethan Hyman

    ehyman@newsobserver.com

    Louise Specht wanted to know that the U.S. Postal Service knew it wasn’t delivering her mail. A retiree with a curbside mailbox outside her West Durham house, Specht said neither she nor several neighbors received mail from Saturday through Thursday after sleet and freezing rain swept across the Triangle.

    “That’s completely understandable that the mail would be screwed up,” she said. However, Specht desired updates during the disruption. She contacted her local post office but got no response. Then on Thursday, before her delivery resumed, she emailed U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee’s office urging more Postal Service communication.

    “Medications and other vital things are routinely delivered through the mail,” Specht wrote.

    Ahead of more wintry weather expected this weekend, local residents may be curious to know how the federal agency famous for being deterred by “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” actually handles inclement conditions.

    “The Postal Service’s goal is to deliver the mail, but safety remains our top priority,” Postal Service spokesperson Philip Bogenberger wrote in an email. “Most Post Offices in North Carolina have resumed operations, but some routes remain impacted by (last weekend’s storm).”

    The decision to adjust service due to safety concerns, Bogenberger wrote, is left to local managers and individual carriers. On Jan. 29, the Postal Service updated a general winter weather service alert on its website. The agency does not show impacted individual routes.

    “Customers should be aware that mail destined to and arriving from areas that were heavily impacted by the recent storm may take extra time due to conditions in those areas,” he added. “Following inclement weather, we ask customers to clear snow, ice and debris away from their mailbox and front porch so delivery can take place safely.”

    The Postal Service says North Carolina residents can follow longer-term service disruptions, like permanent office closures or temporary closures after natural disasters, on its website. Customers can also track the delivery status of packages online.

    FedEx and UPS both post service alerts on their respective websites as well. “We have activated contingency plans to mitigate impacts of winter storms across the United States,” FedEx spokesperson James Anderson emailed.

    The U.S. Postal Service says it handles 44% of the world’s mail volume, with more than 235,000 delivery routes nationwide.

    This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM.

    Related Stories from Raleigh News & Observer

    Brian Gordon

    The News & Observer

    Brian Gordon is the Business & Technology reporter for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. He writes about jobs, startups and big tech developments unique to the North Carolina Triangle. Brian previously worked as a senior statewide reporter for the USA Today Network. Please contact him via email, phone, or Signal at 919-861-1238.

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  • ‘I would’ve cried’: Texas woman orders new Hydrojugs. Then she catches USPS through the Ring camera

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    Most of us know the restless excitement of waiting for a package you finally splurged on, refreshing tracking updates like it’s a full-time job. You expect delays, maybe a porch pirate if the universe is feeling chaotic, but you don’t expect the delivery itself to be the thing that destroys it.

    According to one Texas woman, that’s exactly what happened, and of course, it involved her new TikTok-favorite Hydrojugs.

    Woman Catches USPS Driver in 4K

    TikTok creator Eileen (@eileenp06) went viral after posting the moment her long-awaited order met its unexpected fate.

    “POV: you’re excited for your new limited edition hydrojugs to arrive only for this to happen,” she writes in the video’s text overlay.

    The clip, now at more than 24.5 million views, shows her Ring camera capturing a USPS driver rolling up to her home, tossing the package out of the van window without stopping, and then unbelievably driving over it.

    He doesn’t hit the brakes or circle back immediately. Instead, he pulls forward, parks, steps out, picks up the flattened package, sets it neatly on the porch, and casually walks away as if nothing happened.

    “There goes my order,” she wrote in the caption.

    The Hydrojugs Miraculously Survive

    The wildest twist is what happened next.

    In a follow-up video, Eileen unboxes the two Hydrojugs, and they look shockingly alive.

    The first, the red sparkly Holly model, has a tiny dent at the bottom. The rest looks untouched.
    The second, the Espresso, looks completely perfect, not even a scratch.

    “If you’re thinking of getting a HydroJug, this is what one looks like after being completely ran over,” she writes, basically giving the brand the strongest durability review anyone could ask for.

    What Is This Brand?

    Hydrojugs are exactly what they sound like: oversized tumblers designed to make drinking water feel more intentional. They lean heavily into the “cute hydration” aesthetic with their fun colors, trendy drops, and limited-edition collections that TikTok treats like concert tickets.

    At this point, the brand has tens of thousands of tags across the app, and a surprising number of viral moments.

