Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: After dozens of decomposing bodies were found inside a local funeral home, we hear from shocked and grieving families and look into the troubled history of the owners.
🗞️ Plus: A downtown skyscraper rises, the Bud Billiken Parade marches on and more news you need to know.
📝 Keeping score: The Cubs beat the Royals, 10-2; the White Sox bested the Guardians, 5-3; the Fire defeated Santos Laguna, 3-1; the Stars drew with Bay FC, 0-0.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
CHICAGO JIGSAW PUZZLE 🧩
Piece together history to reveal more about today’s photo from the Sun-Times archives.
TODAY’S WEATHER 🌧️
Mostly cloudy with a chance of more thunderstorms and a high near 84.
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
Families, neighbors shocked by discovery of decomposing bodies at funeral home
By Mohammad Samra, Cindy Hernandez, Kyra Senese, Sophie Sherry and Amy Yee
Harrowing scene: Latasha Johnson had given the eulogy and ended her mother’s funeral service at the South Chicago Chapel, 2939 E. 95th St., Thursday when Chicago police blocked her and her family’s vehicles. Not long after, officers found dozens of decomposing bodies inside the funeral home. Some were crammed into closets and in a nearby garage, police said. “I trusted them with my mom’s remains,” Johnson told the Sun-Times. The Cook County medical examiner’s office said it was assessing the remains of 56 people.
History of mishandling: The discovery of the bodies in the South Deering funeral home was not the first time Clark and Johanna Morgan, the business operators, were found to have mishandled remains. Last year, state officials shut down the Morgans’ Chicago Heights crematory amid allegations they had mishandled around 100 bodies there. Nearly two dozen lawsuits were filed against the Morgans, but they continued to operate South Chicago Chapel.
Man’s body released: Keith Allen Young’s funeral was supposed to be Friday. Instead, his family spent part of the day at the medical examiner’s office trying to locate his body because the funeral home never delivered it to the church. As officials work to identify the bodies removed from South Chicago Chapel, Young’s sister said the family learned on Saturday that his body could finally be released.
Cemetery investigated: In an unrelated investigation, the Illinois comptroller’s office announced it’s looking into Bohemian National Cemetery after a tip last month led officials to find equipment failures and remains being improperly stored.
EDUCATION AND POLITICS ✶
- CPS’ money needs: Chicago Public Schools needs about $1.9 billion more from the state to provide an adequate education, a gap that has grown over the past two years, according to data released by state education officials.
- Back-to-school spending: As CPS students return to class Aug. 24, K-12 parents, surveyed by Deloitte, expect to spend a whopping $794 per child on back-to-school items this year, up 7% year over year — putting Chicago parents’ spending 35% higher than the national average, $557 per child.
- Examining ties: Two political campaign firms with close ties to men with public corruption convictions have gotten business in recent years in Chicago and statewide political races, including the current race for Chicago School Board president and more than $1.5 million from Gov. JB Pritzker in his gubernatorial campaigns, records show.
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN 🏗️
Exterior construction wraps up at the first of two towers at 400 N. Lake Shore
Reporting by Lee Bey
What we see is what we get: After more than two years, exterior construction wrapped up late last month on the 72-story skyscraper at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive, with the installation of the building’s last piece of facade glass. Chicagoans can now see what the 857-foot-tall residential tower will look like from the outside once completed.
Key context: Until the current project kicked off in 2024, the site was best known for the Chicago Spire, the circular 75-foot-deep crater left there when a previous plan to build a spiraling 2,000-foot-tall building went belly up in 2008.
What’s next: The current plan calls for a 60-story near-twin tower to be built 75 feet to the south. But construction on the second building won’t begin until at least a year after the current tower is fully leased — and if real estate market forces are charitable.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- ‘Other Washingtons’ at project: In a new public art project, Amanda Williams has mounted flags and banners around the South Side statue of former President George Washington, honoring everyone from Harold Washington to stars Denzel, Kerry and Dinah, plus everyday Chicagoans, like longtime King College Prep band director Benjamin Washington.
