No mail, other closures: NPR

Mail delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, Neb., in August 2020.

Nati Harnik/AP

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Nati Harnik/AP

Many businesses are closed and services are suspended Thursday, a national day of mourning in honor of former President Jimmy Carter.

President Joe Biden declared 9 Jan a holiday and called on Americans to “gather that day in their respective places of worship” to honor Carter.

As the nation bids farewell to the 39th President of the United States during a funeral service in Washington, DC United States Postal Service says it is suspending postal service on Thursday and post offices will be closed. But the Postal Service says there will be limited package deliveries so it “does not experience any negative impact on its package delivery operations.”

Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are also closed. The rare shutdown of Wall Street for a US president did not occur until 1865 after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Wall Street’s observance of honoring deceased presidents has continued, with the most recent shutdown being in 2018 following the death of former President George HW Bush.

Many US government agencies and executive departments are also closed due to an executive order signed by Biden. But some offices must remain open and certain employees must work “for reasons of national security, defense or other public needs,” according to the executive order.

Chief Justice John Roberts have also ordered The High Court building will remain closed on Thursday. And some national monuments and parks are closed, according to the National Park Service.

NPR’s Maria Aspan contributed to this report.