🏃 Happy Thursday! On this day in 1978, runners hit the streets in the Mayor Daley Marathon. Now, the Chicago Marathon takes place in October.

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 68.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Hillary Huffordtucker!

Situational awareness: The Cubs and White Sox are both one win away from clinching playoff spots.

Today’s newsletter is 1.126 words — a 4-minute read.

Chicago could halt new data center development within city limits for a year.

The latest: Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with a group of alders, is pushing for a 12-month moratorium while the city develops a "comprehensive regulatory framework" for data centers.

• There are 39 active data centers in Chicago, according to the city.

Details: The proposal would give Johnson's Data Centers Task Force time to study the industry's impacts on clean air, clean water and energy use.

What they're saying: "Chicago is open for business, but we are not for sale," Johnson said in a statement.

Context: The announcement comes as other alders, including Ald. Bill Conway (34th), push their own ordinance to regulate data centers.

• "The Mayor's proposal risks months if not years of debate and litigation, all while data centers keep building, polluting, and spiking utility bills with zero community input," Conway said in a statement.
• Conway's ordinance would immediately subject data centers to additional zoning requirements and community and environmental reviews.

Zoom out: Chicago wouldn't be alone. At least a half-dozen major U.S. cities, including Seattle, Charlotte, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Oklahoma City, have temporarily halted or restricted new data center development while considering new regulations.

• At the state level, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has paused new tax incentives for data centers, but has said he doesn't have the authority to impose a statewide moratorium on construction.

Friction point: President Trump has criticized efforts to restrict them, writing on social media: "The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor."

What's next: Both proposals will now make their way through the City Council, setting up a debate over how the city should regulate new data center development.

Go deeper

The race for Chicago mayor is heading to court as a newly announced candidate challenges three rivals who are simultaneously seeking reelection to their current offices.

The latest: Mayoral candidate and Democratic attorney William J. Quinlan is suing fellow candidates Alexi Giannoulias, Mike Quigley and Maria Pappas over their plans to run for two offices.

State of play: Quinlan's suit argues that Illinois election law prohibits candidates from seeking two "incompatible" offices at the same time.

• The Illinois Election Code says candidates presented for two or more incompatible offices must withdraw from all but one if they could not serve in both offices if elected.

Yes, but: The elections don't happen at the same time. Giannoulias, Quigley and Pappas are seeking reelection to their current offices this November, while the Chicago mayoral election is next year.

Zoom out: The lawsuit adds another front to a brewing fight over candidates seeking reelection while running for mayor.

• Candidate Willie Wilson has also questioned the ethics of the practice.
• That accusation led to a text exchange between Pappas and Wilson supporter Richard Boykin that Boykin later made public, accusing Pappas of bullying him.

Flashback: The current mayor, Brandon Johnson, held office while he ran in 2023. He was a sitting Cook County commissioner.

Keep reading

🚴 The city has extended its contract with Divvy through 2033, with discounts for rides that start or end on the South and West Sides. (Sun-Times)

🏠 Chicago City Council did not vote on rival plans to update the city's rental rules, giving Mayor Brandon Johnson and alders time to compromise on the plans. (Tribune)

🌀The Cubs will play a doubleheader in Boston on Friday to avoid a weekend storm during the final series of the regular season. (Marquee)

Former White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has died at 70. Cooper spent 33 seasons in the Sox organization and was the pitching coach for the 2005 World Series champions. (MLB)

Women physicians can make millions less than their male colleagues, but a Chicago oncologist is working to change that.

Why it matters: The pay gap is just one of the factors forcing women out of the profession, with negative effects on patient care.

Driving the news: More than 500 health care workers are meeting Thursday through Saturday at the Women in Medicine Summit at The Drake Hotel to discuss this and other issues facing women doctors.

Flashback: Shikha Jain hosted the first Women in Medicine Summit in 2019 to create a forum for women to share frustrations and solutions.

The big picture: A 2022 study found that women surgeons have lower hospital readmission rates than their male colleagues.

• They also spend more time with their patients, contributing to better comprehensive care.

How it works: Women in Medicine grew from an annual event into a nonprofit that offers leadership programs, especially for mid-career doctors, because research shows many women leave the profession, Jain says.

Zoom in: The discrepancy begins early, with women starting at lower salaries and the gap widening as they advance.

• Women also tend to choose specialties like primary care and pediatrics, which can pay less than surgical subspecialties where more men work, Jain says.

The bottom line: The health care system still has a long way to go, but Jain feels encouraged that conversations about retaining women doctors are happening.

• And she's making sure women are at the table for those conversations.

Read more about the stats

👋 Hey, it's Justin! Back with another coffee review. This week, I'm out in the western suburbs.

The place: Sparrow Coffee (120 Water St., Naperville)

The vibe: Modern loft-like storefront with long communal tables (think Avec).

The coffee: Immaculate. Sparrow really showcases its beans. I got the Golden Latte, which featured turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, honey and steamed milk.

• It was one of the best lattes I've had. Period.

The service: The barista who served me was incredibly friendly and insightful, walking me through the menu and Sparrow's footprint in the area. They have a roastery in Fulton Market.

• I'm forever grateful for being turned on to turmeric.

☕️ 9-word-review: I have a new favorite, right along the Riverwalk.

More coffee spots

Edited by Larry Graham.

🛣️ Carrie can't wait to check out this new exhibition about displacement and the Dan Ryan at Arts + Public Life.

🤭 Justin loves that several of his friends sent him this Onion meme this week.

🗓️ Monica is on sabbatical.

Want more Axios Chicago content? Check out our Instagram for extra stuff to do, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more!