skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Postage Shenanigans? - Favorite Mags Could Go Under

play audio
Play

Monday, April 23, 2007   


New York, NY - New Yorker's mailboxes could be looking a little empty later this year. The junk mail will still be there, but niche magazines about hobbies, gardening, cooking, and political analysis may be gone. Postal rate hikes get the blame as high as 30 percent for some. The Nation's Teresa Stack says that's enough to force many out of business. She thinks it's suspicious that the Postal Board of Governors set rates based on recommendations from publishing giants.

"It's crazy. They made all of these really ridiculous changes that the only way you can sort of justify them is that they help the big guys because the big guys were there with their high-priced lawyers. It's interesting that the United States Postal Service was against this proposal."

New York-based publishing giant Time Warner designed the new rate package for magazines, with the biggest hike reserved for smaller companies. Nick Eicher, publisher of World Magazine, a Christian weekly, says the hike is coming too quickly for magazines to pass the cost on to subscribers.

"We've asked the Postal Service to slow this thing down and think about the impact on us and other small magazines. Because of the monopoly power that the Postal Service has, there aren't really any alternatives."

The rationale for the change was that it's fairer, based on company shipping methods. Historically, smaller periodicals have gotten a break to encourage diversity of opinion and balance the advantage enjoyed by larger distributors. Last week, Illinois Rep. Danny Davis called for Congress to hold hearings on the plan because of concerns over job losses and the impact on freedom of speech.

Former Air America CEO Doug Kreeger believes the big postage rate hike for small magazines is another example of big corporations calling the shots in government.

“I don't think it's about magazines. I think it's about how this administration goes to the private sector all the time to solve its problems and the solutions are always self-serving, whether it's big oil, or energy, or whatever it is.”

The hearing will be scheduled in the U.S. House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service & the District of Columbia. Magazine rate hikes due to go into effect July 15.

Learn more about the issue at www.action.freepress.net.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Menhaden are forage fish species and filter feeders, each capable of filtering up to seven gallons of water per minute. (Photo of female Osprey with Menhaden/TRCP)

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

Environment

play sound

By Claire Elise Thompson for Grist.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Connection reporting for the Grist-Public News Service C…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021