Postal service plans to make cuts in deliveries

The U.S. Postal Service plans to change its schedule, and will likely cut Saturday deliveries, CNN reports. USPS plans to make the proposal Tuesday, which includes closing some branches and expanding the use of self-service kiosks. The plan is trying to get the USPS out of debt. USPS lost $3.8 billion in 2009 and the amount of mail was down 12.7%.

As of Sept. 30, USPS was $10 billion in debt and it expects to be in $15 billion in debt in 2011.

Postmaster General Jack Potter said the “macro change in society” has been the effect on the postal service. “All posts around the world are challenged, just as we are, by the diversion of hard copy to electronic medium," he said.

USPS has already changed its services, making $6 billion in cuts last year, which cut 40,000 employees and other expenses. Congress also passed legislation that cut retiree health benefits by $4 billion. USPS currently employs about 600,000 workers.

SU and ESF make a deal about employee tuition benefits

Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry have agreed that ESF employees will receive 85 percent of tuition bills free for their children, according to a recent article in the Post Standard.

Currently, ESF employees can send their children to SU without paying tuition, amounting to about $33,000. SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor had proposed eliminating the tuition-free benefit.

ESF president Cornelius Murphy sent employees e-mails Tuesday afternoon saying SU would pay for 85 percent of the tuition. Room and board is not covered.

This fall will be the last year that ESF employees’ children receive 100 percent tuition, as the 85 percent benefit applies next year. Employees hired after Sept. 1, 2010 will not get the benefit.

This plan will not happen until approved by the SU board of trustees later this month.

BBC says radio and Web coverage cuts will be made

The British Broadcasting Corporation said Tuesday it will cut two radio stations and spend less on Web coverage, MSNBC reports. 6 Music station, aimed at alternative music listeners, and Asian Network, aimed at people of south Asian descent, plan to be dropped. Half of the web pages BBC hosts and web spending overall will also be cut.

600 jobs could be cut, said broadcasting union Bectu. Bectu said about 600 million pounds, or $900 million, would be saved.