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Atlanta’s Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens launched a scathing attack on the Democratic National Committee’s leadership Thursday, accusing party leaders of turning their backs on Black voters and the South after the DNC excluded the city from its shortlist to host the 2028 presidential convention. “The DNC continues to make the wrong choices,” Dickens wrote in a scathing letter obtained by Fox News Digital, singling out DNC Chairman Ken Martin after party officials narrowed their convention search to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia.Dickens’ rebuke echoes an argument other southern Democrats have pressed on the national party in recent months: that Democrats cannot afford to take the South — and particularly its Black voters — for granted heading into 2028. South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain declared last month, amid debate over the party’s presidential primary calendar, that “the South is not the past, it is the future,” while Democratic chairs from five other southern states previously warned the DNC against sending Black voters the message that their loyalty is “taken for granted.””They are afraid to leave their comfort zone and blind to the fact that the South is the answer. They are abandoning Atlanta, abandoning the South, and once again abandoning Black voters,” Dickens wrote in his letter. “Atlanta has not hosted a convention in nearly 40 years. One party has chosen the South to host their convention, and the other has chosen the same region over and over again. This isn’t by accident. It’s an intentional choice.”JASMINE CROCKETT WARNS DEMOCRATS ARE TOO FOCUSED ON WHITE VOTERS, IGNORING BLACK VOTERSThe DNC declined to comment specifically on Dickens’ letter when reached by Fox News, but pointed to the party’s broader efforts in the South and provided a statement from Martin about the convention selection process.”The 2028 Democratic National Convention will be an inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee, and a critical step on Democrats’ path towards retaking the White House,” Martin said. “Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia all presented incredibly strong bids to host the convention, and we look forward to continuing to work with them as the DNC makes a final selection in the coming months.”JAMES CARVILLE BLASTS FAR-LEFT ‘WHITE TURDS’ AMONG DEMS WHO HE SAYS VALUE LENIN MORE THAN MLKThe party also pointed to its recent decision to place South Carolina first on its 2028 presidential nominating calendar. The full DNC voted last week to begin the six-state early window in South Carolina on Jan. 22, 2028, with Virginia closing out the slate. In announcing the calendar, the DNC emphasized its racial diversity and cited Census data showing roughly 4.6 million Black people live across the six early states.Meanwhile, the DNC announced Thursday that Boston, Denver and Philadelphia had advanced as the three remaining contenders to host the Aug. 7-10, 2028 convention, eliminating Atlanta and Chicago from a five-city field. The Democratic National Convention Committee will now undertake a contracts and logistics review of the three finalists, with the process expected to continue for several months before a final selection is made.REPUBLICAN PARTY TO HOST HISTORIC MIDTERM CONVENTION IN DALLAS, TRUMP ANNOUNCES ON TRUTH SOCIALA DNC official said factors considered during the site visits and selection process included the ability to forge partnerships with local community, political and business leaders; operational and logistical capacity such as arena size and hotel availability; fundraising capability; and whether a city shares Democratic values.DNC leadership and representatives of the party’s Technical Advisory Group visited Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia in April and May after the five cities advanced from the initial application process. Atlanta had aggressively pitched itself as both a capable convention city and a strategically important Democratic foothold in the South. DNC officials toured State Farm Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center during an April visit to the city. Atlanta, which also lost out to Chicago for the 2024 convention, has not hosted the Democratic gathering since 1988.”At a time when Trump and the Supreme Court are minimizing Black electoral power we need a party that would come to Atlanta and galvanize the Southeast for 2028 and beyond. Real leaders produce for the present and the future,” Martin continued in his letter. “This was an opportunity for Ken Martin and the DNC leadership to show they have a thoughtful plan for the party and know how to win the White House in 2028. But instead they are running scared and retreat to their safe spaces. I’m ready for Democratic leadership that understands what every Democratic voter already knows: that this is a moment that demands we run toward battles and into the fight.”