    The comments section came out swinging, shocked at the delivery technique but also low-key mourning the near loss of the jugs.

    One person wrote, “Nooo not the hydrojug.”

    Another added, “Usps are the laziest employees I’ve ever met, honest to god.”

    @eileenp06 There goes my order ??@HYDROJUG ♬ nothing beats a jet2 holiday – A7-BBH | MAN

    A third viewer tried to keep it practical: “Please go and show this to your postmaster at your post office. The driver is not supposed to do that.”

    “He really said: delivery AND destruction in one go,” chimed in the company Ring in the comments.

    The Mary Sue has reached out to Hydrojugs via their contact form, USPS via email, and Eileen via Instagram messages.

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

    Image of Ljeonida Mulabazi

    Ljeonida Mulabazi

    Ljeonida is a reporter and writer with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of Tirana in her native Albania. She has a particular interest in all things digital marketing; she considers herself a copywriter, content producer, SEO specialist, and passionate marketer. Ljeonida is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and her work can also be found at the Daily Dot.

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  • California officials push back on Trump claim that Prop. 50 vote is a ‘GIANT SCAM’

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    As California voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballot on a measure that could block President Trump’s national agenda, state officials ridiculed his unsubstantiated claims that voting in the largely Democratic state is “rigged.”

    “The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump said on Truth Social just minutes after polling stations opened Tuesday across California.

    The president provided no evidence for his allegations.

    “All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review,” the GOP president wrote. “STAY TUNED!”

    Gov. Gavin Newsom dismissed the president’s claims on X as “the ramblings of an old man that knows he’s about to LOSE.”

    His press office chimed in, too, calling Trump “a totally unserious person spreading false information in a desperate attempt to cope with his failures.”

    National tension is high as voters across California cast ballots on Proposition 50, a Democratic plan championed by Newsom to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of the 2026 election to favor the Democratic Party. The measure is intended to offset GOP gerrymandering in red states after Trump pressed Texas to rejigger maps to shore up the GOP’s narrow House majority.

    California’s top elections official, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, called Trump’s allegation “another baseless claim.”

    “The bottom line is California elections have been validated by the courts,” Weber said in a statement. “California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy.”

    Weber noted that more than 7 million Californians have already voted and encouraged those who had yet to cast ballots to go to the polls.

    “California voters will not be sidelined from exercising their constitutional right to vote and should not let anyone deter them from exercising that right,” Weber said.

    Of the 7 million Californians who have voted, more than 4.6 million have done so by mail, according to the secretary of state’s office. Los Angeles residents alone have cast more than 788,000 mail-in ballots.

    Trump has long criticized mail-in voting. As more Democrats opted to vote by mail in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the president repeatedly made unproven claims linking mail in voting with voter fraud. When Trump ultimately lost that election, he blamed expanded mail-in voting.

    Over the last month, the stakes in the California special election have ratcheted up as polls indicate Proposition 50 could pass. More than half of likely California voters said they planned to support the measure, which could allow Democrats to gain up to five House seats.

    Last month, the Justice Department appeared to single out California for particular national scrutiny: It announced it would send federal monitors to polling locations in counties in California as well as New Jersey, another traditionally Democratic state that is conducting nationally significant off-year elections.

    The monitors are set to go to five California counties: Los Angeles, Kern, Riverside, Fresno and Orange.

    This story will be updated.

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    Jenny Jarvie

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  • ‘We just can’t send anything to the United States’: American in France tries to mail letters to the U.S. Then a worker tells her it’s impossible

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    A woman living in France says she tried to mail a few cards to the U.S. and was met with a confusing surprise: postal workers told her they couldn’t do it.

    The TikToker, who goes by @movedtoeurope, posted a video about her experience that now has over 2.2 million views.

    Did France Block Her Letters to the U.S.?

    “So, fun fact,” she says at the top of the video, “we can’t mail letters to the United States anymore.”

    She explains that she’d gone to the post office to send a Halloween card to her parents, a condolences card to a friend, and a few other letters.

    After standing in line, she speaks to a postal worker. “She’s like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know why, but we just can’t send anything to the United States,’” the TikToker recalls. Confused, she tries to clarify what that means.

    She Googles the issue and sees a notice saying packages to the U.S. might be impacted due to new tariffs. “And I’m like, interesting,” she says.

