Agency may cut back on mail delivery: Postmaster General John Potter said today the financially strapped U.S. Postal Service will run out of money this year without help from Congress. The only lingering question, Potter told a House subcommittee, is which bills will get paid and which will not. He did say ensuring the payment of workers’ salaries comes first. But Potter also said other bills may have to wait. Potter’s appearance came as the agency, which has lived on a reputation of serving through wind, rain and all sorts of obstacles, seeks permission to reduce mail delivery to five days a week. It also wants to change the way retiree health benefits are amassed to save money. The Postal Service was $2.8 billion in the red last year and is facing even larger losses this year due to a sharp decline in mail volume in the weak economy. Potter broached the possibility of cutting mail delivery from six days to five in January, but the idea has not been warmly received in Congress.
Taking over Texas: IberiaBank plans to open up a full-service branch in Houston. The Lafayette-based bank has hired a veteran banker away from Whitney National Bank to run the Houston office. Kevin Rafferty, who was a commercial lending manager in New Orleans, has left his job as manager of Whitney’s Houston group to run the new office.
What not to eat: Men’s Health has evaluated 66 national chain restaurants and graded them for healthy eating options. Some of the results are surprising: McDonalds scored a B+ and Popeyes got a B because of healthy menu items and low-calorie sandwiches. The worst grades went to sit-down casual dining chains such as Chili’s, which earned a D, and Romano’s Macaroni Grill, which got a D-. Applebee’s, Outback Steakhouse, IHOP and T.G.I. Friday’s got an F for not disclosing nutritional information. Read the report cards here.
