Hansi Lewong

The Surge in Charlotte began Saturday.

Even though it's a government agency, the U.S.

Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars and relies on stamp and service fees to keep running.

In the past fiscal year, USPS had a net loss of $9 billion.

That's down about a half billion dollars compared to the previous year, in part because of drops in transportation and workers' compensation expenses.

Postmaster General David Steiner says in the new year, he hopes to increase shipping services, especially in rural areas that private companies don't serve, and improve delivery times.

Starting in mid-January, the cost of shipping with USPS may go up between 5 and 8 percent, but a first-class Forever stamp is staying at 78 cents, at least for a few more months.

Hansi Lewong, NPR News.