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They can’t find work after fleeing war | Morning Newsletter

And Septa’s new double-decker train cars.

Liliia Kravtsova was photographed in Warminster, Pa. on July 20, 2022. She fled the war in her Ukrainian homeland and is now living with relatives in the U.S.
Liliia Kravtsova was photographed in Warminster, Pa. on July 20, 2022. She fled the war in her Ukrainian homeland and is now living with relatives in the U.S.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
    by Evan Weiss
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

The heat wave continues with highs in the mid-90s and lows in the upper 70s. Stay cool!

Today, we’ll look at how many new Philadelphians from Ukraine can’t work because they can’t get job permits.

Then we’ll take a look at SEPTA’s new double-decker train cars.

If you see this 🔒 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Evan Weiss (@eaweiss, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Ukrainians fleeing war can’t get job permits in the U.S.

About 180,000 Ukrainians have fled to the United States for refuge. But, once they get here, they’re not permitted to work. The federal agency that processes work permits for immigrants had more than 1.5 million pending applications at the end of 2021.

That’s left Ukrainians struggling to pay for food and housing, and straining their relationships with friends and relatives who never envisioned hosting long-term dependents. It has made it impossible for newcomers to send money to help their families in the war zone, kept workers away from employers who are desperate to hire, and deprived local, state, and federal governments of tax revenue at a time of endless pandemic.

My colleague Jeff Gammage has the story.

What you should know today

  1. Philly puts a hold on water shutoffs during the heat emergency.

  2. Record-setting heat waves in cities across the U.S., U.K., and mainland Europe could punish economies already reeling from inflation.

  3. John Fetterman says he’s ”100%” fit to run after more than two months off the campaign trail recovering from a stroke.

  4. The U.S. Postal Service will make 40% of its new trucks electric, up from 10%.

  5. Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.

A look at SEPTA’s double-decker Regional Rail cars

Before the pandemic, SEPTA bought 45 double-decker coaches. They were supposed to begin field testing last year for use on Regional Rail lines, but, like many things, that was delayed by the pandemic.

They are now being built and we can see what they’ll look like, thanks to a photographer in China.

See the photos and read more about the new train cars here.

🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠

During this heat wave, what time of day is considered especially dangerous?

  1. Morning

  2. Afternoon

  3. Night

Take a guess and find the answer here.

What we’re …

🤔Learning: A new Pennsylvania law will make it easier for teachers from New Jersey and other states to work here.

📘Reading: A mom who says her daughter and niece were snubbed by Sesame Place’s Rosita speaks out and calls for the employee to be fired.

🤔Learning: How to minimize environmental impact down the Shore.

🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩

This Philadelphia park is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier.

QUORNAHS SWEATING

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. Today’s shoutout goes to Jan Dalina, who correctly guessed Cape May Brewing Co. as yesterday’s answer.

Photo of the day

Thanks for joining me. My colleague Matt Mullin will take it Friday. 👋