Hansi Lowong

Anzila Wong, NPR News.

A black owner of rental properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area claimed U.S.

Postal Service workers led a, quote, campaign of racial harassment by refusing to deliver mail for her and her tenants for two years.

A federal judge threw out the lawsuit citing a law that protects USPS from being sued over, quote, any claim arising out of the loss, miscarriage, or negligent transmission of letters or postal matter.

But an appeals panel disagreed and found the law does not protect USPS when its workers intentionally refuse to deliver mail.

Now the Supreme Court has thrown out that ruling.

In its majority opinion, joined by all the conservative justices except Justice Neil Gorsuch, the court says it thinks that Congress likely wrote the law the way it did to, quote, better keep complaints about mail delivery out of court.

Anzila Wong, NPR News.

as NPR's Hansi Lowong reports.

It is a government agency, but the U.S.

Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars to keep running.

Instead, it relies on stamp and service fees.

December is usually the busiest mailing and shipping season of the year, but in 2012, it apparently wasn't busy enough.

because the Postal Service ended its first quarter of the fiscal year with a net loss of $1.3 billion, partly due to increases in workers' compensation, retiree health benefit, and operating expenses.

The chair of the Postal Service's governing board, Amber McReynolds, says Congress should allow USPS to increase prices beyond the current limits.

But many advocates of customers and businesses that rely on USPS are concerned raising prices won't help stabilize the agency.

Hansi Lewong, NPR News.

This is NPR.

The Supreme Court appears inclined to further weaken the Voting Rights Act.

In places where voting is racially polarized, the landmark law has helped ensure districts are drawn in a way that gives racial minority voters a chance of electing their preferred candidates.