“The Spoils of War” by Jim DeRogatis, 2012. (Nick Infield)

Jim DeRogatis serves as secretary of the Military Miniature Society of Illinois, and he’s a skilled maker of all things small. From Oct. 20-21, the group is hosting its annual show, with 200 exhibitors displaying their sculptures in a juried exhibition.

In this Sept. 17, 2019, file photo, R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

For survivors of sexual assault and their advocates, it has been a long road as a federal jury yesterday convicted singer R. Kelly of six counts of producing child pornography and enticing girls for sex. The conviction comes more than two decades after the crimes took place.

R. Kelly appears for a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Friday, March 22, 2019 in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

Derrel McDavid testified he didn’t believe early allegations that the R&B singer had sexually abused minors in the 1990s, stating he thought such claims were not only false, but were the “cost of doing business” in the entertainment industry.

In this Sept. 17, 2019, file photo, R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

Music critic Jim DeRogatis and his employer, The New Yorker, filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber to quash a subpoena filed by Kelly’s co-defendant Derrel McDavid, citing it as “unduly burdensome, unreasonable and oppressive.”

#MuteRKelly supporters protest outside R. Kelly’s studio, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Chicago. (Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)

Speaking out against sexual assault and violence is fraught for anyone who attempts it. Those who work in the field say the hurdles facing Black women and girls are raised even higher by a society that hypersexualizes them from a young age.

In this Sept. 17, 2019, file photo, R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

Most people know him for “I Believe I Can Fly,” the 1996 sing-along hit. Or possibly for a stinging parody by comedian Dave Chappelle. But starting this week, what prosecutors say was a not-so-secret dark side of R&B superstar R. Kelly will be presented in lurid detail for a jury in New York City.

Lollapalooza will return to Chicago at full capacity from July 29 to Aug. 1, 2021. (WTTW News)
,

The massive music festival that routinely attracts more than 100,000 people per day to its stages starts next week as the delta variant drives a rise in COVID-19 cases. Should the show go on? A local music critic and an infectious disease doctor share their thoughts.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks in an empty lot in Auburn Gresham Thursday, May 20, 2021. (WTTW News)

The mayor gets mixed grades on her two-year anniversary and controversy follows her policy of offering interviews based on race. A dreaded Tribune deal goes through. And Lollapalooza will be back in full force for summer.

Journalist Jim DeRogatis appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.

Intimate details about R. Kelly are uncovered in a new book. Jim DeRogatis, the reporter who’s been following the singer for years, discusses “Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.”

Former Chicago Sun-Times reporter Jim DeRogatis talks to Chicago Tonight and other reporters after a news conference by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announcing charges against R. Kelly, the R&B star, with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving multiple victims in Chicago. (AP Photo / Kiichiro Sato)

The latest on R. Kelly from the journalist who’s been reporting on the Grammy Award-winning R&B star for decades.

Lincoln Yards artist’s rendering (Courtesy Sterling Bay)

A former industrial corridor along the North Branch of the Chicago River could be turned in to the city’s newest entertainment district. Rock critic Jim DeRogatis sounds a warning.

(R. Kelly / Facebook)

Two women bring new accusations against R&B superstar R. Kelly. Veteran music journalist Jim DeRogatis joins us with the latest.

A woman who says she had underage sex with Grammy Award winning performer R. Kelly is breaking her silence. Veteran music journalist Jim DeRogatis joins us with details.

Timothy Savage speaks at a press conference on July 17, 2017.

Parents accuse singer R. Kelly of keeping their daughter and other women in a cult. We speak with the journalist who broke the story.

Lois Weisberg on Chicago Stories in 2000.

The former commissioner of Cultural Affairs died Wednesday night.  

Chicago music fans have a lot to look forward to this summer with the Grateful Dead and Lollapalooza making headlines here. But Humboldt Park neighbors rejected the return of Riot Fest. Rock critics Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis join us to talk about the headliners and the headlines.