Someone’s stealing checks from Philly mailboxes. Here’s what we know. | Morning Newsletter

Good morning from the Inquirer newsroom. The Philly region might see mittens trending hard today, and not just because the internet can’t stop milking the Bernie Sanders memes. Snow has arrived.

First: People are stealing thousands of dollars in checks from Philly mailboxes. We talked to victims who, all together, have lost at least $100,000. Whoever is breaking and entering mailboxes, it looks as if they have the keys. Here’s everything we know so far.

And: Mayor Jim Kenney is in a tough spot, and events have not fallen into place to help him. Can he avoid lame duck status?

Then: What should become of SEPTA Regional Rail in a world without commuters?

— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Burglars in a heist movie who rip off an art museum or a casino usually breeze right by the mail.

Not these thieves. People are breaking into blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in Philly and stealing thousands of dollars in checks. We talked to more than a dozen victims of these thefts, and all together, they’ve lost at least $100,000 in the last three months. More than a few individuals lost more than $15,000.

What’s more, this theft operation dabbles in stealing identities, too, and they’re handy with a forged signature. The fact that there’s no sign of physical damage to these mailboxes can tell us one likely thing: whoever’s doing this has the keys to get in, police and postal experts say.

As you have come to expect by now, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of a pandemic keeps our reporter Ellie Rushing from delivering you the mail news. And today, she has everything we know so far about who could be behind this.

It’s unlikely anyone would want to have the mayor’s job right now.

The pandemic threw Kenney’s goals for the city off course with somewhat related problems: the worsening COVID-19 pandemic and an economic depression. But he still wants to forge ahead to get everything he promised done. He’s up against a lot with the tasks at hand: invigorating the economy and confronting worsening gun violence.

With Sen. Pat Toomey retiring and Gov. Tom Wolf facing a term limit, some high seats will suddenly become vacant. He’s definitely considering a run for higher office next year. In his way: He’s lost some support over the city’s severe police response to protests, and he’s in the unenviable position of leading a city reeling from hardship.

With everything compounding, can he get Philly back in the right lane? We take a look at what he’s up against.

Now that is a great view. Thanks for sharing @20felipedaks.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

“In light of Schmidt’s announcement that he won’t seek reelection, it’s also worth taking a step back to note the strange circumstances under which the office found itself momentarily competent, and the unlikelihood it will stay that way,” — Jon Geeting, a PAC director, writes that now that uniquely competent Al Schmidt won’t seek reelection, we should eliminate the City Commissioners Office entirely.

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