Not paying teens is an ‘open secret’ | Morning Newsletter

Go get that umbrella because there’s a 70% chance of showers. However, that doesn’t mean lower temperatures, so still opt for shorts as we will have a high of 83.

In today’s newsletter:

💰 Delayed paychecks: Philly organizations band together to call out a nonprofit for not paying teen workers on time.

🚌 Bus routes: SEPTA may add bus service to the Navy Yard to ease traffic.

🔎Spy planes: The planes, first deployed by the CIA, took pictures all over the world from 70,000 feet during the height of the Cold War and are on display at the Penn Museum.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

That initial paycheck from your first job. Feels other-worldly, right? Waiting out that two-week time period, mentally planning what you’ll do with your newfound fortune. Regardless of the amount, it feels official seeing the reward of your labor.

But for many teens this summer, that first check came with a sour taste — because it came much later than originally planned.

A half-dozen organizations are speaking out against the Philadelphia Youth Network, an Old City-based nonprofit they say is failing to pay teen workers on time.

“I don’t know any adults who would come back to work after not getting paid their first two weeks on the job,” said Rebecca Fabiano, executive director of Fab Youth Philly. “This is their very first job experience for most young people. And we are inadvertently teaching them that we don’t care about them.”

It wasn’t uncommon for teens to wait weeks, sometimes longer, to be paid for work this summer. When they don’t get paid, Fabiano said, she had to assist in transporting teens and even buying them food to make sure they were eating lunch.

But, the pay issues have a lasting impact on young workers and their ability to trust systems.

Our reporter Marina Affo dives into the pay issues and their lasting impact on young workers.

The Taliban has Karimi’s 18-year-old son and is starving him.

She’s 7,000 miles away in Philadelphia, after the U.S. military evacuation of Afghanistan while her son is tortured because his parents fought for the Americans.

“My brain is not working,” said Karimi, who asked to be identified only by her last name for security reasons. “I forget everything. Sometimes I’m thinking and nothing is in my brain, because I’m worrying too much.”

Nationalities Service Center, a resettlement agency in Philadelphia, is trying to help evacuees such as Karimi with Afghan peer-wellness liaisons who provide emotional support and encouragement. About a third of people NSC resettled are separated from a close family member. Many clients benefit from traditional methods such as therapy and medication but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Reporter Jeff Gammage uncovers what it takes to help people such as Karimi move forward in their transition to America.

High-flying U-2 spy planes from the CIA photographed aerial images all over the world beginning in 1956 during the Cold War. The Penn Museum has a small exhibit featuring the trove on view until the fall of 2023.

Question: Which president declassified the images?

A. Barack Obama

B. George Bush II

C. Bill Clinton

D. George Bush I

Think you know? Take a guess and find the answer here.

❓Wondering: When did going down the Shore for a beach day require so much stuff?

❤️ Swooning: Over this couple’s five-decade love story.

📰 Reading: This NPR explainer of “quiet quitting,” which may be a misnomer for simply having healthy boundaries at work.

Philadelphia will be featured in the next season of this popular Netflix series.

BIDDLE FEMS PHOOEY

Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shoutout to a reader at random who answers correctly.

... And that’s your Monday. I’m off for my first cup of green tea with honey ☕. Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer.