🛻 Cybertrucks on parade

🙏 Happy Friday! On this day in 1979, Pope John Paul visited Chicago.

• ⛅️ Today's weather: Partly cloudy, high of 71.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago members Tim Barrett, Jonathon Foreman, Kate Kernst and Katy Cohan!

Today's newsletter is 919 words — a 3.5-minute read.

The Bears' prospects of building a state-of-the-art stadium took another blow, as local not-for-profits have teamed up to oppose the plan to build on the lakefront.

Why it matters: The city and the Bears want to build a $6 billion domed stadium with surrounding park space. However, for over a century, Chicago has fought to preserve the lakefront, keeping it free of development and open to the people.

Driving the news: Friends of the Parks (FOTP), which advocates for Chicago's green spaces, announced they have built a coalition of other advocacy groups to oppose the stadium plan.

• FOTP is leading a petition drive to sign up residents opposed to the stadium, stopping short of filing lawsuits. But they don't rule it out in the future.

Flashback: Their lawsuit ultimately forced Mayor Rahm Emanuel and George Lucas to withdraw from plans to build an art museum on the Museum Campus in 2016 near the same site the Bears are proposing.

The intrigue: This is just another hurdle for the stadium plan. The Bears and the city want the state to pony up over $2 billion, a move Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called a "non-starter."

The other side: The Bears believe they can get the state funding and withstand legal challenges since they technically aren't building on the lake, but on existing parking lots.

• They argue their stadium plan will make the museum campus better.

Between the lines: The Bears are in a quandary. Even if they can convince the state to cough up billions for a stadium instead of other pressing needs like schools and infrastructure, the Friends of the Parks coalition could use legal precedent to torpedo the project.

• And even if the Bears end up beating the coalition challenges, the delay will put them further behind an already delayed schedule.

The bottom line: A new Bears stadium project is turning out to be more of a marathon than a sprint.

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Tank-like, straight out of "Dune" electric Cybertrucks are becoming more visible on Chicago streets.

The big picture: Tesla's electric pickup truck ranks third (out of four) on Car and Driver's list of "Best EV Pickup Trucks" behind trucks from Ford and Rivian, the latter of which is manufactured in Illinois.

• The Cybertruck is considered the fastest EV pickup by Car and Driver.

By the numbers: 575 Tesla Cybertrucks are registered in Illinois, according to the secretary of state's office.

• 72 are registered in Chicago and 160 in Cook County, followed by 104 in DuPage and 59 in Lake.
• A total of 19,878 EVs were registered in Chicago as of mid-September.

Zoom in: Tesla's sales had been lagging earlier this year because of its conservative and controversial founder Elon Musk, the Times reported.

• Musk came under fire last year for backing an antisemitic post on X and endorsed former President Trump for president in July.

State of play: Fewer people are ordering the Cybertruck than Tesla predicted partly because of the recalls, Consumer Guide Automotive publisher Tom Appel tells Axios.

• The Cybertruck starts at $99,900, but Tesla predicts $6,000 in gas savings over five years.

💭 Carrie's thought bubble: I had been noticing more of these around Gold Coast, but when I saw one while visiting family in Rockford, I realized these aren't just a gimmick. Is this what Marty McFly would drive?!

Keep reading

Many out-of-state movers are staying close to Illinois, per new census data.

Why it matters: While moving overall is at an all-time low, there's been an uptick in state-to-state migration, Axios' Erica Pandey reports.

How it works: The maps are based on new 2018-2022 five-year state-to-county migration estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

The intrigue: Last year, we asked you where you would move if you had the chance, and California was the most popular answer.

• Seems like California dreamin' is just that ... dreaming.

Read full story here

Enhanced rider verification, better navigation tools, and more rider accountability are just a few of the Uber Driver app's latest features.

The idea: These changes are aimed at making the things drivers and couriers do every day safer, fairer and easier.

Check out all the new features.

🏢 The 1901 megadevelopment near the United Center is moving forward, starting with a 6,000-seat music venue. The $7 billion mixed-use development will be built on parking lots that surround the stadium. (Block Club)

⚖️ Fathers' rights attorney Jeffery Leving, made famous by his local commercials, has been suspended from practicing law for two months by the Illinois Supreme Court for charging excessive fees. (Sun-Times)

🍦 Wendy's took advantage of McDonald's frequently busted ice cream machines yesterday with its Frosty Fix truck. (Crain's)

🔍 Plan ahead with these events.

Silent Disco at Punch Bowl Social Chicago on Oct 19: They are taking over for a party complete with limited edition drinks, eats from our scratch kitchen, and even better music. Grab some headphones and choose between 3 stations to find your perfect jam. $10.

Hosting an event? Email local-events@axios.com.

Our week-long quest to crown the most annoying intersection is complete!

Armitage/Ashland/Elston easily defeated North/Damen/Milwaukee to take the honorary distinction.

• Congrats! Here's to the city fixing you someday.

Thanks for voting all week! We'll be back with another Chicago tournament soon!

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The Midwest's first Popmart has hit the Magnificent Mile with some designer toys that have become sought-after collectibles.

Why it matters: The wildly popular store taps into a figurine and plush toy collection craze inspired by Anime shows, Disney, Marvel and other pop culture hits.

• But it's not just for kids.

Catch up quick: Popmart started in 2010 in China and became known for its "blind box" concept where buyers don't know which toy is in the box.

• The trend went viral with 450 stores worldwide and more than 2,000 vending machines.

If you go: The pop-up store promises U.S. exclusives like Peach Riot Frankie-Virtues Figurine, Peach Riot Gigi-Dark Angel Figurine and Peach Riot Poppy-Seraphim Figurine.

• You can also expect boxes of "Toy Story" characters for $135 and SpongeBob blind boxes for $16.
• Some of the larger characters will cost you about $1,200.

Read more

Uber is stepping up its measures to keep drivers and couriers safe.

Here's how: The ability to see if a rider has gone through additional verification steps and use hands-free voice prompts are just a few of the app's latest features, designed to improve the driver experience.

Get all the deets.

Edited by Lindsey Erdody.

🐶 Carrie is taking her dog to Fourth Presbyterian Church tomorrow for a pet blessing.

👩‍🍳 Monica is tempted by the Abundance Setting fundraiser Oct. 7 where folks can mingle with the city's top chefs while raising money to help support moms in the hospitality industry.

🍿 Justin is going to see "Joker: Folie à Deux" this weekend. Mr. Freeze better be in this one.

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