    Still unsure, she visits a second post office with her husband in case she misunderstood because of the language barrier. “Maybe it was a translation error. Maybe my French just, like, misunderstood,” she says. But no—again, she’s told they can’t send mail to the U.S.

    “We can’t even send mail to the United States anymore in France,” she repeats. “Which is very concerning in terms of what the f is going on with the United States right now.”

    What’s Actually Going on With International Mail to the U.S.?

    While the situation sounds bizarre, there’s a reason behind it—though it might not make the whole thing less frustrating.

    As reported by The Guardian, several European countries temporarily suspended U.S.-bound postal services in late August 2025. That’s when the U.S. ended its so-called “de minimis” exemption, which previously allowed packages worth under $800 to enter duty-free.

    Now, every parcel is subject to import tariffs, regardless of value, which makes it significantly more expensive to send packages and more complicated for international carriers. Postal services must collect and transmit new customs data and may be liable for tariffs if they don’t.

    Because of the sudden policy shift, some national carriers—like France’s La Poste—temporarily stopped shipping anything to the U.S., even letters, while they restructured their systems.

    Although the changes officially applied to packages, not letters, some locations halted all outgoing U.S. mail to avoid mistakes.

    In a follow-up video, the TikToker says she eventually managed to send her letters by waiting in line at a third post office and speaking to someone directly, rather than using a self-service kiosk.

    Her comments section quickly filled with U.S. viewers just as confused as she was.

    “Texas here,” one wrote. “WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE EFF IS GOING ON EITHER!! We did not sign up for this. We did not vote for this.”

    Another person added, “ISOLATING IS PART OF ABUSIVE CONTROL.”

    One commenter pointed out a larger concern: “Is this going to impact mail-in voting from citizens abroad?” The creator responded, “OMG I just gasped. Didn’t even think of that. Here I am concerned about Halloween cards lol when HELLO we need to vote!”

    @movedtoeurope I guess they’ll get my Halloween cards next year #fyp #americanabroad #france #politics ♬ original sound – Moved to Europe

    Others noted they’ve seen similar delays. “None of us in the United States are aware of things like this. Everything is being censored,” one wrote. “Please keep sharing things like this.”

    Another added, “Okay this is strange because my husband sent post cards to family and friends from Vietnam and NO ONE got them. NO ONE.”

    The Mary Sue has reached out to @movedtoeurope for comment.

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

    Image of Ljeonida Mulabazi

    Ljeonida Mulabazi

    Ljeonida is a reporter and writer with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of Tirana in her native Albania. She has a particular interest in all things digital marketing; she considers herself a copywriter, content producer, SEO specialist, and passionate marketer. Ljeonida is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and her work can also be found at the Daily Dot.

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  • Washington’s Secretary Of State Slams President’s Plan To Eliminate Mail-In Voting – KXL

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    OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs on Tuesday denounced President Donald Trump’s announced plan to eliminate vote-by-mail and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, calling the proposal a “direct threat” to American democracy.

    “The president’s announcement should be rejected for what it is: federal interference in state authority and a direct threat to every eligible American’s right to cast a ballot and have it counted,” Secretary Hobbs said in a statement.

    The President said he intends to issue an executive order banning mail-in ballots and voting machines, citing unproven claims of widespread fraud.

    Hobbs argued that the president has no constitutional authority to make such a move, pointing to Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress and state legislatures — not the executive branch — the power to regulate elections.

    “For nearly two decades, Washington voters have benefitted from a vote-by-mail system upheld by our Legislature,” Hobbs said. “In Washington, our system works. Every ballot is accounted for, signatures are verified, and results are audited.”

    He also criticized the Trump administration for a series of recent actions he said have undermined election integrity, including the dismantling of federal election security programs and the imposition of new federal requirements tied to Homeland Security funding.

    “These moves stripped local elections offices of resources while piling on new burdens from Washington, D.C.,” Hobbs said. “This is the Trump Administration’s next step to systematically dismantle and undermine our state and country’s election systems, and I will not idly stand by while it happens in real time.”

