Author | Lightnews

Nanci Koschman, long-grieving mother, dies 21 years after her son was killed by Mayor Daley's nephew

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Reposted by Casey Toner

🎄Peter Nickeas 🎅🏻 @peternickeas.bsky.social · 4d

Here's a short video of an Edison Park man confronting border patrol. You can hear others in the background. #chicago

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Dan Hinkel @danhinkel.bsky.social · 7d

RIP to Nanci Koschman, who lost her son at the hands of Mayor Richard Daley's nephew and then suffered through the city's bumbling effort to cover it up.

In the face of a Chicago police cover-up, she couldn't get answers until a Sun-Times investigation prompted the appointment of a special prosecutor and Richard J. "R.J." Vanecko's conviction.

A Little-Known Legal Loophole Has Scrambled State Efforts to Save Transit Agencies From Financial Disaster

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Reposted by Casey Toner

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 7d

Ellis: "These kids, you can imagine, their sense of safety was shattered on Saturday. And it's gonna take a long time for that to come back, if ever."

She said it "should have been a really happy day."

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Reposted by Casey Toner

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 7d

Ellis on the use of tear gas Saturday: "That was the instance, as well, where children were present and they were dressed up in their Halloween costumes. … Those kids were tear gassed on their way to celebrate Halloween in their local school parking lot."

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Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 8d

illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/l... "In many instances, that money wasn’t being spent on transportation at all — $83 million of the roughly $193 million in transportation taxes collected last year by the collar counties was spent on cops and courts." 🤔

Suburban counties last year spent $83M in RTA sales taxes on jails and courts; they'll fight to keep the money as the state scrapes for cash.

These Counties Spend Transit Tax Money on Ride Services. They’re Lifelines for Thousands of Residents

Reposted by Casey Toner

Illinois Answers Project @illinoisanswers.bsky.social · 8d

Amid a looming fiscal cliff for transit in Northern Illinois that could force deep CTA cuts, less attention is on suburban riders who depend on on-demand transit.

Read the story from @gracehauck.bsky.social and @alexnitkin.bsky.social here: illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/c...

Fledgling dial-a-ride networks are filling gaps in public transit in the collar counties, but they struggle to meet demand.

Hundreds Of Lots Owned By 'City's Worst Landowner' Went Up For Sale. But Only A Fraction Have Sold

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Crystal Paul @cplhouse.bsky.social · 21d

The latest on Chicago's "worst landowner" from Mina Bloom and @ctoner.bsky.social.

"Nobody wanted most of the properties... That leaves the city without the money it anticipated and homeowners still saddled with weed-strewn vacant lots."

blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/15/h...

Parcels that belonged to Suzie B. Wilson and her sister accumulated $15 million in city fines for rat-related violations. Hundreds are still sitting empty without any promise of redevelopment.

blockclubchicago.org

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Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 26d

@50plusdoner.bsky.social this u

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

The same police officer who killed his partner and allegedly later punched a female cop outside a bar, filed his own report saying that his girlfreind's mom actually punched him and called him a "murderer" illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/18/c...

Chicago Cop Who Killed Partner Says He's the Victim in Wicker Park Bar Fight

Officer Carlos Baker told police he was harassed at a Wicker Park bar by two women — an off-duty cop and his girlfriend’s mother, who he said attacked him and referred to him as "a murderer."

Chicago cop who fatally shot partner Krystal Rivera is stripped of his police powers — but not for that

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

After the alleged punch, the officer who killed his partner was stripped of his police powers chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...

The move comes days after the Chicago Sun-Times and Illinois Answers Project reported that Officer Carlos Baker was accused of attacking a female police officer at a Wicker Park bar last weekend.

Chicago cop who fatally shot partner Krystal Rivera accused of attacking female officer

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

Then we wrote a few stories about the Chicago police officer who fatally shot his partner, whose name was on the paperwork for the stolen Glock, allegedly punching a female cop at a bar chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...

Officer Carlos Baker and a woman allegedly beat the other cop late Sunday at a Wicker Park bar after pushing her to delete videos taken on her cellphone, the Chicago Sun-Times and Illinois Answers Pro...

Family of Officer Krystal Rivera, shot in back by a fellow Chicago cop, wants an independent investigation

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

chicago.suntimes.com/2025/07/02/f... Since we published, the family of the Chicago police officer whose name was on the paperwork for the Glock and was subsequently killed by her partner, who had a lengthy disciplinary history, called for an independent investigation

The family is asking the Illinois State Police to take over the investigation as their attorney says the Chicago Police Department’s story of what happened doesn’t “pass the smell test.”

Woman Shot With Glock Stolen From a Chicago Police Station Sues City, Says Cops Pilfered It

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Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

A woman who was shot in the leg with the stolen Glock before it returned to CPD custody filed a lawsuit, claiming a cop stole it illinoisanswers.org/2025/07/30/w...

The handgun was stolen from a room full of cops and ended up being used in crimes including the shooting of Twanda Willingham, who's suing.

Chicago cop who inadvertently shot and killed his partner has a lengthy disciplinary record in a short career

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

Later we wrote about the stolen Glock's connection to the first fatal shooting of a police officer by another police officer in Chicago in nearly 40 years. And the shooter's long disciplinary history in a short time on the force chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...

Officer Carlos A. Baker has had more than a dozen complaints against him, records show.

Chicago Cops Did Little to Investigate How a Gun a Judge Turned in to be Destroyed Ended up at a Crime Scene

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Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

The genesis for the story: a look into CPD's whitewash of an investigation into how a judge's gun went from a police buyback to the scene of a fatal police shooting in Cicero illinoisanswers.org/2025/04/04/j...

The revolver Cook County Judge William Stewart Boyd turned in at a CPD gun buyback resurfaced at a fatal police shooting in Cicero in 2012.

Gun stolen from a roomful of Chicago cops ended up being used in a series of shootings

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Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

Our follow up about the Glock stolen from a room full of cops being used in a series of shootings chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...

Records obtained by the Illinois Answers Project and the Sun-Times found the Glock handgun should have been destroyed after it was turned in to police at a buyback at St. Sabina Church.

‘Where is the Glock?’ Gun turned over to Chicago police wound up in the hands of a teenager

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · 29d

chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog... ICYMI

The Chicago Police Department has used gun buybacks to get thousands of guns off the street, but at least two of them have resurfaced at crime scenes.

Say More with Mary Dixon & Patrick Smith

Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · Oct 6

Her team did "The Twitter Files" 👎. My team did "'Where is the Glock?' Gun Turned Over to Chicago Police Wound up in the Hands of a Teenager" 👍. Put me in charge of CBS News, I will do a good job

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Casey Toner @ctoner.bsky.social · Sep 25

What an awful time for the Internet.

Reposted by Casey Toner

Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · Sep 22

A mural that can be seen on the Kennedy has been blasted as "AI slop" by local artists and commuters. blockclubchi.co/428g9tg

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Reposted by Casey Toner

Dan Mihalopoulos @dmihalopoulos.bsky.social · Sep 15

Two absolute pros and outstanding people behind the mics for this new show on @wbez.org www.wbez.org/say-more-wit...

Hear what Chicago’s talking about — and chime in on topics that matter to you — from tariffs to construction, the Bears to “The Bear.” Weekday mornings at 10am

www.wbez.org

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Reposted by Casey Toner

Defector @defector.com · Sep 15

The official charity of the Savannah Bananas has a hard time explaining how its money is spent: defector.com/the-official...

The Official Charity Of The Savannah Bananas Has A Hard Time Explaining How Its Money Is Spent | Defector

Bananas Foster describes itself as “the official non-profit of Banana Ball,” the barnstorming baseball league that hosts the Savannah Bananas. Its mission, per executive director Jolie Chabala, is…

defector.com

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Reposted by Casey Toner

Crystal Paul @cplhouse.bsky.social · Sep 12

In 2023, a Minnesota homeowner argued that the County violated her Fifth Amendment rights by taking her home and pocketing more than the $15,000 she owed in back taxes. Following the ruling, states rushed to reform their laws to avoid legal fallout.

All except Illinois.

(🖊️ Sidnee King Pineda)

Illinois Answers Project @illinoisanswers.bsky.social · Sep 11

NEW: Illinois is the only state that has yet to reform its tax sale laws after the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a process that can cost homeowners their residences.
illinoisanswers.org/2025/09/11/l...

Lawsuits Pile Up as Illinois Lags on Reforming Tax Sale Laws

Illinois is the only state yet to reform its law after the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a process that can cost homeowners their residences.

Lawsuits Pile Up as Illinois Lags on Reforming Tax Sale Laws

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Reposted by Casey Toner

Illinois Answers Project @illinoisanswers.bsky.social · Sep 11

Illinois is the only state yet to reform its law after the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a process that can cost homeowners their residences.