A woman who converted to Islam five years ago was arrested to an ISIS-inspired plot to bomb the New York State Capitol building in Albany.
Jessica Bowie, 35, told a confidential source between July17 and August 17 that she wanted to do something to “harm the enemies of god.”
According to the complaint, Bowie created several social media accounts to express her support for Islamic terrorism.
The social media accounts were “frequently suspended by providers for violating their terms of use.”
Bowie lived two miles away from the New York State Capitol, according to the complaint.
NBC News reported:
A woman has been charged with providing support to a terror group after allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on the New York State Capitol building in Albany, federal officials said Thursday.
Jessica Bowie, 35, allegedly told a confidential source that she supported ISIS and asked for help learning to make explosives, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Bowie is expected in court Thursday afternoon in connection to a single charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terror organization.
Federal and state officials announced a press conference to address the case for 3 p.m. E.T.
According to the complaint, Bowie converted to Islam five years ago and made several social media accounts using an honorific Islamic name. It appeared that Bowie created so multiple accounts because they were “frequently suspended by providers for violating their terms of use,” the complaint said.
WATCH:

BREAKING: The FBI says it disrupted an alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot targeting the New York State Capitol.
Authorities say a New York woman allegedly sought to bomb the state Capitol and pledged allegiance to ISIS before federal investigators intervened.@johnrobertsFox has… pic.twitter.com/oIF7eSMu3y
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 20, 2026

The post JUST IN: Woman Who Recently Converted to Islam Arrested for ISIS-Inspired Plot to Bomb New York State Capitol Building appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Aftermath of New York Harbor disaster
The captain of a vessel that was overloaded and capsized in New York Harbor, killing a mom and her baby, was an illegal alien who now has been arrested and ultimately faces deportation.
That’s according to the Department of Homeland Security, which issued a statement about Manuel Hernandez, from El Salvador, who was “illegally piloting a boat when he capsized the overloaded vessel…”
“Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of @ICEgov, this criminal is off our streets and out of our waterways – and he will be DEPORTED after he faces justice.”

This illegal alien KILLED a 27-year-old MOTHER and her BABY.
Manuel Hernandez, from El Salvador, was illegally piloting a boat when he capsized the overloaded vessel in New York Harbor.
Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of @ICEgov, this criminal is off our streets… https://t.co/zxRX3SAL3l pic.twitter.com/ydBazpYwsZ
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 19, 2026

Reporter Nick Sorter noted Hernandez held “NO license, nor ANY basic boating knowledge, and the boat was over capacity. A mom and her baby were killed after a dozen people went overboard due to capsizing.”

JUST IN: The captain of the tour boat involved in a deadly NYC crash is an ILLEGAL ALIEN, per @AlexisMcAdamsTV
MORE innocent Americans dead at the hands of illegals. ICE needs to SURGE into NYC ASAP, and the tour boat owner should be ARRESTED
The captain, Manuel Hernandez,… pic.twitter.com/DEU3V63ccd
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 20, 2026

NEW: The captain accused of operating an illegal charter boat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing a 27-year-old mother and her baby, is an illegal immigrant and is now in custody.
Authorities say Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana does not have a captain’s license and is… pic.twitter.com/zaSgnilyLH
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 20, 2026

A report at Patriot.TV delivered the shocking news: “A five-month-old girl went into New York Harbor without a life jacket. Her mother went in holding her. Both came out dead. The man at the wheel had no captain’s license, too many bodies on a 21-foot boat, and no legal right to stand on American soil.”
The victims of the Hernandez scheme were identified as Sara Sanchez, 27, of College Point, Queens, and her infant daughter Antonella Garcia.
The fact that the “captain” is an illegal alien, the report said, “is the whole story.”
He came into the U.S. by telling Customs and Border Protection he was a U.S. citizen, even though he wasn’t.
“He drove limousines. He worked for a tour outfit. Then he started running unlicensed harbor trips, including on a friend’s boat he had not registered and was not certified to operate with paying customers. That is what sanctuary culture produces. A man who commits fraud at the border gets a job, a boat, and a night on the water with a baby in his care. No Coast Guard ticket. No infant flotation devices on board. According to the complaint, he told passengers they did not even need life jackets,” the report charged.
He’s now charged with misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. He is accused of taking 14 passengers on a boat that could handle only 10, and ending up in tragedy.

