Good morning, Chicago.
When 101 people were laid to rest at Mount Olivet Cemetery yesterday, no family or friends were there to mourn them. Yet they were certainly not alone.
As cold sunshine flooded the cemetery, around 20 Catholic high school students stood sentinel in their uniforms by the wooden caskets, holding yellow roses and bowing their heads. Dozens of others had arrived to place flowers on the graves and pray for the deceased, in a group that included county officials, mortuary science students and representatives of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
A section of Mount Olivet Cemetery in the South Side neighborhood of Morgan Park is reserved as the final resting place for the unidentified and indigent dead of Cook County. Since 2012, individuals whose remains are not retrieved for burial by a family member have been brought to Mount Olivet for group funeral services at the Catholic cemetery.
And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Kamala Harris’ interview with Fox News is marked by testy exchanges over immigration and more
Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in a combative first interview with Fox News on Wednesday, sparring on immigration policy and shifting policy positions while asserting that if elected, she would not represent a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Harris’ interview with Fox’s Bret Baier marked her first foray onto the network, which is popular with conservative viewers, as she looked to broaden her outreach to GOP-leaning voters with less than three weeks until Election Day.
US agency adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission adopted a final rule that will require businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships.
The “click-to-cancel” rule will prohibit retailers and other businesses from misleading people about subscriptions and require them to obtain consumers’ consent before charging for memberships, auto-renewals and programs linked to free trial offers.
Brother of businessman convicted of bribing state officials gets 2 months in jail for lying to feds about Chicago mob connections
The brother of James Weiss, the politically connected business owner convicted of bribing two state elected officials, was sentenced to two months in jail Wednesday for lying to federal investigators about his brother’s mob contacts, including connections to notorious Outfit hit man Frank “The German” Schweihs.
Under federal scrutiny, Tiffany Henyard announces reelection bid for Dolton mayor
Elected to her first term in April 2021 as Dolton’s first Black female mayor, Tiffany Henyard has been the subject of federal subpoenas targeting her and an organization bearing her name meant to help cancer survivors.
Pedro Martinez defends CPS work to aldermen in contentious hearing
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez had the stage to himself Wednesday at City Hall, and used it to go on the offensive in his ongoing fight with Mayor Brandon Johnson over control of the city’s schools.
As expected, only Martinez — and none of the Chicago Board of Education nominees Johnson tapped in an apparent bid to get Martinez fired for refusing to borrow money to balance the school budget — showed up to the Education Committee meeting aldermen called to vet the mayor’s picks.
CPS marks second consecutive year of increased enrollment and ‘exponential progress’ in staffing
CPS has enrolled more than 325,300 students this school year, officials announced, marking the second consecutive year that the district marginally reversed a long-term trend of declining enrollment, common among public schools across the country.
Jerry Reinsdorf reportedly ‘in active discussions’ to sell the Chicago White Sox after worst season in franchise history
Chicago White Sox fans who chanted “Sell the team” at Guaranteed Rate Field this summer might get their wish after all.
Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and the late Eddie Einhorn led a group that purchased the Sox from Bill Veeck for $20 million in January 1981, and he has been the longest-tenured owner in the game for years.
Chicago Blackhawks ‘excited’ for home opener tonight — despite no movement in CHSN-Comcast negotiations
The Chicago Blackhawks will break out some new bells and whistles for fans at the home opener tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies in hotel fall
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
Homewood Brewing, created as a tribute to Juice Wrld, to open Friday
Homewood Brewing Co., a brewpub created by Carmela Wallace as a tribute to her son, the rapper known as Juice Wrld, will have a grand opening Friday and be open for a short window before regular operating hours begin.
‘Smile 2’ review: A pop star’s lot is not a happy one
The first “Smile,” from writer-director Parker Finn, came out in 2022, and in a less promising directorial debut its premise would’ve fallen apart around the third or fourth mirthless stare. Evil spirit, loose in the world, flits from human to human; unfortunate victim commits suicide in some heinous fashion in the presence of the next lucky customer; rinse, repeat. Simple, flexible idea, yes, but enough for a feature?
“Smile 2” goes in a newish direction, to frustrating mixed results — but it’s a mixed bag you can respect because it’s not hackwork and it’s trying new things, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
