Mailin’ It! - The Official USPS Podcast

What would happen to the mail - and the nation’s ability to communicate - if a major Cold War emergency struck? The U.S. government spent decades preparing for that possibility, and the Post Office Department became an important part of its civil defense plans.

Mailin’ It! hosts Karla and Jeff talk with USPS historian Steve Kochersperger and Smithsonian National Museum of American History military history curator Fr...

Returns have become a defining part of online shopping, with U.S. retail returns reaching an estimated $849.9 billion in 2025. In this episode of Mailin’ It, Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino explore how retailers can move beyond viewing returns as simply a cost and instead make them a strategic part of the customer experience.

Nagee Jackson, Director of New Business Acquisition at the U.S. Postal Service, explains why an effective ...

In this true-crime episode of Mailin’ It, hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino sit down with Postal Inspector Stefan Hinds to explore an investigation that began with a Hampton, Virginia, shooting and ultimately exposed a sophisticated identity theft and check fraud network. A search of an apartment uncovered cash, printers, phones and counterfeit checks, leading investigators to a broader scheme involving “card cracking,&...

How did the U.S. Postal Service help build the American West?

In this episode of Mailin' It, USPS Historian Steve Kochersperger takes us on a journey through 250 years of postal history, revealing how the movement of the mail helped shape the nation's growth, transportation systems, commerce, and even criminal investigations.

You'll hear incredible stories about:

• How postal workers secretly transported mail aboard early railr...

Step behind the scenes of a remarkable 90-plus year partnership between the USPS and the Library of Congress as NLS Director Jason Broughton shares how the Free Matter for the Blind program delivers specialized print and audio materials to millions of Americans with print disabilities. This episode goes through the evolution of the program’s technology stack and highlights the diversity of their 300,000-title collection.

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As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, this special episode of Mailin’ It! explores how the country’s history has been documented for over a century in the corner of envelopes. Hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino are joined by Smithsonian National Postal Museum Curator of Philately Daniel Piazza to examine how U.S. postage has evolved from simple delivery receipts into a "miniature scrapbook" that reflects...

When a mysterious company filed a fraudulent foreclosure claim due to an alleged unpaid $3.8 million loan on Graceland, it sparked one of the most audacious real estate schemes in recent history. In this True Crime episode of Mailin’ It!, hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino are joined by U.S. Postal Inspector Jan Bodón to uncover how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service foiled the plot to steal Elvis Presley’s iconic f...

When a package arrives at your door, it’s easy to focus on what’s inside rather than what it’s shipped in—but the United States Postal Service is working to change that. In this episode, our hosts sit down with USPS Chief Sustainability Officer Jennifer Beiro-Reveille to unpack how the Postal Service is helping boost the “circular economy” by keeping packaging waste out of landfills. Discover how...

What actually happens after you drop a letter in a blue collection box or click “ship” on a package? And why does tracking sometimes look confusing even when everything is moving as it should? In this episode of Mailin’ It!, hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino dive into the questions Postal Service customers ask most often and break down what is happening behind the scenes of the nation’s mail network. From pa...

In the midst of World War II, a massive mail backlog threatened to cut off news and hope for millions of American soldiers. With morale at a low point, the mission fell to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female unit deployed overseas. In this episode, our hosts are joined by retired U.S. Army Colonel Edna Cummings, who has championed the fight to bring their incredible stor...

What tech goes into powering a modern delivery network? Go beyond the iconic mail truck and into the world of technology-driven logistics and robotics at the postal service. Join the Mailin’ It! team as USPS’s VP of Applied Engineering Lina Malone pulls back the curtain on the organization’s massive tech innovations – from colossal, automated sorting hubs to a digital backbone that can predict failures befor...

In the capital of the Confederacy, wealthy socialite Elizabeth Van Lew had a secret. She was one of the Union’s most effective spymasters. From her family’s antebellum mansion in Richmond, Van Lew built a sophisticated intelligence network sharing vital information with Union generals, including Ulysses S. Grant. After the war, she was rewarded with a president...

What if you could hold a piece of the American story in the palm of your hand? In 2026, you can. This episode of Mailin’ It! takes you inside one of the most exciting stamp lineups in a generation—a collection that celebrates the vibrant, diverse, and ever-changing story of American life as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary. From the Revolutionary heroes who founded the nation to the cultural icons like Muhammad...

In an era where technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace, so are the methods of those who seek to exploit it. This episode of Mailin’ It! pulls back the curtain on the darker side of artificial intelligence, revealing how fraudsters are creating hyper-realistic scams that can fool even the most discerning eye. From voice clones that can mimic a loved one in distress to flawless phishin...

A neighbor goes missing. A stranger moves into his home. A web of forged documents untangles as the U.S Postal Inspection Service helps uncover the true story behind a shocking missing person case. Hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino, joined by Inspector Lyndon Versoza, reveal how a sophisticated fraud ring took over a man’s home after his disappearance, using his identity to orchestrate a sch...

Historian Jim Bruns discusses the Postal Service’s role in the Great Migration, a decades-long movement that saw millions of Black Americans leave the rural South for cities in the North in search of safety and opportunity. This episode explores how the Postal Service became a lifeline during this era, driving expansion in urban neighborhoods and creating new employment opportunities for Black Americans as one of the few...

In this episode, host Jeff Marino is joined by guests Elvin Mercado and Isaac Cronkhite to discuss how the Postal Service is prepared to deliver during its busiest time of year. Tune in for a deep dive into the planning, technology, staffing, and modernization efforts that will shape this year’s peak season. Hear how automated package processing systems and expanded equipment capacity are driving efficiency while improvements...

In this episode of Mailin’ It!, hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino explore how the next generation of marketers is discovering the impact of direct mail through the USPS Direct Effect program. They are joined by Carl Boettner, Postal Service Program Manager for Direct Effect, and Izzie Gerber, a student from UMass Amherst who recently completed the program. They discuss how Direct Effect introduces marketing students to d...

In this episode of Mailin’ It!, hosts Karla Kirby and Jeff Marino jump into the fast-paced world of e-commerce shipping with guest Heather Maday, Senior Director of Sales Enablement at the US Postal Service. Heather shares how USPS has transformed its operations to support today’s eCommerce economy, where shoppers expect speed, visibility, and value with every order. From data driven logistics and new fulfillment t...