China is testing whether the top of the world can become a new strategic trade corridor, launching regular seasonal container service to Europe through Russia’s Arctic as Beijing and Moscow deepen their commercial and military footprint in a region Washington increasingly views as critical to U.S. security.The service remains limited in scale, with just over eight voyages planned this season, but China analyst Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital that its significance goes beyond the number of containers currently making the journey.”China has a major strategic push on the Arctic for various reasons,” Chang said in an interview. “Arctic ice is melting, and this means that the Northern Sea Route, which hugs Russia’s north coast, does become viable at least for a few months in the summer.”TRUMP ENVOY WARNS CHINA’S POWER MOVE AT SEA IS THREAT ‘WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE’Sea Legend Shipping’s Dubai Tower departed Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on Aug. 15 for Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route, with the journey to Felixstowe, England, scheduled to take about 20 days, according to China Daily on Aug. 17.The move comes as a new U.S. congressional commission staff report warns that Russia’s increasing isolation and dependence on Beijing are giving China greater leverage — including greater access to the Arctic.Chang warned that Washington needs a stronger physical presence in response. “We need to be in the Arctic, and President Trump has authorized more icebreakers,” he told Fox News Digital. “We are woefully short in that department.”TIM SHEEHY EXPOSES A ‘SCARY’ SHIPBUILDING COLLAPSE THAT LEAVES THE US VULNERABLE TO CHINAA White House official told Fox News Digital on background that, “The Arctic is a critical region for U.S. national security and the economy. As an Arctic nation, the United States will pursue its security and economic interests and ensure safety, stability, and prosperity in the face of growing competition from China and Russia.”A fact sheet released Aug. 20 by staff of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic isolation from the West have “compelled Russia to accept a greater Chinese presence in the Arctic,” a region Moscow has traditionally regarded as central to its sovereignty and national security.CHINA IS BUILDING A MASSIVE SHIP THAT SHOULD SCARE AMERICANS ABOUT THE FUTUREThe report said Chinese state-owned enterprises now hold a combined 20% stake in the U.S.- and EU-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, while China and Russia are developing year-round commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route. The two countries have also established a joint venture to manufacture ice-class container vessels, with the first ship planned to enter service in 2027.The Pentagon’s 2024 Arctic Strategy similarly said changing climate conditions are increasing accessibility in the region while China seeks greater influence and access there. The strategy identified Beijing’s proposed “Polar Silk Road” as a vehicle for infrastructure and natural-resource investments in the Arctic and warned that growing cooperation between China and Russia could “‘alter the Arctic’s stability and threat picture.’”For China-Europe commerce, the Northern Sea Route offers a radically different path from the traditional westbound journey through the Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, Bab el-Mandeb, Red Sea and Suez Canal.”This of course avoids some choke points, like the Strait of Malacca, the Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar,” Chang said. “So this is important for China.”The new USCC report argues that China is increasingly benefiting from an asymmetric relationship in which Moscow needs Beijing more than Beijing needs Moscow. It says China has become indispensable to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, giving Beijing growing leverage to obtain discounted energy and greater access to Russian military technology while avoiding the obligations of a formal alliance.Energy is a major part of that imbalance. According to the report, China accounts for roughly half of Russia’s crude oil exports, while Russian crude represents only about one-fifth of China’s oil imports. The report says China has purchased approximately $372 billion in Russian fossil fuels since the invasion of Ukraine.UKRAINE POUNDS BLACK SEA FLEET’S ‘LAST MAJOR STRONGHOLD’ WHILE PUTIN FLEXES NAVAL POWER IN PACIFICMoscow is now making increasingly aggressive use of the same Arctic passage to move oil east.Reuters reported Aug. 11 that Russia had sent seven crude shipments totaling roughly 6 million barrels toward Asia through the Northern Sea Route so far this season, nearly half the amount transported during the entire 2025 season. China is the principal destination for those shipments, according to Reuters.The growing Arctic activity comes as Washington has become increasingly concerned about Chinese and Russian cooperation close to Alaska.Chang pointed to the Bering Strait — separating Russia from Alaska — as a strategic vulnerability even on the Arctic route.CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM ‘AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’ THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS”There is one choke point though, which is of interest,” he said. “You have to go between Russia on the west and our 49th state on the east. And that gives the U.S. some leverage over here.”The military relationship is also expanding. The new USCC fact sheet says China and Russia had participated in at least 119 combined military exercises as of April 2026, while their joint naval operations in July included submarine, anti-submarine and drone activity. It also noted that Chinese bombers entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone for the first time during a joint China-Russia bomber patrol in 2024.For Chang, the issue extends beyond whether the Northern Sea Route itself ever becomes a competitor to Suez.”There are some U.S. national security strategists who say, ‘Oh, the Arctic is a distraction. There are more important places in the world,’” Chang said.”But even more important, regardless of what one thinks of the importance of the Arctic, the Chinese and the Russians are pressing us in the Arctic,” he added. “So we’ve got no choice to respond. Whether we think the Arctic is strategic or not, the Chinese and Russians are there in force. We have to be there too.”Fox News Digital has reached out to the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington and the White House for comment.

