Neither snow nor rain: The United States Postal Service will end Saturday delivery for first-class mail this summer, Postmaster General Patrick Donahue announced this morning. Package delivery, which has seen growth in recent years as online purchasing booms, will continue. Donahue calls the plan, which will save an estimated $2 billion annually, an “important part of our strategy to return to financial stability.” The plan also calls for the elimination of 22,500 jobs. More details can be found in the full story here.
Absorbing it: BP was ineligible for new contracts worth up to $1.9 billion to provide fuel to the federal government this year because of the suspension imposed over the company’s conduct in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, records show. The Houston Chronicle reports BP has been a major supplier of fuel to the U.S. military, but the Environmental Protection Agency suspended it from government contracts in November after prosecutors socked BP with criminal charges, including a Clean Water Act violation, related to the spill. A BP spokeswoman declined to comment on the contracts that were awarded to other companies. The full story is here.
Community chest: Scottie dog has a new nemesis on the Monopoly board. Fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced today. The results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens, and by businesses eager to capitalize on publicity surrounding pieces that represent their products. Read the full story here.
Today’s poll question: Which of the classic Monopoly pieces is your favorite?
