AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 3:38 p.m. EST

The new BTS album title and what to know about the K-pop band’s comeback

NEW YORK (AP) — After a nearly four-year musical hiatus, the K-pop giants BTS are back. Well, almost. On Thursday morning, the entertainment company BigHit Music shared on social media that the septet will release a new album on March 20 titled “ARIRANG.” It is their fifth album. Fans can preorder 10 different vinyl versions and two different CD versions of the release. The news arrives two days after the septet of RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and j-hope announced a 2026-2027 world tour. It will kick off in South Korea in April and run through March 2027 with over 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Europe.

Mattel and Alex Aster team up for Barbie young adult novel, 'Barbie: Dreamscape'

NEW YORK (AP) — Mattel Publishing is teaming up with bestselling author Alex Aster for a new Barbie young adult novel. “Barbie: Dreamscape,” set for release on July 28, takes Barbie on a journey across magical lands. This is the first novel for young adults from Mattel Publishing since its launch three years ago. The novel isn't connected to the 2023 movie, and no screen adaptation is planned. Mattel describes it as a coming-of-age story where Barbie, declared “Fateless,” must find her destiny. Aster, known for her “Lightlark” series, says Barbie dolls were a formative part of her childhood.

Actor Timothy Busfield ordered held without bond in New Mexico child sex abuse case

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Timothy Busfield was ordered held without bond at his first New Mexico court appearance on child sex abuse charges, pending a detention hearing in coming days. Wednesday's hearing took place a day after Busfield turned himself on an arrest warrant and criminal complaint from Albuquerque police that accused him of inappropriately touching a minor while on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady." Busfield denies the allegations, and an attorney says he underwent a polygraph test. Prosecutors are seeking to keep Busfield in custody pending trial. They pointed to a history of alleged sexual misconduct over two decades.

Former Universal chair David Linde named CEO of Sundance Institute

David Linde, former chairman of Universal Pictures and CEO of Participant Media, has been named CEO of the Sundance Institute. The nonprofit organization announced Thursday that Linde will assume the role on Feb. 17, after this year’s festival concludes. His responsibilities will include overseeing the Sundance Film Festival’s transition to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027 and managing year-round programs like artist labs and fellowships. Sundance has been operating under interim CEO Amanda Kelso since early 2024. Linde, a Hollywood veteran, has worked across television and film for decades, cofounding Focus Features and overseeing numerous Oscar nominees and winners.

Defense Department says military newspaper Stars and Stripes must eliminate 'woke distractions'

The Defense Department says it is revamping the military newspaper Stars and Stripes to focus on “reporting for our warfighters” and eliminate woke distractions. That message left Stars and Stripes' ombudsman concerned that it was a threat to the outlet's congressionally mandated independence, even though the Pentagon is responsible for half of its budget. The move is one of several made by the Trump administration to impose restrictions on journalists. Most legacy reporters have left the Pentagon rather than agree to new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Washington Post reported this week that applicants for jobs at Stars and Stripes are being asked what they would do to advance President Donald Trump's agenda.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin's memoir recounts her journey after her son's abduction by Hamas

NEW YORK (AP) — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, known for her advocacy for hostages abducted by Hamas-led militants, has a memoir coming out this spring. Random House announced Thursday that “When We See You Again” will be published April 21. Goldberg-Polin, a Chicago-born educator living in Jerusalem, shares her journey of loss and resilience. Her son, Hersh, was taken during a music festival in southern Israel. She traveled the world calling for his release, meeting with leaders like President Joe Biden and Pope Francis. Despite the discovery of her son's body, she continues to share her story of grief and love.

Music streams hit 5 trillion in 2025. Christian, rock and Latin lead growth in the US

NEW YORK (AP) — The global music industry hit 5.1 trillion streams in 2025. That’s a new single-year record, up 9.6% from 2024. That’s according to a 2025 Year-End Report from Luminate. They are an industry data and analytics company that provides insight into changing behaviors across music listenership. In the U.S., on-demand audio streams hit 1.4 trillion. That’s a 4.6% increase from last year. But attention is on older music. Less than half all U.S. on-demand audio streams were from tracks released in the last five years. However, in the U.S., streams of Christian music, rock, Latin and AI performers are growing.

Press freedom advocates worry that raid on Washington Post journalist's home will chill reporting

Press freedom advocates are concerned this week's raid on a Washington Post journalist's home will deter reporting on government actions and silence whistleblowers. If that's the case, the Trump administration could hardly have chosen a more compelling target. Hannah Natanson had a phone, two laptops and a watch taken from her Virginia home in Wednesday's raid. Natanson is nicknamed the “federal government whisperer” at the Post for her reporting on President Donald Trump's changes to the workforce. Natanson wrote a first-person piece published by the Post on Christmas Eve about how more than a thousand people have contacted her to talk about what's going on.

Min Jin Lee's 'Pachinko' follow-up, 'American Hagwon,' will explore Korean education obsession

NEW YORK (AP) — Min Jin Lee's new novel, “American Hagwon,” explores why Koreans are so focused on education. It's her first book since her acclaimed “Pachinko” and is scheduled for September. Hagwons are private institutions where Koreans send their children to learn skills like English and math. Lee calls herself an “accidental historian.” Her 750-page novel is the third in a series about Korea and the Korean diaspora. The story follows a Korean family affected by the Asian financial crisis as they move from Korea to Australia and then to Southern California. Lee's work is known for its deep research and reflection.