✶✶✶✶ Happy Friday and Happy Chicago Day!

🌧️ Today's weather: Partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high of 70.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members MJ Garnier, Justin Kulovsek, Barbara Psimoulis and Kathy Sulzen!

Programming note: We are off on Monday for the holiday, but here are some ways to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. See you back here on Tuesday!

Today’s newsletter is 1,075 words — a 4-minute read.

The city is weighing legal action against Lincoln Park billionaire Barre Seid over claims that his nut-spreading operation is fueling a rat infestation around Green City Market, Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) says.

Why it matters: The infestation is causing property damage that could leave taxpayers on the hook for repairs, according to city documents.

• Plus, Knudsen says Seid's nut-spreading activities have expanded in recent months, even as the city has ramped up citations against him.

Of note: Seid has paid all the fines and tickets without contesting the violations.

Context: Seid, 94, made news in 2022 for donating $1.6 billion to a conservative political advocacy nonprofit run by Leonard Leo, in what is considered the biggest known political advocacy donation in U.S. history.

Catch up quick: "For more than three years," Seid has "hired individuals to place nuts, seeds and other foods around" his home, then expanded to Lincoln Park where they place food "around and in trees and throughout the park," a 43rd Ward document states.

• After years of citations, Knudsen issued a final warning letter to Seid in August, noting that "the feeding has created a public health hazard," attracting "flocks of pigeons, whose droppings have in turn attracted a significant rat infestation."

The other side: Seid — who owned Chicago's Tripp Lite electronics company — did not answer when Axios rang his doorbell Tuesday. A woman recently answered the door to a WGN crew but closed it without comment.

Between the lines: While the Seids aren't explaining their actions, the dishes of water and cracked nut shells Axios noticed on their porch Tuesday suggest they may just like feeding wildlife.

• This adds a new layer of complexity to Barre Seid's prodigious funding of climate denialism.

In the meantime: Knudsen is using the situation as a springboard for a campaign he's calling "Feed your neighbors not the rats" to support a local hunger nonprofit, Dignity Diner.

Go deeper

Terminix declared Chicago the sixth-most rodent-infested U.S. city this week, contradicting the No. 2 ranking Orkin gave our lovely burg last year.

Why it matters: The ratings expose the variable nature of data used to create the lists, but they also give us a chance to burrow — like a rat — into the process and offer some hot rodent tips.

What they're saying: "Both companies are looking at their own service data, so the rankings can differ based on each company's service footprint, customer base and methodology," entomologist and Terminix technical service manager Emory Matts tells Axios.

The intrigue: While talking further with Matts, we learned some weird and helpful things about rodents, including:

• Two of Chicago's biggest rat attractors this time of year "are poorly closed garbage cans or squash and pumpkin patches."
• While squirrels often store their food, rats eat on the spot, favoring "peach-flavored candy and strawberry-flavored protein shakes."
• Rodents "use their urine and feces as a message board like Nextdoor to let other mice know what's happening in the area … like hobo code."

The bottom line: Keep your garbage can closed tightly, avoid leaving peach-flavored candy around and take those rat lists with a grain of salt.

Share with your neighbors

⚾️ The White Sox head to Cleveland for Game 5 of the ALDS after the Guardians beat the Sox last night 9-5 at Rate Field. (Sun-Times)

🏛️ The family of Silverio Villegas González, who was killed by a federal agent, has filed a formal complaint against the federal government. (Tribune)

🚨 The fatal stabbing of a CTA worker yesterday at the Damen/Lake CTA Green Line stop incited workers' calls for better protections. (ABC 7)

The Chicago Marathon dominates the weekend, with specials, deals and festivities for runners and watchers.

Zoom in: Here's what you need to know about this Sunday's Chicago Marathon.

🚇 Getting around

🚌 CTA will provide extra service on Sunday and has a list of all the rerouted buses.

🚉 Metra will offer extra service on the Milwaukee District North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines, with expanded Sunday schedules on the BNSF and Union Pacific North lines.

🚙 Check out which streets are closed and when they reopen.

🍝 Where to eat before the race

Torali at the Ritz-Carlton: Find a special Chicago Marathon Weekend three-course prix fixe menu for $65, with greens, pasta and tiramisu.

Staytion Market & Bar: Build-your-own pasta bar all weekend for $29.

Osteria Via Stato: Enjoy a prix-fixe Marathon Dinner menu featuring ciabatta with roasted garlic, antipasti, pasta, entrées, and a special take-home treat for $48.95.

🥂 Where to drink and relax after the race

Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval: A complimentary beer or sparkling wine on Marathon Sunday and Medal Monday with purchase

Guinness Open Gate Brewery: The first 100 runners who drop in with their finisher medal will receive an exclusive Guinness pint glass pre-engraved with a special marathon symbol.

The Cookie Bar by Summer House: Runners can get any cookie for $3.

🗯️ Carrie's thought bubble: I love Marathon weekend as a celebration of hard work and community. Try to remember that when you get crabby in traffic.

Share with a runner

👋 Hey, it's Justin! I've had a lot of fun with the last couple of quizzes matching the landmark to the Chicago neighborhood. For today's quiz, let's branch out into the suburbs!

• I'll give you a landmark or popular location, and you tell me which town it resides in. Cool?

State of play: Last week's neighborhood quiz netted several winners. Congrats to Timothy A., Mary G., Kyle R. and Eulalia H.!

Take this week's quiz

Edited by Larry Graham.

📺 Carrie loved chatting with her City Cast Chicago for today's podcast and is looking forward to WTTW's "Week in Review" tonight. She's here, there, everywhere!

💃 Monica is super tempted to pop into the Chicago Opera Theater costume sale tonight at the Fine Arts Building.

🏝️ Justin is out.

Want more Axios Chicago content? Check out our Instagram for extra stuff to do, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more!