Afghan evacuees land in Philly | Morning Newsletter

Happy last Sunday of August, readers of the Inquirer Morning Newsletter. Here’s what you should know today.

Afghan refugees have landed in Philadelphia. Hundreds are expected to come here over the weekend as they flee the Taliban takeover of their country. Officials in the region said they would do everything possible to ensure a “safe haven” for the evacuees. “My heart, my mind, everything is out there in Kabul,” one evacuee said, whose name is withheld for safety reasons. “The Taliban are searching every home. What’s going to happen to my family?”

A New Jersey military base is set to shelter thousands of Afghan evacuees. It’s one of four across the country designated for this purpose.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with reporter Jenn Ladd about her work covering the food community in the Philly region.

What is your favorite part about covering food?

“Food” as a topic can be a springboard to anything: It can lead you to a recipe, sure, but it also threads through business stories, profiles, reflections on culture, even love stories. Sometimes food is just about food, but more often than not, it’s really about people. P.S. My mom is always hoping I’ll write about something other than food, but it really is my métier.

What’s something you learned through your reporting?

What a labor of love most restaurants and bars are to their owners and the people who work in them. It’s such a tough, low-margin business, and both physically and mentally demanding — after some interviews, it feels like most people in hospitality really stick with it almost in spite of themselves. Usually it’s because they really love transporting people through the experience of good food, drink, and conversation.

What are some things you’re keeping an eye on for your coverage in the coming weeks?

I’m curious to see how, if at all, the end of much-talked-about federal unemployment benefits this week affects the labor shortage, particularly in the restaurant industry. We’ll see what develops over September. Also, not for my own coverage, per se, but I’ll be paying attention to football season (looking forward to eating wings)!

What are a few recently published stories of yours that you’re proud of?

I was very happy with how my story on restaurant workers’ thoughts about the labor shortage and changes needed in the industry turned out. It took a long time to report and write, but I think it captured almost everything I wanted it to. For lighter pieces, my profile of South Jersey’s foraging/gardening bartender Danny Childs or a look inside York, Pa.’s 150-year-old animal cracker factory.

What’s your favorite cooking show or channel? Or what else might you do in your free time?

Not too many cooking shows in my queue, though I’ve binged on Great British Baking Show. I’m more inclined to dramas — at the moment, we’re hooked on the PBS Masterpiece detective series Endeavour.

Email Jenn Ladd at jladd@inquirer.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @jrladd.

There’s always the next sunrise to look forward to. Thanks for sharing!

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!

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the U.S. And the Philly region was under a flash flood watch this weekend. If your house floods, no matter when it happens, you can rest assured you’re not the only one dealing with this. You’ll want to start with documenting, disinfecting and preventing mold. Here are the steps to take.