In today’s digest: Seattle officials are once again discussing paid parking in West Seattle Junction, nearly a million investors have lost billions on Trump’s meme coin, and US men’s national soccer team head coach Mauricio Pochettino delivered a dramatic ceremonial first pitch ahead of the decisive 2026 World Cup match.
Paid parking in West Seattle Junction: the discussion returns
Seattle officials are once again considering introducing paid street parking in the West Seattle Junction area. This is the first time in nearly ten years: the City of Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has announced a new study of parking conditions and opened online surveys for local residents and businesses. As reported in an article on West Seattle Blog, the last time such an inquiry was carried out was in 2017, and since then the neighborhood has changed significantly: new housing has been built, businesses have opened, street food has spread, deliveries have increased, and commuting habits have shifted.
According to SDOT data, available on-street spaces—especially along California Ave SW and nearby streets—have become scarce: parking is often completely taken. The agency has visited Junction multiple times, talking with people about how they get to the area. It emerged that although many arrive by car, most visitors get there on foot, by bicycle, or via public transit. Opinions about parking availability vary. Now, until July 27, anyone can share their views in the survey, after which SDOT will present preliminary recommendations in the fall and collect additional feedback.
Among possible changes are new time limits or paid parking designed to improve turnover and make it easier to access shops and restaurants. Special spaces for people with disabilities are also being discussed, along with loading zones for goods, delivery services and taxis, and the so-called “daylighting of intersections”—a measure in which parking is removed directly in front of crosswalks to improve visibility and safety. The key goal is not just to raise money, but to ensure more people can conveniently leave their cars briefly and visit local businesses, while also solving the logistics problems faced by business owners. Almost certainly, this initiative will spark heated debate: residents may fear additional costs, while shop owners may worry about losing customers who will prefer free parking at nearby shopping centers. However, SDOT emphasizes that any changes will be data-driven and shaped by public opinion, and that residents will be invited to discuss a final plan in the fall.
Nearly a million investors lost $3.8 billion on Trump’s crypto coin
President Donald Trump made hundreds of millions of dollars from launching his own meme coin, while nearly a million of his supporters suffered massive losses. According to data from crypto analytics firm Nansen, cited in an article by The Seattle Times, by the end of June 988,905 token buyers of $TRUMP had collectively lost $3.81 billion. At the same time, Trump himself—according to his financial filings—received $636 million from the coin, and his total profit from his crypto ventures in 2025 exceeded $2.2 billion.
The conditions were set from the start to benefit Trump. He earned regardless of whether the price of his meme coin rose or fell—each transaction generated revenue. Using his social network Truth Social, he repeatedly urged followers to buy the token. “It’s time to celebrate what we symbolize: VICTORY! Join my special TRUMP community. GET YOUR $TRUMP RIGHT NOW!” he wrote three days before the inauguration. But for most people, that recommendation turned into disaster.
The $TRUMP meme coin is a type of “joke” cryptocurrency with no practical value. Most crypto transactions are recorded on a public blockchain, which allows analysts to track money flows. Nansen found that two out of every three buyers took losses: by the end of June, 988,905 wallets showed losses (including paper losses for those who had not sold the asset). The coin’s price fell by 97%—from a peak of $75.35 to $1.76. About 500,000 wallets, by contrast, made profits totaling $4 billion, but the report explains that “it reflects a small number of early buyers capturing huge gains, while the broad retail mass absorbed the losses.”
Among those affected was Nicholas Pinto, a frequent cryptocurrency trader and a Trump voter in 2024. He invested about $500,000 in $TRUMP and lost half. Pinto called what happened “near-legal fraud,” noting that Trump used presidential power to launch currencies, taking advantage of public trust. The White House rejected such accusations: an official spokesperson, Anna Kelly, said Trump “with pride made the United States the world’s capital of crypto,” and that all his actions are aimed at benefiting Americans.
In addition to the meme coin, Trump and his sons founded the startup World Liberty Financial, which released the $WLFI token. Its price also dropped sharply—by 82% from September 2025. Nansen tracked only a portion of transactions (26,663 wallets), of which 85% recorded losses of $83 million, while profits came to $23 million. However, total losses could be much larger because many purchases occur on exchanges with non-observable data. World Liberty representative David Waxman attributed the decline to broader market conditions.
Trump, who previously had been skeptical about cryptocurrencies, threw himself into the space during his 2024 election campaign. His business received a 75% share of $WLFI sales after expenses were deducted, which ensured profit regardless of the token’s price. Since the start of 2025, the United Arab Emirates secretly bought nearly half of World Liberty, bringing Trump $799 million according to his financial disclosures.
Federal regulators have largely stopped policing cryptocurrencies after the SEC’s February 2025 statement that meme coins would not receive close scrutiny. New York University law professor Stephen Gillers believes a class-action lawsuit from followers who lost money is inevitable—even if it means waiting until Trump leaves the White House. The $TRUMP website warns that the token is not an investment, but “an expression of support for the ideals embodied in the symbol $TRUMP.” However, in Gillers’ view, such a disclaimer is unlikely to protect against legal action: “As a developer, Trump boasted that he was playing into people’s fantasies. Here, he appears to have encouraged supporters to invest in anticipation of wealth, while he was cashing out the profits.”
Pochettino takes the field: a symbolic gesture ahead of the decisive 2026 World Cup match
While the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, the men’s national soccer team did not limit itself to preparing for a key World Cup game. The squad took part in a traditional American ritual—a baseball match. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, dressed in Seattle Mariners club colors (northwest green, navy blue and white), stepped onto the field at T-Mobile Park to throw the ceremonial first pitch. This tradition—when a guest of honor throws the ball from the pitcher’s mound—is a sign of respect and unity in American sports. According to defender Tim Ream, Pochettino’s throw was “really, very good”: the Argentine sent the ball right down the center of the “home plate,” as if he had been playing baseball his whole life. The team captain rated the attempt as “excellent.” As reported on the official US Soccer website, before the match between the Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays, all 26 players from the national team were presented, walking out of the tunnel surrounded by American flags. The warmest reception went to midfielder Cristian Roldán, a former Washington collegiate player and a longtime leader of Seattle Sounders. Roldán carried a golden trident onto the field—the symbol of the Mariners—and addressed the packed stands: “Thank you, Seattle, for the love and support. Let’s win the World Cup!”
The United States squad is back in Seattle for a reason: the team does not lose there. The group stage ended with a 2-0 win over Australia in front of 66,925 fans—an atmosphere among the most vibrant of the tournament. Historically, USMNT has a perfect 7-0-0 record at Seattle Stadium (the best mark among all their home venues) and 10-1-1 in the city overall. Now the “Stars and Stripes” are preparing for the biggest match yet—on July 6 in the Round of 16, they will face the ninth-ranked team in the world, Belgium. The support of the tenth and eleventh players (in soccer, devoted fans who create extra pressure on the opponent are called the “12th man”) provides the team with additional motivation. As Tim Ream noted, “the sports fans here are incredible—that makes everything so much more special and pushes you to go all-out to win and get the result.” A win over Belgium would be only the US’s second quarterfinal appearance in World Cup history—and the chance to make that dream come true begins on the very field where Pochettino threw that baseball pitch so confidently.
