Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

The Latest Breaking News from Charles Freeman

The greatest Greek tragedy told in Scots? Alan Riach on eye-catching Fringe events

TODAY in St Columba’s Kirk, at the top of the Royal Mile from 3-4pm, I’m introducing a session on Tragedy & Translation. For my money, this…

The National (Scotland)

Review: 'The Reopening of the Western Mind,' by Charles Freeman

NONFICTION: A sumptuous new history sheds light on the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Tribune News Service

Secret grand jury proceedings in R. Kelly’s Chicago case were briefly made public

CHICAGO — A recent motion by attorneys for R. Kelly’s former business manager, Derrell McDavid, did more than just seek government reimbursement of McDavid’s legal fees — it also lifted the curtain on secretive grand jury proceedings that led to the bombshell indictment in the first place.

Chicago Tribune

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

R. Kelly’s ex-business manager wants $850,000 in attorneys’ fees after acquittal

Derrel McDavid’s defense team aggressively challenged the feds’ case during the trial, and McDavid spent more than two days on the witness stand. In a motion Monday, his defense attorney also seemed to take some credit for helping Kelly avoid conviction on additional charges.

Chicago Sun-Times

R. Kelly convicted on child pornography charges at federal trial in Chicago; acquitted of conspiring to obstruct justice

CHICAGO — In a split verdict after a hotly contested trial, a federal jury in Chicago on Wednesday convicted disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly on child pornography charges for videotaping himself sexually abusing his then-14-year-old goddaughter decades ago.

Chicago Tribune

R. Kelly verdict: Singer guilty in federal trial in Chicago, bringing closure to decadeslong legal saga

It took 11 hours for jurors in the R&B star’s trial to reach their decision, finding Kelly guilty on six of 13 counts.

Chicago Sun-Times

R. Kelly trial nears conclusion, how Sunday’s rain pushed city’s sewers to limit and more in your Chicago news roundup

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Chicago Sun-Times

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Defense rests in R. Kelly’s federal trial, setting stage for closing arguments and possible verdict next week

CHICAGO — Derrel McDavid spent hours on the witness stand this week explaining that he once believed the mounting sexual abuse allegations against his boss, R&B superstar R. Kelly, were nothing more than lies from extortionists out for a payday.

Chicago Tribune

Defense rests in R. Kelly’s federal trial, setting stage for closing arguments next week

CHICAGO — The defense has rested in the federal trial of R&B singer R. Kelly and two former associates, setting the stage for closing arguments and a possible verdict next week.

Chicago Tribune

R. Kelly co-defendant continues testimony Thursday: ‘Make sure you get all those tapes’

CHICAGO — R. Kelly’s former business manager and current co-defendant took the stand again Thursday for what promises to be lengthy testimony in his own defense.

Chicago Tribune

There were plenty of surprises in prosecution’s case against R. Kelly. But will any spell acquittal?

CHICAGO — High-profile federal conspiracy trials like the one unfolding in Chicago against disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly don’t typically have many made-for-TV bombshells.

Chicago Tribune

R. Kelly speaks at his federal trial, but only to tell judge he won’t testify

CHICAGO — R. Kelly’s voice had been heard a few times in three weeks of testimony at his Chicago federal trial: crooning one of his biggest hits at the 1998 Grammys, rapping on a music video, and allegedly cajoling his then-14-year-old goddaughter to perform sex acts on tape.

Chicago Tribune

Defense begins attempt to sow doubt on child-porn accusations at R. Kelly trial as singer says he won’t testify

CHICAGO — Attorneys for R. Kelly and his co-defendants presented one witness apiece Thursday morning after federal prosecutors rested their case-in-chief against the disgraced singer earlier this week.

Chicago Tribune

Defense witnesses slated to take the stand in R. Kelly federal trial as singer says he won’t testify

CHICAGO — Attorneys for R. Kelly and his co-defendants will have the chance to present witnesses Thursday after federal prosecutors rested their case-in-chief against the disgraced singer earlier this week.

Chicago Tribune

Get all your
news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One news app.

Chicago Sun-Times

R. Kelly defense team faces uphill battle to beat child porn case

R&B star Kelly was acquitted on similar charges in 2008, but much about the case has changed in the intervening years — mostly in favor of the prosecution.

Chicago Tribune

Former R. Kelly girlfriend testifies singer’s associate suggested they should have killed her over sex tape

CHICAGO — A former girlfriend of R. Kelly’s sobbed in a federal courtroom Thursday as she testified that Kelly’s longtime business manager told her in 2007 they should have killed her instead of paying her to return an incriminating videotape of Kelly having sex with her and a 14-year-old girl.

Chicago Tribune

Former R. Kelly girlfriend testifies about encounters with singer’s underage goddaughter

CHICAGO — A former girlfriend of R. Kelly’s took the witness stand at his federal trial Thursday and testified that she had sexual contact with Kelly and his underage goddaughter at the behest of the singer, who also filmed and directed their encounters.

Chicago Sun-Times

‘They were thinking about killing me’: Lisa Van Allen takes stand in R. Kelly trial

Featured prominently in the 2019 Lifetime docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly,” Van Allen is now a key witness in an alleged early-2000s conspiracy to recover tapes of Kelly sexually abusing an underage girl and to rig his earlier 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County.

Get all your
news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One news app.

The Independent UK

Defense: Key government witness tried to extort R. Kelly

Defense lawyers at R. Kelly’s child pornography trial in Chicago have sought to portray a key government witness as a liar and extortionist

Chicago Tribune

Withering cross-examination begins for alleged R. Kelly fixer paid to recover sex tapes

CHICAGO — On Tuesday, Charles Freeman told a wild tale to jurors about how R. Kelly and his associates allegedly agreed to pay him up to a million dollars in the early 2000s to hunt down videotapes of the R&B singer sexually assaulting a young teen girl.

Chicago Sun-Times

‘Is this funny?’: Defense attorneys in R. Kelly trial tear into prosecution witness who smiles back

Kelly attorney Jennifer Bonjean tried to tick through all the crimes Charles Freeman could have been charged with had he not secured an immunity deal. The judge cut her off but she quipped, “It would take me too long to go through them all.”

The Independent UK

Witness: Desperate R. Kelly offered $1M for return of video

Prosecutors at R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago have introduced evidence illustrating the singer’s desperation in the early 2000s to recover an alleged child pornography video featuring himself that had gone missing

Chicago Tribune

Jurors hear key testimony from reputed fixer in alleged R. Kelly conspiracy to derail early criminal probe

CHICAGO — A key prosecution witness against R. Kelly has taken the stand in the disgraced R&B superstar’s federal trial and is expected to testify that he helped recover incriminating videotapes while Kelly was being investigated for sexual abuse.

Chicago Sun-Times

‘I said a million dollars’: Man testifies he helped R. Kelly hunt down sex tapes — for a price

Dressed in a blue suit and wearing sunglasses as he entered the courtroom, Charles Freeman grinned as he offered the most colorful testimony so far to jurors who have heard descriptions of everything from graphic sex abuse to dry bank records.

People

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Organisations

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Topics

Places

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.