As ICE apprehensions ramp up in Chicago, police officials will face tough questions today about compliance with mayoral directives to address potential crimes by immigration agents.

Why it matters: Six months after Mayor Brandon Johnson issued ICE on Notice, an order directing police to monitor and even seek charges against federal agents, advocates say it's unclear what results, if any, have emerged.

• The City Council's Immigration Committee is holding a hearing today to seek answers.

What they're saying: "It's important that we get an understanding on how the mayor's executive order is being implemented to ensure that it's not just a piece of paper and talking point," Immigration Committee chair Ald. Andre Vasquez tells Axios.

The big picture: The hearing comes amid nationwide outcry over DHS agents' fatal shooting of two people in cars in Texas and Maine.

• The most recent killings led DHS officials this week to declare a pause on vehicle stops, only for President Trump to override the order hours later.

Context: In recent months, DHS agents have stepped up local apprehensions in ways that appear more targeted than the street raids Chicago experienced during Operation Midway Blitz.

• Still, Brandon Lee of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) tells Axios that even if the agents now have warrants, "they don't often seem to present them."

Zoom in: Many of the recent apprehensions, Lee says, are occurring at county courthouses, in direct violation of Illinois' Court Access, Safety and Participation Act, which makes civil arrests in and within 1,000 feet of a courthouse illegal.

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The smoky conditions have Chicagoans feeling (and smelling) ... hazy.

The latest: Yesterday's thick smoke from Canadian wildfires wafted our way, canceling sporting events and concerts, closing restaurant patios, forcing summer camps indoors and limiting outdoor activities.

• It also didn't help that temperatures stayed above 90 degrees.

Stunning Stat: Chicago had the worst air quality in the world at various points yesterday, according to IQAir.

What's next: The smoke is expected to move out of our area by the afternoon, but many outdoor activities will remain limited.

If you go outside, wear a mask.

Read up on the health risks

Chicago's Original Rainbow Cone is 100 this year, but it's staying dedicated to its recipe.

Flashback: Joe and Katherine Sapp opened Rainbow Cone at 92nd and Western in Beverly in 1926, serving their signature five-layer ice cream treat of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House, pistachio and orange sherbet.

• Always sliced, not scooped.

Context: The Original Rainbow Cone became a South Side destination for Chicagoans who tried it at Taste of Chicago and tourists who tried it at restaurant trade shows or saw it on the Food Network.

The latest: The Museum of Ice Cream joins Rainbow Cone's centennial celebrations this summer with an exhibit dedicated to the sweet shop's history, including archival photos and the ice cream paddles servers use to slice up the flavors.

• Beyond the museum, a Rainbow Cone truck will serve $5 cones tomorrow and Sunday in Pioneer Court, with the truck popping up at events all summer.
• Sox fans have a chance to win a free cone if the team scores in the fourth inning.

State of play: After more than 90 years as a South Side-only institution, Joe and Katherine Sapp's granddaughter, Lynn, sold Rainbow Cone to the Buonavolanto family-owned Buona Beef in 2018.

What's next: Sapp is now a consultant and Rainbow Cone historian.

• "I'm hoping that [Rainbow Cone] is in a lot more places, and I'm hoping that it stays unique and it's still the star of the show. There's nothing like it."

Go deeper

💰 Peoples Gas has reduced its rate hike request by nearly 30% in its latest filing with the Illinois Commerce Commission. Energy watchdogs say that's not enough. (WGN-TV)

🕺🏿 The 50-Yard-Line bar on 75th Street, famous for its steppers sets, has been closed down after failing building inspections. (Block Club)

🎸 William Shatner will debut his new metal band at this year's Riot Fest in September. (Tribune)

Chicago writer Rowan Beaird's new novel, "Tenderness," was inspired by a thought she kept coming back to as a wedding guest — "How could this really go sideways?"

• From there, she wrote the story of a 1976 wedding weekend where the bride's past in a sinister cult won't stay in the past.
• Beaird's first book, "The Divorcees," was published in 2024.

Driving the news: "Tenderness" comes out July 21. Ahead of publication day, we asked Beaird to break down what her perfect day would look like.

🥯 Breakfast: "I live in Lincoln Square, and we have the best neighborhood coffee shop in Chicago (fight me!)—Beans & Bagels. Their coffee is excellent. They're deeply committed to sustainability. They have 23 VHS copies of Jurassic Park on display. I'm ordering a lox special on an everything bagel and a hot latte, because I once read a headline that iced coffee doesn't actually cool you down in the summer and I accepted that as fact."

🏊 Morning activity: "Swimming at Montrose Beach, taking a detour through the bird sanctuary. The lake never fails to remind me of my place in the world, and I mean that in the best possible way."

🏢 Lunch: "Bistro Monadnock. The Monadnock Building houses the most beautiful collection of little shops—a haberdashery, a perfumery—that makes me feel like I've time-traveled."

More of Rowan's perfect day

From burgers and tacos to renegade art and craft beer, Chicago will be sizzling with fun and traffic this weekend.

👋 Hi, it's Justin back with another quiz!

It's prime lake season in the Chicago area. There are big ones, small ones, beautiful beaches and plenty of oddities fit for a quiz.

Today's quiz: Our land of lakes.

State of play: Last week's photo quiz on Chicago celebrities was a hoot. Congrats to Matt R., Timothy A., Matt A., Rocco S., Mary M. and Dayna C. for perfect scores!

Take the lake quiz here