The former R.E.M. frontman retreated from music after the band split up in 2011, but he's back with two new songs; wrapping up the Television Critics Assn. winter tour, which previewed what's coming up from networks, cable channels and streaming services.

Michael Stipe has two new solo singles; Victoria Mahoney is the first woman and first person of color behind a camera on a "Star Wars" movie, Mary Steenburgen turns a bizarre brain phenomenon into a music career; "American Factory" gets an Oscar nomination; Franklin Leonard makes an alt Oscar ballot.

An exhibition at New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage attempts to fight growing ignorance about the Holocaust; turmoil at the Grammy organization; a new fund aims to improve equity and inclusion in film and TV.

The prolific author examines his craft in “Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different"; J. Clara Chan of The Wrap reports from the Harvey Weinstein trial; the satirical comedy group Culture Clash takes on a Baroque opera;

Justin Levine, music supervisor for the Broadway adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, talks about adapting recent pop songs for the period musical; The Lucas Museum has acquired a prominent collection of ephemera related to African American film history; Mary Steenburgen's sudden and odd songwriting career.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns on how she and director Sam Mendes penned the script knowing the film would be shot as if it was one continuous take; an alternate history of this year's Oscar nominations; multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek takes her environmental activism to the stage.