🚛 Happy Wednesday! On this day in 1891, industrialist William Wrigley Jr. moved to Chicago.

🌧️ Today's weather: Showers with a high of 66.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Ross Wirth, Kenneth Hopson and Pat Cassidy!

Today’s newsletter is 1,009 words — a 4-minute read.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby wants the airline's home base to be the best in the world.

The latest: In a new interview with the "Office Hours: Business Edition" podcast, Kirby lays out an ambitious vision: Make O'Hare the world's No. 1 airport.

Why it matters: Kirby's vision could supercharge Chicago's status as a global aviation hub — or put even more pressure on an air traffic control system already struggling to keep up.

What he's saying: "I have a vision ... not just for United, but for the city of Chicago ... we'll be a thousand flights a day in Chicago, we'll have another 15 international destinations," Kirby said on the show.

Context: Kirby has reason for optimism. O'Hare is in the middle of a years-long expansion project designed to add terminal capacity and gates.

• United currently operates roughly 650 daily departures from O'Hare. Kirby's vision would push that to 1,000.

Reality check: O'Hare may be built for connections, but the passenger experience hasn't kept pace.

• O'Hare tied for last among the 20 mega airports in J.D. Power's latest customer satisfaction survey.
• Nearly 11% of O'Hare flights were delayed by at least an hour in 2025, according to an AirAdvisor analysis — one of the highest rates among major U.S. airports.

State of play: Major airlines want room to grow, but the FAA is moving in the opposite direction.

• Federal regulators have capped scheduled operations at O'Hare amid air traffic control and operational constraints. In July, the FAA extended those limits through October 2027, saying they were necessary to prevent widespread delays.

The bottom line: Kirby is dreaming about O'Hare's next 350 flights a day while the FAA is trying to manage the ones it already has.

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Chicago-based financial services firm Morningstar is moving its global headquarters to the redeveloped Thompson Center, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The move keeps one of Chicago's largest homegrown companies — and more than 1,500 employees — in the Loop while giving the Thompson Center redevelopment another major corporate anchor, in addition to Google.

The latest: Morningstar plans to occupy more than 275,000 square feet in the former state government building, with the move expected in late 2028.

• The company currently has its headquarters at 22 W. Washington St., across from the Daley Center.

What they're saying: "Our new headquarters and community commitment reflect our confidence in Chicago, our people, and the opportunities ahead," Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor said.

Zoom in: Morningstar is pairing the move with a new $5 million, five-year "Commitment to Chicago" beginning in 2027.

• $1 million will go to the Commercial Club Foundation to support a multi-year economic growth plan.
• $4 million will fund grants to Chicago nonprofits focused on helping Chicagoans build pathways into financial services, technology and related careers.

Context: Morningstar was founded in Chicago by businessman and philanthropist Joe Mansueto in 1984 with an initial investment of $80,000.

• The company went public in 2005, and Mansueto stepped down as CEO in 2017.

Flashback: Google announced plans in 2022 to buy the Thompson Center for $105 million as part of its expansion in Chicago.

• They recently unveiled new renderings of the Thompson Center's interior, showcasing a design meant to entice downtown workers to meet, work and linger in the building's massive atrium.

The bottom line: More than four decades after its founding here, Morningstar is making another long-term bet on downtown Chicago.

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⚾️ The Sox beat the Houston Astros 6-3 in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, while the Cubs fell to the Padres 8-0 in San Diego. (ESPN)

🚙 City Council voted for a new parking meter plan that allows the city to take 5% of revenue. The deal is expected to receive about $375 million over the next 57 years. (Block Club)

🥇 Vincenzo Vitelli, a theoretical physicist and University of Chicago professor, and Kaiyu Guan, an environmental scientist and University of Illinois professor, are two local recipients of the prestigious MacArthur "genius grants," announced yesterday.

👋🏻 Hey, it's Carrie!

I'm the plant killer as much as it crushes my soul to say so.

The big picture: I was delighted to see that my Axios Atlanta colleague Kristal has two green thumbs! Look at those beauties above!

Here are Kristal's tips for less droop and more: "Whoop! Look at it grow!"

1. Isolate your new plants. Otherwise, you'll introduce pests to your collection.

• Put them away from the others for at least a week to see how they react to their new environment.

2. Bottom watering rules. Bottom watering helps the roots really soak up water and dramatically cuts down on fungus gnats.

• Speaking of fungus gnats, adding Summit's mosquito bits or dunks to your plant water is a game changer.
• Fill 4-5 tea bags with mosquito bits, drop them in a 5-gallon bucket and fill the bucket with water. Cover and wait 24 hours before using.
• Your water will smell awful, but it's worth it.

3. Buy grow lights. Remember learning about photosynthesis in school? That applies to houseplants.

4. Don't buy that plant right now. Don't rush into things just based on emotions. (Um, Carrie, here ... I do this all the time.)

5. Stick with plants that are best for your environment. Plants like ferns and calatheas require higher-than-normal humidity for them to thrive.

6. Some plants just die. Plants are living creatures and are also subject to sudden deaths.

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Edited by Larry Graham.

🍅 Justin loved his little tomato plant from this summer. He loved it so much he refused to pick the tomatoes!

🎂 Carrie is wishing her good buddy Alyssa a very happy birthday!

🗓️ Monica is on sabbatical.

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