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Tim Russert, the longest-running anchor of "Meet the Press," died of a heart attack at the Washington bureau this afternoon, while preparing next Sunday's broadcast. He was highly respected by people of all political persuasions for being consistently fair, personable, and hard-working in every assignment he ever undertook.

NBC's Tom Brokaw was tasked with delivering the heartbreaking news on air Friday. "I think I can invoke personal privilege to say that this news division will not be the same without his strong clear voice. He'll be missed as he was loved greatly," Brokaw said.