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From the KPBS/Arts newsletter: I checked out the de la Torre Brothers' "Post-Columbian Futurism" last weekend at Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego in Balboa Park. I knew what to expect: the massive, immersive lunar lander of "Colonial Atmospheres" (pictured), which had recently been installed at The Cheech in Riverside. To be fair to my expectations, it really is an astonishing piece of art. It's massive in scale, with so many details and so much humor, meaning and history, and it's the first thing you see as you descend the stairs into the museum. The entire exhibit imagines a battle between Aztec gods, anchored by two lenticular pieces of Coatlicue (the mother of the gods) and Mictlantecuhtli (the god of the dead). It's also an imagined future of what would happen if humanity consumed itself to death. My favorite: the dining table installation around the corner. An intricate feast is set at a lavish, antique table, but something is wrong, something is amiss about the whole scene and I could have spent an hour just trying to understand every dish. With tipped over chairs and the weirdest glass food ever, it's ominous and beguiling. ICA San Diego-Central is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and admission is free. —Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS From the museum: In Post-Columbian Futurism, one of their largest and most ambitious projects to date, brothers Jamex and Einar de la Torre (b.1960 & 1963, Guadalajara; live and work in San Diego/Baja California) transform the ICA’s Central campus into the site of an epic battle for the future of humankind. Through a fusion of Mexican, American, and Indigenous cultural iconographies, the de la Torre brothers engage with our seasonal theme “Limitless Growth, Limited World,” by relaying a cautionary tale about the dangers of overconsumption in all its forms. Post-Columbian Futurism imagines a battle between the Aztec gods Coatlicue, who represents Mother Earth, and Mictlantecuhtli, the god of the dead. In the brothers’ current conceptualization, Coatlicue morphs into “Coatzilla,” a savage creature wreaking destructive havoc on urban infrastructure, while the transformed “Miclantiputin” continually releases new traffic-filled highways in entrail-like ribbons that spill from his rib cage. We humans are caught in the middle…or perhaps we’re on both sides? Much like the brothers’ lenticular paintings, which reveal different images depending on the viewing angle, the resolution of this conflict may depend on one’s perspective. Post-Columbian Futurism includes newly commissioned work to fill over 6,000 square feet of exhibition space.Two massive lenticular paintings of the gods will confront each other in the gallery, surrounded by a series of projections, floor coverings, and related glass sculpture. “Colonial Atmosphere” (2002), an installation of a lunar lander in the shape of a massive stone Olmec head, will anchor the space, inviting us to consider how far we are willing to go, and how long we are willing to fight, for the juggernaut of humanity. Related links:

Scientists say a fisherman caught a giant stingray that measured almost 13 feet from snout to tail in the Mekong River.

France's president pushed through the controversial bill via a special constitutional power. The move, which will raise the retirement age to 64 from 62, is expected to trigger a no-confidence motion.

The humanitarian aid group Border Kindness leaves water and other aid in areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. They say people are ill-prepared for conditions on uncharted trails.

Everyone in the community is invited to attend Wings of Hope, hosted by The Elizabeth Hospice, on Sunday, May 7, 2023, from 1 to 3 p.m. This event will take place at the California Center for the Arts, located at 340 N. Escondido Blvd in Escondido. Attendees will have the opportunity to honor and celebrate in a beautiful way the special people who have touched their lives. Admission is free. Registration is required by April 28, online at www.elizabethhospice.org/wings or by calling 760.796.3708. Attendees will receive a butterfly for release, listen to live music, hear uplifting messages from The Elizabeth Hospice’s grief support team and enjoy sweet treats. The Elizabeth Hospice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare leader, has been providing hospice care, palliative care and grief support services to children and adults in San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County since 1978. The organization’s highly trained grief counselors help children and adults understand their feelings and thoughts and guide them through the process of coping with the death of a loved one. Grief support services are available to everyone in the community, including those who do not have a patient affiliation with The Elizabeth Hospice. No one needing these services has ever been turned away for financial reasons. In support of the organization’s nonprofit mission, a donation of $50 is suggested to reserve a Painted Lady Butterfly. Additional giving opportunities are available. For more information, contact Tylie Daniels at Tylie.Daniels@ehospice.org or 760.796.3708. All donations benefit The Elizabeth Hospice’s vital services for children and adults impacted by serious illness, grief and loss.

Russia announced a withdrawal from Kherson, Ukraine, but the Ukrainian government said there's "no signs" Russian forces left without a fight.

Sunday, July 3, at 1 p.m. and Monday, July 4 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV. During the French and Indian War, from 1755 to 1760, battles raged at Lake George, Crown Point, Fort Ticonderoga, and Quebec as France, Britain and the native peoples of North America fought to decide who would control the crucial highway of rivers and lakes between New York and the city of Montreal. We follow the fate of the Abenaki people one of the most influential Indian nations in early American history; and we examine the realities behind the myth of Robert Rogers and his legendary Rangers the frontier partisans who gained heroic status in this brutal war.

In a rare journey down the length of the Indus River, a filmmaker and environmental activists survey damage done to Pakistan's main water artery and meet the people who live on its ancient banks.

As we wrap up this year, we look back at an eventful year through the lenses of NPR member and affiliate stations. We asked photographers to share memorable events they covered throughout 2022.

A lab that conducts studies for a San Diego-based pharmaceutical company is facing scrutiny over its use of beagles.