Netflix can't be happy

Mail that birthday card earlier: U.S. Postal Service plans to halt guarantee ofnext-day delivery

Rendering of a Seattle's Best Coffee drive-thru.
Photo courtesy of Seattle's Best Coffee
We'll soon see this logo at 15 stores around Dallas-Fort Worth.
Photo courtesy of Seattle's Best Coffee

Next day delivery through the U.S. Postal Service will soon be a thing of the past as the mail carrier announced Monday they will no longer guarantee arrival of first-class stamped mail within one to three days. The shift comes amid threats of bankruptcy and is part of a broader plan to reduce costs by $20 billion within three years.

In addition to slowing first class delivery, the USPS plans to eliminate all Saturday deliveries, shortening the mail week to just five days. The newest cuts will eliminate $3 billion from the ailing service’s $14.1 billion deficit, closing nearly half of all mail processing centers and removing an additional 28,000 jobs from the nation’s already dismal workforce.

Netflix is already struggling to keep its DVD-by-mail service afloat, and an extra day or two added to delivery times is sure to further stunt growth in that portion of the company’s business.

The changes are potentially harmful, as recognized by S&P Capital IQ analyst Jim Corridore in a story by NPR, in which he points out, "Over time, to the extent the customer service experience gets worse, it will only increase the shift away from mail to alternatives. There's almost nothing you can't do online that you can do by mail."

Corridore’s concern is well placed: In a market that is increasingly moving towards the Internet and a youth that mostly refers to physical mail with nostalgia, where does the USPS fit in? Now that delivery will be slowed to two to three days, even some of the baby-boomer hold-outs must be considering the possibility of abandoning physical mail for services like bill payment or during tax season.

Not to say physical mail is obsolete — not by any stretch of the word. Many people, especially those in more rural areas, are dependent on the speedy, reliable delivery of prescription medicine directly to their homes. But with slower service and the loss of an entire business day, some residents might see their shipments delayed an entire week.

And what about businesses that depend on delivering time sensitive packages directly to customer’s residences? Netflix is already struggling to keep its DVD-by-mail service afloat, and an extra day or two added to delivery times is sure to further stunt growth in that portion of the company’s business.

Printed publications such as Time or USA Today that rely on expedient home delivery will surely face higher operating costs, ensuring the timely arrival of their already “day-late” offerings. If any of these organizations are forced to privatize their shipment method, the USPS stands to lose even more business, and at this stage, it literally cannot afford any revenue loss.

Even though the physical delivery of mail is less relevant now than it was just 50 years ago, shrinking the Postal Service will effect a much broader portion of the nation than just those who prefer to send a hand written letter over a typed out e-mail. From corporations to citizenry, the impact of these cuts seem to have a more profound effect than just forcing customers to conduct their business online.

It’s impressive to think that for over 40 years, one could send a piece of paper anywhere in the United States and have it arrive the next day for under 50 cents. Now that next day delivery is going away, and with the vast amount of debt still facing the U.S. Postal Service, how much longer can the government viably support the independent agency?

It’s disappointing that such a revolutionary, long-standing American tradition might disappear, but with billions of dollars to make up by 2015 and all of the low cost alternatives available, mail appears to be on its last leg.

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The U.S. Postal Service’s full press release can be read here.

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hottest headlines of 2025

Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025

Photo by Wilson Parish

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Editor’s note: As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. In our City Life section, readers will notice several of our local universities earned high praise from prestigious global and national publications. Houston's sprawling suburbs continued to skyrocket in popularity for their livability and safety, and no top-10 list is complete without mentioning the city's wealthiest residents. Read on for the top 10 Houston City Life stories of 2025.

1. 2 Houston universities named among world’s best in 2026 rankings. These two high-performing local institutions – Rice University and University of Houston – are in a class of their own, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026. QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) compiles the prestigious list each year; the 2026 edition includes more than 1,500 universities from around the world.

2. Richard Kinder is Houston's richest billionaire in 2025, Forbes says. The Kinder Morgan chairman is the 11th richest Texas resident right now, and ranks as the 108th richest American. Kinder also dethroned Tilman Fertitta to claim the title as the wealthiest Houstonian.

3. 2 Houston neighbors shine as top-10 best places to live in the U.S. Pearland and League City, respectively, claimed No. 3 and No. 6 in U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings. The 2025-2026 rankings examined 250 U.S. cities based on five livability indexes: Quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.

4. 5 Houston suburbs deemed best places to retire in 2026 by U.S. News. The Woodlands and Spring should be on the lookout for an influx of retirees next year, U.S. News predicts. Three more Houston-area neighbors also ranked among the top 25 best places to retire in America.

5. Activist group calls out Houston highway as a 'freeway without a future'. A May 2025 report from Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) included Houston's Interstate 45 expansion on its list of highways with infrastructure that is "nearing the end of its functional life." CNU claims further expansion of Houston's highway system could eventually lead to the loss of the city's bayous, while also diminishing the remaining flood-absorbing land.

6. 10 things to know about America's first Ismaili Center opening in Houston. After nearly 20 years in the making, the long-awaited Ismaili Center, Houston finally opened its doors to the public. The 11-acre site was painstakingly designed and constructed to offer indoor and outdoor public spaces for all Houstonians to enjoy, connect, and engage.

7. Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta asking $192 million for superyacht. Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets and restaurant and hospitality conglomerate Landry's, decided to sell his 252-foot yacht, named Boardwalk, to make room for an even larger superyacht he is expected to receive in April 2026. Among numerous luxurious amenities, Boardwalk also features a helipad.

8. 2 Houston neighbors rank among America's safest suburbs in 2025. Spring came in at No. 19 and West University Place followed at No. 21 in SmartAsset's August 2025 study, which is the first time the two Houston suburbs have made it into the top 25.

9. Houston is one of America's most overpriced cities, study finds. This likely isn't a surprise to some Houstonians. The study, conducted by Highland Cabinetry, said Houston "struggles with heavy pollution and underwhelming income levels."

10. 9 Houston universities make U.S. News' 2025 list of top grad schools. Among the newcomers this year are Houston Christian University and Texas Southern University. HCU's graduate education school ranks No. 21 in Texas, and TSU has the 10th best law school in the state.

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