FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, April 5, 2006

ANCHOR AWAY: Katie Couric confirming on the Today show Wednesday that she is leaving NBC at the end of May to join CBS, becoming the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, and be a regular contributor to 60 Minutes. Couric made the announcement on the same day she celebrated her 15th anniversary on Today.

FILLING THE VOID: NBC tapping ABC's Meredith Vieira to fill Couric's shoes, according to published reports.

FATHER FIGURE: Tom Cruise telling Parade magazine that his father was "a bully and a coward" and that he was harassed in school by his classmates.

CHART ATTACK: T.I.'s King topping the charts with almost 522,000 copies sold in its first week of release, according to the latest Nielsen SoundScan numbers.

SUPER SUIT: A judge ruling that Smallville may be infringing on the copyrights held on the Superboy character by the widow and daughter of Jerome Siegel, originator of the comicbook series. Warner Bros. vowing to appeal the decision.

CANNES DO: X-Men: The Last Stand and The Fountain, both starring Hugh Jackman, reportedly showing at the 59th Annual Cannes Film Festival, per Daily Variety. The official lineup to be revealed April 20.

CURTAIN CALL: Eminem filing for divorce a second time from his wife, Kim, 82 days after they remarried.

KUDOS: Martin Scorsese and Battlestar Galactica among the winners of the 65th Annual Peabody Awards, which will be handed out at a June 5 ceremony hosted by Jon Stewart.

GET HELP: David Hasselhoff filing court documents requesting that his estranged wife Pamela Bach complete a drug rehab program and submit to random drug testing. The couple is in the process of divorcing.

NO SINGING REQUIRED: American Idol reject Lisa Tucker to guest star on an Apr. 27 episode of The O.C..

CODA: Roll and Roll Hall of Famer Gene Pitney, whose hits included "Town Without Pity" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart," died Wednesday in Wales after performing a show, his agent said. He was 65.

BROKE: Suge Knight seeking bankruptcy protection for himself and Death Row Records Tuesday during a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court. Knight claiming debts of more than $100 million in each filing.

ON THE DOWNLOAD: Dave Matthews Band putting its entire catalogue online for the first time Tuesday after striking a deal with Apple to sell the band's songs and albums through iTunes Music Store.

ROUND TWO: Lifetime reportedly scoring rerun rights to Desperate Housewives after battling with TBS to acquire the show, per Daily Variety.

CLEANING UP: Brad Renfro appearing in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday for a progress report hearing, where he called rehab an "eye-opener" and expressed his desire to stay clean. The actor was arrested in December for attempting to buy heroin.

TOO REAL: A Manhattan movie theater pulling the trailer for United 93, a film that chronicles the hijacked United Airlines flight that crashed into a Pennsylvania field on 9-11, after moviegoers complained it was too upsetting.

ALL APOLOGIES: Jessica Alba ending her pursuit of legal action against Playboy for putting her image on the magazine's March cover without the actress's permission. Playboy Editor-in-Chief Hugh Hefner wrote a personal letter of apology to Alba and is donating money to two of her favorite charities.

SAFE RETURN: Sandy Brooks, ex-wife of country star Garth Brooks, is safe after being kidnapped at gunpoint from her Oklahoma farm. The assailant forced her into a car and ordered her to drive away. After driving for a few miles, Brooks stopped the car and fled into a convenience store. The perp, who was already wanted on an outstanding warrant, was arrested and booked on kidnapping and weapons charges.