U.S. Postal Service seeks hike in price of first-class mail stamps to 82 cents in July

TheU.S. Postal Service, citing what it called a "severe financial crisis," on Thursday announced a proposed set of price hikes across its mail products, which would include a four-cent increase on First-Class MailForever stamps. The increases, if approved, would lead to a first-classstampcosting 82 cents, effective July 12. The agency's proposal to thePostal Regulatory Commissionwould increase costs to mail letters and postcards by 4.8% if approved. The proposal comes weeks after the Postal Service proposed instituting an 8%fuel surchargefor package and express mail deliveries to help offset r