A new City Council ordinance would push data centers to keep local data right here in Chicago.

Why it matters: Data centers are massive storage facilities that house information from the city's computer networks, including more sensitive details like financial and medical records.

The big picture: The new ordinance, which would be the first of its kind in the country, would require local data to be stored inside the U.S., with incentives to keep it within city limits.

• Supporters say it would generate revenue from property taxes on the big storage facilities.

Zoom in: The city pays millions of dollars to companies to store its data, but there is no requirement for where they store it.

• Right now, those massive data storage facilities are outside the city, sometimes in other states.
• Illinois has 154 data centers, 94 of them in Chicago.

What they're saying: "This data residency ordinance is a tool the city can use to bring in new revenue, good jobs and economic development in communities that need it the most," Ald. Gilbert Villegas, the ordinance's sponsor, said in a statement.

The other side: The Chicago Chamber of Commerce is wary of any ordinance that puts extra regulation on businesses and worries the residency rules would jack up the costs for both the data center and the city.

What's next: The City Council is set to vote on the ordinance on Wednesday.

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Chicago Public Schools is hosting a series of roundtable discussions for the public to weigh in on the future of arts education.

Why it matters: Research shows art education is as essential as subjects like math, science and language arts, and can improve students' attendance. It's also key to social and emotional learning, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Driving the news: CPS released a draft of its five-year strategic plan this week, which notes that "100% of schools will have the resource capacity to hire full-time arts" staff.

• In-person public forums start today to provide feedback for CPS' Arts Education Plan 2.0: Cultivating Creativity, which was announced in spring.
• The first roundtable is 5:30pm Wednesday at Olive-Harvey CCC.

By the numbers: Nearly half of all Chicago schools have only one arts teacher position, and some of those are not filled yet.

State of play: A CPS spokesperson says the district currently has 1,141 art teachers, about 100 more than a couple years ago.

• CPS budgets a median of $10.70 per elementary school student for arts education, up from $7.09 in 2021.
• According to the Chicago Teachers Union's online tracker for job vacancies, CPS has 58 open arts positions.

What's next: CPS plans to incorporate feedback from the roundtables and present a final version of Arts Education Plan 2.0 to the Board of Education next spring.

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Pequod's Pizza has emerged as one of the most reviewed U.S. pizza spots amid 20 years of Yelp data.

Driving the news: This week, for its 20th anniversary, Yelp released lists of some of the most popular searches on the site.

• Over the last two decades, Yelpers have posted more than 287 million reviews.
• Pequod's Pizza has more than 8,200 reviews.

Zoom in: The Girl and the Goat in West Loop made the list of "20 most photographed businesses of all time."

• La Grande Boucherie and Olio e Più ranked as a couple of the most photographed eateries of 2024.

📡 Some Alders are trying to gather support to stop Mayor Brandon Johnson from ending the city's use of the gun detection technology ShotSpotter. The city's contract with ShotSpotter expires this month. (Sun-Times)

🏠 Michael Jordan's Highland Park mansion finally has a buyer after more than 12 years on the market. (Crain's)

👃🏼 Low rainfall may be contributing to the putrid smell some Chicagoans may be experiencing. (Block Club)

Chicago's Late Night Talk Show: The Not That Late Show at The Lincoln Lodge today: We're a Chicago-first showcase of not only artists, but politicians, journalists, activists, and community leaders. Every month, we provide a live late night talk show experience (without being in NYC or LA) that's packed to the brim with entertainment.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

👋 Hi, it's Justin!

Today is National Cheeseburger Day, and we're here to celebrate.

The big picture: The Chicago cheeseburger is in the midst of a 21st century renaissance, dominating national "best of" lists and attracting tourists who stand in line for hours for the delicious fare.

Yes, but: Let the tourists clog up the sidewalks while we eat all the charred, grilled and smashed patties topped with melted cheese in peace.

Here's a well-researched, insider's guide to Chicago cheeseburgers:

Where they'll tell you to go for a bar burger: The Drop In. This small storefront on Milwaukee Avenue is a treat, especially around happy hour. The burgers are a delight, but the tight quarters will have your clothes smelling like griddled meat for weeks.

Where you should go instead: Leavitt Street Inn. The tucked away Bucktown bar serves one of Chicago's best smashed burgers. It also hearkens back to a lost time when taverns were on every corner.

• Tell Teddy we sent ya.

Where they'll tell you to go for an old school burger: Top Notch Beefburgers. Top Notch in Beverly is the Granddaddy of Chicago burgers, representing the far South Side for over 80 years.

• It's a must-visit, but most burger lovers have already been.

Where you should go instead: Charlie Beinlich's in Northbrook. The small restaurant off Skokie Boulevard has a very limited menu, but it doesn't matter because the cheeseburger deluxe is all you need.

What did I miss? Let me know and I'll start working on volume two. 😂

More great burgers

Many of you (68%) guessed correctly that Carrie was standing in front of the Commemorative Ground Ring sculpture at Ward (A. Montgomery) Park in River North.

Zoom in: The park is named after the mail order business and department store tycoon. Ward operated the catalog business at Kinzie Street between Rush and State streets.