US Postal Service puts Santa back on mailing list

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska senator says the U.S. Postal Service is resuming a program allowing volunteers to respond to letters sent to Santa Claus in care of the North Pole, Alaska, post office.

Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday that Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahoe told her in a phone call the agency has reconsidered its decision to not allow volunteers to answer the letters.

The program was suspended over privacy concerns.

Calls to the Postal Service were not immediately returned.

Murkowski says Donahoe said the program would resume in North Pole, but with some new security measures in place to protect the identities of children.