Texas National Guard troops have arrived in the Chicago area after being mobilized by the Trump administration to protect federal assets and federal law enforcement while they conduct raids as part of "Operation Midway Blitz."

The big picture: Of the states that could send troops to Illinois during this emergency deployment, it's not surprising that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott kindly obliged to the president's request.

Why it matters: It's another battle in the ongoing political feud between Gov. JB Pritzker and Abbott that started as rhetoric but has more recently turned into actionable resentment and contempt.

What they're saying: "You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it," Abbott said in a social media post, referring to Chicago and Illinois' pushback against the National Guard.

The other side: "Gov. Abbott should stay the hell out of Illinois' business," Pritzker shot back in a recent press conference.

Flashback: Abbott bused over 30,000 migrants from Texas to Chicago from 2022 to 2024 without any coordination with state and city officials. The move was criticized by Pritzker, Johnson and other Illinois Democrats as a political stunt.

• Pritzker called Abbott reckless, while Abbott said Pritzker was a "hypocrite."

Zoom in: Pritzker inflamed the feud this summer when he harbored Democratic Texas state legislators who were fleeing the state to avoid a vote on mid-census redistricting.

What we're watching: A judge is expected to rule Thursday whether the National Guard's deployment to Illinois is legal.

• If the ruling falls in line with other recent court decisions, the guard could have a brief stay in Chicago, making it just the latest salvo between two states with big beef.

Go deeper

The Cubs had a rough start to the National League Division Series, losing the first two games of the best-of-five series in Milwaukee.

The latest: The series turns to Chicago this afternoon, where the Cubs hope some home cooking can keep them from being eliminated.

The big picture: For fans, last week's wild-card round was must-watch baseball, not just on television but inside Wrigley Field. Over 120,000 spectators flooded the historic stadium.

State of play: The price of tickets for Wednesday's game is already hovering around $250 on Ticketmaster for verified resale, with some seats reaching $1,000 in the box sections behind the dugouts.

Zoom in: Parking, which is a premium in the surrounding neighborhood, is also much more expensive come playoff time. If you want to snag one of the coveted neighborhood garage spots, they went for $80–$120 during the last series.

• And don't forget about Wrigley Field itself. Beer and alcohol prices are pricier in the playoffs. This also happened during the Cubs' World Series run in 2016.

Read more

✈️ Air traffic controllers at O'Hare called in sick yesterday, causing flight delays. The FAA says passengers should expect more delays as the federal shutdown continues. (Axios)

🎨 Arts and Culture commissioner Clinée Hedspeth has resigned after 18 months on the job. (WBEZ)

🗳️ Jesse Jackson Jr. has officially launched his comeback bid for his old congressional seat. He resigned in 2013 before being convicted and imprisoned for stealing campaign funds. (Axios)

🏒 The Blackhawks lost their season opener against the Florida Panthers, 3-2. (Tribune)

The numbers "6" and "7" have become an efficient generational litmus test — if the digits inspire an echo and a hand gesture you're likely Gen Alpha, and if you're thinking that 7 "8" 9, you're probably not.

Catch up quick: "6-7" comes from the rapper Skrilla's song "Doot Doot," in which he repeats "six-seven."

• A popular TikTok video shows a child at a basketball game yelling "6-7" into the camera right before a player makes a basket.
• The hand motion he makes in the video frequently accompanies the invocation of the phrase as a call-and-response, e.g. a teacher says "6-7," and students repeat the phrase, hand gestures and all.

"There is no real meaning to it," content creator Philip Lindsay explains in one TikTok video. "It is a number that is fun to say, popularized by a meme with the hand motions, and it just doesn't mean anything."

What they're saying: Some teachers have taken to social media to express their frustration that the phrase can derail lessons, with some claiming they've outright banned it from their classrooms.

• "We are not saying the word '6 7' anymore," one teacher posted herself saying to her class on TikTok. "If you do, you have to write a 67 word essay about what the word means, and if you do it again, another 67 word essay, and after five times if you still do it, your essay is going to bop up to 670 words."

More on the trend

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

Just Dance: Lady Gaga Nite at Subterranean on Oct 19: Dance the night away to the hits of Lady Gaga and more, with tracks from Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Miley, and others. Nonstop pop anthems for an unforgettable party. $0-$20.98.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Hundreds of girls and young women will meet Saturday for Chicago Day of the Girl to learn leadership skills, celebrate one another and have fun.

The big picture: LaKeisha Gray-Sewell hosted the first Chicago Day of the Girl in 2012 as part of her organization Girls Like Me Project Inc., which was inspired in part by the United Nations declaring Oct. 11 "International Day of the Girl."

Flashback: About 15 years ago, Gray-Sewell was volunteering with her son's fourth grade class in Hyde Park when she noticed that girls in the class were mirroring some of the unsupportive and mean behavior they saw on reality TV.

• Gray-Sewell and another mom started eating lunch with the girls each week and taking them on field trips to offer a more positive behavioral example.

Zoom in: Attendees to Saturday's Day of the Girl will practice yoga, learn hip hop dance and learn tips for how to advocate for better resources for public health and environmental justice, and dig into urban planning.

How to attend