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    Grant McHill

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  • U.S. Postal Service urges voters to mail ballots early

    U.S. Postal Service urges voters to mail ballots early

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    The U.S. Postal Service says it has the capacity to handle an uptick in election mail, but officials are urging voters to send in their ballots early. Beginning this week, the Postal Service is taking several steps to speed up election mail, from extra deliveries to specialized sorting plans at processing facilities. The Postal Service says that in the first three weeks of October, 99.9% of the election mail was delivered within seven days.”The nation’s postal network is operating effectively without any major reported disruptions,” Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer for the Postal Service, told reporters on Wednesday. Still, officials say voters should not wait to mail in their ballots. “We do recommend that they return their ballot at least seven days prior to the election, but voters also need to be very mindful of whatever their specific state rules and deadlines are,” said Adrienne Marshall, the election and government mail services director for the Postal Service. Sylvia Albert, policy counsel for the advocacy group Common Cause, said voters should check their state’s deadline for accepting ballots sent by mail. “The largest concern I would have is not around the Postal Service, but around the laws in states which vary greatly as to whether or not your ballot can be received after election day even if it is postmarked before,” Albert said. “If you are in a location that needs a ballot received by election day and we’re past November 1st, then consider taking it to a drop box or driving it to a county election office.”Last month, several groups representing state and local election officials raised concerns about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner. In a follow-up letter earlier this month, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) said their concerns were not fully addressed after a meeting with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “A more open meeting with Postmaster DeJoy would have allowed us to further emphasize the concerns Chief Election Officials have. There are numerous unresolved issues, and we simply need more specifics on the solutions he has proposed,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who also serves as president of the NASS. Asked about that criticism, Monteith said the Postal Service is continuing to collaborate with state and local officials, including through one-on-one conversations with Secretaries of State. “We remain dedicated to resolving any problems promptly and efficiently,” Monteith said. Meanwhile, Monteith said the Postal Service is making progress restoring mail service in areas impacted by recent hurricanes. As of Tuesday, he said all postal service processing facilities and most retail and delivery units have reopened in North Carolina and Florida. Monteith also stressed that full recovery would take time. He said about 4,600 addresses in North Carolina and about 600 in Florida are still without mail service. Monteith said customers impacted by Hurricane Helene can arrange to pick up mail at designated post offices. The Postal Service is also rolling out mobile retail units to serve affected communities as quickly as possible.

    The U.S. Postal Service says it has the capacity to handle an uptick in election mail, but officials are urging voters to send in their ballots early.

    Beginning this week, the Postal Service is taking several steps to speed up election mail, from extra deliveries to specialized sorting plans at processing facilities.

    The Postal Service says that in the first three weeks of October, 99.9% of the election mail was delivered within seven days.

    “The nation’s postal network is operating effectively without any major reported disruptions,” Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer for the Postal Service, told reporters on Wednesday.

    Still, officials say voters should not wait to mail in their ballots.

    “We do recommend that they return their ballot at least seven days prior to the election, but voters also need to be very mindful of whatever their specific state rules and deadlines are,” said Adrienne Marshall, the election and government mail services director for the Postal Service.

    Sylvia Albert, policy counsel for the advocacy group Common Cause, said voters should check their state’s deadline for accepting ballots sent by mail.

    “The largest concern I would have is not around the Postal Service, but around the laws in states which vary greatly as to whether or not your ballot can be received after election day even if it is postmarked before,” Albert said. “If you are in a location that needs a ballot received by election day and we’re past November 1st, then consider taking it to a drop box or driving it to a county election office.”

    Last month, several groups representing state and local election officials raised concerns about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner. In a follow-up letter earlier this month, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) said their concerns were not fully addressed after a meeting with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

    “A more open meeting with Postmaster DeJoy would have allowed us to further emphasize the concerns Chief Election Officials have. There are numerous unresolved issues, and we simply need more specifics on the solutions he has proposed,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who also serves as president of the NASS.

    Asked about that criticism, Monteith said the Postal Service is continuing to collaborate with state and local officials, including through one-on-one conversations with Secretaries of State.

    “We remain dedicated to resolving any problems promptly and efficiently,” Monteith said.

    Meanwhile, Monteith said the Postal Service is making progress restoring mail service in areas impacted by recent hurricanes. As of Tuesday, he said all postal service processing facilities and most retail and delivery units have reopened in North Carolina and Florida.

    Monteith also stressed that full recovery would take time. He said about 4,600 addresses in North Carolina and about 600 in Florida are still without mail service.

    Monteith said customers impacted by Hurricane Helene can arrange to pick up mail at designated post offices. The Postal Service is also rolling out mobile retail units to serve affected communities as quickly as possible.