- Woman sues CTA guards: Private security guards stood by last year, appearing to do nothing, as a CTA fare evader knocked over a 61-year-old nurse, fracturing her leg, according to the woman’s lawsuit.
- Flu shot urged: The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging children ages 6 months and older to receive this year’s flu shot. The Illinois-based organization is making the recommendation before any federal agencies release their own guidelines for the upcoming flu season.
- Bally’s hits pause: The company said work on parts of its permanent casino development in River West would stop. At issue: the city’s budget lifted a ban on video gambling terminals that Bally’s argues hurts them and violates their host agreement.
- Luxury apartment plans: Two Chicago real estate companies’ plan to demolish the former Torstenson Glass building in Lake View and build luxury apartments.
MUST-READ COMMENTARY 🗣️
- Rich Miller: Questions still remain as Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch discusses sexual harassment allegations against former Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield.
- Letter to the Editor: Decades-old mistreatment of Japanese Americans reverberates with our country’s current policies, write Michael Harada and Barbara Takei.
- Alden Loury: Without housing on the South and West sides, Chicago’s Black communities won’t grow.
- Ralph Martire: Chicago Public Schools’ budget challenges Springfield to pay up, as Illinois falls further behind its 2017 funding commitment.
ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
- AI guidance: A panel of experts discusses how AI affects our learning, and how students, teachers and parents are navigating the rapidly changing landscape.
- What’s That Building?: Dennis Rodkin of Crain’s Chicago Business joins the show for this recurring segment, today highlighting Margaret Burroughs Beach and the 31st Street Harbor building.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
- What are you voting for?: The 2026 General Election is less than three months away. What issues are driving you to the polls? Callers weigh in.
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀🏈⚾🏒
- Fever pitch: Things got tense at the United Center Saturday, where the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham drew dueling protests outside. Inside, DiJonai Carrington was ejected after a hard foul on Cunningham. Sun-Times Sky beat reporter Alissa Hirsh zoomed out to share some perspective on the Cunningham conversations.
- Bears analysis: The team’s defensive injuries in training camp show how thin their margin is this season, writes Jason Lieser.
- Playoff prep?: Bumped to the bullpen by the Cubs’ trade-deadline additions, Colin Rea is getting time to prepare for a possible playoff role.
- Sox’ team player: Pitching coach Zach Bove said the team expects Noah Schultz, whom they optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, to pitch for them later in the year and hopefully in the playoffs.
- Rookie gets ready: Here’s how Blackhawks rookie Anton Frondell, 19, is preparing to play center in the NHL.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today’s clue: 8A: Red Line stop between Jarvis and Loyola
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
Bud Billiken Parade marks 97 years of tradition
Reporting by Cindy Hernandez
Hundreds gathered along Martin Luther King Drive Saturday morning to watch the Bud Billiken Parade step off in Bronzeville and march into Washington Park.
In its 97th year, the Bud Billiken is one of the largest and longest-running parades in the country. Founded in 1929 by Robert Sengstacke Abbott, publisher and founder of the Chicago Defender, the parade was created to celebrate Black children and their achievements.
The parade features marching bands, floats, dance teams, community organizations and youth groups. The route, roughly two miles long, started at Pershing Road and headed south down King Drive toward Washington Park, ending at Garfield Boulevard.
In addition to the local and state politicians who marched in the parade, this year’s Grand Marshal was actress LisaRaye McCoy.
Paradegoers told the Sun-Times the Bud Billiken is both a back-to-school tradition and a celebration of South Side pride.
Jasmine and Devon Hughes, both 33, said they attended the parade as children and always had a good time. Saturday marked the first time they brought their two young children, continuing the tradition with the next generation.
“It’s a blessing that it’s gone on for so long, and hopefully it can go another 97 years without the tradition being broken,” Devon Hughes said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu
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