FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, June 20, 2003

SHOWDOWN, PART 2: American Idol's Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken both to release their debut albums on August 19, according to Billboard. Aiken won the battle of their dueling singles last week, with his "Bridge Over Trouble Water" selling more than 100,000 copies more than Studdard's "Flying Without Wings."

POTTER HITS PUBERTY: J.K. Rowling telling London's Times that Harry Potter is angry for most of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as his hormones start to rage, but he does have "a relationship of sorts." The author also said she's started writing book six and already has the final chapter for book seven written.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS: Kid Rock, Wayne Newton, Brittany Murphy, Alyssa Milano, Gary Sinise and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders among the entertainers visiting U.S. troops in the Gulf this week as part of the first USO tour of the region since the end of the war in Iraq.

SHE AND BOBBY MCGEE: Renée Zellweger signing to star in Piece of My Heart, Paramount Pictures' Janis Joplin biopic that starts filming early next year.

ON THE LINE: Kim Basinger coming aboard Cellular, a thriller in which she plays a kidnapped woman who places a random call reaching out to a young man she must persuade to help her.

WHAT A TEAM: Legendary rock guitarist Jeff Beck joining forces with B.B. King for the legendary bluesman's annual summer tour, which kicks off July 25 in Las Vegas.

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: The Senate Commerce Committee voting Thursday to force the Federal Communications Commission to start over in making its ownership deregulation ruling. However, chances of the legislation passing the full Congress likely faces stiff resistance.

GOT IT: Aussie actor Hugh Jackman topping Entertainment Weekly's 7th annual "It" list, the mag's picks of the 100 most creative people in show biz. Other "It" celebs include Pactricia Clarkson and party-girl heiress Paris Hilton.

TYPECASTING? People magazine reporting that Whitney Houston and hubby Bobby Brown are looking to costar in their feature film together, Beffy and Charlie. The couple would play singers who just so happen to also be gangsters. No word on a shoot date.

SHE'S BACK: Former ABC programming chief Jamie Tarses agreeing to lead a production company that will create shows for NBC. Tarses got her start at NBC green-lighting such shows as Friends.

PULLING THE PLUG...SORT OF: Fox canceling its sketch comedy-variety series Cedric the Entertainer Presents, but in an odd move, will continue to air through December brand new episodes produced last season that never aired.

MAKING HISTORY: For the first time in the format's short history, DVD rentals surpassing videocassette rentals last week, 28.2 million to 27.3 million, according to the Video Software Dealers association.

NO MAKEUP: KISS frontman Paul Stanley telling Billboard.com he's working on his first solo album in 25 years.

COSMETIC CHANGES: Lifetime cable network racing to reshoot the ending for its telefilm A Date with Darkness: The Trial of Andrew Luster, after the cosmetics heir-turned-fugitive which the movie is based was nabbed in Mexico this week. The flick airs August 11.

KUDOS! Longtime 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney set to receive the prestigious Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists at the organization's Saturday conference in Tucson, Arizona.

GETTING THEIR STAR: Britney Spears, Kevin Costner, Halle Berry, Glenn Close and Anthony Hopkins among those set to receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame next year.

COMES WITH THE JOB: Matthew Perry telling Access Hollywood he had severe stage fright on his opening-night on stage in London, where he's starring in David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago. "I was about as scared as I can get without vomiting or having a heart attack or something," Perry said.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS: Jason Phillips, a member of the British garage band So Solid Crew, sentenced in London to four years in prison for carrying a loaded handgun.

PAY UP: An appeals court judge ruling that former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra must pay $220,000 in back royalties and other damages to his former bandmates for breach of contract and fraud.

THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, PART TWO: An Ohio county renewing its campaign over whether Hustler publisher Larry Flynt has hocked sex videos that violate community standards in violation of a 1999 court agreement banning them from selling such sexually explicit material.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Grandmaster Flash, Funkmaster Flex and DJ Premier set to participate in a special tribute to the late Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC during the 3rd Annual BET Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on June 24 and airing live on BET.