Threat Assessment: October 3-7

AGAINST US

USPS plan to save itself: junk mail

The beleaguered U.S. Postal Service is trying to stave off a shutdown by increasing "standard mail," also known as the bulk mailings of catalogs and other marketing materials. The volume of first-class mail, which includes birthday cards, thank-you notes and the like, continues to fall as advertising mail is on the rise. The U.S. has been easing mailing rules and running reduced-priced promotions to encourage marketers. "What we want to do is to make standard mail more interesting for customers so we can grow the total volume," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told reporters. "We don't call it junk mail—it's a lucrative avenue for anyone who wants to reach customers." [Wall Street Journal]