The skyline of the Central Business District is seen on May 13, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A U.S. citizen was arrested in China on espionage charges, according to Chinese officials.
U Min Zin was “lawfully subjected to criminal compulsory measures by the relevant authorities on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security Chinese foreign ministry,” spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Friday during a news conference.
Lin did not provide any more details about the charges or the investigation into Min Zin, who has been a longtime scholar on the politics of Myanmar. The spokesperson said the Chinese government notified the U.S. consulate general in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
A State Department official told ABC News in a statement Friday that the department is aware of the reports of the arrest.
“The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans. Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained, we work to provide the appropriate consular assistance. However, under federal privacy law, we are unable to comment further at this time,” the official said.
Min Zin took part in the democracy movement in Burma, Myanmar’s former name, in the late 80s and fled the country in 1989 to avoid arrest, according to a bio on his blog.
He is the executive director of the think tank, The Institute for Strategy and Policy (Myanmar), and has written several publications about Myanmar’s politics.
Min Zin was scheduled to speak at an event in Nepal this month hosted by the Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy, the think tank announced in May.
ABC News’ Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.
Construction workers build scaffolding near the sign for the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Friday denied the Department of Justice’s request to lift an order requiring the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center.
The Trump administration still faces a deadline of Friday to remove Trump’s name from the building.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Construction continues on the Ultimate Fighting Championship “Claw” and the octagon fighting ring on the South Lawn of the White House on June 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The White House can host an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the South Lawn this weekend, a federal judge ruled on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected a request to block the high-profile event brought by two Virginia residents who alleged the Trump administration’s authorization for the event was unlawful.
In his order, Judge Mehta determined that the plaintiffs failed “to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm” in their lawsuit against the event.
The lawsuit alleged the event — which includes a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, ceremonial weigh-in and concert at the Ellipse on Saturday, and the South Lawn fight on Sunday — violated National Park Service regulations, was improperly permitted, and lacked a necessary environmental review.
In his order, Judge Mehta found neither plaintiff was able to show they are “directly affected” by the event, despite their contentions that the temporary arena known as the “Claw” is “hideous” and “grotesque,” and that it diminishes their ability to enjoy the beauty of the nation’s capital in the coming days.
Mehta repeatedly picked apart the plaintiffs’ efforts to establish standing to bring the suit, in which they cited reasons including planned attendance at weekend protests and road closures near the White House that they had argued would cause them personal injury.
Even if they had been able to establish standing, Mehta said, their lawsuit failed to show the event would cause irreparable harm, and noted the “unreasonable delay” in filing the lawsuit — rejecting their explanation that the decision to sue was based on newly gathered information.
Mehta further agreed with the government that cancelling the event at the last minute would cause “substantial harm” given the amount of planning, costs and labor put into the project over the past several months.
In a court filing on Wednesday, lawyers with the Public Integrity Project had called the event a “corrupt spectacle.”
“Such a volcano of corruption, if allowed to go forward, will mark an inflection point in American history,” they argued.
Lawyers with the Department of Justice said the authorization for the event was lawful, comparing it to other events on the South Lawn like Easter Egg Roll, National Christmas Tree Lighting, state dinners, the Congressional Picnic, and a 2022 Elton John Concert.
They also argued that the plaintiffs lack standing and would not be harmed by the event.
“No one is holding Plaintiffs in a jiu jitsu lock, forcing them to watch UFC Freedom 250 against their will,” DOJ lawyers wrote on Tuesday. “The public interest does not favor allowing them to exercise a heckler’s veto, particularly at this late date.”
Police said this suspect is being sought in connection with a group assault on a 17-year-old boy near Madison Square Garden in New York on June 10, 2026. (NYPD)
(NEW YORK) — A 17-year-old boy was beaten into a coma near Madison Square Garden following Game 4 of the NBA Finals, New York City police said Friday while releasing a photo of a suspect sought in connection with the assault.
The incident occurred Wednesday night around 11:45 p.m., according to the New York City Police Department, amid rowdy celebrations following the New York Knicks’ win.
