Get a jump on the new week with the latest local stories from WTTW News. Enjoy your Monday.
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(WTTW News)
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With a rapid data center build-out underway around the country, a lot can change in two years.
That’s about how much time passed between a near-unanimous Chicago City Council vote on an ordinance incentivizing data center development in the city, and an executive order from Mayor Brandon Johnson calling on that same council to put a pause on new data center construction.
In between, public concern grew around data centers’ energy usage, noise pollution, water consumption and emissions. Now, as city leaders race to catch up, they won’t be starting from square one.
Over the past year and a half, a city working group on sustainable data centers brought together industry partners, community organizations and government stakeholders. The working group’s report, released in July, laid the groundwork for new guardrails on data centers in Chicago.
“When we develop our recommendations, we really want to be thoughtful about our local context,” said Jared Patton, a project manager at the city’s Department of Environment who worked on the report.
More context:
Chicago’s existing data centers are not the large data center campuses used to train artificial intelligence. Instead, most are centers with space leased out to multiple users, but can still vary in energy needs — ranging from a few megawatts to more than 100, according to Patton.
Noise pollution is one of the concerns identified in the report. While data centers in rural or suburban areas may be able to have undeveloped land separating them from residential areas, many of Chicago’s 39 known data centers are concentrated in densely populated parts of the city like the South Loop.
The report recommended the city create a new program for issuing noise and air pollution permits, and enhancing the environmental review process — recommendations that were mirrored in Johnson’s executive order.
“Our (current) policies don’t reflect what the modern data center looks like,” said Angela Tovar, commissioner of the city’s Department of Environment and the chief sustainability officer. “(City) Council and the mayor have heard loud and clear from constituents … that there are deep concerns about how rapidly growing this industry is.”
Now, Tovar said it’s important to move quickly on these new policies, a sentiment the mayor echoed prior to signing the executive order.
“Chicago will not be passively shaped by this new industry,” Johnson said. “We will lead, and actively set the terms for how this technological development occurs.”
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Rainbow Cone owner Lynn Sapp inside the original Beverly location. (WTTW News)
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For 100 years, one colorful cone has been a sweet tradition passed down from one generation to the next.
And while the neighborhood around the Original Rainbow Cone has changed, one thing has remained the same — those five iconic flavors: chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House, pistachio and orange sherbet.
“This is 100 years, sliced, not scooped,” said Lynn Sapp, the third-generation owner.
Her grandparents, Joe and Katherine Sapp, started the famous Rainbow Cone in 1926.
The original Rainbow Cone location on Western Avenue in Beverly has come a long way since it first opened. The business started as a small shack across the street from where the current location stands today.
Some backstory:
In the 1920s, the Beverly neighborhood looked very different. The area was considered the countryside, and Joe Sapp saw an opportunity to create something special.
“It was called Rainbow Lodge when it first opened,” Lynn Sapp said. “People came out to this area, and it was remote, so they called it Rainbow Lodge. They served ice cream, … sundaes and shakes, and my grandmother would make, like, a roast or a ham and have sandwiches for the day because there was nothing else out here for people.”
Rainbow Cone’s signature presentation is layers of ice cream sliced onto a cone rather than scooped. When Lynn Sapp took over the shop from her parents in 1986, she wanted to introduce her family’s creation to more Chicagoans.
For 28 years, Lynn Sapp brought Rainbow Cone to Taste of Chicago. Through festivals and events, Rainbow Cone reached a new generation of Chicagoans. But for some customers, the tradition never needed an introduction.
Frank Fabian said he was just 10 years old when he first tried Rainbow Cone. Now 91, he’s still coming back.
“This ice cream is delicious; it always has been,” Fabian said. “And even though I’m lactose intolerant, I still do ice cream.”
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Aug. 11, 2026. (WTTW News)
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Illinois is continuing its tense relationship with the federal government through an ongoing series of legal battles.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined “Chicago Tonight” to provide an update on pending litigation against the Trump administration just months before election season. Raoul is seeking reelection for a third term this November.
On suing over imposed tariffs:
Illinois recently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over new tariffs imposed last month. The tariffs range from 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries. President Donald Trump said these tariffs aim to enforce bans on goods produced by unchecked forced labor.
This is the third time the state has sued over imposed tariffs since Trump took office last year.
“He does not have the power to impose these tariffs,” Raoul said. “We’ve gone through this twice before. … He’s still violating the law in how he does this and thereby raising prices on American consumers, American businesses, at the worst time to be doing so. At a time when this war that he’s entered into unnecessarily has already risen prices on American consumers and businesses.”
On protecting Illinois voter data:
A federal court recently ruled that the U.S. Department of Justice cannot demand unredacted voter registration lists from states. Raoul said this decision protects Illinois voters’ sensitive personal information.
“The president seems to have a disregard for the Constitution and the privacy of individuals at that,” Raoul said. “And so, there’s a dual problem. This is one of many actions that we’ve taken to protect the privacy of Americans, but this is also one of many actions we’ve taken to protect the Constitution.”
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More From WTTW News:
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Back in the Day: August 17, 1970 - “Soul Train” Premieres on WCIU-TV in Chicago
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On this day 56 years ago, the groundbreaking musical variety and dance show “Soul Train” premiered on Chicago’s WCIU-TV. The brainchild of host Don Cornelius, a South Side native who worked in television and radio, the show served to highlight Black music and culture to a wider audience. After its local premiere on Aug. 17, 1970, the show became a runaway success. The first episode was filmed in black and white, and it featured performances by Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites and the
Emotions. Eventually, thanks to the sponsorship help of Johnson Products, the local manufacturer of the haircare product Afro Sheen, the show received national syndication and moved to Los Angeles, where it aired for 35 consecutive seasons from 1971 to 2006 — one of the longest runs in TV history.
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This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
Chicago Board of Health
On Wednesday at 9 a.m., the Chicago Board of Health will hold a regular meeting in Conference Room 1212 on the 12th floor of 111 W. Washington St. They’ll discuss the Chicago Department of Public Health’s policy landscape and the back-to-school vaccination effort and vaccine rates so far. For more information on how to attend, stream or give public comment, peruse the agenda here.
Chicago Police Board
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m., the Chicago Police Board will host a monthly public meeting at the Chicago Public Safety Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave. It will also be aired live by CAN TV (on Chicago cable channel 27) and streamed at www.cantv.org/watch/stream-can-tv27. For more information on the agenda and how to public comment, check the source
website.
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What’s your favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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