🪧 It's Tuesday. On this day in 1910, 16 women walked out of Hart, Schaffner, and Marx's (HSM) Shop No. 5, and launched a months-long garment-worker strike.

⛅ Today's weather: Chance of showers with a high of 63.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Ruth Holst and Eric Smith-Schellhorn!

🍽️ Bring a friend — or make a few new ones. Join other Axios readers at dinner on Oct. 6 at hand-picked restaurants. Pull up a chair.

Situational awareness: Today is the first day of fall and the peak day to see Chicagohenge, when the sun sets between the buildings downtown.

Today's newsletter is 1,107 words — a 4-minute read.

President Donald Trump will make his way to the Chicago area this week for the first time during his current term.

The latest: The Presidents Cup runs Thursday through Sunday at Medinah Country Club in the northwest suburbs, with Trump serving as honorary chairman. Practices and fan activities begin today.

Why it matters: Trump's visit comes amid an adversarial relationship with Chicago and Illinois leaders.

State of play: Trump has repeatedly criticized the city over crime, immigration and its Democratic leadership, while the city and state have challenged his administration in court.

• The relationship has become so contentious that Gov. JB Pritzker said Trump is "neither wanted here nor needed here."

Reality check: The Presidents Cup has a long tradition of naming world leaders honorary chairman. Previous U.S. presidents to hold the role include Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

The big picture: The Presidents Cup is a biennial team golf competition that pits 12 top U.S. players against 12 international players from outside Europe.

Context: This is the first Presidents Cup held in the Chicago area, though Medinah famously hosted the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Fun fact: No other club in the world has hosted a U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and now the Presidents Cup.

Flashback: Trump's appearance will be his first public visit to the Chicago area since October 2024, when he addressed the Economic Club of Chicago during his presidential campaign.

Keep reading

Alexi Giannoulias has amassed a $22 million fundraising haul, more than the rest of Chicago's 2027 mayoral field combined, a new analysis of state campaign finance records shows.

Driving the news: The Institute for the Public Good, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, released a study yesterday titled "Who Is Funding Chicago's Mayoral Candidates?"

By the numbers: Giannoulias has raised more than the other 14 candidates combined since the 2023 mayoral runoff, according to the report.

• Alexi Giannoulias: $22.2 million
• Brandon Johnson: $3.5 million
• John Kelly: $2.5 million
• Susana Mendoza: $2.3 million
• Joe Holberg: $1.2 million

Yes, but: The totals include money raised since the 2023 mayoral runoff, not just contributions for the 2027 mayoral race.

Between the lines: Giannoulias' fundraising is dominated by unions, large donors and businesses, while Johnson has raised the most small-donor money in absolute dollars ($482,000). Small donors represent 14% of Johnson's total, compared with less than 2% for Giannoulias.

Of note: The Institute for the Public Good's current data includes only contributions over $1,000 since July 1. Smaller donations from July through September will be added after quarterly reports are filed in October.

Flashback: Money hasn't guaranteed victory in recent Chicago mayoral elections. Paul Vallas outraised Johnson in 2023, and 2019's top fundraiser, Bill Daley, didn't even make the runoff.

Go deeper

🦵 Bears QB Caleb Williams' MRI revealed no severe damage to his strained hamstring. The Bears consider Williams "week to week," and while he hasn't been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Eagles, coach Ben Johnson said he's likely to miss time. (Tribune)

🐳 A third beluga whale rescued from a shuttered Canadian marine park has died at the Shedd Aquarium. Osiris, a 26-year-old female, had been under close medical observation since arriving in Chicago in July. (ABC 7)

🚨 Chicago has postponed today's full launch of its new 911 dispatch system amid concerns from dispatchers and alders. Instead, the city will begin a testing phase while continuing to use its existing system for real-time dispatching. (NBC 5)

💉 Gov. JB Pritzker revealed for the first time publicly that he lost 80 pounds, in part with the help of GLP-1 medication. He says a diabetes diagnosis kicked his weight-loss plan into gear. (Axios)

⚾️ Alex Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures after being hit by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle Sunday. He won't need surgery and hopes to return for the playoffs. (MLB)

Now in its 33rd year, the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) has emerged as the premier festival, receiving nearly 3,000 submissions from 100 countries.

Why it matters: Chicagoans receive five days of experimental work that rarely reaches the big screen.

By the numbers: CUFF features more than 100 films from 22 countries, starting tomorrow and running through Sunday.

• Four world premieres made the cut — "Nightgame," "Moth," "Woolve" and "A Stranger Has No Eyes," the closing-night film.

Between the lines: What defines "underground" now is a little blurrier than when Bryan Wendorf and Jay Bliznick started the fest, Wendorf tells Axios.

• Filmmaking technology is constantly evolving, and the tools are increasingly accessible, enabling creators to post their work on YouTube or other platforms.

Yes, but: "Truly independent and formally adventurous work can still be difficult to see, especially in a theater with an audience. That remains CUFF's role," Wendorf says.

Zoom in: Despite the breadth of submissions, CUFF remains dedicated to highlighting Chicago filmmakers and their work, including "Driven," which features the late Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick's final screen performance.

If you go: CUFF opens with "Nova '78" at 8pm tomorrow at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

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👋 Hey, it's Justin.

I came across this nifty photo in the archives from the 1910s. The photo is undated, but it is labeled as from the pre-World War I days.

📫 I'm starting my research now. Where do you think this was?

• If you have any thoughts, reply to this email and share with your fellow sleuths!

Edited by Larry Graham.

🥎 Justin can't believe he's saying this, but he's GOING TO THE 'SHIP! A big softball win last night over The Beat sends his team to the championship game against his old employer, WGN Radio.

• Next Monday can't come soon enough!

📺 Carrie liked "Furious" and is happy there's another season for some of the unresolved issues. She hated "Shards" except for the music and the clothes.

🗓️ Monica is on sabbatical.

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