Relatives of Palestinian Ahmed Al-Shenbari, who was killed during an Israeli raid in Beit Hanoun city on the northern Gaza Strip, mourn during his funeral on May 11, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza.
Relatives of Palestinian Ahmed Al-Shenbari, who was killed during an Israeli raid in Beit Hanoun city on the northern Gaza Strip, mourn during his funeral on May 11, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza. Fatima Shbair /getty images

Good morning, Portland! Head's up: You have one week left to vote in the May 18 election.

Here are the headlines.

• Last year, voters in the Portland Metro region voted to fund a new homeless services measure, and now it's time for local elected officials to decide how to spend the millions of dollars it's generated so far. But not everyone in Multnomah County is in agreement on how it ought to be spent: While some want to fund as many alternative shelter beds as possible, others argue that the funds should be focused on sustainable long-term housing solutions.

• You've probably heard about the violence happening this week in Palestine and Israel by now. But are you still unclear on what prompted the recent killings? This piece is a helpful explainer of the what the latest flashpoint is, and why it isn't simply a real estate dispute—it's an attempted ethnic cleansing.

• It's sometimes easy to forget just how surreal the last 15 months have been. These extraordinary photos help document the very singular time we're living through:

• While the United States is continuing its mass vaccination effort (and some Americans refuse to get the shots), the COVID-19 pandemic is still absolutely devastating in other parts of the world. In India, cremation costs have gotten so high that bodies are being disposed of in rivers.

• President Joe Biden wants to create a Civilian Climate Corps, which would employ young people to protect the country's natural resources and work to mitigate the impacts of climate change. It's an exciting idea, and comes at a time when more young people are doubting the value of a traditional college education—but Biden's only planning to put $10 million towards it, which is a fraction of what FDR spent on a similar program in the 1930s.

• Tomorrow, House Republicans will vote on whether to recall Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership role within the House GOP. Many Republicans are upset with Cheney because she voted to impeach Donald Trump... after he encouraged an attack on the Capitol on January 6 that put their lives in danger. Cheney's likely replacement in party leadership, Rep. Elise Stefanik, is a hardcore Trump supporter. In other words, the GOP is still very much the party of Trump, with all the danger and unscrupulousness that implies.

• Listen to this episode from one of my new favorite podcasts:

• After a year of analysis and two pedestrian deaths, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is lowering the speed on 82nd Avenue, one of Portland’s deadliest highways. But transportation advocates say the move is too little, too late.

• The University of Oregon has joined the long list of Oregon colleges and universities that will require students and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when classes begin again in the fall. Per Oregon law, they can be exempted from the requirement if they have a medical reason or a “religious, philosophical, or other belief" that conflicts with getting vaccinated.

• And finally: Thanks, Biden!