FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, August 22, 2006

BABY BOOM: Does this mean he's going to change his name again? Diddy and girlfriend Kim Porter expecting their second child together, a rep confirms to E!. The rap mogul is also daddy to a 12-year-old son from a prior relationship.

SAY WHAT?! "I, like, cry, when I listen to it, it's so good."
--Paris Hilton talking up her debut album, Paris, to Blender magazine.

NOT GAY ENOUGH: GLAAD noting that the new TV season features only nine homosexual characters, down from last year's count of 10. At least, there's only nine so far--but that's not taking into account any upcoming plot twists that could lead to a major player coming out of the closet.

IT'S LIKE RIDING A BIKE: Jake Gyllenhaal edging out Matthew McConaughey for the role of Lance Armstrong in an upcoming biopic, the New York Daily News reports. We certainly hope this news won't cut down on the amount of time they've been spending in each other's shirtless company of late.

DETECTIVE WORK: Mindy McCready petitioning to withdraw her guilty plea in a probation violation case, claiming that she uncovered new evidence. Apparently, the budding Nancy Drew recently found documentation that her license had been reinstated the day before she was pulled over and arrested for driving without a valid license in May 2005. However, that still doesn't explain what she was doing in Florida when she was not allowed to leave Tennessee without permission under the terms of her probation.

OOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA! Vince Gill and Jimmy Webb collaborating on a new song celebrating Oklahoma as the state's centennial approaches.

HATCHING A HIT: The Weinstein Company acquiring the worldwide rights to Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, a documentary trailing the country band at the height of their popularity and through the controversy stemming from the now infamous anti-Bush remark.

GOODWILL HIL: Hilary Duff traveling to New Orleans on Aug. 29 to visit victims of Hurricane Katrina one year later. Meanwhile, her less famous sister, Haylie, wishing she'd come up with that idea first.

GETTING HELP: Keane postponing a planned U.S. tour while singer Tom Chaplin undergoes treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. The news comes after the band announced last week that Chaplin was suffering from the ever-popular "exhaustion." The tour was due to kick off in Chicago Sept. 7; updated tour dates have yet to be announced.

JOKE'S ON K-FED: Kevin Federline's debut performance at the Teen Choice Awards being laughed off by the hip-hop community. "I just think we ignore him," Elliot Wilson, editor in chief of XXL magazine, told the AP. "He's a joke, basically." Yup, but one that's not really that funny anymore.

ENGAGEMENT INTERRUPTED: Brittany Murphy and Joe Macaluso "amicably" calling off their engagement, a rep confirms to E!. It's the second broken engagement for the Just Married star, who was also betrothed to talent manager Jeff Kwatinetz. Time to break out that little black book.

SMOKE OUT: Turner Broadcasting bowing to pressure from British regulators and editing out scenes of cartoon characters smoking from animated shows, including Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo. Scooby Snacks, on the other hand, are still fair game.

CAREER CHANGE: RZA, T.I. and Common joining the cast of American Gangsters, starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington, per the Hollywood Reporter.

ALL GROWN UP: MTV and Nickelodeon taking on larger roles in the Paramount Motion Picture Group, expanding from on-lot producers to full-fledged film labels, Viacom announced Monday. Film critics preparing to do their worst.

SAD DAY IN NERD NATION: The Sci Fi Channel halting production on Stargate SG-1 after 10 seasons and a drop in ratings. All hope is not lost, however--the more popular spinoff Stargate Atlantis was picked up for a fourth season, and episodes of both series will now be sold through the iTunes Music Store.