A group of unknown individuals approached the teen in front of 237 W. 35th St. in Midtown Manhattan, where a “verbal dispute ensued about the New York Knicks,” police said.
Detectives reviewed video that shows someone apparently telling the crowd celebrating by saying, “Spurs in 7,” ABC New York station WABC reported.
“The dispute escalated, and the individuals proceeded to punch and kick the victim about the head and body, causing the victim to suffer a seizure and subsequently go into a coma,” police said in a statement.
Emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital in critical but stable condition, police said.
The individuals fled on foot, and their whereabouts are unknown, police said. The NYPD released an image of one suspect sought in connection with the incident on social media on Friday while asking anyone with information to contact them.
Separately, dozens of people were arrested following the Knicks’ historic comeback against the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday’s Game 4.
Rowdy fans got into fistfights, climbed scaffolding and poles, blocked Midtown Manhattan traffic, set off fireworks, ripped down street signs, jumped atop taxis and other moving vehicles and damaged police vehicles, according to authorities and videos posted on social media.
At multiple locations blocks from the Garden, crowds refused numerous verbal commands to disperse, police said. Ten police officers were injured in the post-game revelry, including one who was struck in the face with a glass bottle, the NYPD said.
In total, 56 people were taken into custody, including 15 who were arrested and 41 who were released with criminal court summonses, according to the NYPD.
Fans were arrested on charges such as suspicion of assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon (a knife), reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, and trademark counterfeiting, the NYPD said.
Following Game 3 of the NBA Finals at the Garden on Monday, at least 21 people were arrested, according to the NYPD.
A 39-year-old San Antonio fan was jumped on a Midtown Manhattan street following the Knicks loss, according to the NYPD, which released surveillance photos of five individuals wanted on charges of robbery stemming from the incident.
ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
(MIDLAND, Texas) — At least 11 victims were reported in an active shooter situation in Midland, Texas, on Friday morning, with at least one victim dead, according to Midland Mayor Lori Blong.
The suspected shooter is also dead following a standoff with police, Midland city officials said.
“The scene remains active and has not been cleared,” city officials said in a statement.
Nine victims have been taken to Midland Memorial Hospital, where four are undergoing surgery and five are listed in stable condition, hospital officials said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fuel prices are displayed at a gas station on June 09, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Consumer sentiment improved in June for the first time since the outbreak of the Iran war as gasoline prices eased in recent weeks, but shopper attitudes remained near their worst level on record, University of Michigan survey data on Friday showed. The reading exceeded economists’ expectations.
The survey snapped three consecutive months of dampening consumer sentiment, recovering from an all-time low in May, data showed. The University of Michigan has conducted the survey for the past 80 years.
This improvement in sentiment was widespread, seen across age, education and political party, Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said in a statement. Overall assessments and expectations of personal finances and business conditions all rose in June, she noted.
The fresh figure comes days after a government report on inflation showed the pace of price increases exceeded 4% for the first time in three years.
Prices rose 4.2% in May compared to a year earlier, increasing 0.5% from the prior month, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Consumers expect inflation to move higher over the next year, hitting a pace of 4.8% in June 2027, the University of Michigan survey showed.
The Middle East conflict prompted the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The standoff triggered one of the largest oil shocks ever recorded, sending gasoline prices higher.
Drivers stung by high gas prices have enjoyed some welcome relief over recent weeks, however, even as the impact of the Iran war continues to choke off oil supply.
The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.10, marking a decline of 40 cents, or 8.8%, over the past month, AAA data showed. Gas prices, however, remain $1.12 higher than where they stood before the Iran war.
Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, could weaken if shopper remains lackluster.
Spending slowed over the first three months of 2026 compared to the previous three-month period, according to government data issued earlier this year. The economy remained solid at the outset of this year, however, as gross domestic product rose 2% on an annualized basis, the report showed.
(MIDLAND, Texas) — At least 11 victims have been reported in an active shooter situation in Midland, Texas, on Friday morning, with at least one person dead, according to Midland Mayor Lori Blong.
Midland police said responding officers heard gunfire coming from a building.
A standoff is ongoing with the suspected shooter, police said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while aboard Air Force One en route to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on June 5, 2026. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Friday issued an injunction blocking the Trump administration from establishing its $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after expressing concerns that senior officials have not put in their commitment to not move forward with the fund in writing.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema repeatedly cited acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s refusal to commit to not moving forward with the fund under penalty of perjury, as well as President Donald Trump’s own words suggesting he was disappointed that the government might not establish the fund so that those charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack could be compensated.
“If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed,” Trump said during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press that aired over the weekend.
The fund, which was announced last month by the DOJ to compensate those who allege they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration, was proposed in exchange for Trump agreeing to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS as well as two civil claims for $230 million related to the Russia collusion investigation he faced during his first term in office and the 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago estate — sparking accusations of self-dealing and a bipartisan uproar over the possible use of taxpayer money to pay rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Lawyers with the Department of Justice have argued that the case is now moot, writing in a court filing last week that they would not move forward with the fund. During Friday’s hearing, Judge Brinkema repeatedly pressed DOJ attorney Andrew Block on whether he knew why Blanche hasn’t simply rescinded his previous order establishing the fund.
“Your honor, I don’t,” Block responded, saying he doesn’t have the ability to speak for Blanche.
Brinkema said she “couldn’t believe,” given the significance of the case, that Block wouldn’t have even attempted to get an answer, and said the government’s unwillingness on that score created a “huge gap in the record” of the case.
Brinkema said she didn’t believe there was any injury to the government if there was an injunction in place, and gave them one week to respond with a formal declaration, under penalty of perjury, stating no “Anti-Weaponization Fund” would be established — which she said would potentially clear the way to dismissing the case.
Judge Brinkema pointed repeatedly to President Trump’s own shifting statements in recent weeks about the fund, including his pointed attack on Brinkema herself after she had temporarily paused the fund earlier this month, in which he referred to her as a “radical left judge.”
“When the president of the United States says he’s disappointed that something is not going forward,” Brinkema said, that would only add to the evidence that the fund might “rear its head” in the future.
Brinkema said at one point during the proceedings that just this week an unidentified individual had send an application for money from the fund directly to the court.
“We had to send it back,” Brinkema said.
Later in the hearing, Brinkema expressed doubt about the legality of Trump’s settlement that established the fund, noting a judge’s order in Florida that recently asked Trump’s lawyers to respond to claims they may have committed a fraud on her court.
“You think this is lawful business?” Brinkema asked Block.
At one point, Brinkema read into the record an amicus brief submitted in the lawsuit by Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Bill Cassidy that urged her to permanently block the fund over the potential it could compensate individuals who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Brinkema said the brief showed that public interest in preventing the establishment of such a fund “is very strong,” and questioned the concept of nearly $1.8 billion being directed to such a small subset of individuals that a significant number of Americans would strongly object to.
Friday’s injunction came two days after another federal judge denied a governmental watchdog group’s request for a temporary restraining order to block the establishment of the fund.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the request from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, ruling that the watchdog group failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success.
Boston police said they are looking for suspects in an armed robbery at a kids’ lemonade stand in South Boston, June 10, 2026. (Boston Police)
(BOSTON) — Boston police are searching for two suspects wanted for committing an armed robbery at a lemonade stand.
Two kids were running a lemonade stand in South Boston when, at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, the “unknown suspects made several passes by the stand,” Boston police said.
The suspects — described as boys about 14 and 11 years old — then went up to the kids and asked if Apple Pay was accepted, police said.
Before the children could answer, the suspects grabbed a box of cash, and the older suspect showed a gun in his waistband, police said.
The suspects fled the scene, police said.
The cash box had about $50 inside, police said.
Police ask anyone with information to call the detectives 617-343-4742 or submit a tip anonymously at 1-800-494-TIPS.
ormer FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrives for a bail hearing at Manhattan Federal Court on August 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the cryptocurrency fraud conviction of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
The opinion came the same week Bankman-Fried submitted his application for a presidential pardon.
Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX. He is serving a 25-year prison sentence.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
