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Portland State University is one of four Oregon public universities that plan to increase tuition by more than 5 percent next school year.
Portland State University is one of four Oregon public universities that plan to increase tuition by more than 5 percent next school year. COSMONAUT/GETTY

Good morning, Portland! It's a hot, sticky world out there—keep your head down and your sleeves short today.

More Questions Than Answers: A Black, queer homeless person was found hanging from a tree in Rocky Butte Park two weeks ago. Police were quick to call it suicide, but her family has their doubts.

Normal and Cool: The Oregon Legislature gets a shoutout in the New York Times today, as one example of growing division among statehouses across the country. The Times story links to this OPB article about Republicans not showing up for work several days in a row in last month.

What the HECC: Four Oregon public universities are gearing up for a meeting of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) in Salem on Thursday. HECC has the final say on tuition increases higher than five percent—which, due to a lack of state funding, these schools are planning to enact next year. Portland State University is among the schools.

A Clean Toilet Is a Basic Right: The city of Portland has plans to place ports potties around town, to help with what the Oregonian calls our "human poop problem." I work downtown, and I'm glad that this means less shit on my walk from the MAX stop to the office. But I'm even happier that it means more human beings will have access to a toilet.

To the MAX: Will the planned Southwest Corridor MAX line include a funicular connection to OHSU? Possibly! Here's the latest on the long planning process for the new line, which TriMet says is set to open in 2027.

Family Intrigue: Kim Jong Nam, the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, died in 2017. It's now come to light that Kim Jong Nam was reportedly working with the CIA prior to his death.

Pride Flashback: It's Pride, which means I get to link to as many LGBTQ-adjacent stories as I want to. So, here, you should read this interview about pre-Stonewall queer crime stories. My favorite revelation? "'Neurotic...was code for a host of sexual and gender transgressions' at the time."

A Little Sports Humor: