Newseum recreates Tim Russert’s office

Washington — Longtime “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert’s office, complete with Buffalo Bills pennants and a journalist’s clutter, will go on display next month at the Newseum.

The office will be reassembled to look as it did June 13, 2008, the day Russert died of a heart attack at age 58 while recording voiceovers for his next show at NBC’s Washington bureau. The exhibit at the journalism museum opens Nov. 20 and will remain through 2010.

“After Tim’s death, it became very clear to us that Tim really hit a nerve with a wider swath of people than you would ordinarily think for a journalist,” Charles Overby, the Newseum’s chief executive, said Wednesday. He noted Edward R. Murrow is the only other journalist who gets such prominent treatment.

“That shows the plateau on which we think Tim sits,” he said.

Russert, who served on the Newseum’s board of directors, was bureau chief for NBC News in Washington and began hosting “Meet the Press” in 1991.

Smith was investigated by FBI in murder plot

Miami — The FBI investigated whether Anna Nicole Smith plotted to kill her tycoon husband’s son as they battled for his father’s fortune, newly released files show, but the former Playboy Playmate who died in 2007 was never prosecuted.

Smith’s FBI records, obtained exclusively by The Associated Press, say the agency investigated Smith in 2000 and 2001 in a murder-for-hire plot targeting E. Pierce Marshall, who was at the center of a long legal fight to keep the starlet, model and one-time stripper from collecting his father’s oil wealth, valued in the hundreds of millions. The younger Marshall died three years ago of natural causes.

The documents released under the Freedom of Information Act depict an investigation going on as the fight raged over J. Howard Marshall II’s estate. Vast sections of the 100 pages of released materials — a fraction of Smith’s full FBI file — are whited out, and no evidence of her involvement in such a plot is detailed.

There is no indication how authorities became aware of any alleged scheme, but agents interviewed Smith on July 3, 2000. Told why she was being questioned, “Smith began crying and denied ever making such plans,” a report said.

Soul Train Awards return after hiatus

Atlanta — The Soul Train Awards to recognize those who helped shape R&B music plan to return to the air after a two-year hiatus.

Record executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid, singers Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Chaka Khan and Charlie Wilson will be honored on the two-hour music special to be taped in Atlanta.

The awards are scheduled to air Nov. 29 on Centric — a new channel jointly operated by the BET and MTV Networks divisions of Viacom.

Actors Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard will co-host the awards first started by Don Cornelius, the creator of the syndicated music show “Soul Train.”

The last awards show was in 2007 in California.

Hudson will return to Chicago to film special

New York — Jennifer Hudson returns to her hometown of Chicago for an ABC prime-time special, “Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” that will air in December.

The network says the 28-year-old singer-actress will share childhood memories of the music, people and places that set the stage for her career. Musical performances will be filmed on location throughout the city.

Hudson, who gained fame first as a top contender on “American Idol,” won an Oscar for her role in “Dreamgirls” and a Grammy for best R&B album for her self-titled debut CD.

The network says a date and time for the hour-long music special hasn’t yet been scheduled.

Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were slain in Chicago last year.

Filmmaker sues Chris Rock over ‘Good Hair’

Los Angeles — A filmmaker is suing Chris Rock for at least $5 million and trying to block the release of his upcoming documentary “Good Hair.”

Regina Kimbell sued Rock and several film companies in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, claiming Rock’s project is a copycat of her film, “My Nappy Roots.”

Kimbell states she screened her film for the comedian in 2007. The lawsuit states “My Nappy Roots” traces the business and cultural history of black hair care and has otherwise only been shown at colleges and film festivals since its completion in 2006.

Her lawsuit claims several of elements of her film have been copied.

Rock’s publicist declined to comment.

“Good Hair” will be released in certain cities on Friday and nationwide on Oct. 23.

No charges over Mel Gibson DUI report leaks

Los Angeles — Prosecutors have declined to press charges against the sheriff’s deputy who arrested Mel Gibson three years ago, citing a lack of proof he leaked details about the case.

The case against Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy James Mee was closed in July, according to a nine-page charge evaluation worksheet first obtained Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times.

Mee had been the target of investigations into whether he leaked his report about Gibson’s report, including details about the actor’s anti-Semitic tirade. Prosecutors found that the leaks were criminal, but that they couldn’t be tied to Mee.