Some companies are pulling back from this month's Pride celebrations in Seattle and around the country amid a federal push to dismantle diversity initiatives.

The big picture: It's a notable shift for corporate America, which faces mounting pressure to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs — a key target of the Trump administration.

Zoom in: Several companies and organizations have not renewed their sponsorship of this month's Seattle Pride Parade, including Boeing, Mastercard, Expedia and Crystal Mountain resort, the Seattle Times reported this week.

• Elsewhere, Mastercard, Citi, Pepsi, Nissan and PwC pulled sponsorship of NYC Pride; Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte pulled out of WorldPride in Washington, D.C.; and Anheuser-Busch, Comcast and Diageo stopped sponsoring San Francisco Pride.

By the numbers: 39% of corporations are scaling back external Pride Month engagements this year, according to Gravity Research data.

• This is a sharp increase from last year, when only 9% said they were changing their external Pride engagement.
• 57% of companies that are federal contractors plan to reduce external engagement, highlighting the risk of federal investigations.

What they're saying: Seattle Pride, which runs the city's annual parade downtown, told Axios it has attracted about $20,000 in individual donations since March, plus support from "a growing number of small businesses."

• "This groundswell of support has reinforced a truth we've long known: the future of Pride cannot rely solely on corporate sponsorships," the organization said in a statement shared with Axios.
• PrideFest, which puts on Pride events in Capitol Hill and at Seattle Center, also has cited a decline in corporate donations, recently setting up a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of security and paying artists.

The other side: Spokespeople for Mastercard, Boeing and Crystal Mountain resort didn't immediately respond to questions from Axios yesterday about why they aren't sponsoring the Seattle parade this year.

• The Expedia Group told the Seattle Times that they had requested to renew their sponsorship of the parade this year but were denied — something Seattle Pride disputes.

What's next: The Seattle Pride Parade will be held June 29, while PrideFest events will take place June 28 and June 29.

Full story

The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in the U.S. on Saturday, giving soccer fans a taste of elite action ahead of next year's World Cup.

Why it matters: This year's Club World Cup tournament — which will include six games at Seattle's Lumen Field — features a new $1 billion prize pool.

How it works: This is not the FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico next summer, but a FIFA-organized tournament bringing together the best club teams from each continental confederation.

Zoom in: The Seattle Sounders FC are playing three group stage matches at Lumen Field as part of this summer's tournament, having qualified by winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup.

• Those matches are set for June 15, June 19 and June 23.
• Matches between other teams are scheduled at Lumen Field on June 17, June 21 and June 25.

Friction point: Athletes have clashed with Major League Soccer about how much of the tournament prize money should go to players, with Sounders players among those calling for athletes to receive a larger share.

What's next: Fans can watch the entire tournament live with a free subscription to DAZN.

• Tickets to watch in person can also be purchased online.

Tell a fan

📢 Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said yesterday that he expects to eventually be jailed by the federal government because of his commitment to protect Seattleites "from anyone who comes to this city with the intention to hurt them or inhibit their First Amendment rights."

• Barnes made the comments during his City Council confirmation process, while discussing President Trump's deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles. (Seattle Times)

🚐 A group of protesters used bikes and scooters in an attempt yesterday to block ICE vans from leaving the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, which houses an immigration court. (KUOW)

Two elderly women died yesterday after a transport bus reversed into a smoking shelter at a senior living facility near downtown, police said. (KIRO 7)

☕️ Starbucks is tapping into the growing demand for protein-packed drinks by testing cold foam with added protein in five U.S. markets.

• The protein cold foam should be available more broadly within "months," CEO Brian Niccol said. (Axios)

Washington is slipping in key measures of child well-being, a new report shows.

Why it matters: The results point to a need to invest more in kids, Stephan Blanford, executive director of Children's Alliance, said in an emailed statement.

Driving the news: Washington slipped in the national ranking for overall child well-being — from 14th to 16th — in the Annie E. Casey Foundation report, which compares trends over the past years and most recent data.

By the numbers: The state also slid down one spot — to 27th — in education, with impacts noted across all age groups, per the report.

• In 2024, 68% of fourth graders weren't proficient in reading, and 70% of eighth graders struggled with math.

The big picture: Washington placed 9th in the report's health ranking, a drop of five places from last year, and 30th in economic well-being

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Test your city-spotting skills once again as we present another round of visual sleuthing.

Know where we are? Here's a hint:

Sacred carvings greet

Elevator traffic

A docket awaits

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