A man survived a serious fall into McDonald Creek at Glacier National Park thanks to the intervention of a Good Samaritan bystander. The man who fell was identified as Ken Nurse, who was visiting the Montana park with his wife, family and friends, according to NonStop Local Montana.He tumbled from an overlook and reportedly went over a set of waterfalls on Aug. 13, according to Two Bear Air Rescue, a Montana-based helicopter search-and-rescue organization that responded to the incident.NURSE IMPALED BY POLE DURING HIKE FORCED TO TREK 10 MILES FOR HELP: ‘A FREAK THING’A witness entered the creek after seeing him lying face down.The bystander then brought the man into shallower water and began chest compressions when he realized he was not breathing, the organization said in a Facebook post accompanying video of the rescue.Ken Nurse’s wife, Renae, told NonStop Local Montana the group had stopped near McDonald Falls to take photos before she returned to the car to warm up. He moved closer to the edge for a better view when the ground beneath him gave way — sending him about 120 feet down the cliff and into the creek.Glacier National Park rangers were tending to him in the middle of the creek when the Two Bear Air Rescue helicopter crew arrived, according to the organization.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERVideo of the rescue shows a crew member being lowered from the helicopter to reach him before he is secured and hoisted from the water.Ken Nurse was then flown to a waiting medical helicopter for further stabilization and transport to a hospital, the Facebook post said.Two Bear Air Rescue credited the bystander’s life-saving efforts. CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES”We commend the quick action of the bystander whose actions saved the victim’s life,” the organization wrote.Nurse spent two days on a ventilator. He suffered multiple cracked ribs, a compound fracture to his elbow that required surgery, and fluid in his lungs, according to NonStop Local Montana.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZDespite the severity of his injuries, he said he was grateful to those who helped him survive.”I just want everyone who helped me out to get the things they deserve. Because I should not be here right now,” he said.”I owe everyone my life and I want that to be known,” he added.Fox News Digital reached out to Glacier National Park for comment and additional details.

Fox News’ “Antisemitism Exposed” newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:- Harvard gets DOJ’s antisemitism lawsuit tossed by hometown judge- Anti-Israel nonprofit under federal investigation over financial dealings- Man charged with assault, hate crimes after allegedly disrupting Shabbat services at NYC synagogueTOP STORY: A federal judge threw out the Trump administration’s high-profile antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard University. The court ruled that alleged campus incidents failed to prove an ongoing pattern of civil rights violations after official warnings were issued. Justice Department officials expressed strong disagreement with the decision and are currently reviewing their options for a potential appeal.VIDEO: StopAntisemitism founder Liona Rez told Fox News Digital she wants to see a broadcaster who made controversial comments against an Israeli athlete fired. WATCH HERE:TERROR TIES?: Feds are probing a deep-pocketed anti-Israel fund linked to Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani over claims donor cash was funneled to a sanctioned Palestinian group. The U.K.-based “PFF”—backed by Mamdani ally Bassema Yousef—commands a mega $100M war chest. Homeland Security is investigating potential ties to Al-Haq, though no criminal wrongdoing is proven.SHABBAT SAVAGERY: A Bronx man faces hate crime charges after terrifying worshipers during Friday Shabbat services at Manhattan’s historic Central Synagogue. Police say 46-year-old Larry Montes struck a congregant, smashed property, then spat on and headbutted a security officer before being tackled by an off-duty cop. Top city officials condemned the violent outburst as the suspect remains in custody.STARVATION SCAM: State Department officials claim findings from UNICEF completely shatter long-standing allegations that Israel engineered a starvation campaign in Gaza. Officials point to data showing acute child malnutrition rates remained well below required famine thresholds. The U.S. government maintains the findings debunk propaganda claims, emphasizing that extensive humanitarian food aid and vaccines were successfully delivered throughout the conflict.HOLY WAR: Christian Zionists are flooding the West Bank to fight back against international outrage over Israeli settlements. Evangelical outfit The Israel Guys is busing thousands of global volunteers into contested territories to pick crops, open tourist hubs, and counter hostile media reports. They claim accusations of settler violence are fake news designed to demonize local Jewish communities.GUEST EDITORIAL: Loay Alshareef, an Arab Muslim peace advocate and senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, writes that the Dead Sea Scrolls provide undeniable archaeological proof of the Jewish people’s ancient bond to Israel. Dated over 2,000 years ago, these manuscripts shatter claims that Jewish connection to the land is a modern invention, offering a factual foundation for peace and reconciliation.QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The new data shows that the allegations of famine in Gaza were pure hysteria. While certain small pockets of hunger occurred in Gaza, we now know this can only have been an issue of distribution. Once again, international organizations removed Hamas and their share of the blame for Gaza’s suffering from the conversation, stoking the anti-Israel narrative.” – Andrew Fox, a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society.- Looking for more on this topic? Find more antisemitism coverage from Fox News here.- Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe to additional newsletters from Fox News here.

Volodymyr Zhuravlyov – Screengrab Social Media/X
Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, and a Ukrainian saboteur: an explosive recipe?
We’ve been reporting here on TGP from day one on the explosions that destroyed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which occurred in 2022.
At first, MSM tried to convince the world that the mean Russians had sabotaged their own pipelines – but that didn’t stick.
Later, Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh, based on his unnamed sources, wrote that the explosions were an op run by the CIA.
But German police and prosecutors laboriously worked over four years on an investigation, and have arrived at the conclusion that a team of Ukrainians, ‘under state orders’, was guilty of the attacks.
The leader of this team, Serhii Kuznetzov, has been charged with a war crime under international law: attacking civilian energy infrastructure, as well as causing an explosion, destroying structures/infrastructure.
Yesterday (19), German prosecutors announced that a second Ukrainian suspect of the Nord Stream pipeline blasts was arrested ‌in Croatia, and will be extradited to Germany.
Some outlets are following the German rules and calling the suspect Volodymyr Z., but many others have identified the man as Volodymyr Zhuravlyov.

German prosecutors secured the arrest of a second person in its Nord Stream gas pipelines sabotage investigation https://t.co/Z9pYDup6pt
— Bloomberg (@business) August 19, 2026

Reuters reported:
“Germany’s federal prosecutors’ office identified the second Ukrainian national only as Vladimir Z. in ⁠a statement, adding that he was arrested in the Croatian city of Pula by local police forces who acted on a European arrest ​warrant.
The prosecutors said [Volodymyr Zhuravlyov] was a trained scuba diver who was part of a group led by Serhii [Kuznetzov] that planted explosives targeting the ​Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.”

A scuba diver walked free once already. Not this time.
– Croatia just arrested a Ukrainian accused of diving to plant explosives on Nord Stream.
– Poland caught him in 2025 but a court refused to send him to Germany, calling it a just act.
– He then vanished, resurfaced in… pic.twitter.com/f2U32XA2vK
— Unbiased Headlines (@UnbiasedHdlns) August 19, 2026

Zhuravlyov was first arrested in Poland, but the government of Liberal Donald Tusk refused to extradite him to Germany – so they set him free, and he promptly vanished.
Today the Polish PM repeated his idiotic take that the saboteurs are actually ‘heroes’.
TVP World reported:
“Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said Germany should not prosecute suspects accused of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines, adding those who built the Russian gas links ‘should be ashamed, not those who disabled them’.
Asked on Thursday whether he still believed the suspect should not face criminal liability, Tusk said he had not changed his position.
[…] ‘But Germany should certainly not prosecute those who, in a situation where their country has been attacked, take one action or another.  I will not change my mind here, and I believe that those who built this pipeline should be ashamed, not those who disabled it’.”