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  • 3 Fort Worth men plead guilty to armed robbery of U.S. Postal Service mail carrier

    3 Fort Worth men plead guilty to armed robbery of U.S. Postal Service mail carrier

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    Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers gather to express their frustrations due to a rise in assaults and robberies against mail carriers in Dallas and Fort Worth during a union rally at the United States Postal Service office in Dallas on Feb. 22, 2024.

    Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers gather to express their frustrations due to a rise in assaults and robberies against mail carriers in Dallas and Fort Worth during a union rally at the United States Postal Service office in Dallas on Feb. 22, 2024.


    Chris Torres

    ctorres@star-telegram.com

    Three Fort Worth men are facing federal prison time after they pleaded guilty to robbing a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier at gunpoint.

    Cedrick Eugene Mims, Danny Yogi Oriszul Powell and Cameron Kemond Gist pleaded guilty to robbery of property of the United States, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Powell entered his plea on March 6, Mims on March 13, and Gist on April 17.

    The three defendants committed the armed robbery of a mail carrier, identified in court documents by the initials C.S., in Fort Worth on Oct. 24, 2023, according to plea documents.

    Mims told investigators that he pointed a 39mm pistol at the victim and demanded “the key.” That referred to the employee’s “Arrow Key,” which is “a master key used by the U.S. Postal Service to gather mail deposited in blue collection boxes” and “is prized by mail thieves,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the release.

    The men admitted that they also stole a postal scanner and the keys to the letter carrier’s official vehicle, the release states. Powell drove the getaway car, and Gist provided the guns, according to the plea papers.

    At sentencing, Mims and Gist face up to 25 years in federal prison due to a dangerous weapon enhancement to their charges. Powell faces up to 10 years.

    The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Fort Worth Police Department.

    Related stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Amy McDaniel edits stories about criminal justice, breaking news and education for the Star-Telegram.

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    Amy McDaniel

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  • Creepy AF things people got in the mail that’ll give you nightmares (30 Photos)

    Creepy AF things people got in the mail that’ll give you nightmares (30 Photos)

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    Camry

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  • Netflix Announces End To DVD Mailing Service

    Netflix Announces End To DVD Mailing Service

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    Netflix announced it will be ending its DVD-by-mail rental service that set the stage for its trailblazing video streaming service, ending an era that began 25 years ago when delivering discs through the mail was considered a revolutionary concept. What do you think?

    “Did they invent some other way to watch movies at home?”

    Frank Rosen, Mitochondria Enthusiast

    Creepiest Ways Airbnb Owners Are Spying On You

    “Leave it to Netflix to cancel a brilliant thing people loved.”

    Derrick Trabucco, Lunch Innovator

    “Do people even consume media anymore?”

    Jocelyn Bobowski, Jumping Coach

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  • Dialodog, a New Life Management Application for Dog Owners, is Now Available

    Dialodog, a New Life Management Application for Dog Owners, is Now Available

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    A digital management app conjoined email and journaling features for canines and owners is out in April 2022

    Press Release
    –

    Apr 18, 2022


    SEOUL, South Korea, April 18, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Kickcrab, a tech startup based in Seoul, Korea, has recently launched its first project, Dialodog, in April 2022. Dialodog is a lifestyle mobile application for dog owners combining email and journaling apps. With Dialodog, owners can now create their custom email addresses using their dog’s name and breed and track their dog’s daily basis with an easy tapping system.

    The unique side of Dialodog comes from finding the balancing point between real life and life on the internet. By merging two different archiving services, email and journal, it is created to help dog owners who have trouble organizing scattered information and thoughts about their dogs. Decluttering digital spaces not only means clean storage, but it will also clear the thoughts and help to acquire the information owners need.

    Dognalized email, an email for your dog

    • Create a custom email address of your dog with their name and breed.
    • Store and manage every email that you receive for your dog.

    An easy recording system to track your dog’s daily business

    • A tracking diary of your dog’s daily basis.
    • The premise is very simple. No more typing but a few taps to complete your recording.
    • Record your dog’s body language by matching it with an icon.

    After the first launch, Kickcrab is set to update with new features: a forum for dog owners and an email helpline for missing pets. To learn more about Dialodog, visit www.dialodog.com

    Dialodog is only available on mobile (iOS, Android).

    iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dialodog/id1598230149

    Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kickcrab.com.mail

    Source: Kickcrab

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