Shortly after 3:40pmET, as Tom Brokaw gave his special report on NBC and MSNBC, CNN and FNC picked up the story and began reporting on the death of Tim Russert. Wolf Blitzer during The Situation Room and Shepard Smith on Studio B made the announcement, and have continued covering the Russert news. Brian Williams picked up anchoring on MSNBC from Afghanistan:







• Russert was set to receive the Fred Dressler Lifetime Achievement Award from the Newhouse School's Mirror Awards on June 23.