A Ukrainian man arrested in the Nord Stream bombing was detained while working on a Hollywood movie about the gas pipeline attack starring Adrien Brody and Sean Penn, a report said Thursday.https://t.co/HmgK99wAw2
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 20, 2026

And apparently, not only Tusk thinks that the man who committed the greatest act of sabotage since WW2 (a war crime) is heroic: Zhuravlyov was reportedly detained while working on a Hollywood movie about the gas pipeline attack starring Adrien Brody and Sean Penn.
AFP reported:
“Germany’s Legal Tribune Online reported he was arrested while working on the set for the movie ‘Snake Island’ by US director Doug Liman (“Bourne Identity”), with Brody and three-time Oscar winner Penn.
Zhuravlyov worked as an advisor for the film, according to media reports AFP was unable to immediately verify with German or Croatian authorities.”
Read more:
Ukrainian Man Charged in Germany With War Crime Explosions That Sabotaged Nord Stream Pipeline – Prosecutors Say He Acted on ‘State Orders’ by Kiev Regime

The post German Prosecutors Say a Second Nord Stream Sabotage Suspect Was Arrested in Croatia – Volodymyr Zhuravlyov Reportedly Detained While Making a Hollywood Film About the Explosions appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The FBI seized electric devices belonging to former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell as part of a federal criminal probe into alleged sexual misconduct.

An unusual spell of freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall in western Bolivia has affected more than 26,000 families across five regions.

The Trump administration has designated an American scholar detained in China as wrongfully held after he traveled there at Beijing’s invitation, escalating his case just weeks before President Donald Trump is set to host Chinese President Xi Jinping.Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that U.S. citizen Min Zin is “wrongfully detained” after the State Department reviewed the circumstances of his June 3 detention in Yunnan, the State Department said Thursday.Zin had traveled to China for an academic conference at the invitation of the Chinese government, according to the department.PASTOR FREED FROM CHINESE PRISON AFTER TRUMP RAISED HIS CASE WITH XI JINPINGHe is now one of two U.S. citizens the State Department considers wrongfully detained in China. The other is Dr. Youlin Chen, a Chinese-born American seismologist from Boston.”The safety and security of U.S. citizens is the State Department’s top priority,” Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said in a statement. “We will continue to advocate for Mr. Zin and call for the release of all U.S. citizens who are arbitrarily detained or exit banned in China.”Zin was detained at the airport after arriving in China and has been repeatedly interrogated and held in isolation during nearly 11 weeks in custody, a senior State Department official told Reuters.DAUGHTER OF DETAINED CHINESE PASTOR SAYS SHE HAS ‘HOPE’ AFTER LEARNING TRUMP MAY RAISE CASE WITH XI JINPING”One minute his colleagues and family were engaging with him on the phone – exchanging updates on his arrival time and plans in China – and the next minute communication was lost,” the official said.For the next 48 hours, his family and colleagues did not know where he was, whether he was alive or who had taken him, according to the official.Authorities in Yunnan later told the U.S. Embassy that Zin was under criminal investigation for allegedly endangering China’s national security, Reuters reported.China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Zin’s arrest in June and said he was suspected of spying and endangering national security, the report said.Beijing has denied that wrongful detention occurs in China and says such cases are handled according to Chinese law.The U.S. designation can bring more government attention and resources to efforts to secure Zin’s release.It also puts his detention in the spotlight ahead of Xi’s anticipated Sept. 24 visit to the White House.Zin, who writes about Burma and Chinese foreign policy, leads the Institute for Strategy and Policy, a think tank focused on Burma. He took part in that country’s 1988 pro-democracy uprising before eventually seeking asylum in the United States.The State Department said it will continue pushing for Zin’s release and for Americans it says are being arbitrarily detained or prevented from leaving China.The Associated Press contributed to this report.